WSOP Winner Sally Boyer Sues Harrahs for False Advertisement
October 28, 2009
2007 World Series of Poker winner Sally Anne Boyer is suing Harrah’s and the World Series of Poker Academy for using her name and likeness in their advertising without her permission. She says that they are saying she endorses the academy.
She filed her suit on Monday at the Clark County District Court in Las Vegas against Harrah’s Operating Company INC, the owner of the World Series of Poker and Post Oak Productions Inc of Toronto.
So far neither Harrah’s or the Las Vegas office of the World Series of Poker have issued a statement about the suit. The WSOP Academy is currently promotion academies with prices from $1,899 to $2,999 dollars. Sally Boyer is from Midway, Utah and she won the 2009 World Series of Poker Ladies No Limit Hold’em Championship in 2007. She won $262,077 dollars, a World Series of Poker Bracelet and a Corum watch for the win.
In her lawsuit she says that soon after her win the WSOP Academy began “extensive marketing efforts” using her recent win to market the academy as being a success in tournaments. The lawsuit also says that the WSOP Academy educational business was launched in January 2007 by Harrah’s and Post Oak was to manage, produce and market all of the WSOP Academy events.
Boyer states that the WSOP Academy has published advertisements with her posing with her winnings saying she said "The quickest way to your WSOP Bracelet!," and calling her an "Academy Graduate." However she says she only one day of a two day WSOP Academy Event. She didn’t complete the course nor did she graduate from the academy. The lawsuit says:
"Boyer never said nor authorized a statement on her behalf to the effect that participating in the WSOP Academy was 'the quickest way to your WSOP Bracelet!' or intimating that her success in the tournament was attributable to her experience attending one day of a two-day WSOP Academy event”.
Playing online poker on the Bubble
September 6, 2009
The bubble is the stage in an online poker tournament where the last player that must leave the table will go home with nothing while the rest of the players is in the money. If you're playing a Sit'n'Go with 10 players the first three usually are getting paid while the fourth place gets nothing. In Double or Nothing Sit'n Gos half of the players is getting paid. The bubble at a 10 player Sit'n Go table takes place with four players.
Online Poker Strategy - The passive approach
On the bubble you want to avoid an elimination so badly because if you go broke you will go home with nothing. That's why it's reasonable not to play any hands, avoid any confrontations and wait until the next player has to leave the tournament. If other players do you this favor you can win money with folding.
But this sounds easier than it is. What if everybody else is also playing passively and you don't have a big chip stack? Then you're in trouble and the likelihood of getting eliminated due to increasing blinds is high.
Playing passively only makes sense when you either have a big stack so you can afford to wait, or your opponents are playing aggressively and wildly. Then it's just a matter of seconds when the next one quits the tournament.
Online Poker Strategy - The aggressive approach
Most of the time the aggressive approach is way better. Not only can you put pressure on your passive opponents and surviving the bubble but you can also increase your chip stack thus increasing your chance to win the tournament.
But be cautious! You must not play wildly just to be aggressive. You have to select your aggression properly and put the pressure on passive opponents. Pay attention to your risk. Don't risk your whole stack and make small attempts to steal pots. No matter how many chips you have: if you can't select your aggression properly you can always be the „bubble boy“ who goes home with nothing.
The bubble is one of the most interesting stages in a tournament. You need a lot of skills to survive the bubble more often than your opponents. It's important to select the right approach. If you do that properly only bad luck can beat you!
Build Your Poker Bankroll For Free
August 28, 2009
It’s hard to imagine you could start out with absolutely nothing in the way of an online poker bankroll, and end up with a padded virtual wallet. Honestly, it’s not that uncommon. But with a little skill and a solid poker strategy, you can do just that.
Take famed female poker pro Annette Obrestad for example, winner of the first annual World Series of Poker Europe in 2007. Ms. Obrestad started out playing online poker, and as the story goes, never once made a single deposit into her poker account. Instead, Annette “Annette_15” Obrestad registered an account and began playing online poker freeroll tournaments.
It didn’t take long before Annette was cashing in these Freerolls, building her poker bankroll without ever spending a dime of her own money. Obrestad went on to win a rather famous poker tournament, not famous for its prowess – it was merely a $4 180-seat Sit’n’Go - but for the way in which she won. “Annette_15” claims she never looked at her hole cards, except on one occasion when faced with an all-in bet. She instead chose to base her entire strategy on her position and reading her opponents throughout the event. Needless to say, she finished in 1st place.
Is Annette Obrestad particularly gifted? Does she have a sixth sense for poker? Absolutely not. Heck, she was only 18 years old at the time! What she had on her side was intelligence. She knew very well the kind of strategy she would need to win a freeroll poker tournament. She had the patience to observe her opponents, one by one, and determine how they were playing; accurately predicting their hand strength through pattern recognition.
It doesn’t take a psychologist to figure someone out, and it doesn’t take a savant to realize that freeroll tournaments can be the easiest of all to cash in, if you just maintain a little poise on the virtual felt.
Winning Freeroll Tournaments
So what does it take to win a freeroll, building your bankroll for free? Think about it. There is no risk involved in a freeroll poker tournament, correct? With no risk, there’s no incentive to fight. No reason to play your strictest poker game. After all, there’s nothing to lose, right? That’s exactly what 90% of the participants in an online poker freeroll are thinking when faced with a marginally good hand and an all-in bet.
Most players will take more risks than they would if they had actually invested to play. This is where you sneak in and walk away with a substantial cash, if not a 1st place victory. Stick to your guns, playing your tightest poker strategy. When competing against loose players, a tight player will most always come out on top.
Most online poker freerolls with real cash up for grabs have a relatively small prize pool, like $50 or $100. The first place prize alone isn’t going to be enough to give you a comfortable bankroll, but it will get you started. Keep grinding away at the freerolls and building your free poker bankroll.
Online Poker Strategy – Controlling the Size of the Pot
March 27, 2009
Before you can successfully control the pot when playing No Limit Texas Holdem, you first need to be able to assess the value of your hand. So before you decide what approach you are going to take, figure out what your cards are worth. Say for instance that you are holding AJ of diamonds and the flop comes jack of spades, king of diamonds and 8 of diamonds. Now with a flop like that you know that you most likely have the best hand as well as a nut flush draw. This means that the bigger the pot gets, the better for you.
If you have early position, you may want to check to see what other players are going to do. Having early position when you know you probably have the best hand is a very good thing. Early position not only means that you get free information but it also allows you to control the pot better by having the opportunity to check-raise other players to build the pot up. Especially if a player with later position chooses to bet and other players call. With a check raise you will most likely be able to get players on a draw to fold, hopefully leaving you with the best hand.
The example given above is a simplification. There are many other things you also need to take into consideration such as; how many players you are playing with, how those players have been playing (ie: tight, loose, bluffer etc.), what the other players' chip stacks look like as well as what your own chip stack is looking like. Determining all of these things will assist you in knowing what play you want to make and how you want to go about controlling the size of the pot.
Now don't make the mistake that many new poker players make by believing your top pair is good even if your kicker is crap. Too many players make this mistake and regret it immensely when the player they were up against shows the same top pair with a better kicker, Now if the player you are up against has proven to be a bluffer, staying in may be a pretty good strategy for you. However, if you have noticed that they play pretty tight and win most hands that go to showdown and they have bet, called or raised all the way, you may want to figure out how many hands you could beat and if there are more hands that can beat you than you can beat you may want to lay your hand down or in the very least try to control the pot by keeping the bets small.
Now if you are facing more than one player after the flop, you need to have a real good hand. If the community cards leave many draws out there, a big pot after the flop is okay, but if a you bet your hand all the way and on the river they stay with you, you can almost bet you are beat. The best way to control the pot is to control the bets. For instance, if you want a bigger pot, make bigger bets or by check raising. If you want to keep it small (like if you're still drawing), bet it small. By making a small bet you will not only take control but if you get raised you can guess that they have already made their hand.
These techniques are not perfect and will not work all of the time. Rather they are here to help guide you through creating your own style and technique. Practice makes perfect so if one way doesn't work for you, take note of it and tweak it until you find a style you're comfortable with.
Poker Strategy: Restealing Late in Poker Tournaments
October 20, 2008
Restealing Late in Poker Tournaments
When you reach the late stages of a poker tournament, the blinds and antes will place immense pressure on each player’s stack. Because of this, play will become more and more aggressive, and passive players will be in a tough situation. To succeed in such a fast-paced and aggressive game, you need to open up your raising ranges, and know when you can make a play at a pot. This becomes especially crucial when you’re playing the bubble in a tournament, as play drastically changes. This article will teach you how to spot a steal attempt by an opponent, and how to counter their move.
Poker Tournament Strategy: Position
The first component that goes into a steal attempt is your position. When a player is in early position, it makes less sense to attempt a steal because you have so many players behind you who could wake up with a big hand. When a player is in middle position, it becomes a little more sensible to steal, especially if everyone in front of that player has folded. Late position is the prime time to steal blinds and antes, especially if no one has entered the pot in front of you. In that situation, there are only 2-3 players still to act, and odds are that they don’t have a solid hand.
If you suspect an opponent may be making a steal attempt, always think of their position first. If they’re in early position, do you think they’re aggressive enough to make a play at the pot from that spot? If not, fold your hand and let them have the pot. If you DO think they might do it, this could be a spot for a re-steal. We’ll talk more about how to execute a resteal later.
Poker Tournament Strategy: Chip Stack Size
Another factor that goes into a steal attempt is stack size. A solid rule to keep in mind is that the farther an opponent’s stack size is from average, the more likely they are to try to steal. The reasoning for this is because big stacks have chips to blow, and want to keep pressure on the table. Also, small stacks are desperate, have less to lose, and are more likely to make an overly aggressive play. Middle stacks, however, are trying to make it deeper into the tournament, and have enough of a stack to survive a few rounds of blinds. This makes them much less likely to attempt a steal, especially if they’re out of position.
Poker Tournament Strategy:Table Image
Another thing to consider when an opponent makes a raise is his/her table image. If the player has been making raises or re-raises recently, they are probably an aggressive player and are more likely to be stealing. If he/she hasn’t played a hand in a few rounds, it is more likely they are a passive player and actually has a hand.
Poker Tournament Strategy: Restealing
Ok, so let’s say that an aggressive opponent in late position with a big stack has made a raise, and you’re in the big blind. It folds to you, and you face a 3x sized raise. You decide that you think he/she is stealing. What do you do?
Well, unless you have a very strong hand, calling is out of the question. You’re going to be playing out of position on the flop versus an aggressive player with a stack, which is basically suicide.
I advocate re-raising preflop. Make a re-raise of 3-4x the initial raise, as this is just enough to give your opponent fold equity, meaning that they aren’t automatically committed to the pot because of their initial raise. When you make this re-raise, make sure that you still have plenty of chips behind your re-raise, because if it is only 4x more for the raiser to call your all in, he/she might do it just to gamble.
If you can make a few steals of your own, as well as an occasional resteal, you’ll be in excellent position to go deep in the poker tournament. Good luck!
Beating Low Limit No Limit Hold’em Cash Games
August 27, 2008
For all you grinders just starting a bankroll, let's discuss a few points on how to beat the low limit no limit cash games online. The games at this level are surprisingly mixed with new poker players who can and will draw out on you, and multi-tabling sharks that play 10 tables at a time and grind out $50 an hour while playing low limit poker and clearing bonuses.
There are few adjustments that need to made to your game, regardless of your level of experience.
Low Limit Poker Strategy: Don't Bluff
Bluffing works, and it's very profitable but not at this level. A key concept in using a bluff in no limit hold'em is relying on your opponent being good enough to fold his hand. When you're grinding it out in the micro no limit games, you cannot do this profitably except for rare situations, very rare situations. The likeliness of your opponent folding a bad hand is not great.
Cash poker games are not like tournaments where you need to steal blinds and antes just to survive. In these games, we are looking to buy in with the maximum allowed stack and wait patiently for the nuts (the best possible poker hand) and someone who will pay it off. Thank you for your whole stack sir, fish again.
Low Limit Poker Strategy: Play Post Flop Poker
Keep in mind, you will run into a lot of people limping in with big hands. Ace King and high pocket pairs like Aces or Queens. All of these hands will be limped a lot both by beginners who are afraid to broadcast the strength of their hand, and more experienced players looking to trap you. While I don't encourage limping with these hands myself, I definately don't over commit to them pre-flop either.
Knowing the large range of hands I will be called with, I prefer to put in "value-raises" of 2.5 x the big blind with big hands and see where the cards fall before putting them on a hand to continue the action on later streets.
You can and should fold JJ and QQ, or AK AQ after missing a flop, it simply depends on the reads you make. The exception to this style of play is that if you hold KK or AA, you should raise AT LEAST 4 times the big blind. It is also okay to open shove all in with hands like this, you never know who will wake up and call behind you with a pocket pair of fives!
If you feel you have the best hand, but aren't quite sure or know that your opponent will call to the river on a strong draw, don't be afraid to use a small value bet or even check the flop to see if the draw hits. Using the turn to extract value instead of the flop helps insure you won't be semi-bluff shoved all in by an opponent with a 30% draw that may or may not hit. After the turn, you can evaluate your odds to win much easier by seeing how it may or may not have improved your opponents hand.
These poker tables are a gind and you should treat them as such, for the most part you need to play very tight poker and wait for 80% or greater edges to get your money in with, this will help your bankroll grow at a steady pace without big risks and with the added benefit of clearing your first bonus. Players who can multi-table four or more of these low limit cash game tables find that it is easier to play tight poker as they don't get "bored" as easy.
Try your low limit strategy where all the fish play! Cake Poker - home of the 100,000 gold chip tournament!
Growing Your Poker Bankroll With Poker Loyalty Programs
August 27, 2008
Just about every online poker room offers a poker loyalty program of some kind that can be utilized to grow your bankroll. Some poker loyalty programs are better than others, but all hold value on some level.
Poker loyalty programs are based on a VIP Level, requiring point accumulation to reach the various VIP Levels. Other poker loyalty programs, especially those that run on a weekly or monthly rewards basis, just require point accumulation, without the occurrence of VIP Levels.
Poker Loyalty Programs - Cash Back for your Bankroll
The most common Poker Loyalty Program awards 'cash back' for points collected. For example, collecting 100 points may grant a $1 cash back reward. Another poker loyalty program may offer $10 cash back for every 100 points. While the latter may seem much more valuable, chances are it's more difficult to acquire points. In the long run, they are probably close to equal.
Poker Loyalty Programs - Special Tournaments
Another poker loyalty program frequently offered also requires point accumulation, but allows players to utilize the points in a different manner. These are usually Special Tournament Entries that require a specific number of points. For example, a $1,000 Loyalty Freeroll may require 250 points to enter.
Free Merchandise from Poker Loyalty Programs
This particular poker loyalty program will not add to your bankroll, but many players like getting free merchandise. Again, point accumulation is required. Online poker rooms with a 'Points Store' or 'Loyalty Store' for example will allow players to trade in their points for various items at the poker room store. Full Tilt Poker, for instance, is well known for offering some of the best merchandise.
Poker Loyalty Programs - Reload Bonuses
Another benefits of poker loyalty programs can be offered via reload bonuses. This can be an excellent way to increase your bankroll. Loyal players - those who participate frequently in tournaments and/or raked ring games - will often be privileged to special promotions like reload bonuses. Different online poker rooms vary as to the value of the reload bonus. Some offer 15-25% reload bonuses, while others promote as high as a 200% or higher reload bonus to their most valuable players.
High Rollers Poker Loyalty Bonuses
Online poker rooms love high rollers! A high roller is a player who participates in high stakes ring games and large tournaments on a regular basis. Any online poker room with a VIP Level or similar promotional offer will take very good care of these players, offering frequent reload bonuses, high point accumulation and entry to big tournaments. The largest poker rooms who offer 'Teams' commonly provide high rollers with a shot at exclusive tournaments awarding the chance to join the Poker 'Team'. For example, the Full Tilt Poker Team is a group of highly skilled poker professionals sponsored by the poker room to enter major, offline poker events like the WSOP, EPT, WPT and others.
Poker Loyalty Programs - Boosting Points
Most, if not all, poker loyalty programs are based on point accumulation. The fastest way to collect points in generally by playing in tournaments. Tournaments fees accumulate points at the fastest rate, usually X-amount of points per $1 in fees. For this reason, just any old tournament won't due. There must be a buy-in and fee to collect points. Don't confuse the Buy-In with the Fee! The average fee is based on 10% of the buy-in. This means a Tournament buy-in of $10 + $1 fee will acquire points, most often 5 to 18 points per $1, depending on the poker room. Again, just because the points granted are higher doesn't mean it's the better deal. Compare the point collection with the return ratio to determine the best poker loyalty program.
Be sure the online poker room you're playing at offers a good poker loyalty program, and watch your bankroll grow. Always read the fine print. Know how much you must wager, contribute to the rake, or pay in tournament fees to collect points. Also be aware of online poker rooms that require the player to manually convert points to cash back. In this case, if the online poker room offers cash back monthly basis, don't forget to convert your points as you may lose them when the month is over.
Each online poker room has it's own rules regarding poker loyalty programs, point accumulation, conversion rates and expirations. Take a pain pill, squint your eyes and read the fine print - in the end, it's worth the headache!
When To Bluff In No Limit Hold’em
August 25, 2008
A well timed and perfectly executed bluff in No Limit Hold’em is a relative work of art, but it is not as easy to do profitably as it may look on the television. Good poker players know that a successful bluff on the river or catching a bluffer in the act can add a lot to a winning players expected value over a players career. Picking your spots and knowing the other players at the tables tendencies (how they react based on similar situations in the past) are key skills, and bluffing is not to be attempted at low limit games with a large number of bad players.
When deciding to bluff, it helps to put your opponent on a range of hands first, starting pre-flop. This will allow you to set-up the bluff, by becoming what the player fears in a hand. I can and do successfully bluff Pocket Aces out of scary boards, but only when I deem the player good enough to be capable of folding (and this is simply not the case at low limit games for the most part). If you are confident in your play, and your read of the opponent – you can represent any hand that is possible on the board. A few tips:
Holdem Strategy: Don’t Bluff On The Turn:
Bluffing on the turn is the hardest to pull off, and I generally don’t recommend it. If a player stayed in after the flop the turn usually improves a hand or adds a draw, so players are simply more likely to call or even re-raise on a draw at the turn, because the potential to make their hand becomes great in their own eyes (straight and flush draw for example). Instead, the one time I highly recommend using this play as by semi-bluffing a big draw – that is, give yourself a lot of outs if you are bluffing on the turn, because it might just turn into a big pot. And when we are playing big pots, we want to have the maximum chance of scooping it as possible.
Holdem Strategy: Do Bluff The River
And do it often, especially versus tight/passive players. A player with pocket queens is susceptible to a river King or Ace, a flush card, or even a gutshot. Become the hand they fear most, and prey on their ability to “make a good fold”. Bluffing on the river can be risky of course, but I swear by it – it works well especially in heads up poker games. In multi-handed pots I only recommend attempting a stone cold bluff if you have position in the hand, thus ensuring you have the most information possible on what the other players might have – but in general a bluff works best in heads up poker situations.
If you haven’t been trying the occasional river bluff, you are losing a lot of pots that you don’t need to. Target players that check behind in showdown situations with hands like top pair weak kicker – just don’t over use the play as this style should fit solidly into your winning tight aggressive image to ensure the highest success rates, good luck!
Pot Limit Omaha Upstaging The Online Poker World
August 18, 2008
Since the advent of online poker, Texas Hold’em has been the irresistible reigning king of the industry. Omaha Hold’em was always the distant second, barely visible on the horizon by comparison. As of lately, though, it would seem Pot Limit Omaha is making more than a respectable mark on the online poker industry.
Pot Limit Omaha has closed the enormous popularity gap, becoming what some have called a current “fad”. Especially at high stakes cash tables, more and more players – including the most esteemed pros – have put their Texas Hold’em play on the back burner to partake in Pot Limit Omaha games.
With that said, let’s go over a brief description of how to play Pot Limit Omaha.
Omaha is played in the same manner as Texas Hold’em, using Small Blind and Big Blind bets, Hole Cards and Community Cards. The only real difference is the way Hole Cards and Community Cards must be combined, and of course the ‘Pot Limit’ restrictions.
Players get 4 Hole Cards to start, not just two. The usual 5 Community Cards are dealt to the table as a hand progresses. However, each player must combine exactly 2 of his own Hole Cards with exactly 3 Community Cards to develop the strongest possible hand.
The Pot Limit rule defines the maximum wager that can be placed at any given time. The minimum wager is always equal to the Big Blind. The maximum bet/raise is always equal to the current size of the pot. For example, if the pot has $5 in it, the max bet/raise is $5. If $5 is placed, the pot raises to $10, dually raising the max bet/raise to $10.
As in most any other poker variant, the player with the strongest hand after the last betting round wins the pot.
Ladies International Poker Series: LIPS Tour Peru
August 15, 2008
Lips Poker - Ladies in Poker
The Ladies International Poker Series, affectionately termed “LIPS”, will be making a stop in Mariflores, Peru later this month, near the capital city of Lima. The series will kick off August 23rd at the host casino, Casino Atlantic City, running through September 1st, 2008.
“We are absolutely thrilled to be expanding into Latin America,” commented LIPS Tour founder, Lupe Soto. “This is only the beginning of the new type of poker tourism we’ll be able to offer players. Our goal is to create great poker opportunities and amazing venues in which to play the game, as well.”
The series will feature multiple, daily events, ranging from $225 to $500. Among the Early Bird events will be the highly anticipated mega-satellite, awarding winners with $200, plus a Super Pass of buy-ins to all LIPS events throughout the week, including the Main Event buy-in of $1,080. A ladies tournament and bounty tournament are also on the ledger.
Satellites competitions will run each day. The staff on hand will include English and Spanish speaking personnel at all hours. Jan Fisher and Linda Johnson will also be on location, providing poker strategy lectures for all attending.
Ladies International Poker Series (LIPS) Schedule of Events
Early Bird Events
Sat, Aug 23 @ 6pm: Single Table Satellites Begin
Sun, Aug 24 @ 6pm: $300+$40 “Super Pass” Mega Satellite
For every 10 players, One “Super Pass” will be issued plus $200 in cash.
LIPS Tour Peru
Mon, Aug 25 @ 6pm: Event #1 - $200+$30 NLHE
Tue, Aug 26 @ 6pm: Event #2 – $250+$30 NLHE “Licensed to Kill” Bounty Event
Wed, Aug 27 @ 6pm: Event #3 - $200+$30 NLHE, $100 Rebuys
Thu, Aug 28 @ 6pm: Event #4 - $300+$40 NLHE
Fri, Aug 29 @ 6pm: Event #5 – $500+$50 NLHE
Sat, Aug 30 @ 3pm: Special Seminar and Autograph Signing with the Pros
Sat, Aug 30 @ 6pm: Event #6 - $200+$30 Ladies, LIPS NLHE
Sat, Aug 30 @ 8pm: Event #7 - $150 + $25SUPER SATELLITE, $100 Rebuys
Sun, Aug 31 @ 6pm: Event #8 - $1,000 + $80 NLHE Championship, LIPS Main Event
Mon, Sept 1 @ 6pm: NLHE Championship Final Table
For more information, visit: http://www.lipstour.com
Poker Strategy – Bluffing
July 11, 2008
While there are a lot of tight poker players out there who do not even bother to bluff, it is a simple fact that bluffing is a part of all poker games, or any poker game for that matter. Not only is it fun, if used properly, it can be very profitable. Note that bluffing is not for the squeamish, faint of heart or scaredy-cats out there who can’t maintain composure at the tables!
The very first rule of bluffing is to remain calm and show absolutely no change in body language, attitude, blood pressure or any other sure-tell sign of manipulation. If your opponent even suspects that you are bluffing, he may call just to find out. If you are bluffing, you’ll never get away with it again.
The best way to pull off a bluff is to maintain a tight/aggressive poker strategy. Do not attempt a bluff too early in the game, assuring that everyone at the table knows you are playing tight. Keep your chips neatly stacked at all times (common tight-player poker tell) and Fold often to start. Once you’ve taken a few pots with this attitude, preferably in showdowns so that they can see you were not bluffing, then it’s time to throw in a bluff.
The best position to Bluff is the on the Dealer Button. You are able to see whether your opponents have the confidence to Raise, or simply Call the bet. If all players Call/Fold, throw a high bet out there. Most often, everyone will Fold. If not, you can Fold after the Flop and play it off like your hole cards – as great as they were! – simply didn’t connect; or keep up the bluff if there are only 1 or 2 opponents left in the hand.
Here’s a play-by-play of how a good Bluff might go down.
1. Bet, Raise or Re-Raise before the Flop.
2. Check or Call on the Flop (typical great-hand poker tell)
3. Bet/Raise on the Turn.
4. The River is very important. If Checked to you, make a significant Bet. If someone bets small before you, make a much larger Raise. If someone makes a decent sized bet before you, tighten your mental belt-strap and immediately go all-in!
Only the slightest hesitation can be allowed here, if any – a long hesitation shows weakness and will result in a Call. A split-second glance at the pot, then your chips, followed by a slight nod of the head as you push your stack across the table will relay confidence.
Poker Bluffing Tips
Watch how the Community Cards go down. If there is a possible Straight on the Flop (regardless of your hand), keep betting consistently as if you have the Straight. If the Flop reveals a possible Straight Draw, followed by a Straight on the Turn, Check/Call the Flop and Bet/Raise the Turn – Raise High or go All-In on the River.
In the same token, if the Flop offers up 3 suited cards, see how your opponents bet, then bet very high on the Flop (go all-in if you want) to bluff the Nut Flush.
Muck, Muck and Muck again! Never show your opponents what you are holding if you do not have to. Never show your cards when you’re not bluffing, then muck when you are. This tells your opponents that you are likely bluffing the mucked hands.
Do not bluff too often. If you are betting high on a consistent basis, suspicious players with enough of a chip stack to afford it will call your bluff, simply to find out. Once you’ve been caught, bluffing will lose its effectiveness.
Bluffing is best done on a small pot. If a pot has already grown in size, everyone is willing to take a risk to get their hands on it. Start bluffing when the pot is small, as a low investment encourages folding.
Don’t try to bluff a full table when no one has Folded. Chances are at least one player will have a good enough hand to risk calling. When there are only 1 or 2 opponents left, it is much easier to pull off a successful bluff.
Satellite Into The PokerStars Pro Poker Camp
July 10, 2008
PokerStars just announced the upcoming launch of its first ever PokerStars Pro Poker Camp, to be hosted by Team PokerStars Pro (and current 2008 WSOP Main Event hopeful) Greg Raymer. PokerStars is running two daily Satellites awarding up to 60 seats in the PokerStars Pro Poker Camp, to take place later this year.
The PokerStars Pro Poker Camp will cover every aspect of live tournament play, from the basics and structure of live tournaments, to gaining the confidence to go the distance. Of course, the main goal is to win the tournament, but finishing in the money is the first priority. Slow clock tournaments, like that of the WSOP and EPT, will also be covered in great detail.
Satellites to the PokerStars Pro Poker Camp occur twice daily. At 11:30am E, players can enter the first PokerStars Pro Poker Camp Satellite for $46.50. Then again at 1:30pm ET, another PokerStars Pro Poker Camp Satellite is hosted for $425. Winners can earn a seat in the PokerStars Pro Poker Camp Finals, to be held July 20th, 2008.
If you don’t win yourself a trip to the PokerStars Pro Poker Camp, don’t worry – there’s plenty of daily satellites and qualifiers at PokerStars, starting as low as a few poker points or a few bucks, awarding seats in all events along the European Poker Tour.
Poker Strategy: Online Poker Tells, Spotting a Bluff, and an inside look at devious Online Poker Play.
July 9, 2008
Poker Tells – Reading Your Opponents
Reading your opposition should be a key factor in any good poker strategy. Learning to read your opponents is not difficult, but can take some time to master. The first step is to learn the most common poker tells.
Common Poker Tells
1. Eyes: The eyes are the key to the soul, as they say, and this is very true in a home or college poker game, in casinos, anywhere but online; the eyes never lie. When a player spends a longer than usual amount of time looking at their hole cards, this usually means they have a great hand, such as a pocket pair. If a player in late position is stealing glances at the players before him who have not yet bet, he is likely watching them to see if he should bluff/raise to steal the blinds.
2. Facial Expressions: Poker players often have facial reactions to their hole cards, or the Flop/Turn/River. Generally, a nervous reaction or ‘tic’ (rubbing the chin, scratching nose, fingers through hair, etc.) is a sure sign of a weak hand. Watch for your opponents to do this regularly to get an even better read on upcoming hands.
3. Anxious Behavior: When a player has a good hand, they become more anxious as they are anticipating a confrontation. While these signs are not obvious, the true observer will notice the difference in behavior. The signs of anxiety include faster breathing, accompanied by a slightly higher pitched voice or faster rate of speech, dilation of the pupils, dry throat and inconspicuous muscle flexing. If a player has a noticeable vein on their forehead (you know the ones), keep an eye on it for changes in blood pressure.
4. Reverse Psychology: This is more commonly associated with beginner poker players, but even the pros have been known to use reverse psychology in a poker strategy. The idea is to play off a good hand as being weak by showing disinterest, or acting frustrated, bored, etc. Conversely, when bluffing a weak hand, the player will sit up straight, become interested in the pot and be in a very good mood. In reality, every player knows they should be wearing a poker face. If a player is blatantly presenting a great hand, they probably don’t have it.
5. Eyeing the Chips: When a player glances at their chip stack after the Flop, this generally means they connected. It is an unconscious reaction that says they’re calculating a battle plan.
6. Hole-Card Double Take: When the Flop comes down, revealing a potential Flush draw, many players will check their hole cards again to see if they have the suit. This usually means the player’s cards are not suited, but he doesn’t remember exactly what suits they were.
7. Quivering Hands: Since a player cannot always control their nervous system, trembling hands or fingers can be a sure-tell sign that they are holding a great hand. If you notice this reaction, beware!
8. Body Language: While most poker pros know better, most poker players will show significant differences in body language based on their attitude and hand development. For example, slouching would relate to a weak hand, while sitting up straight would mean they have a good hand and are finally ready for some action. Bluffers tend to lean forward when bluffing, emanating a more intimidating, confrontational attitude, essentially daring someone to call their bluff. Watch for shoulder slumping and other changes in body position.
9. Chip Stacking: Though not always accurate, this observation relates to a players poker strategy. If a player keeps his chips neatly stack and organized at all times, they are probably playing a tight/aggressive poker strategy. In the same token, a sloppy chip stack usually relates to a loose poker strategy.
10. Repetitive Betting: This behavioral pattern takes time to observe accurately, but many players will maintain a repetitive betting pattern for various situations. For example, some players will always Check with the Nuts, while others may Fold every time they are re-raised. Watch for these patterns and make a mental note, as they can be extremely profitable in the long term.