How to Pick The Right Poker Tournament
March 27, 2009 | Comments Off
If you are looking to start playing in poker tournaments, you will be faced with a wide variety of games to choose from. To make sure you don’t end up wasting your time playing in tournaments that do not meet your needs, you should decide exactly what you are looking for up front. Once you know what kind of tournament you are looking for, it should be easy to find a perfect fit.
Buying In
In a poker tournament, each player pays the same amount of money to get a seat in the game (the buy-in) and then a fee will be charged by the poker room to play. A fair fee is generally 10% of the buy-in. Because every player drops the same amount of money to get in the game, everyone starts with the same sized bankroll. When selecting a tournament, the buy-in might be the most important aspect for you to check. Obviously you don’t want to play above your means, but at the same time, if it’s particularly cheap to play, some of the players might act too recklessly and make your playing experience erratic.
Re-Buys
Some tournaments allow ‘re-buys’. A re-buy allows players who have lost all, or some, of their chips to pay their way back in to the game. The amount of chips you get with each re-buy, the total number of times each player can re-buy, and how far into the game you are allowed to re-buy are all factors that vary from game to game. If a tournament does not allow re-buys, it is called a ‘freeze out’ because once you lose your chips you are out of the game permanently.
A re-buy game is crazy compared to a freeze out game. As long as players know they can re-buy, they will play very aggressively and go all-in without hesitation. To compete against these players, you need to fight fire with fire. If you can’t stomach this outrageous playing style, you might mistakenly abandon your stronger hands faced with huge pots when you were actually against weaker, but more aggressive opponents.
Table Size
Most tournaments will start with nine or ten players at each table. As players get knocked out, the remaining players will be shuffled around to keep all of the tables as full as possible. More often now than in the past, we are seeing tournaments with tables that seat only six players (short-handed tournaments). Short-handed tournaments allow you to play some of the weaker hands because the particularly strong hands will appear less often for you and your opponents.
Blinds
The size of the small/big blinds will start relatively low compared to the size of your chip stack. For a standard game where each player begins with 1,500 chips, blinds usually start at 10/20 (small/big). As the game goes on, the blinds will increase on a regular basis, and the rate at which the blinds increase will determine the pace of the tournament. In an online game, the blinds typically increase every 10-15 minutes, while 20-30 minutes would be more appropriate for live poker tournaments. By the end of the game, the big blind should be about the same size as a single player’s starting chip stack. Generally, large blinds that increase often allow for faster play. If you are not aggressive enough to keep up with the ever-increasing blinds you may bleed too many chips to remain competitive.
Once you have learned about the different types of poker tournaments, you will be able to go through a whole list of different games and pick out the best ones for you. Carefully selecting your poker tournaments is important for every player, but if you are new to the game it can make the difference between winning big and going bust.
Stealing The Blinds
March 27, 2009 | Comments Off
How do you steal the blinds?
In any of the poker games that utilize ‘blinds’ or ‘antes’ such as Texas hold ‘em, many players consider ‘stealing the blinds’ a standard move. The basic idea is to make a strong raise pre-flop while holding poor-medium strength. For a steal to work, every other player at the table must fold. If this happens you win (steal) the posted blinds. Stealing the blinds may or may not be considered bluffing, depending on the strength of the cards you are holding. This might sound pretty risky, after all you could be raising with a 7 8 suited to the small blind who is holding a pair of Aces. While there is no sure fire way to steal the blinds, there are some conditions that put the odds in your favor.
Wait Until The Timing Is Right is Key
Although you can steal blinds in a cash game, you really are better off using this strategy in tournaments or sit and go games. In these games the blinds get progressively bigger, which makes stealing the blinds more profitable. If that alone is not enough reason to save your steals until later in the game, remember that you need to deceive the other players to make the steal work. Don’t get a reputation as a loose player by getting called out on bluffs too early in the game.
Even though you are waiting until the later stages of the game to start stealing blinds, it is never too early to start learning about the other players at the table. When you finally decide it is time to make a move, you should know whether or not the remaining players to your left are loose enough to play weak hands (thus defeating your steal). Also some players will call any bet, especially after posting the big blind, just to see the flop. If you are unsure, you should take a look at their chip stacks. A player with a decent hand and a short stack is likely to go all-in because he’s playing with his back to the wall, and knows he needs to make a move or risk bleeding all of his chips. On the other hand, a player with a huge stack (in a no-limit game) might be willing to call your bet if he is suspicious of you.
The ‘bubble’ is the point in a poker tournament where the next player out is the last player to walk away without any of the winnings. For instance, if a tournament pays the top three players, the bubble occurs when only four players remain. As you approach this bubble, you will notice the other players at the table will begin to play more conservatively to avoid being the unlucky next player out. If you are ever going to steal the blinds, this might be the easiest time to do so because most players will shy away from any perceived risks at this point.
Position Is Everything
You should not even think about stealing the pot if any players have already called or raised the big blind. To steal the blinds you need to get everyone to fold, which is unlikely if you already know someone has put money down to see the flop. Ideally you will have seen lots of players fold before it is your turn, which takes us to our next point…
Every player who folds, calls, or raises before your turn gives you valuable information. Theoretically, the best position from which to steal the blinds is right before the small blind, in the dealer position. This used to be the case but now more players have learned about this stealing technique. If you are consistently raising pre-flop only when you are in the dealer position, the smarter players will have no problem seeing through your ruse and calling your bluff. Stealing while sitting one seat to the right of the dealer position could help keep your opponents off your trail, without exposing yourself to too much more risk.
Don’t Steal With Strong Cards
The beauty of stealing the blinds is that it does not matter what cards you were dealt. None of the other players can see anything other than the cards they are holding. If you do not think your cards are stronger than the rest of the cards at the table you should either fold or go for the steal/bluff (based on whether the other players have called or folded). If, however, you believe you have a strong enough hand to beat your opponents’, then you should not bet aggressively enough to scare away players who are playing the pre-flop timidly (as you would in order to steal the blinds). These players can contribute to the pot, and give you a bigger win. Stealing the blinds is not always your best option; in fact the situation rarely calls for it.
Sit And Go Basics
March 27, 2009 | 1 Comment
‘Sit and go’ (SNG) is a specific type of poker game. SNG poker games are special because they don’t have any scheduled starting times, nor do they require pre-registration. These games have a set number of seats and begin as soon as all of the seats are full. SNG games/tournaments have become quite popular and are available online all of the time at various poker sites but, if you keep your eyes open, they can be found in some live casinos as well.
Overview of the Sit & Go Tournament
Sit and go poker tournaments are a great way to get experience with tournament-style poker play for a small buy-in. The typical buy-in for sit and go tournaments is usually pretty cheap (as low as a dollar) and then there is a fee, generally equal to 10% of the buy-in. Each player will start with the same number of chips and, unlike cash games, everyone plays until they are beaten. There is no walking away from a SNG table until you either have all of the chips, or none of them.
Typically, in a 9-10 player game, the top 3 players get paid out in the end. The first player usually gets 50% of the prize pool, second place gets 30%, and the remaining 20% goes to the third place player (although the percents can vary). Shorthanded sit and go games only start with 5-6 players and in turn, only the top two players win the prize pool.
Basic Sit and Go Strategy
SNG tournament strategies reflect general tournament play. The basic idea is to play tight early in the game to avoid getting knocked out while the pots are small. As the game progresses, and the blinds increase, you should get progressively more aggressive to make sure you can cash in on the richer pots. Playing tight early doesn’t mean you should sit every hand out though. In the early stages of the game you should play strong hands to win chips where you can, all the while making the impression of a conservative player. By playing smart to start, you can easily steal the big pots later in the game and ensure one of the top (paid) spots.
As sit and go games progress, not only will the blinds go up, but also seats will become empty one by one. This narrowing down process allows SNG poker games to offer great practice for the final table of a normal poker tournament, but for a much smaller price.
Typical Opponents
Most of the SNG players you will encounter are either recreational players, or low-level pro’s trying to put together a bankroll. If you find yourself in a cheap SNG game, most players will probably be very inexperienced. Compared to the other tournament structures, SNG is probably the least competitive. If you play well, you should be able to clear a high return on investment (ROI), and gain valuable experience that will carry over to some higher stakes tournaments.
Step Tournaments
A step tournament gives small-game SNG poker players a chance to aim for larger payouts. Each player starts off at ‘step 1’ in a SNG poker game with a small buy-in. The top two players from this game, will move on to a ‘step 2’ SNG game with other players who have moved on from step 1 games. The top players continue up the steps until the final game (4th or 5th step) where the winners receive cash prizes from the entire prize pool, which was created from all of the step 1 buy-ins.
Sit and go poker is one of the fasted growing segments of online poker, and is a great way to experience the excitement of a tournament’s final table. Whether you are new to the game, or trying to build a bankroll for professional play, you owe it to yourself to give sit and go poker a shot.
Being Better than your Opponents
April 13, 2008 | Comments Off
If you been reading my previous articles, you should be at a point now to understand some of the things it takes to be better than your opponents in poker. You must keep youself focused at all times by remaining patient and playing under control by leaving your ego at home and not bringing in to the poker table.
If you become distracted, you will give up a big edge to the other poker players who are more focused. You must know more about the game, the odds, be more observant, and continue to improve your skills. Let the other poker players sit back smugly and think that they are better than you, you continue to learn and pay attention. Their mistakes = your profits. If you are more skilled, you are the favorite, just like your own private house-edge.
If you are the least skilled, you will have to get lucky to win.
Poker isn’t about luck, so make sure you are better than your opponents.
Leave your Ego at Home when Playing Poker
April 11, 2008 | Comments Off
The poker table is no place for your ego. Sure, it’s a good thing to be confident and play aggressive poker. You believe in your abilities at the poker tables but if you walk around with a big ego you will make big enemies and pride like this can cost lots of money.
Remember, poker is just a game you are playing. You’re playing this game to win but your whole sense of self shouldn’t be riding on it, it’s the first step to playing poker with self control.
Some things to consider about the dangers of playing with a big ego:
- Ego is cruel – it makes you play with emotion rather than logic and reason
- Ego makes bluffers continue a bluff that is futile
- Ego will make you make plays based on factors other than the realities of the poker game
- Ego makes an early bettor continue to bet even when he knows he’s beat
- Ego makes you stay in the game too long, even when you are losing
- Ego makes you lose big
Ego goes hand in hand with anger sometimes. Ego will cause you to reraise that jerk at the table because you think you are better than he is.
Keep your ego at home.
Playing Poker Under Control
April 9, 2008 | Comments Off
Imagine this scenario, it’s the game of your life. You flop a set and are betting like crazy. The pot is massive and then, on the river, some bozo catches two running clubs to beat you with a flush. What do you do?
In loser poker, you blow your stack and tear him apart for calling those bets with such a weak hand. Yeah sure, it would feel great to tell this whack-job exactly what you think of him and his card play but ultimately, that will cost you money.
Here’s why.
Poker is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. You need to keep this loose player at the table as long as you can. You want him sticking around and you certainly do not want to tip him off to the fact that he’s a poor card player.
So, what does the winning poker player do? You calmly muck you hand and get ready for the next hand. Do you bet like a wild man on the next hand? Of course not, you calmly sip your water and wait patiently for the next hand to be dealt. The odds of his flush hitting are 23-1 against a made set, you wait patiently for the next hand to beat him and get your chips (plus some) back.
Leaving Your Emotions at Home
Letting your emotions get the best of you is the worst things that you can do at the poker table and it’s the surest way to lose at poker. In poker, you stay in the hand because you feel you have the best odds of winning, not because you are angry, jealous, or want to defeat one particular player.
Emotions suck the rational and logical thoughts from your mind.
Here are some classic emotional poker blunders:
- Calling a bet on the river because you are afraid of being bluffed.
- Calling a bet on the river because you are afriad of looking bad.
- Calling with a drawing hand because the guy who is betting is a jerk.
- Taking it personally when someone raises you constantly, causing you to call with bad hands.
Whining, complaining, blaming rookies, or blaming the dealer for your losses shows weakness and lack of confidence and lack of confidence is one of the classic signs of a losing poker player. Good poker players are calm and in control, they take the good and the bad and never let the other poker players see them break a sweat.
The Patient Poker Player
April 8, 2008 | 1 Comment
In my last few strategy articles, I’ve discussed some of the more obvious traits of a successful poker player. For instance, you have to be intellectually smart to be a successful poker player, not just poker smart. I’ve also touched on some of the more external traits of a winning poker player like playing poker with an aggressive style or playing fearless at the poker tables. This next trait may not be as obvious to some but I consider it to be one of the most important traits of every successful poker player.
Playing Patient Poker
Consider this fact, you will be dealt way more bad hands than good hands. The odds are simply against you here. There are substantially more bad hand possibilities than good hands when being dealt cards. And then consider that not every “good hand” will be a winning hand. There will most certainly be times when you will have to wait an hour or even more before you a hand even worth calling one bet with, and then it’s quite possible that you will lose with that hand.
Not every poker hand is a winning poker hand
Hoping you get lucky is a sure-fire way to lose at poker. Trash hands may win every now and then but in the long run, you will just lose more money, faster.
The successful poker player has patience. The successful poker player has the discipline to sit for hours on end, constantly folding bad hands. The successful poker player remains patient during this time, they know their position and they know what hands they can and should play. You have to have the patience to stick to your game plan.
What does the winning poker player do when getting a streak of bad cards dealt to them? They study. They study their opponents play, make some mental notes, and they study how other poker players are perceiving his or her play. The winning poker player takes advantage of the situation and learns who is doing what at the poker table. You have to be the type of poker player that has the tenacity and patience to ride out the storm of bads cards and come through with more knowledge than anyone else at the table.
There is an interesting advantage to being a patient poker player and observing your opponents image of you. As soon as you sense the table believes you to be a super-tight poker player, you can use this opportunity to steal a pot or two.
The Aggressive Poker Player
April 7, 2008 | 1 Comment
In poker, aggression can be an effective winning strategy. This true mainly because if you bet often, no on can ever be sure what you have. Earlier, in my article “Playing Fearless at the Poker Tables“, I discussed letting go of your fears while at the poker table. In the case of the aggressive poker player, aggression and fear go hand in hand.
I’m not talking about YOUR fear, I’m talking about THEIR fear.
Having others fear you at the poker table is a major weapon. Hands down, the best way to win a pot is to just have someone give it to you without a fight.
Aggressive is NOT Reckless
Remember that line. It’s the most important thing to know about playing aggressive successfully. The kind of aggression I’m talking about is controlled aggression, not insane outlandish lunacy. Combine this aggression with courage, poker smarts, and instinct and you’ll take down more pots that you commit yourself to than before.
Aggression means making the most of your top hand, taking advantage of the cards given to you and pressing when you sense weakness in a player and their hand. It DOES NOT mean play every hand given to you. It DOES NOT mean playing garbage cards.
It does, however, mean bluffing, semibluffing, buying pots, and trying to dominate the table. The aggressive style of poker play gives you many ways to win and makes other poker players react to you. It makes those ohter players at the table try and guess and this gives them the opportunity to guess wrong.
It’s far better to take the fight to the enemy. Play aggressive poker.
Playing Fearless at the Poker Tables
April 6, 2008 | 3 Comments
Poker is nothing more than a test of courage. Not only are you potentially risking big money but you are (at times) putting yourself on the line. Sitting at that poker table, online or not, making a bet, folding, raising, getting beat and raking a pot will all make you feel butterflies in your stomach.
Mastering your fears and mastering your inner self is mastering poker. Consider the following:
What is the Fearless Poker Player?
- You must be willing to raise aggressively and rereaise when prompted.
- You can not fear that someone has the nuts just because he raised you.
- You have to stay strong when someone comes after you
- You can not be intimidated by experienced players
- You can’t be afraid of losing your money
- You can’t be foolhardy with your money
- You must not be afraid to fold a hold
- You must not be afraid to fold a hand that might be a winner
- You have to wait patiently for a playable hand
- You have to be willing to bluff
- You have to be willing to look that tough guy in the eyes when you do bluff
- You have to believe in yourself even during losing streaks
Poker Smarts
April 6, 2008 | 2 Comments
To win at a poker table, you have to be smart. I’m not just talking about smart play, such as aggressiveness, I’m talking about you, yourself. You have to be smart, you have to have a certain amount of intelligence. Poker is a difficult game to play well, you have to be sharp and stay sharp the whole time you are at the table.
Just one missed tell or one missed sign from another player all could be lost, especially with No-Limit Texas Holdem, but also in the limit games as well.
Lose your smarts in a No-Limit game and you can lose your chips, lose your smarts in a limit game and it could take you and extremely long time to get back and dig yourself out of a hole.
What Does it Takes to have Poker Smarts
It’s way more than just knowing what hands beat what or what the odds are of making a hand. It requires super fast decision making invloving multiple variables and no on at the table is going to wait around for you to make your decision. You have to be able to call up past experiences, read body language factored against playing style, and calculate pot odds all within a matter of seconds.
Poker is way more than odds, as you can see. You have to be able to tell what kind of person your opponent is by how he/she reacts in certain situations to calculate their possible hand based on their current reaction. Basically, you have to be a card player, a risk taker, mathematician, and a psychologist at the same time. You have to learn from every hand and to do this, you need a solid memory.
You need poker smarts.