This blog's never had all that many readers, but if you've been wondering where I've been, you're going to be disappointed and pleased by this post. You'll be disappointed because I'm not going to explain my hiatus from posting. You'll be pleased because I'm back, and I plan to start updating this humble Texas hold'em blog on a regular basis again.
So what's been going on? I've been catching up on some of my reading lately. I've been working on reading The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King again. This one was written by Michael Craig, who also does a little bit of poker blogging here and there. It's an interesting story, even though it happened quite a while back now.
The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King was published in 2005. It tells the story of eccentric Texas billionaire Andrew Beal, who became interested in Texas hold'em and played some of the highest stakes games in the history of the game. In fact, he played for stakes that were so high, the world's greatest poker pro's pooled their money in order to play against him. It's a great read, and it gives you some insight into how the minds of poker pros like Howard Lederer, Doyle Brunson, and Jennifer Harman work.
You can read a good review of The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King at Dad's Poker Blog. (No, he's not my daddy--that's just the name of the poker blog.)
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
The Secret to Winning in Poker
With the recent boom in the popularity of poker, the game has been flooded with millions of new players worldwide. The increased number of players has forced all poker players to adapt to countless new styles of play. This has created an excitement regarding the search for the secret to winning in poker. However, despite all of the huge increase in players, the way to win in poker has always remained virtually the same.
No matter how many people play poker, the essence of the game still rests in its secrecy. Regardless of the version of poker you are playing, there are always at least a few of your cards that the other players cannot see. This secrecy is your most important tool when trying to win a poker because it provides you with your most powerful tool: the bluff.
Just like your opponents can't see your cards, you can't see theirs. However, this doesn't mean that you cannot dictate the way the game is played, and the way that you do this is by mastering the art of the bluff. The ultimate purpose of the bluff is to make your opponent think whatever it is that you want them to think at that particular moment.
It is important to remember that the bluff can be used as both an offensive and as a defensive tool. For example, if you have a strong hand, you don't want the other players to know it. If they do, they will get out of the hand too early and not continue to bet, causing you to lose potential earnings. In this case, you would bluff offensively my leading them to believe that your hand is weaker than it actually is. Once you have drawn them in and they have bet into the hand, you can then go in for the kill.
The opposite of this is also true. If you have a weak hand, this doesn't mean that you can't win. There is a difference between how strong your hand is and how strong you can make your opponents think it is. If you have a weak hand, you can bluff defensively and get the other players to think your hand is actually much stronger. They will drop out of the hand and concede to pot to you, despite you having a non-winning hand.
If you're looking for the best Redkings code, click on the link.
No matter how many people play poker, the essence of the game still rests in its secrecy. Regardless of the version of poker you are playing, there are always at least a few of your cards that the other players cannot see. This secrecy is your most important tool when trying to win a poker because it provides you with your most powerful tool: the bluff.
Just like your opponents can't see your cards, you can't see theirs. However, this doesn't mean that you cannot dictate the way the game is played, and the way that you do this is by mastering the art of the bluff. The ultimate purpose of the bluff is to make your opponent think whatever it is that you want them to think at that particular moment.
It is important to remember that the bluff can be used as both an offensive and as a defensive tool. For example, if you have a strong hand, you don't want the other players to know it. If they do, they will get out of the hand too early and not continue to bet, causing you to lose potential earnings. In this case, you would bluff offensively my leading them to believe that your hand is weaker than it actually is. Once you have drawn them in and they have bet into the hand, you can then go in for the kill.
The opposite of this is also true. If you have a weak hand, this doesn't mean that you can't win. There is a difference between how strong your hand is and how strong you can make your opponents think it is. If you have a weak hand, you can bluff defensively and get the other players to think your hand is actually much stronger. They will drop out of the hand and concede to pot to you, despite you having a non-winning hand.
If you're looking for the best Redkings code, click on the link.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Texas Holdem Bankroll Requirements
If you're new to Texas holdem, you'll eventually start to wonder what stakes you should be playing at. The size of your bankroll is going to be a big factor affecting that decision. If your bankroll is small, then you'll want to play lower stakes games, and if your bankroll is large, then you'll want to play higher stakes games. I bet you're now thinking, Well, gee, Bob--I had that figured out already. Could you be more specific?
Yes, I can.
First of all, don't play at limits that are so far beneath your bankroll that you don't care about winning or losing. For example, let's say you just deposited $600 at Full Tilt Poker. You have $600 plus a bonus $600. If you're playing microstakes, like $0.01/$0.02, then you're not going to care about the outcome of any single hand or even the outcome of a single session. Or hell--you probably won't care about the outcome of a hundred sessions.
On the other hand, let's say you just deposited $50. Sitting down at the $5/$10 limit table doesn't make a lot of sense, because a single run of bad luck will destroy your entire bankroll, and you won't be able to play anymore.
So what are are some good Texas holdem bankroll guidelines?
For limit holdem games, a good rule of thumb is to have a bankroll that's at least 200 or 300 big bets. So if you have a bankroll of $600, you could easily play in the $1/$2 games. And if you play well, you really don't have to worry about going broke.
For no limit holdem games, a good rule of thumb is to have a bankroll that's at least 20 times as large as the buy-in. So if you have a $500 bankroll at Pokerstars, stick with the no limit games with the $25 buy-ins or less.
If you're going to specialize in sit n go holdem, which is common enough online, then you should have at least 40 buy-in's. So if you want to play in the $10+$1 tournaments, then you should have $440 in your bankroll.
The important thing is to keep your bankroll set aside from the other money in your life. If your bankroll gets smaller because you're losing, then be disciplined and go down in stakes until you can win your way back up. Don't be afraid to take a shot at higher stakes, but move back down immediately if your bankroll takes a hit. Don't ever gamble with the rent money.
Learn more about the basics of poker here.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Playing the Flop in Texas Holdem
I've written before about how a common sense approach to Texas holdem is a good strategy, and I'll repeat that here as a I give advice about how to play your hand on the flop in a Texas holdem game. If your hand improves on the flop, then you should bet and raise. If it doesn't, then you should consider folding. Most bad players bluff too often. Don't make that mistake.
What's a flop that improves a hand? Suppose you have a pair of eights preflop. If another eight hits the flop, then you have a three of a kind, which is an improvement. You've heard the expression "fit or fold?" That's an example of a flop that fits.
What's a flop that misses your hand? Suppose you have pocket aces. Then suppose that the flop comes 789 suited, and your opponent raises. There's a good chance that your opponent hit something here. Think about the potential hands she might have. If she had pocket 7's, 8's, or 9's, she has three of a kind, and you're probably going to lose. If she had a JT, then she's hit a straight. You're probably going to lose. If she has AK of that suit, she's got a flush, and you're probably going to lose.
A little common sense on the flop can save you a lot of wasted bets. Sometimes your opponents will bluff you out of a pot when you throw a hand away on the flop, but that's okay. Let someone else be the poker police. You're not there to play sheriff and keep that other player honest.
I've seen Texas holdem strategy advice that said you should be playing about 15% of your hands preflop and about 50% of those hands post flop. That means you're going to be folding A LOT. For a game that rewards aggression as much as it does, Texas hold'em rewards hand selection awfully well.
What's a flop that improves a hand? Suppose you have a pair of eights preflop. If another eight hits the flop, then you have a three of a kind, which is an improvement. You've heard the expression "fit or fold?" That's an example of a flop that fits.
What's a flop that misses your hand? Suppose you have pocket aces. Then suppose that the flop comes 789 suited, and your opponent raises. There's a good chance that your opponent hit something here. Think about the potential hands she might have. If she had pocket 7's, 8's, or 9's, she has three of a kind, and you're probably going to lose. If she had a JT, then she's hit a straight. You're probably going to lose. If she has AK of that suit, she's got a flush, and you're probably going to lose.
A little common sense on the flop can save you a lot of wasted bets. Sometimes your opponents will bluff you out of a pot when you throw a hand away on the flop, but that's okay. Let someone else be the poker police. You're not there to play sheriff and keep that other player honest.
I've seen Texas holdem strategy advice that said you should be playing about 15% of your hands preflop and about 50% of those hands post flop. That means you're going to be folding A LOT. For a game that rewards aggression as much as it does, Texas hold'em rewards hand selection awfully well.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Premium Starting Hands in Texas Holdem
It doesn't really matter whether you're playing no limit Texas holdem or limit holdem, you'll usually want to raise preflop when you get premium starting hands. A lot of poker strategy is nothing more than applied common sense. When you get a good hand, raise with it. When you get a bad hand, fold it. Often, the simplest and most obvious move is the correct move.
Some Texas holdem players don't get this. They're convinced that every play they make in a Texas hold'em game has to be deceptive. So they'll slowplay their premium hands preflop, and they don't earn as much money with their big hands as they should. Or they'll get crappy cards preflop and try to bluff with them, but they bluff way too often. Be grateful for such players, but don't play like they do.
What are premium starting hands in Texas holdem? Any AA, KK, QQ, or AK is a premium hand preflop. Only rarely will someone else have you beat in this situation. You might have to slow down a little bit with the betting on the flop--you might even have to throw your hand away--but while you're ahead in the race, you need to be getting money into the pot.
For one thing, if you go to a showdown, you'll show that you were raising with premium cards. This will set you up for potential semibluffs or bluffs later in the game. For another thing, the better your hand, the more money you'll want in the pot. And getting money into the pot requires betting and raising.
And sometimes all of your opponents will fold in the face of your preflop raise. That's okay too, because you win those chips without a showdown. There's no possibility of someone drawing out on you when everyone folds. In fact, you don't even have to show your hand, which is the best kind of deception you can hope for in a poker game.
Some Texas holdem players don't get this. They're convinced that every play they make in a Texas hold'em game has to be deceptive. So they'll slowplay their premium hands preflop, and they don't earn as much money with their big hands as they should. Or they'll get crappy cards preflop and try to bluff with them, but they bluff way too often. Be grateful for such players, but don't play like they do.
What are premium starting hands in Texas holdem? Any AA, KK, QQ, or AK is a premium hand preflop. Only rarely will someone else have you beat in this situation. You might have to slow down a little bit with the betting on the flop--you might even have to throw your hand away--but while you're ahead in the race, you need to be getting money into the pot.
For one thing, if you go to a showdown, you'll show that you were raising with premium cards. This will set you up for potential semibluffs or bluffs later in the game. For another thing, the better your hand, the more money you'll want in the pot. And getting money into the pot requires betting and raising.
And sometimes all of your opponents will fold in the face of your preflop raise. That's okay too, because you win those chips without a showdown. There's no possibility of someone drawing out on you when everyone folds. In fact, you don't even have to show your hand, which is the best kind of deception you can hope for in a poker game.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Small Stakes Hold'em by Ed Miller
One of the best books you can read, if you're interested in learning how to play low stakes limit Texas hold'em online, is Small Stakes Hold'em by Ed Miller, David Sklansky, and Mason Malmuth. The subtitle of this book is Winning Big with Expert Play, and I don't think that's hyperbole. If you study and apply the information in this book, you can make a nice little bit of money playing lower and middle stakes Texas hold'em games, especially if you're playing online. The insights in this book sometimes apply to no limit hold'em too, but not all of them, but Ed Miller has written another book about no limit hold'em that's well worth reading, so check it out too.
Small Stakes Hold'em is organized very logically. The first section of the book covers some of the mathematical concepts that should matter to gamblers in general and poker players in particular. If you want to know how the winners and losers are decided, and where the money comes from, then this section explains it in detail.
The book then covers preflop concepts and hand categories. The discussion of each category of hand is intelligent, and even though a few charts are included, a smart player can learn enough from what's written in each section that she shouldn't need to consult or memorize the charts.
The next section of the book deals with postflop concepts like counting outs and determining pot odds. Advice for how to play the flop, the turn, and the river is all discussed. The various stages are explained in enough detail to make sense, but not in such excruciating detail that you'd ever be bored. (Unless you just think poker is boring, and if that's the case, what are you doing here anyway?)
The best part of the book is the section with the hand quizzes. This section gives you an opportunity to see if the lessons from earlier in the book have made sense, and whether or not you're ready to make the correct decisions in various situations. Limit hold'em is very much a game of math, and most situations have a correct play. It's not as imaginative game as no limit hold'em is. Small Stakes Hold'em is excellent reading for the beginner poker player.
Small Stakes Hold'em is organized very logically. The first section of the book covers some of the mathematical concepts that should matter to gamblers in general and poker players in particular. If you want to know how the winners and losers are decided, and where the money comes from, then this section explains it in detail.
The book then covers preflop concepts and hand categories. The discussion of each category of hand is intelligent, and even though a few charts are included, a smart player can learn enough from what's written in each section that she shouldn't need to consult or memorize the charts.
The next section of the book deals with postflop concepts like counting outs and determining pot odds. Advice for how to play the flop, the turn, and the river is all discussed. The various stages are explained in enough detail to make sense, but not in such excruciating detail that you'd ever be bored. (Unless you just think poker is boring, and if that's the case, what are you doing here anyway?)
The best part of the book is the section with the hand quizzes. This section gives you an opportunity to see if the lessons from earlier in the book have made sense, and whether or not you're ready to make the correct decisions in various situations. Limit hold'em is very much a game of math, and most situations have a correct play. It's not as imaginative game as no limit hold'em is. Small Stakes Hold'em is excellent reading for the beginner poker player.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Should Poker Be Legalized?
"Government, like fire, is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." -George Washington
Like many poker players, I lean toward Libertarianism as a political philosophy. For those of you who don't know was Libertarianism is, it's a political and personal philosophy that focuses on individual liberty. People should be allowed to do what they want to do as long as they're not infringing on anyone else's rights to do what they want. This makes it pretty clear that I think poker should be legal, and it should be legal everywhere.
A lot of smart people oppose Libertarianism as a philosophy, and some of them make valid points. Some of them are liberals and some of them are conservatives. What's the difference between liberals and conservatives, and which of these are closer to Libertarianism in temperament. I'd contend that neither of them are truly closer to Libertarianism than the other one.
Liberals believe in individual freedom when it comes to moral choices. For example, abortion is an individual liberty that should be protected, according to the liberal side of American politics. And free speech should be unrestricted. But they believe that individual freedom is less important when it comes to economic matters. Individuals should pay taxes, and the government should spend that money to help people.
Conservatives believe in economic freedom, but they believe in stricter government when it comes to moral choices. For example, many conservatives think that abortion should be illegal. They also don't believe in gay marriage, and some forms of free speech (like burning a flag) should be limited or illegal. But they believe that the government shouldn't interfere with economic matters. Taxes should be minimized, and so should government services. The conservative viewpoint is that private industry will take care of the things the government provides, and they'll do so more efficiently than the government could.
Libertarians, on the other hand, believe in total freedom on both sides of the coin. Abortion should be legal; it's not the government's place to restrict individual freedom. Taxes should be minimized. It's not the government's place to spend MY money.
So, being a Libertarian, of course I think poker should be legal. Why on Earth should the government have any say-so about whether or not I want to take MY money and bet it on a game of cards? It IS my money, right? I'm the one who went to work for 40 hours this week to earn it. Why shouldn't I be able to do what I want to with it?
I'm not sure I understand how anyone in the United States could think it's right for the government to dictate to me how I spend my money, especially not if I want to play poker with it.
Like many poker players, I lean toward Libertarianism as a political philosophy. For those of you who don't know was Libertarianism is, it's a political and personal philosophy that focuses on individual liberty. People should be allowed to do what they want to do as long as they're not infringing on anyone else's rights to do what they want. This makes it pretty clear that I think poker should be legal, and it should be legal everywhere.
A lot of smart people oppose Libertarianism as a philosophy, and some of them make valid points. Some of them are liberals and some of them are conservatives. What's the difference between liberals and conservatives, and which of these are closer to Libertarianism in temperament. I'd contend that neither of them are truly closer to Libertarianism than the other one.
Liberals believe in individual freedom when it comes to moral choices. For example, abortion is an individual liberty that should be protected, according to the liberal side of American politics. And free speech should be unrestricted. But they believe that individual freedom is less important when it comes to economic matters. Individuals should pay taxes, and the government should spend that money to help people.
Conservatives believe in economic freedom, but they believe in stricter government when it comes to moral choices. For example, many conservatives think that abortion should be illegal. They also don't believe in gay marriage, and some forms of free speech (like burning a flag) should be limited or illegal. But they believe that the government shouldn't interfere with economic matters. Taxes should be minimized, and so should government services. The conservative viewpoint is that private industry will take care of the things the government provides, and they'll do so more efficiently than the government could.
Libertarians, on the other hand, believe in total freedom on both sides of the coin. Abortion should be legal; it's not the government's place to restrict individual freedom. Taxes should be minimized. It's not the government's place to spend MY money.
So, being a Libertarian, of course I think poker should be legal. Why on Earth should the government have any say-so about whether or not I want to take MY money and bet it on a game of cards? It IS my money, right? I'm the one who went to work for 40 hours this week to earn it. Why shouldn't I be able to do what I want to with it?
I'm not sure I understand how anyone in the United States could think it's right for the government to dictate to me how I spend my money, especially not if I want to play poker with it.
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