November 08, 2007
Omaha is not as popular as Texas Hold’em but the games are there if you look for them. Many good Hold’em players want to try out Omaha and are unfamiliar with the game, but they may still play at high limits because they are good at Hold’em. These players generally play too loose.
Also, Omaha is much more of a technical game because it is easy to see what the best hand is, since usually there is a flush or a straight on board and odds are that somebody has one. By “technical” I don’t mean that Omaha is a more complex game. On the contrary, it is much simpler, because it is more a game of straightforward probabilities, whereas the psychological element in Texas Hold’em is much stronger.
At the low-limit Omaha games, there are a lot of opportunities if you have the patience. Many of these games are filled with players who are playing far too loose because everyone thinks that their two-pair is a great hand. The best strategy is to play hands that do well in multi-way pots and bet hard when you have the nuts. Please note: this article is intended for beginners playing low-limit Omaha games where the play tends to be loose and passive. It is not intended for more serious Omaha games.
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November 04, 2007
To bluff or not to bluff, that is the question. What is bluffing? When should I bluff? When should I not bluff? What are the different types of bluffs? When is bluffing most effective? These are all good questions pertaining to the art of bluffing. So go pour yourself a cup of coffee and enjoy the lesson.
What Is Bluffing?
Bluffing is when you are making it seem like you have a big hand but, in reality, you don’t. Also, you can bluff with a big hand and make it seem as though you have a weaker hand.
Different Types Of Bluffs
Semi-bluff � Which basically means that you are betting on a hand that still has a chance to win, such as a draw.
Stone cold bluff � Is when you are betting or raising when you have nothing.
Opposite SCB � I call this the opposite SCB bluff because it’s the opposite of the stone cold bluff. You are bluffing and representing a weak hand when you actually have a big one.
Reasons To Bluff
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November 03, 2007
I’ve written about little pairs and the problems they can present especially when played out of position. There are many beginners and intermediate players who just can’t resist playing little pairs. You only see a pocket pair, on average, every sixteen hands so what’s not to like? I’ll tell you what’s not to like and that is little pairs out of position!
The funniest reason I’ve heard regarding playing little pairs in early position is the premise that if they are folded, they always seem to make a set on the flop …
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October 29, 2007
If tournament poker is a game of situations, then it’s important to know how to play from the blinds. Poker comes down to three basic decisions: fold, call, or raise. When you’re facing a pre-flop raise, folding the blinds will usually be your best option. You have a significant disadvantage when you defend your blinds because you will be out of position for the remainder of the hand. However, there are times during the course of a tournament that you can pick up a key pot or two by making the right play from either the small or big blind.
One of the first things to realize is that you should never get too attached to your blinds early in a tournament. Being first to act leaves you at a clear disadvantage. The reward of winning a small pot simply isn’t worth the risk of playing out of position. Later in a tournament, when the blinds are more significant and antes come into play, you should think twice about automatically folding your blinds to a raise because there are so many more chips at stake before the flop.
In fact, these are the times in a tournament when you need to think about playing back at your opponents from the blinds. As I mentioned, tournament poker is a game of situations and it’s critical that you evaluate your situation properly throughout the event. When appropriate, you may want to just flat-call a late position raise or even think about re-raising from the blinds.
I’ll never defend my blind with marginal cards against an early-position raiser no matter what point of the tournament I’m in. When a player raises in early position, it’s often safer to assume he has a real hand as opposed to thinking that he’s just trying to pick up the blinds. Against strong players, I usually let the blinds go because I know there’s going to be a battle. I’m looking to pick up pots, not pick a fight. Read the rest of this entry »
October 28, 2007
Some poker psychology today… well a new look at an old question at least - want to run an old scenrio by you all, and then apply this to various situations…
The Situation:
You just sat down, the very first hand is dealt - you are dealt a pair of red aces in the big blind… nice.
The UTG player pushes all in… even nicer.
Before you know what is happening UTG+1 also pushes, as does the next player - in fact by the time the action gets to you every player at the table has pushed all in!!
Wow. Read the rest of this entry »
October 25, 2007
Heh, today i has won a PPM Sub Qualifaer at Party Poker. You may ask what is mean. It is mean next step qualifier. The winers at the end, will go at 8 day cruise, which will start at Venecia, and at cruise they will play poker with guaranteed prise $ 1000000. So, tomorrow i will play at next step qualifaer, and tell u about my luck or unluck.
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