May 29 2010

Part 1 – How to Improve your Bluffing Ability

Category: Online poker tipsmalcolm @ 3:04 pm

My efforts to improve my Texas Holdem poker game never stop. I try to work on every part of my game and improve every area to hopefully make that big breakthrough to either crush the cash games or poker tournaments I play in. An important aspect of poker that is fun, but very difficult to do well, is bluffing. I have read many poker strategy articles and from my own experience these are some of the things to learn about in relation to bluffing.

Pick Spots Wisely

During a hand you may feel there is an opening to win the pot there and then. For example, during a Texas Hold ‘em hand your opponent may stop betting and after checking to you on the turn after the action went check-check on the flop you may consider betting with a weak hand. If your opponent is not a trappy player, you may win the hand at this point with a solid bet.

Note that in this case you have spotted an opportunity and made the bluff bet because of it. You have not simply bet randomly. Pick your spots wisely. Against a player that will usually showdown bottom pair, this is not the right time to make a pot sized bet with Ace high. Against a fish, bluffs have less value; the thing to do against fish is have a good hand because they will play with you. Bluff better players as a general rule, because they can fold!

Be Consistently Inconsistent

Deception is a massive part of poker. You want to make opponents as unsure as you possibly can over your motives when you bet, raise or check. Each action, in an ideal world, should be able to be interpreted in many different ways. Frankly this is all but impossible to do because you are either tight or loose generally, but try and be consistently different in how you play your hands in terms of strength. Bluffing on the flop, turn or river and betting when you have a good hand in a similar situation plants the seeds of doubt in the mind of your opponents. If they are uncertain and they have a marginal hand, it is very difficult to carry on in the hand.

Watch Tom Dwan play cash games, many of his opponents fold because they know he could be bluffing or betting a monster. He plays the same way whether strong or weak and this creates his deception. It is very effective and has made him millions of dollars.

Tell a Story

If the story developing through the hand does not fit your bluff it is likely to be called. In the following example this is explained more clearly.

You raise 3 x the big blind in late position holding 7c-7d as the first player into the hand and are called by one player in the blinds. The flop is, Kh-As-8s. The player bets half the pot and you call. The turn is a 2c. He bets half the pot and you raise as a bluff steal. This is not a good time to attempt a steal.

Why? He/she has shown action on two streets. There are overcards to your pocket pair and by betting your opponent has said “I am interested in this hand”. The turn card was a total blank given the action and yet your opponent still bet. You flat called on the flop and raise the turn. This does not appear consistent with the betting. A two could not have helped your hand. Unless your opponent thinks you are slowplaying a huge monster they must call you. Always be mindful of what the bluff looks like. If it looks like a weak bluff or a lie given the action you might be in trouble.

Go to part 2 for the concluding part of this poker bluffing feature.

By Malcolm Clarke

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May 29 2010

Part 2 – How to Improve your Bluffing Ability

Category: Online poker tipsmalcolm @ 3:02 pm

In Part 1 we discussed that bluffing in Texas Hold’em poker is more complicated than simply betting when your opponent checks and hoping they fold. There will be pots that your opponent has shown interest in that you can force them to fold by “announcing” that you do indeed have a very strong hand (when you do not) and there is no option but to fold for your opponent. Sensing the timing for such moves is what separates the excellent millionaire cash game players from the rest of us mere mortals. But studying good bluffs and the metagame that goes into the decisions for when good players make such moves is part of the process when you learn poker.

Bluffing in Cash Game Poker

In cash games the conditions suit well-timed bluff attempts. Bluffs are useful to take a few pots that you would otherwise lose and you get plenty of time to assess the strengths and weaknesses of your opponents. When you see a certain play by your opponent that suggests a weaker hand this is bluffing territory. A good read on a player can make bluffing in cash game poker relatively low risk. More often than not semi-bluffing is used in cash games where high draws in particular are played with strong raises.

High stakes poker professionals make semi-bluffs more than full bluffs because at least if they are called they still have 40% equity in the hand. They are more than happy to flip for big pots because often opponents will fold anyway.

Bluffing in Tournament Poker

In tournament poker there is the ongoing issue to do with the rising blinds that force you to make plays that you would otherwise prefer to avoid. Bluffing in tournaments is slightly different and you need to bet hard in certain spots to force opponents to give up hands so you can survive in the blinds. Towards the end of a poker tournament it is more about the situation and chip stack you have rather than individual reads, but if you have a read that an opponent has a good hand then you can still make a good fold. Much of the time in tournaments you need to push around the medium stacks and players you know are a little too tight and will give up the hand to a good bet.

Do not Overdo It

Bluffing is not designed to be implemented in every hand. Sometimes you can feel bored and you get a sudden desperate feeling inside that “I must win this pot no matter what” and you try a marginal raise that really you should not make. I used to fight against this feeling all of the time. I wanted action! The correct move is to look for the correct conditions for a bluff. The timing of the bluff decides its success and an ill-timed bluff can be costly. Each time you make such a move you are risking chips without the back-up of a good hand. You therefore need to be pretty sure it is going to work before you do it.

There will, of course, be times when you run into your opponent slow playing a massive hand or holding cards strong enough to raise all-in. This happens and it is part of poker. But it is another reason not to overdo it too often; your opponents get good cards too!

By Malcolm Clarke

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Mar 16 2010

The Various Poker Faces of Bluffing

Category: Online poker tipsmalcolm @ 10:24 am

The feeling of knowing you have got one over on a poker opponent is a large part of the joy of why many players play Texas Hold’em poker. Bluffing is the art, and it is an art, of presenting your opponent with a story in the hand that you have a hand that is stronger than what you actually hold, when what you actually hold is very weak. Before you make that big re-raise with nothing, look below at the two main types of bluff that you can use.

The Stone Cold Bluff

This is the classic bluff. Your hand must be very weak and you make a strong bet to try and take the pot down straight away by causing an instant fold from your opponent. The worst case scenario is to be raised or re-raised by your opponent as you will have to fold. Do not fold immediately, put on a little act before you fold. This suggests to your opponent that the fold was marginal and they may feel a bit uneasy. This is good because in the same situation again they will remember you going into the tank and may decide to fold and spare their sweating your decision.

You must tell a convincing story with your bluffing. If you have played passively throughout the hand then make a solid bet from nowhere that may not fit with the hands your opponent believe you could reasonably be holding. This will result in you being called which is exactly what you need to avoid when trying a stone cold bluff.

Timing a stone cold bluff is critical because you do not even have a draw to back up your bet. A stone cold bluff is a bet with nothing and to be successful you need it to be winning the pot outright more often than not.

The Semi-Bluff

This is a bluff that is used after the flop that is used to deceive opponents into giving up the pot early in the hand but you have the insurance of a strong draw to what is likely to be the winning hand even if you are called. Most bluffs by professionals have an element of semi-bluff to them, where they will usually hold overcards to the board or a draw.

You will see semi-bluffs in cash games regularly if you watch things like the Million Dollar Cash Game or High Stakes Poker. Say a player holds Ah-Kh suited and the flop comes down Jc-6h-2h. This is a fairly safe board but your opponent bets into you. Something like QJ, JT or a medium pocket pair is a strong possibility here. You decide to raise. Why? If you opponent does not have the jack you may get a fold with them believing you had AJ or Queens. If you are called and your semi-bluff does not work you have the nut flush draw and any further heart you can be sure you have the best hand. Some of the biggest pots you see won in cash games are when the semi-bluff is called and then the draw hits.

If you do get called and your semi-bluff hits on the turn, be wary if this pairs the board as your opponent could have a draw to a full house which would beat you. This would be unlucky, but would cost you a big pot due to the raising that occurred earlier in the hand inflating the bet sizes for the rest of the hand.

Practise your bluffing at bwin.com but remember not to overdo it. Opponents, even new players, know you cannot always have a hand if you are constantly pounding the pot. Discretion is a good tool in Poker; bluffs are most effective when timed correctly.

By Malcolm Clarke

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Mar 10 2010

Beating Double or Nothing SNG Tournaments

Category: Online poker tipsmalcolm @ 3:40 pm

Poker theory changes so fast you can never be sure that you are reading current theory. A poker book that was written in 2006 may have some good information in 2010, but alas not enough. This article will be good for anyone wanting to play Double or Nothing Sit and go poker tournaments in 2010, but possibly not if you come across it in 2013. Nevertheless, these general concepts will remain the same and you should be aware of them.

You will find DON poker tournaments in most online poker rooms. They are a uniquely structured tournament where the top five finishers win and double their money (less the rake) and the bottom five finishers, as the Weakest Link host Anne Robinson says, ‘they leave with nothing’. You must be able to cash in around 65% of these tournaments to show a good win rate over time and they are only profitable when multi-tabling as you must reduce the amount of time it takes to run out this marginal profit. This is why some players leave them alone, but others enjoy the low-risk nature of them and they are very beatable.

Grinder Alert!

Other poker players will be grinding these tournaments. You can spot who these may be in a number of ways. Grinders will fold around 95% or more of their hands in the opening two levels of play. It is easy therefore to make a note of the players who literally fold everything. After the opening two rounds you should be able to spot these players easily. A tool like Sharkscope is useful also, but bear in mind that in 2010 this tool must be opt-in and players can choose not to, therefore masking their profits and their ability.

Early Stages – First Two Levels

Watch out for the grinders and make a note. These are the players you will need to avoid later on as they play their hands optimally in this structure. You need to play like them and fold most of your hands. The key to the early stages is taking no risks to accumulate chips which are not worth the actual gains in tournament equity (ICM).

The early levels are about survival, but if you get a premium hand then play it strongly. If a couple of players are eliminated here then things are looking good for you.

Middle Stages – Third and Fourth Level

When the ante appears we have more reason to steal the blinds. Think position because this is important and you should still be relatively tight, although loosening off as the blinds get higher in relation to your stack. Rarely call raises unless you are holding AA or KK. Even AK is easily beaten and whether or not I play AK depends on your opponents previous hands.

If you play a hand you should be first into the pot when it is folded to you in position.

Endgame – Above 100/200

Hopefully we are down to six or seven players now. Almost immediately bubble play takes over. I have read many articles on DON strategy and they all advocate never calling all-in. All-in is a powerful way to maintain a stack but you need to be first into the pot to make this move. I would call all-in with AA, KK or QQ if I am honest, but others advocate an even tighter approach. With blinds high and plenty of folding and all-ins, it is only a matter of time before a confrontation that could end the tournament occurs.

The ability to quickly adjust throughout the tournaments is important to DON SNG success. Bubble play is also critical and if you are a good SNG player already with a good knowledge and appreciation of ICM (Independent Chip Modelling) theory then you are primed to do very well at these enjoyable poker tournaments.

By Malcolm Clarke

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Mar 01 2010

Online baccarat

Category: Online poker tipsCardRoom @ 2:00 pm

Online casinos have revolutionized the way casino games are played, they have made it easier to excess, learn and play casino games and today the online casino business is one of the biggest online businesses on the net. Online casinos offer people the chance to play all their favorite casino games such as poker, blackjack, craps, roulette, backgammon, keno, etc. The use of tools such as a poker odds calculator or Baccarat guides are oftenly used. Of all the casino games you can play online, baccarat is by far the best and most recommended game. This is however debatable but there are many reasons for this argument. For example, if you were to learn the basic rules of the game of baccarat you will find that the game has the best odds of winning for the player than most other online casino games, both brick & mortar. Casinos and online casinos have low house edges, which means that you have more chances of winning and any game that allows you to win frequently is good.

Baccarat has for a long time been associated with the elite and has been played by only a few people behind velvet ropes in casinos. Online casinos have changed everything; they have made it possible to play baccarat in the comfort of your home and have brought the game of baccarat to the masses and now more people have access to the game. Online baccarat has also helped to dispel certain myths that had surrounded baccarat, for example most people were afraid to play baccarat because they feared that it was too difficult and impossible to win. However, through online casinos most people have now become aware that baccarat is a simple and very exciting game which has some of best odds of any card and table game in a casino. Online casino has also made baccarat more accessible to the public, because now you don’t have to be rich to play baccarat. All you need is a computer with internet connectivity and you are ready to go.
Online casinos are the best place to learn baccarat because you can play free games and gain experience. When you have learnt the rules and mastered the strategy then you can move on to playing at casino bonus or playing for cash on a online casino. Online baccarat has many advantages for the novice, for example most online casinos that offer baccarat games have articles on the games which will provide you withy helpful information on the rules of the game, strategies, odds, pros & cons of the game, history etc.

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Jan 19 2010

Key Advantages Of Using Online Casinos

Category: Online poker tipsCardRoom @ 4:18 pm

Have you ever thought how convenient our lives are after the advent of Internet? It was only a few years ago when we had to run about for almost all our needs. Whether they required us to shop, go to the bank or for that matter even gamble at a casino. But today, all this and much more is possible in the comfort of your home.

Live v/s Online Casinos

Gambling or the use of a live casino was something that most of us could not even think of doing openly. Apart from hiding from the family and friends, live gambling and poker, more than anything,had many related expenses. For instance, commuting, wearing apt clothes and spending extravagantly on food and drinks were a usual with regular casino goers.

Besides spending loads of money on gambling and its related expenses, one also had to learn the gambling strategies so that their money was not at risk. A right attitude and at times courage, was required to enter a raucous casino and still win a game.

However, today, the situation has changed, thanks to online casinos. Now all one requires, is to put their home clothes, bring on a cup of hot steaming coffee and sit in front of the computer for a fun filled evening.

Online Casinos – Services Offered

There are over 500 sites, maybe even more offering online casino services and plenty offering poker services. Besides this, more than 2000 sites that offer systematic guidelines about how to play online casino games and the strategies to be followed. It would be best if you can stick to one winning strategy for your online games, as it would help you from losing too much money.

Besides offering the above services, online casinos also offer the opportunity to practice. All you need to do is, ask for free sample games and start practicing. This would help you get a hang of what online casinos are all about without risking your money into it.

Once you are comfortable with a particular online casino site and are well aware of its requirements you can comfortably go ahead and sign with it.

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Nov 27 2009

Start playing poker

Category: Online poker tipsCardRoom @ 10:27 am

If you have decided to start playing poker there is a whole lot of different places to do so. There are many casinos to start a brand new career but maybe that isn’t the best place to start for a poker beginner. An alternative might be choosing the online poker. The numbers of sites where you can play poker on the internet is enormous and you’re bond to find something that fits your taste. But if you are brand new on the field maybe picking up the basics of poker play is the best way to start. Sites can help you with this as well. Maybe you want to learn the talk around the table and then a glossary might be nice to start with. Once you have learned that a deeper understanding of the game will be in its place. Things like pot odds and odds of hitting certain hands can do much for your game.

Now that you know the basics of the game and understand a little more than the average player it might be time to try your luck at the tables. Many sites offer their players a chance to start playing with play money. It might not be funny but it’s a good way of getting some table experience without losing all your money. After some time building your skills and experience playing with real money is the smart thing to do. If you don’t intend on betting a lot of your own money into this new project of playing poker there are other paths to choose.

The easiest and probably most common is to start grinding bonuses. Since all of the sites want you to play at them they offer their players bonuses for depositing money and playing there. This is also a great way to try the various clients that exist on the market. And most important it helps you build your bankroll. Many sites offer information about where you can find bonuses and which clients are worth testing.

After that, if you haven’t lost all your money while trying, you have come somewhat closer of being a good poker player. Now the really fun part begins, start winning some serious cash. An important thing about being a good poker player is to never believe that you are fully trained. That will keep you looking for new facts and wanting to help approve your game all the time. Learning from your mistakes and trying different types of games will keep the game fun and make you a more complete player. And if you get absolutely bored with the online poker game you can always try the live game. Here you will get to use all of your skill and knowledge against live opponents.

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