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Lessons Learned from WSOP

Friday, August 29, 2008, James "Krazy Kanuck" Worth

VARIANCE This year's WSOP was a lesson on the dramatic impact of variance on your tournament success or failure. Variance, in simple terms, means that you will win a certain number of hands based on your holdings versus your opponent's h...Read more...

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*Text		<p> </p> <p>VARIANCE</p> <p>This year's WSOP was a lesson on the dramatic impact of variance on your tournament success or failure. Variance, in simple terms, means that you will win a certain number of hands based on your holdings versus your opponent's holdings over time. An example would be A-K versus Q-Q, which is basically a coin-toss situation. Math dictates that you will win with either hand roughly half the time, Q-Q being the slight favorite. Variance, however, could mean that you win with the A-K 20 times in a row, but over time, the Q-Q will slightly overtake the A-K in the number of times it wins. Variance also means that you could lose with the Q-Q versus A-K a seemingly impossible and mathematically improbable number of times. And the bigger the fields, the more variance you will see in each individual tournament.</p> <p>Over time, it will even out, but it will always seem like you lose more times than you should in bigger field tournaments. The problem is that you have to survive many more coin-toss situations and survive against more draws than you would face in turnouts with fewer players.</p> <p>In this year's WSOP, you had to negotiate recordbreaking attendance and what seemed at times to be insurmountable odds. The number of coin flips and dramatic situations you faced increased over previous years. The luck factor also increased over previous years, simply because of the number of players in each event.</p> <p> </p> <p>COMBATING THE FIELDS</p> <p>A few years ago, pros talked about small pot poker in their approach to the WSOP Main Event. Although it's a sound theory, the problem with it in these enormous tournaments is that you will simply face too many situations where your chips will be in jeopardy. This means that different tactics are necessary, unless you're intent on leaving everything to chance, hoping to pick up huge hands when it matters.</p> <p>Odds say, however, that you will not pick up those hands exactly when you need them. That means you have to change your tactics and practice new things to combat the changing dynamics of these tournaments. Players are generally more aggressive now and aren't afraid to gamble with you. They are overplaying their hands and overvaluing their holdings, forcing you into confrontation more and more. I can't even tell you how many times players moved me all in during the WSOP tournaments when I was sitting there with top set on a safe-looking board, only to beat me with some obscure draw. In a case like that, there is really nothing you can do but pray that your hand holds.</p> <p>To combat those inevitable situations, I feel you need to take risks early in a tournament, with the objective of getting chipped up to absorb the inevitable beats and drawing situations that players will force you into. This affords you the opportunity to make plays that your opponents cannot reasonably make. It also gives you the necessary cushion you will need to survive those situations where you are forced to go all in to protect your hand, or when an aggressive player puts you all in while he is on a play or draw. The only way to practice against big fields is to play online.</p> <p>This year's WSOP had the all the big-name professionals that we all have seen on TV. What was different, though, was that in the massive 8733-player Main Event, there were probably hundreds, if not thousands, of "professional" online players with a wealth of experience from their play online. You may be sitting with nine unknown faces at your table, and to underestimate their skill levels can prove to be a tournament-ending experience for you. My bust-out hand was against an unknown internet player who played the nut hand about as well as it could possibly have been played. And he got me to put all of my chips into the middle with my secondnut hand. It was no fluke. He had won his seat online and was a student of the game. His play was something that I would expect from Phil Hellmuth or Phil Ivey, not from an unknown young kid sitting at my table. I had seen, over seven weeks of play, such aggressive yet weak play that I underestimated the kid's hand and it ended my day.</p> <p>You need to be aware that, despite not sitting with recognized players, you could still be sitting with players who have literally played thousands of tournaments and have a wealth of experience from online poker. If you want to compete with this seriously, you need to be mixing it up online against the big field tournaments, or else you will be at a distinct advantage against players at your table.</p> <p>Every week, online has tournaments with fields of up to 8,000 players. Expect play and learn how to overcome it. We all will take horrible beats and wonder at times why we love tournament play, but once you hone your game and get used to these big variance tournaments, it will make any success you have that much sweeter. Practice playing aggressively early and take more risks to get chipped up. Yes, you will bust faster in many tournaments, but when you do manage to get chipped up, you may find yourself in a position to actually win one of these giant tournaments. Good luck!</p>

Playing the Big Fields

Monday, August 25, 2008, James "Krazy Kanuck" Worth

It seems that every year, the number of players in each live event keeps on growing, and none more so than at the World Series of Poker, where thousands of players throw their money into the mix to try and get their little slice of poker hi...Read more...

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*Text		<p>It seems that every year, the number of players in each live event keeps on growing, and none more so than at the World Series of Poker, where thousands of players throw their money into the mix to try and get their little slice of poker history. You can play all the live tournaments you want to gain valuable experience, but where can you get the quickest training in negotiating these huge field tournaments?</p><p>The best place happens to be online.</p><p>Playing online tournaments, especially the big Sunday tournaments, is your best training tool for getting ready to tackle such overwhelming fields. Sure, there are live events across the country daily, but none of them have the number of players to come close to a World Series of Poker event. So, if you want to be ready to play in the World Series of Poker, get online and get your game strategy worked on before you head to Vegas to play.</p><p>You can play tournaments from freerolls to larger buy in tournaments online almost every day. Don't dismiss a 5,000-person freeroll event as a waste of time, because the reality is, with the number of players that will play this years' WSOP, you will run into every type and style of player imaginable. You have to learn how to dodge as many landmines as you possibly can to survive and flourish in a WSOP tournament. Playing in these large field events online, whether it's a buy in or a freeroll, can give you this valuable experience, and teach you how to pick good spots to get your money into pots. Hopefully, with some luck, you will be able to get yourself chipped up and, in doing so, give yourself added flexibility in the way you can approach your tournament.</p><p>Sure, in bigger-buy in online tournaments, like many of the big Sunday events at various online sites, the quality of play will be much higher than in the freeroll events. The problem for many players, though, is forking out the $200 to $500 buyins each Sunday. This is a good opportunity to refer to my article in last month's Bluff Magazine, in which I talk about playing the sit-n-gos/single-table satellites at the WSOP for both cheap entry into bigger tournaments and for the extra earning potential they offer. Likewise, you can use the sit-n-gos online to satellite into the big Sunday tournaments. And not only will you gain valuable experience as you maneuver through the big fields, you also can get a shot at taking home up to a quarter of a million dollars.</p><p>In these big field tournaments, whether it's online or the WSOP Main Event, you will have to come up with a reasonable strategy to survive and prosper. You can't win the WSOP Main Event on the first day of play, nor can you win an online tournament within the first few hours. Therefore, you need a good plan of attack. Again, the only place you can practice this sort of tournament regularly is online. By playing as many large-field tournaments online as you can before you set foot in the RIO, the betterprepared you will be to survive the marathon of poker you will face. Even the smaller buy-in tournaments at this year's WSOP are three day marathons, so it's obvious that the organizers are expecting huge turnouts. So make sure you tinker with your strategy online and find out what works for you. You have an opportunity that you normally don't get in live play. And you can play multiple tournaments a day online, whereas you can only reasonably play one live event a day.</p><p>So get online and give these tournaments a try. Not only could they give you one hell of a nice payday, but they will also sharpen your game.</p><p>Knock 'em dead, Jim "KrazyKanuck" Worth</p>

Single-tabling your way to the World Series

Friday, August 22, 2008, James "Krazy Kanuck" Worth

The atmosphere of the WSOP is magical. Just being there, amongst the hundreds of poker tables and thousands of poker players all vying for their place in poker history, is a real buzz. I'm sure it must be a very intimidating experience for ...Read more...

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*Text		<p>The atmosphere of the WSOP is magical. Just being there, amongst the hundreds of poker tables and thousands of poker players all vying for their place in poker history, is a real buzz. I'm sure it must be a very intimidating experience for a rookie tournament player to walk into that big ballroom. Even to the seasoned professional player, the electricity in that room is mind-blowing.</p><p>Along with the money and fame that go with taking down a WSOP tournament, there's a golden opportunity to make money in the side games. The reputation of the ring games that surround WSOP is legendary. Some poker players come to the WSOP and do not play any tournaments. Instead, they do their hours in the side action ring games, and do extremely well from the massive influx of money and players.</p><p>One area that is somewhat ignored, however, is the single table satellites, or sit-n-gos as they are called online. Most players will only play a single table satellite with the direct intent of winning their way into a following day's tournament. Apart from a few hardcore single table players, most people fail to realize the true earning potential of these single table tournaments, preferring to devote their time to the ring games. But by doing so, they may be leaving one of the best moneymaking opportunities out of their playing time.</p><p>You will rarely see me in a ring game at large poker events, unless I am horsing around with some friends in the same game. I'll either be playing the tournament of the day, or slugging it out for hours in the single table satellites. I play probably 10 to 15 single table sit-n-gos a day online and have naturally become pretty strong at them. Online sit-ngos will prepare you well for the live games, as the strategy and tactics are nearly identical. And in my opinion, the single table satellites at live events are much easier to beat than the ones online. Thus, practicing online can open up a world of potential earning power at large poker events like the WSOP.</p><p>The dynamics of a sit-n-go constantly change as the game progresses and players are lost, and you have to adjust your play accordingly. Hand values increase as the field size decreases, forcing you to be flexible in your game. Hands that you wouldn't dream of playing at a full table become good, or even great, with position on a short-handed table. Having a bare ace or king three-handed is actually a better than average starter.</p><p>Aggression is key in this kind of tournament, both online and live. Forcing your opponent to make the tough decisions is way easier and more effective than having to do so yourself.</p><p>Playing very small stakes sit-n-gos online can train you to play aggressively without much risk to your bankroll. Sometimes I'll play a very small stakes sit-n-go online, and raise or reraise every hand I play for no other reason than to push the envelope and try to get a good read on whether I'm behind or not. This has really sharpened my instincts and taught me how to control the play at the table. It's much more effective and profitable to be the guy the other players hate to get into a hand with, rather than sitting there scared to death of the maniac to your left.</p><p>Knowing how to use your stack while it's big enough to intimidate your opponent is critical. I've seen many rookie players blind themselves down to an ineffective stack size. When they finally come into a pot, their chip stack size is too small to really damage me, which allows me to take a shot at them with a hand that I wouldn't dream of calling against a bigger stack.</p><p>Basically, you have to know when it's time to start shoving your stack into the middle, either trying to steal a few critical blinds, or to get lucky if you are called, so you can become a threat again.</p><p>Playing sit-n-gos online can train you in the skills you'll need, should you decide to step into the world of live single table satellites. They will not only give you the opportunity to win a seat into your targeted event, but they will also give you a great opportunity to make a lot of money. Pop online and practice your play before you head to your next live event. It could end up being your little pot of gold. Just go easy on me if you see me at your single table; after all, I just gave you some good advice.</p><p>Knock 'em dead, Jim "KrazyKanuck" Worth</p>

Beam Me Up: Online Satellites

Wednesday, August 20, 2008, James "Krazy Kanuck" Worth

Chris Moneymaker won his way into the Main Event at the World Series of Poker through a $40.00 online satellite and went on to win the whole thing, plus $2,500,000. What a story that was! He parlayed those 40 bucks into a life-changing expe...Read more...

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*Text		<p>Chris Moneymaker won his way into the Main Event at the World Series of Poker through a $40.00 online satellite and went on to win the whole thing, plus $2,500,000. What a story that was! He parlayed those 40 bucks into a life-changing experience; a dream come true. I actually sat with Moneymaker on Day 1 of the 2003 WSOP. The great thing was that we both instantly recognized each other when we mentioned our screen names, and that let us prepare our games a little. Because we had played online so many times before, we each had some idea of the other's capability. I immediately started attacking his blinds and continued all day long, but evidently, he outlasted me. Chris and I have become good friends since; a friendship that began by playing online tournaments and satellites together. </p><p>The internet has become the most convenient way for players to win their way into major events all over the world, and is now the simplest way to get yourself to the Main Event of the WSOP. Even better, most satellites not only pay for the buy-in, but also give the player expenses for travel and accommodations. Players from all around the world can win trips to fantastic events in Aruba, St. Maarten, Australia, and all over Europe and North America. Some of these guys have won their way into big events for under $5.00. </p><p>Online poker gives people the opportunity to live out their dreams. The Aruba promotion, through Ultimatebet.com, is a classic example of this. This year, hundreds of players from all around the world won a poker vacation of a lifetime. The buzz of excitement in Aruba is overpowering. You will be sitting at a bar in the beach talking to 30 people you have never met in person, but have clashed with numerous times online. It is like a meeting of old friends. Then, if you bust out of your tournament, you can go to the beach or do fun stuff on the island. That's not too hard to take! </p><p>Playing live big buy-in tournaments is very tough to do financially and pretty much out of the vast majority of people's ability. Online changes that, and the number of people who will win their entry into this year's event on the internet will be measured in thousands, not in the hundreds of just a few short years ago. </p><p>So, if you haven't yet tried to play a satellite, but harbor dreams of playing on the big stage, then give it a shot. If you can get yourself to Aruba, you can be assured that you'll see me sitting at the tournament table banging chips around, or outside enjoying the beautiful Aruba beaches. And if you dream of playing in the World Series of Poker Main Event, you just may become the next Moneymaker story! Give it a shot and go capture a dream! </p><p>Knock 'em dead James "KrazyKanuck" Worth

Fast Tracking The Learning Curve

Thursday, August 14, 2008, James "Krazy Kanuck" Worth

I've played poker now for approximately 13 years. I started playing online poker roughly six years ago, after I walked into a business client's office and noticed he was playing a poker game on his computer. Being someone who loved the game...Read more...

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*Text		<p>I've played poker now for approximately 13 years. I started playing online poker roughly six years ago, after I walked into a business client's office and noticed he was playing a poker game on his computer. Being someone who loved the game and played it live regularly, I was naturally interested, and asked him about the software he was using. I thought at the time that he was just playing an online game of poker against the computer, like Hoyle's Texas Hold'em. I had no idea that he was playing interactively with other players from around the world, let alone for real money. </p><p>When he explained it wasn't just a "video game," I was so excited about the prospect of playing online from home, rather than in the smoke-filled poker rooms in Calgary, that I ended my day early and rushed home to download the poker site. I promptly deposited $500 into my real money account and proceeded to turn that into roughly $2,500 within a short period of time. I thought I had died and gone to poker heaven. </p><p>Within a couple of weeks, however, I was down over $10,000 and realized that, obviously, internet poker was rigged. I mean, what else could be the reason for my sudden loss? I continued to play, despite knowing in my heart that it was fixed, figuring I was good enough to beat the game anyway. After losing and losing and complaining about "the cash out curse" and all the other things that players choose to blame for their losses online, I finally went back to complain to the guy who had originally introduced me to the site. </p><p>After he stopped laughing at me, he showed me his track record over the previous few months. Then he made a comment that really stuck with me: "Jim," he said, "maybe you aren't as good a player as you think you are." </p><p>Maybe, he suggested, the tilt factor, the speed of play, the number of hands seen, and all the other reasons that make internet poker different from brick and mortar poker were making me lose. After realizing that almost all of the blame rested on my own shoulders, I went home with the knowledge that I had to learn how to play better and adjust. Lesson number one was learned. Internet poker is not rigged; it just forces you to evaluate your own game, make adjustments and become a better player. </p><p>There are so many factors that can turn a winning live player into a losing online player. The simple fact that you are betting with your mouse button can make it all seem less real. Picking up real chips that you know are of a certain value and making a bet in live play carries weight to it. Clicking a mouse button can become all too easy, and you can easily forget the importance of each bet you make. It's scary how you can be sitting at your computer and it feels just like a video game: Call, call, call, raise, chase, chase again, and you keep on doing it. </p><p>So if you are going to play online, you had better take what you are doing seriously, because you can bleed through your bankroll so fast it will make your head spin. You need to learn discipline. Minimize distractions and get yourself into an environment that helps you to concentrate on the game. It's all too easy to play from home with the TV on, stereo blaring, kids running around, and your spouse yelling at you to take out the garbage. If you are playing to win, you need to isolate yourself from as many distractions as you can. I'm not saying you should shut out your life completely to play online poker. It's just that trying to play your A-game and balancing other distractions around you is damn near impossible. Little distractions affect your decisions and that costs you money. The accumulative effect of many bad decisions over time can be very expensive. </p><p>The reality is that online poker can make you a better player much quicker than playing live can. The simple speed of internet play will either force you to get better faster or blow through your bankroll at lightning speed. If you realize early that the key to improving your results rests fully on your own shoulders, rather than believing that the sites rig the flops, then you are on your way to much better play and greater financial reward. </p><p>Knock 'em dead, </p><p>James "KrazyKanuck" Worth

The Best Way to Improve Your Game

Tuesday, August 12, 2008, Jim "KrazyKanuck" Worth

It was an honor to be asked to write a regular column for Bluff, and I was even happier when they asked to write about my favorite topic, online poker. I've never said I'm the best online player, or the authority on online poker, but I've h...Read more...

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*Text		<p>It was an honor to be asked to write a regular column for Bluff, and I was even happier when they asked to write about my favorite topic, online poker. </p><p>I've never said I'm the best online player, or the authority on online poker, but I've had consistent and profitable results over the past few years. One of the most effective ways I can share some of my success, and relay that to other players, is to describe what I think has most helped me improve my game over the years. And that's exactly what I want to do in this regular column. </p><p>Making the adjustment to online play, in comparison with playing live, takes some time. First and foremost is the speed of online play: without the dealer taking time in between hands to shuffle the cards, the speed can be up to three times faster. Therefore, it goes without saying that any leaks that you have in your game will be magnified online because you're seeing many more hands over a shorter space of time. Some tables deal out at 80 hands per hour, in comparison with an average of about 27 per hour live. And if you get proficient at playing online and start playing multiple tables at once, the number of hands that you see per hour will increase exponentially. Playing three tables simultaneously, you could be seeing as many as 240 hands per hour - that's nearly ten times the number of hands you would see in a casino! You will take more bad beats, see more weird draws hit, and witness far more quads and straight flushes than you would in live play, all of which can lead you to conclude that online poker is crazy poker. </p><p>The reality is, however, that if you view online poker in a positive way, you can use it to improve many areas of your game in a much shorter period of time than you would by strictly playing live. </p><p>Once I realized the mistakes I was making online, I worked hard to tackle them and become a better player. I found different games that I thought could help me improve different facets of my play, and I played as many of those games as I could in a day, working hard on areas where I felt I was weak. </p><p>One of the first things I realized early on was that I was pretty good at playing tournaments. I could consistently make it deep into my tournaments, occasionally cashing, and making final tables through solid play; but I would find myself getting eaten alive by superior players at those final tables. Soon, I started playing the sit'n'gos and I realized that I had found my little pot of gold. Not only could I make money on these single table tournaments, but I could also practice an area of my game where I felt I was weak - final table play. The sit'n'gos afforded me the opportunity to get valuable final table experience in order to finish off tournaments better, without wreaking havoc on my bankroll. I could play single table sit'n'- gos for as little as $5.25 (in those days) and experiment with ideas that I would never have dared try out at the $100 plus level. I could play twenty $5.25 sit'n'gos in a row without worrying about the financial impact. Even if I lost every match, which was rarely the case, I'd consider the money spent an investment into my poker future. Today, you can play for as little as a dollar. </p><p>By tinkering with different aspects of my play, I started to understand the psychology of the game as the table became short-handed. There were ten-handed sit'n'gos, six-handed sit'n'gos and heads-up sit'n'gos, all of which allowed me to start my "final table" full-table or short-handed, depending on the aspect of my game that I felt I needed to improve at the time. </p><p>Sometimes I would cover my screen in heads-up matches and play my hands blind. I would try to read betting patterns of my opponents and learn how to react to them. I would play the player's style only, and try to represent the different flops, rather than my actual holdings. What this did for my game was to leapfrog my ability to read certain situations. Investing time in expanding my comfort zone and reading-ability of situations started to pay off when I made final tables. So rather than being eaten alive by the more experienced players, I started becoming a force to be reckoned with. </p><p>I still play sit'n'gos daily online. I play the bigger ones seriously to make money, but will still jump into the smaller matches to practice new things. It's not uncommon to find me in a $5 dollar game. I'll blow off 80% of my chips in the first couple of hands for no other reason than to practice short-stack play. I believe that repetition is key to improving your game and the beauty of online play is that it gives you that opportunity every day, seven days a week. Online play gives the serious player the chance to improve different areas of his or her game in months, rather than in the years it would take in a brick and mortar casino. So jump into the sit'n'gos, not just for the moneymaking opportunities, but also for the priceless experience you can gain from them for tournament play. I would say with confidence that the sit'n'gos have been the biggest factor in the improvement of my tournament play. Hop in, try new things and expand your comfort zone. Some people play poker for 30 years and never change their games. Don't get caught in that rut - there is always room for improvement. </p><p>Knock 'em dead, James "KrazyKanuck" Worth

In Their Head

Friday, August 8, 2008, Jim "KrazyKanuck" Worth

When I get my seat assignment in a new tournament, I'm rarely the first one to sit. I find my seat and walk straight past it. I generally like to scout out who's at the table before I sit down, and then I will plan out my strategy, based on...Read more...

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*Text		<p>When I get my seat assignment in a new tournament, I'm rarely the first one to sit. I find my seat and walk straight past it. I generally like to scout out who's at the table before I sit down, and then I will plan out my strategy, based on the players that I see at the table. If I'm unfamiliar with some of them, I'll ask advice from friends that I've made on the circuit about their style of play. When I found my seat for the $10,000 No Limit Hold'em event at the RIO, for the main event of the WSOP Circuit event in March of 2005, I saw right away that I had a tough table. I had drawn Seat 6 and realized I had my work cut out. There were three California-based pros sitting to my left, and Alan Boston and Daniel Negreanu sitting to my right. I didn't like my draw too much, but tried to plan out my strategy anyway, based on the three fast-playing wildcards to my left, and the totally unpredictable Negreanu sitting on my right. </p><p>I had arrived a good 20 minutes before the event had started and began to stress once I saw the players start to take their seats at my table. The problem with such a table is that it can rarely be predictable. The fast playing players to my left were capable of making unorthodox plays and chasing draws that could become expensive if they were lucky enough to hit. And with Negreanu there, I knew that there was a great opportunity to chip up given the right situation, but it was going to take some cunning to catch Dan fast playing a hand into a strong holding of mine. </p><p>As I arrived at my seat, the tourney director announced, "Dealers, shuffle up and deal!" Without time to unpack my IPOD or my favorite pair of shades, I sat down in time to get my first hand, a pair of threes. The button was in seat 9 with the blinds in seat 10 and 1. Alan Boston, who was in seat 2, was first to act and came out raising the 25/50 blinds to 150 right away. Dan Negreanu was in seat 2 and quickly called. Two more players in front of me called as well, which made my pair of threes an easily called hand. I called and three more people called behind me. I already knew that, unless I flopped a set, I wouldn't see past the flop with any bet. The flop came down 2-3-4 with 2 hearts. I had flopped my set, but was facing a very scary board. I knew full well that Alan Boston likely had a large pair with his under the gun raise, but Dan Negreanu and the three fast-playing pros from LA behind me could have almost anything in their hands, so I had already made up my that I was going to play the hand cautiously. </p><p>The two blinds checked the action to Alan Boston, the original raiser, and he came out betting strong, 700, into the pot. Dan Negreanu called pretty fast, as did one of two in front of me. Considering the action so far, I had a big choice to make here. I had flopped middle set, but by no means had an unbeatable hand. In fact, with the pot being the size that it was already, there was potential to go broke, based on all the potential holdings and draws that might be out there. I wasn't worried about Alan's hand, as I didn't put him on 5-6, A-5 or pocket fours. I put him on Q-Q, K-K or A-A. I was hoping it was Q-Q or K-K, as that would reduce his potential outs on me. I was, however, scared to death of what Dan Negreanu, the caller in front of me and the three wildcards to my left were holding. Any one of them could easily have a flush draw, a 5-6, A-5 or 4-4. I decided to play it safe and just call, rather than overcommit by raising. I wanted to see how the action would play out behind me and hopefully get to see the turn card before I made a move to isolate the competition. Two players called behind me, putting six players in the pot to see the turn. The pot was already huge and I was nervous as hell about my hand. </p><p>The turn card paired the twos and I breathed a sigh of relief. Two hands could beat me at this point, 4-4 or 2-2, but I was willing to put my chips on the line now - because no one had raised the flop, I was pretty sure that no one else had flopped a set. </p><p>Then Alan Boston did the unthinkable. He bet 3,000 into the pot. I couldn't believe it because he had so many people call his flop bet. I felt that he had a large pair and I had really only been worried about the other players in the hand. After a long period of time, Dan Negreanu folded his hand, as did the other player in front of me. Rather than pushing all in, I decided to raise Alan's 3,000 bet, but wanted to price him in by only minimum raising him. I made it 6,000, and the two remaining threats behind me folded their hands quickly. I knew in my heart I had Alan beat. Alan looked at me and remarked out loud, "What? Am I going to go broke on the first hand of the tournament?" (I was hoping he would). Alan looked at me again and shocked me by announcing that he was all in. </p><p>I said, "Well sir, if you have 4-4 or 2-2 it's your pot." He turned over Q-Q and I rolled over my threes full of twos and watched as he went white. The river card was a face card and I thought for a split second that it was a queen. I felt my stomach drop, but noticed the moustache on the card; it was a king, giving me a win and putting my stack at almost 24,000 after the first hand. </p><p>I think it took almost a half hour for my hands to stop shaking. The thrill of putting my $10,000 buy in on the line a minute into the tournament was one of the most exciting and scariest things I've experienced in tournament play in my career. You mustn't be afraid to mix it up, but doing so on the first hand of a major tournament must rattle the most seasoned professional. </p><p>Knock Em Dead<br /> Jim "KrazyKanuck" Worth

Poker Peer Pressure – How Other Players Impact Your Games Just by Being There

Thursday, August 7, 2008, Jace Thomas

Peer pressure is a subject that gets a lot of attention in discussions regarding juvenile behavior, but it's a powerful force for adults as well. Poker is so reliant on interaction and power that it creates an environment where peer pressur...Read more...

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*Text		<p>Peer pressure is a subject that gets a lot of attention in discussions regarding juvenile behavior, but it's a powerful force for adults as well. Poker is so reliant on interaction and power that it creates an environment where peer pressure can be an especially strong factor in decision-making, particularly for newer players or for people making the switch from online play to live poker. Peer pressure has an effect on players in all types of games, but there's a uniquely powerful effect at work in No Limit and Pot Limit games. </p><p>Whether we like to admit it or not, winning the approval of others is a powerful need for everyone. Obviously, it matters more to some and less to others, but the fact remains that this basic social drive can alter the game plan for a session in several ways. The changes can range from very subtle to blatantly obvious - but they all carry negative repercussions for your performance at the table. </p><p>We're going to briefly suggest a few ways that peer pressure gets you off an optimal game, and offer quick suggestions for countering the natural tendencies for wanting others to like and respect us. Hopefully this article will give you a few ideas to take with you to the table in your next session and get you thinking about how much of an impact the other players can have upon you - even when they're not your opponent in a given hand. </p><p>Peer Pressure Makes You Act Faster </p><p>Why it happens: Let's face it, there's something cool in the quick action - it implies decisiveness, control, and a host of other characteristics we'd like to possess. Unfortunately, it all too often results in poor decisions that don't take all the available information into account - and that's a trade off that just isn't worth it. It's not just the 'cool' factor that drives us to make quick decisions - there's also the very real, tangible feeling of impatience you get from other players at the table, especially the ones who aren't involved and just want to move on to the next hand. People don't like to feel like they're annoying others, and when 8 other people are waiting on you, the stares and sighs can get to be a bit much. </p><p>How to check it: Try always taking a little longer to act. This will give you a better sense of how much time is actually passing when you think, will make taking your time seem like a natural act, and will condition the other players at the table to expect you to take a few seconds before you make your move, reducing their annoyance when you take a little longer for the big decisions. People might give you some static, but both they [and you] will get used to it pretty quickly. </p><p>Peer Pressure Over-Commits You to Pre-Flop Raises </p><p>Why it happens: So much of peer pressure is about power - by going along with the group, or by doing something that wins the approval of the group, you gain power. Back down in front of the group and you open yourself up to rejection and abuse - lessons we learned a long time ago on the playground. Now think about what happens when you raise preflop and someone calls - you've just picked a fight. When they stand up to you by betting into you on the flop or check-raising, you now face a situation where folding makes you seem [on some levels] weak - and all the more so because you picked the fight in the first place. Think of how much easier it is to lay down a bet that didn't follow a preflop raise to a check-raise, or how less compelled you feel to take a stab at the flop when you didn't raise the pot. Sure, there's a little more money in the middle when you raise preflop, but rarely enough to justify the impulsive decisions players make to 'protect' their preflop raise [aka their image / ego] when another player challenges them on the flop. </p><p>How to check it: If this is a small problem for you, a deep breath will probably do the trick. However, if you find yourself consistently getting burned in this spot, you need to develop a safety valve. I suggest creating a checklist of factors that have to be met before you're allowed to call a bet / raise in a hand where you raise preflop and forcing yourself to run through that checklist before making any move. Some things that might go on the list: Do I have reason to believe my opponent is bluffing? Do I have a good chance of improving in this hand? Do I have a plan for the next card if I get called or he bets again? </p><p>Peer Pressure makes You Personalize the Conflict of the Game </p><p>Why it happens: When someone lays a beat on you or makes a great play against you [or does both at once, as is sometimes the case] in the live play, it's a lot easier to develop a mentality of playing for revenge, largely because you can put a face to your embarrassment, pain, whatever. This makes a huge difference - as mad as you can get at an invisible opponent online, it doesn't begin to compare how pissed you can become at the living, breathing, visible opponent often just inches away from you. The fact that the person embarrassed you in front of the group creates a loss of face from your perspective that can only be erased by getting even - an eye for an eye and all that. Obviously, making decisions based on revenge is a generally terrible way to play poker and makes you very predictable and manipulable. </p><p>How to check it: This might sound odd, but try thinking about your opponents as seat numbers and nothing else. When I play online, the first thing I do is usually to turn off the avatars simply because I find that being able to think of my opponents as actual people lets me get angrier at them. Depersonalizing opponents in live play is tough, but it's worth the work if revenge play is a big leak in your game. </p><p>Peer Pressure Makes You Buy In For More Than You're Comfortable With </p><p>Why it happens: This is really only relevant to No Limit cash games, and especially relevant when there is no cap on the buy-in. No mystery about why this happens - sitting with a short stack feels weak. Especially in American culture, money equals power, and sitting without money at a table full of towering stacks can make you feel weak. The problem is that playing deeper than you want to or are used to can really jack your game in ways that you won't understand until they happen. </p><p>How to check it: Make a firm decision before you get to the casino and stick with it. Keep your buy-in money in one pocket and your re-buy money in another, or don't pull enough out for the re-buy until you need it [although having to go to the ATM has peer pressure implications all of its own] </p><p>Peer Pressure Makes You Feel Like You Have to Give Action Early </p><p>Why it happens: When you first sit down at a table, you're the new thing - so it feels, accurately, like people are paying more attention to you than the rest of the players at the table. There's a sort of 'spotlight' mentality that kicks in - all those eyes trained on you make it feel like you need to do something to establish yourself (roughly the poker equivalent of dogs pissing to mark territory). This feeling that you're being tested can lead to rash decisions based more on a desire to 'prove' yourself than sound logic and rationality. There's no doubt something to the idea that a loose move or two early can give your opponents the wrong idea for the whole session, but even those spots can be carefully chosen. </p><p>How to check it: Walk in with a clear plan dictating how you plan to play for the first round - the more of a problem you have with stage jitters, the more rigid your plan should be. Make solid, conservative decisions about what hands you are willing to play preflop and wait until you calm down to open up your game a bit. </p><p>Postscript </p><p>No one likes to admit that other people have an influence on their actions, but like it or not, they do - you might be less open to influence than some, but I've never met a person who escapes it entirely. The bad news is that newer poker players are more vulnerable than most. The good news is that once you've come to terms with how peer pressure impacts your game, not only will you have plugged some leaks that are hurting your bottom line - you'll also be able to spot those leaks in others and exploit them. </p><p> </p><p> <img src="http://www.pokerspace.com/uploaded-images-2/1218120458-63555.jpg" style="width:74px;height:42px;" alt="" />

Modern Times

Friday, April 11, 2008, David Williams

The game of poker is constantly changing. The evolution of the way no limit holdem was played in the 70's 80's and 90's up through today is completely different. The game has seen its most dramatic changes in the past couple of years. T...Read more...

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*Text		<p>The game of poker is constantly changing. The evolution of the way no limit holdem was played in the 70's 80's and 90's up through today is completely different. The game has seen its most dramatic changes in the past couple of years. <br /><br /> The "Moneymaker effect" as some call it, began the influx of new players coming into the game. The increase in popularity of online poker, changed the game again sometime between 2004 and 2006, and in the past year or so, I would think you could heavily credit sites like Real Poker Training and online schools for making the next move into modern poker. <br /><br /> If you took a look at a solid poker players game 5 to 10 years ago, the player's minus a few who really "got it" like Doyle, Chip, Hellmuth, etc., the player's games were virtually all the same. Wait for the nuts, or close to it, and go up against someone else with the nuts, or close to it and the winner was the one who caught their card, or bluffed like they had it, and then the pot was decided. <br /><br /> Now, there are many moves, most of which derives from what live players call "the internet player" that all evolve from old moves, with a more aggressive approach. <br /><br /> Some of these moves are mentioned in training videos, or done without explanation, so I thought I'd go over a few in no particular order, and discuss how to use them effectively:<br /><br /><strong>Re-Steal counter moves: (Inducing the Squeeze play, Early Position: Convey Strength)</strong><br /><br /> One of the main moves that the aggressive online player has perfected has been the re-steal from the blinds. This move derives from knowing that a more experienced player will often try to win the blinds and ante's when he finds himself in late position in an un-opened pot. The blinds then pick up and this tendency and attempt to exploit it by re-raising from the blinds, and showing strength, while putting the original late position raiser to the test.<br /><br /> Two ways to counter this now widely popular move would be to:<br /><br /> A: Raise in early position with suited connectors or marginal hands more, to convey strength to your opponents, and follow though on the flop if you're called.<br /> B. Flat call in late position with a monster if the pot HAS been opened before you, to try and induce a blind to make the squeeze play at you. You can then trap the squeezer into a pot they might be committed to, and they likely have air. <br /><br /> Using these two variations of playing hands to an aggressive table likely to attempt re-steals can counter a modern move with a more modern move. <br /><br /> I will open light from early position now, just to change gears and vary my play, and I use the old thought process that early position raises equal strength to my advantage.<br /><br /><strong>Betting to be raised:</strong><br /><br /> Online, since you have the luxury of playing so many different stakes, you can get a feel for what the low-limit players will do, and in the same day, or even at the same time if you're into multi-tabling, play at a mid to high stakes table and get a feel for how they are playing as well. <br /><br /> I have found that what allot of low to mid limit players like to do when they are learning the finer points of how to properly be aggressive, is be recklessly aggressive. They are the players you often run into that try and take pots away from you at all times, whether it is via a three-barrel, or a seemingly well-timed check raise, etc., they love to put on the pressure, because they are incorrectly reading articles and advice on "be aggressive and you win at poker." I love when these types of articles and tips get filtered through, because for every person that reads them and gets out of them what they truly mean, there are five to ten others that assume that means to basically fire at will! That's how we make our money at the tables!<br /><br /> So, with this reckless aggression comes the need to try and fight for every pot, cash game or tournament. So my counter move to this is bet to induce a raise. <br /><br /> If I opened late with 99 and the flop comes 9-Q-4, chances are, if I bet strong, as I often do like to bet sets on the flop nowadays, then someone with a Q or a straight draw is going to call me, and everyone else will likely bow out. But in modern poker, If I bet 1/3 or the pot, instead of 75% to 80%, now all of a sudden Ace-high and pocket 7's feel the need to play sheriff and try and take this weak looking bet and make me pay for attempting to bluff them with it. Am I bluffing? Obviously not, but that is what the bet makes aggressive players think I guess. <br /><br /><strong>Overbetting the River:</strong><br /><br /> Similar to the under bet is the over bet. If you make an pot size or bigger bet on the river with a made hand, the players that are at the intermediate stage of their poker-learning often think to themselves "good players always talk about value betting the river with a good hand," or "wouldn't he want to bet an amount I could call if he held better than me?" Then you get the HERO call from the guy with Ace high or middle pair, who claims he wouldn't have folded if I bet less! If I bet less! This is the beauty of players that have just begun thinking about the game, because they haven't graduated to that higher level of thinking yet. <br /><br /> There is always a move for every move, and a counter for every counter move. That is what makes poker a game that you can truly never master. The game today might be different by tomorrow, so always try and think ahead so that your game doesn't get left behind.<br /><br /> Please visit <a href="http://www.realpokertraining.com" target="_blank"> Real Poker Training </a> for more articles.<br /><br /><br /><br /></p>

Cold Streaks

Wednesday, January 9, 2008, Filthy

Definition of Cold Streak I define a cold streak as losing a lot of money in a period of time due to either horrible luck or horrible play. Intro to Cold Streaks Until recently, I never believed in cold runs. I always felt t...Read more...

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*Text		<em>Definition of Cold Streak <br/><br/></em> I define a cold streak as losing a lot of money in a period of time due to either horrible luck or horrible play.<br/><br/> <strong>Intro to Cold Streaks<br/><br/></strong> Until recently, I never believed in cold runs. I always felt that even if I got terrible cards, at worst, I would lose a nominal amount. In reality, it was only because I couldn't properly identify a bad run of cards. Every time I had a horrible streak of cards, I'd unconsciously play very poorly. I would blame my play rather than my cards for my losing ways. This caused me to lose a lot more money than I should have lost. Whether you blame the cards you are being dealt or your play during a bad run doesn't matter. What matters is that you are likely not properly identifying when you are running poorly. I think the most important remedy for this terrible but inevitable part of poker is to identify when you're on a cold streak and really focus on playing your A game. <br/><br/> <strong>Identifying Cold Streaks</strong> <br/><br/> I've had two huge cold streaks in my poker career. Both times came after a huge rush. At the beginning of each rush, I was playing well and winning money because of it. However, after a few sessions my cards were running so well that I let my cards play for me. I began to fail to put the proper thought into each hand. I only thought about how good the rush was and I focused on the money rather than playing my A game. <br/><br/> Strangely enough, I started to question why I was winning so much. I started to expect the rush to stop and consequently start losing. However, I was enjoying the moment too much and didn't stop to analyze my play and watch others play. My vision on the table felt very blurry, but I couldn't stop playing. As I had expected, I started to lose and before I knew it I was on a bad run. <br/><br/> I know the feeling of these cold streaks very well. The first time I was on a cold streak, I thought everyone was bluffing me. It was impossible for me to lay down hands because I thought of that small possibility of getting bluffed out. I always thought people were stealing from me if I got raised on the flop and thus always reraised. On the river, I'd make excuses for myself and call any bet if I had a pair. It was disastrous. I took the game very personally. <br/><br/> However, during my second cold streak, every time I got raised, I wanted to fold. If I raised preflop, I prayed that everyone with position on me would fold. If they called, I had no idea what to do. I felt paralyzed just by people calling my preflop bets. After an extended period of this mindset, I finally realized how weak I was playing. This awareness allowed me to evaluate my play and I started playing well again. Not much later, A hand came up where I flopped second pair and got raised on the flop. I KNEW my opponent was on either the straight or the flush draw so I pushed all in to make him pay for his draw. Then I thought to myself, "Wow, I actually had a read on my opponent." I was out of the cold streak and it seemed like my vision became clearer. <br/><br/> <strong>Getting out of a Cold Streak</strong> <br/><br/> After identifying a cold streak, the next important thing is to work to end it. I suggest taking a break. Take a break from anything related to poker to clear up your head and forget those bad habits that you've been developing. After that, I would suggest watching a few of your friends play. You should watch players who are either on your level or a little better. Have them explain their every move to you and review those important concepts that you've forgotten. Or you can watch the videos that the pros have time preparing for their members. Another good idea is to take yourself when you think you are playing A+ game and either save hand histories or record yourself playing. That will give you something to reference when you feel you are no longer playing your A game. <br/><br/> If you're playing well but just have horrible luck, switch to another site for a while. It doesn't hurt to do that. Sometimes playing at different sites will teach you different things too. Be sure to be honest with yourself though. It is very easy to convince yourself you are playing your A game when you aren't playing anywhere near your best. <br/><br/> <strong>Conclusion</strong> <br/><br/> Due to the luck factor in poker, it is a game where it is very hard to evaluate how well you're playing. It's very important to understand and evaluate your short term results with accuracy. Playing your A game all the time is one of the most important aspects to being a successful poker player. <br/><br/>

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