"May the flop be with you."
------------Brandi Williams
Monday, August 31, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Tournament Coin Flips
Tournament coin flips
If you’re a tournament player, you probably know your coin-flips, and you probably hate their guts too. A poker coin-flip is a situation which carries approximately 50-50 odds for the two players involved. It is generally not a good idea to get all your money in on such odds, but in tournaments such moves are virtually inevitable. The rising blinds and dwindling stack sizes force players to undertake such desperate measures. As a matter of fact, in a tournament, getting all your money in on a coin flip is sometimes the best possible move you can make.
In principle, taking a coin-flip for your stack is a bad idea. There are few exceptions in cash games which justify such a move, and normally, instead of getting your money in on adverse odds, the advice would be to wait for a better opportunity to shove all-in. For the above mentioned reasons though, you’re unable to do that in a tournament.
The bottom line is, you do not want to flip for your tourney life, but you will have to. Since you know you’ll have to do it anyway, you may as well look for ways to better your odds when it comes to the coin flip. That’s right, even if the odds are close to 50-50, there are still ways for you to secure an advantage over your opponents.
One such advantage comes via a subtle little factor known as the fold equity. In every coin-flip, there’s a player who does the shoving and there’s a player who does the calling. The guy who shoves all-in has an advantage over the caller for one simple reason: he has two possibilities to win the hand: his opponents may fold or he may end up winning the coin-flip. Though this edge is quite impossible to put into numbers, it is one that will indeed increase your odds. You cannot possibly avoid taking a coin-flip for your tourney life, but you can pick your spots. Make sure you’re the aggressor, as that always gives you control of a situation and the coin flip is no exception either. If your opponents fold, you may not score a double-up, but you’ll still take down the blinds, which – in the late stages of a tournament - are always substantial.
Make sure your coin flip is indeed a coin flip. I mean keep in mind that a coin-flip should always be a near 50-50 situation. A 30-70 one is definitely not a coin flip any longer.
Hands like Ace-rag are easily dominated and although they have the potential to bust someone’s pocket Ks, most of the time, they’ll lose out to any pocket pair or any other hand that has an Ace in it. When you need to get really lucky just to make the match-up a coin-flip, you’re definitely not getting good value on your do or die move.
A low pocket pair is also an easily dominated hand. Take a pair of 3s for instance. If you get your opponent to call you on something like A,K, A,Q or A,J you’re looking good and you have your coin-flip indeed. If you happen to run it into another pocket pair though, given that it’s one of the smallest possible pocket pairs, you won’t get a coin-flip, but rather a one-sided whooping.
The bottom line is that you need to have a read on your opponent. If you shove all in and some guy with a large stack calls you, chances are he’s making the move on a subpar hand just to push you out of the game. The only way to make sure you are indeed getting coin-flip odds though is to pay attention to the types of hands your opponent plays under the given circumstances.
Being in control is always good, and the coin-flip is no exception here. Make sure you get your coin-flip odds and shove, don’t call. That’s about all there is to coin-flip strategy. The rest hinges on things out of your reach.
Signing up for a rakeback deal makes prefect sense for an online tournament player too. The rake rebate that you get through a deal like the full tilt rakeback or the betfair rakeback will cover your cash game rake as well as your tournament fees.
If you’re a tournament player, you probably know your coin-flips, and you probably hate their guts too. A poker coin-flip is a situation which carries approximately 50-50 odds for the two players involved. It is generally not a good idea to get all your money in on such odds, but in tournaments such moves are virtually inevitable. The rising blinds and dwindling stack sizes force players to undertake such desperate measures. As a matter of fact, in a tournament, getting all your money in on a coin flip is sometimes the best possible move you can make.
In principle, taking a coin-flip for your stack is a bad idea. There are few exceptions in cash games which justify such a move, and normally, instead of getting your money in on adverse odds, the advice would be to wait for a better opportunity to shove all-in. For the above mentioned reasons though, you’re unable to do that in a tournament.
The bottom line is, you do not want to flip for your tourney life, but you will have to. Since you know you’ll have to do it anyway, you may as well look for ways to better your odds when it comes to the coin flip. That’s right, even if the odds are close to 50-50, there are still ways for you to secure an advantage over your opponents.
One such advantage comes via a subtle little factor known as the fold equity. In every coin-flip, there’s a player who does the shoving and there’s a player who does the calling. The guy who shoves all-in has an advantage over the caller for one simple reason: he has two possibilities to win the hand: his opponents may fold or he may end up winning the coin-flip. Though this edge is quite impossible to put into numbers, it is one that will indeed increase your odds. You cannot possibly avoid taking a coin-flip for your tourney life, but you can pick your spots. Make sure you’re the aggressor, as that always gives you control of a situation and the coin flip is no exception either. If your opponents fold, you may not score a double-up, but you’ll still take down the blinds, which – in the late stages of a tournament - are always substantial.
Make sure your coin flip is indeed a coin flip. I mean keep in mind that a coin-flip should always be a near 50-50 situation. A 30-70 one is definitely not a coin flip any longer.
Hands like Ace-rag are easily dominated and although they have the potential to bust someone’s pocket Ks, most of the time, they’ll lose out to any pocket pair or any other hand that has an Ace in it. When you need to get really lucky just to make the match-up a coin-flip, you’re definitely not getting good value on your do or die move.
A low pocket pair is also an easily dominated hand. Take a pair of 3s for instance. If you get your opponent to call you on something like A,K, A,Q or A,J you’re looking good and you have your coin-flip indeed. If you happen to run it into another pocket pair though, given that it’s one of the smallest possible pocket pairs, you won’t get a coin-flip, but rather a one-sided whooping.
The bottom line is that you need to have a read on your opponent. If you shove all in and some guy with a large stack calls you, chances are he’s making the move on a subpar hand just to push you out of the game. The only way to make sure you are indeed getting coin-flip odds though is to pay attention to the types of hands your opponent plays under the given circumstances.
Being in control is always good, and the coin-flip is no exception here. Make sure you get your coin-flip odds and shove, don’t call. That’s about all there is to coin-flip strategy. The rest hinges on things out of your reach.
Signing up for a rakeback deal makes prefect sense for an online tournament player too. The rake rebate that you get through a deal like the full tilt rakeback or the betfair rakeback will cover your cash game rake as well as your tournament fees.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Friday, August 21, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Famous Poker Quotes...
"If life were fair, horses would ride half of the time."
-------------George Marlowe
-------------George Marlowe
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Top Ten Poker Players Ranked by Overall Earnings...
Top 10 players ranked by overall earnings.
1.Jamie Gold
$12.2 mil
2.Daniel Negreanu
$11.3 mil
3.Joe Hachem
$10.6 mil
4.Scotty Nguyen
$10.2 mil
5.Allen Cunningham
$9.9 mil
6.Peter Eastgate
$9.7 mil
7.Phil Ivey
$9.6 mil
8.Erik Seidel
$9.2 mil
9.T.J. Cloutier
$9.1 mil
10.John Juanda
$9.1 mil
1.Jamie Gold
$12.2 mil
2.Daniel Negreanu
$11.3 mil
3.Joe Hachem
$10.6 mil
4.Scotty Nguyen
$10.2 mil
5.Allen Cunningham
$9.9 mil
6.Peter Eastgate
$9.7 mil
7.Phil Ivey
$9.6 mil
8.Erik Seidel
$9.2 mil
9.T.J. Cloutier
$9.1 mil
10.John Juanda
$9.1 mil
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Senate Poker Bill Introduced
Senate Poker Bill Introduced
On August 6th, U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) introduced S. 1597, the Internet Poker and Games of Skill Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act of 2009. This legislation would license and regulate Internet poker and other games of skill in the United States. With the introduction of this bill in the Senate, we are one step closer to clarifying the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) and protecting our rights to play the game we all love. Click here to read the bill and the PPA press release about S. 1597.
We need to keep up the momentum, and we need to help Senator Menendez get his bill moving in the U.S. Senate. Please take 60 seconds right now to send an updated letter to your senators. We’ve made it easy for you. Simply click the button below to send a strong message to Washington that you want your poker rights protected.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
Famous Poker Quotes...
"Poker tournaments are a lottery with a positive expectation."
-------------Christian Voorhees
-------------Christian Voorhees
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Saturday, August 08, 2009
National Poker Week Thank You - Free August of PPA Poker Calculator
From: PPA Member Benefits
Sent: Saturday, August 08, 2009 1:20 PM
Subject: National Poker Week Thank You - Free August of PPA Poker Calculator
If you cannot view this email, click here.
THANKS!
Sent: Saturday, August 08, 2009 1:20 PM
Subject: National Poker Week Thank You - Free August of PPA Poker Calculator
If you cannot view this email, click here.
THANKS!
In celebration of the record breaking success of National Poker Week
100% FREE USE OF THE PPA CALCULATOR FOR ALL OF AUGUST
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"I don't play without it - Why? Because I play better with it! Besides, it keeps me in touch with when my favorite past time will finally be legal, and how I can help."
B. Fraley, PPA Member, Austin, TX, 7/6/09
Special Offer Expires 8/31/09
Free PPA Tool to Improve and Expand Your Game
The Poker Players Alliance proudly offers this free online poker calculator to help its members learn and improve their poker playing skills.
The PPA Poker Calculator automatically detects your poker hand and updates important statistics in real-time as you play online! Watch the changes to odds before and after the Flop, after the Turn, and after the River. It also recalculates itself as players fold! This powerful program works for Texas Holdem, Omaha, and 7 Card Stud at more than 40 online cardrooms.
This is an excellent tool for beginners to learn the mathematical fundamentals of poker while they are playing. The tool is also a helpful reference for intermediate players, and great for those looking to expand their game to Omaha and 7 Card Stud.
For more information about the PPA Poker Calculator, click here.
Thursday, August 06, 2009
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
Famous Poker Quotes...
"The best way to win a tournament is to play every hand."
------------Bob Craig
------------Bob Craig
Sunday, August 02, 2009
Famous Poker Quotes...
"I won a bracelet and now people give me guff about wearing it. I always reply, 'When you have one, we can talk!'"
-------------Brian Wilson
-------------Brian Wilson
Saturday, August 01, 2009
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