In this free online poker article we’ll look at what happens if, in a heads-up match, both players think they have the best hand and decide to slow-play – Trap versus Trap basically.

To illustrate the lesson we’ll look at the situation by example. In this case a World Series of Poker final table hand.

The scene:

BLINDS 100k/200k, ante 30k

PREFLOP:

A has Ks-10s, raises to 400k
B has As-Ad, calls 200k

A’s raise is standard for K-10, which is not as weak in short-handed play as in a full table.

B could have reraised A, but A might fold. B could be worried only if the Flop came up paired like J-J-7, but B thinks that a continuation test bet will detect if A has a hand after the Flop.

Reraising preflop and this test bet has the same effect of making A fold if A doesn’t have anything, but calling not only conceals A’s hand strength, but also makes it dangerous for B to bet if a King or a Ten comes.

FLOP: Kc-5c-3h

B checks
A bets 525k
B raises to 1.45m
A calls 875k (Pot now 3.76m)

Now A suddenly had top pair which he may think is the best hand!

B checks, again to conceal hand strength.

A bets to build the pot, then B raises.

A may interpret B’s raise as a bluff because he may think B is drawing (note the two Clubs) or that B may have a smaller pair, say, A-5 or A-3.

A just calls because he is now the one attempting to trap.

TURN: Kc-5c-3h-6s

B bets 1.5m

The three-Flush didn’t come. B’s bet is now challenging A.

If A folds, B still wins a large pot. If A calls or reraises, B can push him all-in if action gets back to B.

A’s trap seems to be working so far. Now B may have decided that A is still on a Flush draw with maybe a small Pair, say Ac-3c.

Additionally, because preflop A concealed his hand strength well (just smooth-calling), B can think that A also has a King, but with a weaker kicker.

Now he believes that A is ready to call anything he hauls in the middle, and he also thinks his trap is working. So what does he do?

A moves all-in
B calls 3.6m (Pot now about 14 million)

Both think their traps are successful! In poker, the bigger the hands, the bigger the chips in front.

Both did well in preserving the balance building the pot and concealing hand strength, but only one hand can win.

A can only win with a river King or Ten.

RIVER: Kc-5c-3h-6s-10c (!)

A wins! But had A continued trapping until the river with this river card, it’s still the same. Both still have big hands, both are willing to trap, and both are willing to ravenously hoard each other’s chips once the opportunity arises.

Summary of the Trap Vs Trap

Spend some time to read and consider the principles behind this article. Try and consider the key facts behind what’s going on in this particular example and consider ways to put these lessons into your individual play.

Poker, while not so difficult to learn if very difficult to make a living from, or, indeed, not lose money at most of the time!

But if (and when) you learn to really play online poker well then you’ll make some great money. Why?

Simply that the vast majority of players you come up against never get to what can be termed a good level.

So you, if you can get to a good standard will do very well very easily. You don’t have to be a TV pro to make good money in poker!

The fact that most players are at such a low competence means that whenever you hunt/play them on free online poker sites or low stakes sites you’ll be able to clean up.

To learn to play poker free go look at the rest of the NoPayPOKER blog, the free poker lessons here  cover all levels from rookie to advanced, plus, the site itself as a free online poker site is the ideal place to practice what you learn.

Regardless of if you’re a beginning free online poker player or a WSOP top table pro, the all-in is the biggest move in poker.

As a rule of thumb, usually one moves all-in only with hands that can stand a chance against, say, A-K or A-Q (the most common all-in hands).

It is because these are the hands also most prepared to call. Which hands, then, are we ready to put our tournament life on? Pocket pairs spring to mind. So does A-K (or A-Q or even K-Q suited or K-J suited if you are running out of chips)

But someone does it differently. I’d like to add that here; player B is usually an impatient, rowdy player who is familiar to us TV poker fans.

BLINDS 12k/24k

A has Ad-Kd raises 75k

A’s raise is simply standard for A-K suited, though it is slightly stronger (the average preflop raise is about 2.5x the big blind, but this raise is a little greater than thrice). But look at B’s move, which may be less standard:

B has 10c-5c moves all-in 544k

What about that: a 10-5? With about 22 big blinds left, which is relatively a short-stack (but not so short), B moves all-in. But with a 10-5? B can wait for slightly better hands than this.

Now let us try to justify the 10-5 in this situation. If B did it with a small pair, he is a slight favourite (about 55-45). If with A-x (with x smaller than a King), he is a significant underdog (about 75-25).

With any 2 cards apart from A or K he much less the underdog (approx. 66-34).

So the win-rate of 10-5 against A-K (here B deciding that A’s hand was A-K or similar was quite a gamble; if he’s up against A-A he is a big underdog, about 85-15) is just the average of the win rate of a pocket pair against A-K and the win rate of A-x against A-K, and therefore not so bad.

Moreover, with 10c-5c B has two live cards, in contrast to A-x, where x is the only live card. Moreover, B may dislike having 22 big blinds dwindle to, say, 15 or 14 later, so he decides to put his heart and soul into this hand. Who is this player, anyway? “I’ve got a 10-5, girls and boys.” Yes it’s true, the garrulous Mike Matusow! “The Mouth!”

A calls 469k (Pot 1.124m)

Now let us observe how “The Mouth” will fare against all odds.

FLOP: Js-7c-5s

“That’s a Flop!” A Five fell, pairing Matusow!

TURN: Js-7c-5s-8d

RIVER: Js-7c-5s-8d-6d

Moving all-in can prove to be the most dangerous moments in poker. Even in free online poker it can also be the most thrilling, anyway. The all-in recharged Matusow’s stack to 45 big blinds.

This sort of unusual play can be exploited forever in any case. When Matusow believed that A has A-K or similar, he is gambling.

While most players will work a strategy where they will call with pocket pairs I doubt in this case that A will call with anything less than 10-10.

Against A-A or K-K or a higher pair, 10-5 will win only about 15% of the time, and with 10-10 to 5-5, about 25%, and with 4-4 to 2-2, nearly a coin flip.

Summing up the All-In

Take time to read and comprehend the principles behind this article. Attempt comprehend the ideas behind what’s going on with this example and look into strategies to put these lessons into your individual play.

It takes time to learn how to play poker at a level where you make money consistently.

But if (and when) you learn how to play poker well then you’ll make some good money. Why?

Simply that the vast majority of players you come up against never get to what can be termed a good level.

So you, if you can get to a good standard will do very well very easily. You don’t have to be a TV pro to make good money in poker!

The fact that most players are at such a low skill means that whenever you hunt/play them on free online poker games or low stakes sites you’ll be able to clean up.

To learn to play poker for free explore the NoPayPOKER blog, the free poker lessons here cover all levels from beginner to advanced, plus, the site itself as a free online poker site is the perfect place to practice what you learn.

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While the intent was for this to be a series of seven Articles, retrospective thought has identified a need for an eighth and ninth Article.

Keep in mind the fact that y’all are playing at NoPayPoker; a free poker site. And, even though the word ‘free’ can’t be transposed with the word ‘donk’, it’s likely that you fully understand the relationship between the two words.

Frankly, greater than 95% of the players you compete against at NoPay Poker are either new to the game, or, they’re devoid of any ability to learn practical lessons on ‘how to play the game’.

That said, there is a necessity to identify the mistakes made by these players, and the mistakes made by each of you.

And, just because many of you have been identified as qualified, competent, accomplished, and cash-winning players doesn’t mean that you don’t, every so often, fall into the ‘mistake pit‘….a dangerous place to be.

Primarily because the ‘pit’ is a portal to the domain of the ‘Alpha Bull’, and, it’s essentially the beginning of the application process for a WAFABA membership; something we ought not be interested in.

Now, as has been so frequently scribbled by me, the biggest of all mistakes is a lack of patience.

And, since it has been written about ‘ad nasuem’, there can be no compelling reason to further elaborate on the subject matter other than to render a reminder.

• In real estate it’s ‘location, location, location’ (the rule of 3).
• In business it’s ‘product, price, promotion, and placement’ (the four P’s of marketing).
• And, in ‘pppppoker’ it’s patience, patience, patience, patience, and patience (the 5 P’s of poker); enough said.
• You’re familiar with the drill….or you better be !!!!!! If not, you’ll be opening the door to the 6 levels of torment commonly found in the ‘Farm Animal’ pastures.

The second biggest mistake made by many good players is the failure to allow an ample amount of ‘game play’ time to settle under our belts and into our minds.

If we don’t develop a somewhat comprhensive command of how our opponents play the game, if we don’t develope an ability to ‘read’ their actions, how can we possibly destroy their stacks and truck them off to ‘DonkeyTown’.

Certainly, one of the major factors contained within our ‘advantaged’ play is the ‘consistency of focus’ that we apply to the game.

It produces the ‘reads’ we need to accumulate chips, and it produces the acquisition of the requisite social graces we need. Without which, we wouldn’t be able to introduce Bozo, Dumbo, and BananaHead to the WAFABA group and the Alpha Bull.

In the end, said introduction is likely a positive experience for them; it’s something they’ve earned. And, everyone likes recompense for their efforts.

Additionally, the process of ‘game play’ time expanding minute by minute, puts us in the position of avoiding the opening Multi Table Tournament hands dominated by ‘chip-flinging’. Where, the aforementioned Bozo, Dumbo, and BananaHead are basically playing Bingo to decide who ends up with the starting chips that each were allotted when the table opened.

Moreover, these initial minutes of play allow us to identify targets….and, when targets are available, it would be an enormous mistake to have not identified them.

Third, in our queue of mistakes, are the vast numbers of players at No Pay Poker who are completely enamoured with ace/rag pockets.

• The ace, in and of itself, provides liscense for them to believe that they’re half way home to a pair of aces….a hand they believe will win the pot.
• Yet, they always fail to realize that it’s a Negative Expected Value (-EV) pocket; destined to produce loses over the long-term.

Plus, these ‘Farm Animals’ will push bets onto the table with regularity; never once realizing that another player could easily be holding a pocket ace with a better kicker, or, other players could be holding any of approximately 30 pockets with a Positive Expected Value (+EV).

Next, and 4th on the list, is the common failure to respect the Big Blind (BB) position when only limpers have entered the pot.

• When a flop of K/9/4 hits the board, and Bozo has a pocket King, he’s absent any regard for the BB player….
• who, because it didn’t cost him anything additional to see the flop, could be holding pocket 4/9.
• Thus, Bozo does some ‘chip-flinging’, and the Big Blind happily raises.

Of note, the table position at the felt that wins the most hands is the Big Blind.

Importantly, for each of you, since you’re the better players, it’s okay to bet out so that the waters can be tested….but, the bet should be moderate in size.

Then, if the BB comes over the top, allow your player notes to dictate your actions….and, as learned, it’s perfectly acceptable to lay down a once powerful hand (Article 4).

Fifth, none of us can count the times when we’ve been witness to Dumbo and his WAFABA co-members play hands completely oblivious to Pot Odds, Implied Odds, or both; neither are a part of their thought or sight capacities; donkeys have limited intellect and don’t see too well.

Plus, none of them would be able provide you with a definition of either. And, as a result, they often bet irrational amounts….frequently yielding acceptable Pot Odds to the other players currently in the hand.

Unquestionably, not one of you would ever have an excuse for this type of action.

• Y’all learned long ago that you are principally a pot size bettor.
• And, you learned the lesson for a very good reason….a pot size bet rarely gives your opponent playable Pot Odds.
• They’re gonna’ fold, or, if they’re dumb enough to accept undervalued Pot Odds, it creates all the more justification for their claim to residency in the pastures, and their intimate relationship with the Alpha Bull.

Moving on, we get to an ignorance associated with overcards….it’s sixth on our list of mistakes.

• And, Article 4 of this series, “Folding: Laying Down a Once Powerful Hand”, recently ‘bookmarked’ by one of NoPayPoker’s best players (KajunSpice), brought you all of the information you need to avoid the blunder.
• However, since Bozo, Dumbo, and BananaHead didn’t read Article 4, be prepared for them to often carry a pair of Tens through the process of betting post-river….even though the board contains an Ace, a King, and 3 suited cards.

Seventh, and always fascinating to me, is the remarkably stupid action of Overbetting.

• In truth, even when the WAFABA member holds a pair of pocket Aces the insanity is present.
• It’s either a 10 to 50 times the Big Blind bet, or an all-in bet.
• They’ve no knowledge of the ‘money-winning’ strategy associated with the holding of the current nuts hand….yet, we all know that the strategy is called ‘slow-play’.
• And, we all know how much profit the ‘slow-play’ strategy puts into our bankrolls.

Importantly, we also know that there is an acceptable time for us to actually initiate an overbet. It’s almost always an action we use when we want to protect what appears to be a current nuts hand, and we don’t want any callers.

An example would be when we hold pocket Jacks, and the flop showed 2/6/T rainbow. If there was $600 in the pot, a $1,000 bet would be more than acceptable….because such a bet gives no one acceptable Pot Odds.

Then, there are the ever present all-in bets that are made by PinBrain when he holds a low pocket pair….this would be 8th on the list.

Of course, I’m not considering the opening few hands in any MTT; there we’re seeing a ‘chip-flinging’ fiasco of monumental ignorance.

No, I’m talking about middle and late game action. Pocket Sixes, not the low stack, all-in? Come on! For the most part, the only callers are going to be players with paint pocket pairs or Big Slick….and, combined, those callers make the pocket Sixes an underdog.

Ninth, and my favorite in terms of observing stupidity in game play, is the degree to which ‘suited rags’ are played by the ‘Farm Animals’.

• Anything from 2/3 suited to 4/J suited is worthy of a bet or raise from the critters who reside in the pastures.
• Somehow, they believe that the flop is going to yield 2 or 3 cards that match their suit….not realizing there is only a 13% probability that 2 cards will appear, or only a 2% probability that 3 cards will appear.

At intermittent points in time they must marvel at what they would describe as ‘bad luck’. It’s certain that they don’t use those ‘points in time’ to marvel at their inability to play the game with any level of skill.

Speculatively, I imagine that most of these Dumbo’s believe that the game of poker is a game of chance.…never could they think of the game as a skill event.

The latter would require that they both read and learn. And, remembering that a donkey has both poor eyesight (hard to read) and limited intelligence (hard to learn), they are forever relegated to the dung heaps that surround them.

Tenth has to do with game play out of the 3 early table positions.…

• The Small Blind (SB)
• The Big Blind (BB)
• The Under The Gun (UG) seats.

Each of us understands that the pockets with a Positive Expected Value (+EV) are limited to AA, KK, QQ, AK, and AQ suited.

However, the WAFABA group teaches an alltogether different approach. Their belief is centered around the idea that you can’t get lucky if you’re not in the hand….so, play any pockets. And, I will admit that sometimes it works to their advantage.

Such is true because every once in a while a flop fits with the rags they’ve chosen to play. Yet, we know to be extra careful when we’re playing against only limpers and the Small Blind, Big Blind, or either one of them.

Perhaps, the occassional win delivered to the WAFABA member who plays garbage out of early position, generates the motivation to continue pursuing their extraordinary level of ‘dumb’. In the end though, when day is done, you go home with money, and they go home with empty wallets.

Next, since the reason for playing poker is to win money (with a bit of social interaction added), we know that we need to outlast the ‘bubble’, get to the final table, and then look to win the tourney. Thus, eleventh on the list is about money….and the absence of ego.

But, the near opposite is true for the WAFABA pinheads. Sure, they’d like to win money; yet, how often have you seen 2 or more of them fling chips at each other while playing with terrible cards….hand after hand, one right after the other. And, rarely with exception, they’re doing that because of ego. “Nah na nah, nah na”, “I’m better than you”.

Twelfth, at the final table, all but you and one other player eliminated, Heads-Up (HU) play commences.

• And, for even some of the really good players at NoPay, the mistakes that can be observed are numerous.
• The biggest of all is the failure to recognize that aggression rules in Heads-Up action.
• And, while I’ll not do more in this Article than impart the last sentence, I do expect to post a future article or blog on the details related to game play requirements once you’ve gotten to the point of just you and one other competitor. [Please look for this post in the near future.]

Last, in the 13th spot, is ‘Style of Play’.

But, not as you might immediately think of it. I’m not talking about ‘passive’ versus ‘aggressive’, or ‘tight’ versus ‘loose’.

I’m, oddly enough, talking about geography. Because players in different parts of the world address the game with one very profound distinction….’decision making’ on a pocket cards analysis basis versus ‘decision making’ on a post-flop basis.

• Players from the United States are most often making the decision to play the hand or not play the hand based on the pocket cards they were dealt.
• Players from Eastern European countries are most often making the decision to play the hand or not play the hand based on the 5 cards available to them post-flop.
• Players from Western Europe and Australia can do either.
• Thus, the need for a little social-interaction….or ‘info’ seeking interaction is necessary. It’s not difficult to ask a player who is new to you “Where are you from”.

Interestingly, or coincidentally, we’ve ended up with 13 mistakes….the unlucky number. And, if any of you fall into the pit by playing with, or into, any one or more of these mistakes, you’re on a road that could easily open some very negative doorways.

The 1st is a door that could start the WAFABA application process, the 2nd is door that could find you in the company of the Alpha Bull, and the 3rd is a door that introduces you to a ATM….where a stream of withdrawals by Bozo and his co-horts could decimate your bankroll. None of which should be placed before you, and none of the doors should be opened.

Best of Luck at the Tables,

D. Michael

by D. M. Vadnais

(c) copyright; March, 2010; no reproduction, all rights reserved by D. M. Vadnais

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We’ve come a long way in these ‘Expanding Your Bankroll’ free poker Articles, and I’m very pleased that you were my guest. I hope some usable information was made available to all of you, and I hope that additional profits will accrue to your benefit.

Plus, in that this is the last Article, I want you to know that I’m intent on bringing home a powerful, profound, and purposeful 3 word message: THINK, THINK, THINK.

To start, please take a few minutes to THINK about these great quotes.

Each was culled from a quality professional poker player or a good published writer.

They sum up some of the interesting and most practical ideas associated with the game of poker….a game that is truly played in a 6 inch chamber; not on a 12 foot table. (Don’t be concerned; we’ll define the 6 inch chamber shortly.)

1. David Sklansky on Poker
“When we play, we must realize, before anything else, that we are out to make money.”

2. From Big Deal by Anthony Holden
Poker is a science, a semblance of warfare, an art form or indeed a way of life – but it is also merely a game, in which money is simply the means of keeping score.”

3. David Mamet on Poker
“Poker reveals to the frank observer something else of import—it will teach him about his own nature. Many bad players do not improve because they cannot bear self-knowledge.”

4. Bobby Baldwin on Poker
“The mark of a top player is not how much he wins when he is winning but how he handles his losses. If you win for thirty days in a row, that makes no difference if on the thirty-first day you have a bad night, go crazy, and throw it all away.”

5. Jack Strauss on Poker
“Limit poker is a science, but no-limit is an art. In limit, you are shooting at a target. In no-limit, the target comes alive and shoots back at you.”

6. From The Gentleman’s Handbook on Poker by William J. Florence
“Never lose your temper, either with those you are playing with or, more particularly, with the cards. There is no sympathy in poker. Always keep cool. If you lose your head, you will lose all your chips.”

7. From A Girlhood Among Gamblers by Katy Lederer
“The cardinal sin in poker, worse than playing bad cards, worse even than figuring your odds incorrectly, is becoming emotionally involved.”

8. Amarillo Slim on Poker
“It never hurts for potential opponents to think you’re more than a little stupid and can hardly count all the money in your hip pocket, much less hold on to it..”

Next, THINK about this: “The Game is Played in a 6 inch chamber”‘

….not said by a poker professional. Rather, it was said by a golf professional….Bobby Jones; and as you may well know, he was a very famous and successful competitor. He dominated the game when he was an active player, and he attributed his near-countless accomplishments to a very simple belief.

That belief, so ardently adhered to throughout his career (in golf and as a lawyer) can be paraphrased as follows: “Competitive golf is not played on a 7,000 yard course, it’s played in a 6 inch chamber”. And, as you might easily conclude, he was making reference to the gray matter between the ears….he was talking about the brain; not just his, but also those belonging to all of his opponents.

And, our game, as skilled as it is, as ‘advantaged’ as it is, always finds us seated at a 12 foot table, more accurately at it’s online equivalent.

Yet, we always play the game within our individual 6 inch chambers….I’ve never been able to come up with an exception to that Bobby Jones ‘piece of wisdom’. He used it for golf (and legal matters), we use it for poker; and, hopefully, we’ll use it elsewhere.

Recognizably, there could be a small number of you who would argue that ‘instinct’, not ‘thought’, often initiate our game play actions.

And, while I’ll not disagree with that point, it’s important to note that ‘instinct’ is akin to, or parallel with, ‘habit’.

Therefore, when we realize that just about all of our game play ‘habits’ are the direct result of what we’ve learned, what we’ve analyzed, we’re back to the ’6 inch’ chamber.

Plus, it’s our ’6 inch’ chamber that competes against everyone else’s ’6 inch’ chamber. Granted, it’s a simple task to overwhelm the ‘Farm Animals’....they’re pretty much lost in any environment where ‘thought’ is a pre-requisite for survival. They, and their play, bring to mind a comedy routine once used by the late George Carlin.

He would say that there was “a worst doctor in the world, and a number of people have appointments with him right now”. And, when we transfix the words ‘worst doctor’ with the words ‘worst poker players‘, we don’t need to look very far to find them. You play with them everytime you visit the NoPayPOKER site.

They don’t use their ’6 inch’ chamber; many of them do not believe that the gray matter existing within that chamber was meant to be used; with the singular exception that it’s intended purpose was to formulate sounds; like “Moooooooooooooooooo”….the bellow noise that emanates from the pastures.

However, the existence of one or more opponents at any 6 inch table who possess the ability to think is a reality that we need to deal with on an every day basis….even at NoPay. Don’t ever underestimate the talent of the ‘better’ players on the site; they know the game, they win money.

And, in non-gratuitous fashion, let me point out that there are many ‘solid’ players on the site; along with a few of NoPay members, who, if properly taught, if ‘risk-tolerance’ is not an issue, could become very profitable Brick and Mortar cash game players. In all candor, I’d thoroughly enjoy an opportunity to get the latter group in a classroom setting.

Therefore, it would be a mistake to play the game at NoPay with the belief that you’re always ‘underwhelmed’ by your competition.

And, that being true, it would be a marked signature of your intelligent approach to NoPay game play to adhere to the ‘advantaged’ tactic of identifying table targets….where the ‘better’ players are not targeted; at least not until you’ve surpassed the bubble, and you’re assured of a money payout.

Finally, to conclude this free poker Article, take a moment to THINK about some etiquette, a few rules, and a bit of protocol.

Poker, like most games, has it’s own forum of etiquette. It has grown up around the game, and it’s something everyone learns when they begin to play regularly. And, since we all behave differently, dependent on circumstances and environment, it’s important to know that what’s okay in one sport may be considered rude in another.

For example, you’re expected to yell and scream at a horse race or a football game, but maintain complete silence when you’re standing at a golf green. Both are forms of etiquette, it’s what’s expected of us, contingent on the unwritten code of conduct that’s grown up around the event. And poker has a set of rules all it’s own….it’s own code of conduct.

Most of pokers rules and protocols exist to speed things up and to keep things honest. The rules and etiquette are a part and parcel of poker….just like the cards and the chips.

In fact, after you first ventured into a game at NoPay, poker’s protocols and etiquette probably became vividly clear in a very short period of time.

Here, then, is a summary of some of the most important rules regarding online play:

• Discussing your hand with others at the table, even if you have mucked the cards, may yield information that provides an opponent with an edge. Don’t do it.
• Sending IM’s to a friend who’s also in the game, or colluding via telephone, is not just stepping outside the rules and protocol, you’re cheating. Don’t do it.
• Everyone wants a speedy game. Sure, you’ll see poker pro’s on television taking a long time to act. But, online, it’s both annoying and rude. Don’t do it.
• Never make fun of other players….especially those who have made what you would define as a ‘Farm Animal’ mistake. Don’t do it.
• Whine when you lose! Never….we all fell prey to an impossible draw against long odds. It’s poker, ‘stuff happens’, whining shouldn’t be a part of your game. Don’t do it.
• Poker’s defining rule: no advice to an active player during the playing of a hand, and no advice after the hand has finished. Don’t do it.
• Patterns of culture vary from society to society, and, while talking trash at the table in the US is generally the accepted rule, it’s not the rule internationally. Don’t do it.
• Don’t ever ‘slow-roll’. In online poker that would be described as taking an inordinate amount of time to call an ‘all-in’ bet when you hold the ‘nuts’ hand. Don’t do it.

In parting, I know we’re all familiar with real estate’s ‘rule of thumb’, “location, location, location. And, I know that each of you are aware of my poker ‘rule of thumb’, “patience, patience, patience”.

But let’s now add a competitive ‘rule of thumb’, a business ‘rule of thumb’, a relationship ‘rule of thumb’, a family ‘rule of thumb’, a friendship ‘rule of thumb’, and a decision making ‘rule of thumb’….”THINK, THINK, THINK”.

Best of Luck at The Tables.
D. Michael


Feltstars are hosting their monthly MASSIVE $100,000 Pro Bounty Tournaments where all NoPayPOKER Referrals are invited.

If you can knock out all 4 of the competing FeltStars team pros, in the same tournament, you will win $100,000. The buy-in for this event is $5+$.50. Come join the fun and get your chance at $100,000 and beat the FeltStars team pros. Along with the added bounties there will be a huge prize pool up for grabs.

The 4 team pro’s for these tournament will be selected from.

• Tyler “TylerSmith” Smith
• Benton “BootnTee” Blakeman
• Ken “Drcheckrais” Callis
• Jason “FeltStars” Lipscomb
• Nadim “NadimShabou” Shabou
• Danielle “HotAusChick2″ Adams-Benham

• Knock 1 pro out $100
• Knock 2 out $1,000
• Knock 3 out $10,000
• Knock 4 out $100,000

WHEN: The third Wednesday of every month at 19:30 FeltStars Server Time.

Entry: If you would like to take part in the tournament and aren’t registered at Feltstars yet then you can join as a NoPayPOKER referral.  Use this link and make sure you enter “nopaypoker” as your bonus code.

The bonuses dont stop there!  If you sign up to Feltstars through NoPayPOKER and make an initial deposit of at least $25, you will qualify for $135 of bonuses!  Please see think link for information: http://www.nopaypoker.com/UserSection/SecurePages/offers/feltstarsdeposit.aspx

How to Get Winning in Free Online Poker

This free online poker help page will teach you the fastest, easiest ways to learn how to play poker free and start winning money at poker.

First you’ll learn how to win big on NoPayPOKER, then we will graduate you onto some of the lower stakes cash tables or poker tournaments at places like Titan PartyPoker and Feltstars where you can win some pretty nice amounts of cash with no real pain (cos you will know hat you’re doing!)

If you’ve not already registered (free) for NoPayPOKER do so on this link – free online poker (opens in a new window so you won’t lose this page) simply register and then download the software, then come back here to learn what to do next.

The Problem With Free Online Poker

The biggest problem you will find with free online poker games, as a player, beginner or otherwise, who wants to learn how to play poker better and win a bit is that it is, well free.

OK so why is free poker a problem?

Well it’s the fact that in being a free online poker site NoPayPOKER.com inherently has no risk to the wealth of a player, you can’t actually deposit any money here so the chances of losing it are 0 Kelvin (absolute zero!)

The result is that a lot of players, rather than use this as a way to learn how to play poker free and witjh no risk use it as a way to go crazy and do things no player risking real money would do. They’ll go all-in preflop with a 2-7, or even all-in post flop with terrible hands post flop when it is clear that someone else ost likely will have a better hand…

In other words there are a lot of reckless “luck” players (AKA chip flingers, donks, maniacs and farm animals)

The fact then that it is free online poker with no risk of loss means that thy can play luck and now and again luck comes good which gives them the means to go on and supports their daft assumption that poker as a game is only about luck not skill.

Free Online Poker – The Good News

• There are ways and means to play around the lunacy.
• You as a player who wants to learn and play seriously can do so.
• You will learn some money as you do it too.

Best Of All

When you learn how to beat the living daylights out of the chip flingers on a regular basis you will find that not only tdo they inhabit free onoline poker sites such as NoPayPOKER, they are also presentin force on low stakes real cash tables and tournaments on cash poker sites.

• They’re there mostly due to over-optimism as a result of good marketing by said sites on all those TV ads and TV shows like WSOP and Poker After Dark.
• They think that all they have to do is copy those moves they saw on TV and they’ll win a packet.
• Your job, as a good player is to come along, find the daft player tables and fill your account with their money
  

So How To Use Free Online Poker To Get To This Point?

• Take our free poker lesson series, these can take you from being an utter beginner who does not even know a single poker hand to a level advanced enough to play pros
• …well in theory, you need to take it all in and live it to get to that point!
• However, one thing you can be sure of if you do the lessons and apply what you learn is that you can at least get to intermediate skill and that is more than enough to massacre free online poker and low stakes tables

As ever practice makes perfect and there is no substitute for game time no matter how easily the concepts may come to you so read, learn, take your time. Practice, come back again and keep going. If at first you don’t succeed and all that!

Free Online Poker Lesson Time!

Lets go then!

• Ideally load your printer and have a ring binder ready. It’s good to be able to print and read anytime.
• As it is blog format the lessons are in reverse order. So when you go to the main pages we link to here scroll down and get to earlier lessons.
• We’ve also linked to lesson 1 in each series.
• At the end of each lesson go back to the home page to locate the next one (all lesson series home pages are also linked to from the right hand page menu)

Introducing Your Teacher and Mentor: Dean Michael Vadnais

Dean Michael Vadnais is an exceptionally experienced poker pro player and mentor. He plays free online poker at NoPayPOKER as well as in numerous “real world” live games and runs real world classroom training courses and groups. His lessons are both highly detailed and amusing, I can promise you that you will have some very definite views of chip flingers” once you’re done…one thing, always be polite and don’t abuse the chip flingers, we don’t want to scare them off, they give us money!

Free Online Poker for Total Poker Beginners

If you’ve never played free online poker before, or have just a base understanding start with the Poker 101 series.

• Poker 101 Home page
• Poker 101 Lesson 1

Free Online Poker Beginner to Intermediate Progression

• Building A Bankroll Home page
• Building A Bankroll Lesson 1

Free Online Poker to Real World Poker

• World of Bricks and Mortar home page
• World of Bricks and Mortar Lesson 1

Free Online Poker – Advanced Poker

• Advanced Poker Home page
• Advanced Poker Lesson 1

Free Online Poker Success – A Summary and Final Words…For Now

As I say above, practice. It really does make perfect and there is no substitute for game time no matter how easily the concepts may come to you so read, learn, take your time. Practice, come back again and keep going. If at first you don’t succeed and all that!

Play lots and lot of free online poker here to learn what you need to learn and also have some fun. You can win some real money too whuch does spice thingsn up a bit! Even nce you progess to low or hiher than low stalkes poker it s good idea to keep some free online poker going, it’s a great way to have some fun away from the real cash stress as well as practice new ideas and techniques that you’d prefer not to risk money on.

So that’s all for this page, bookmark it so you can come back and access quickly and, most of all, as you embark on your free online poker career…good luck and see you at the tables!