Today my poker free online games training article is about passive and aggressive play, specifically I’m looking at when and why one style is preferable to the other. To do this I’m looking at a real life hand played out in a pro game to try and illustrate the factors involved and things you need to consider in regard to your playing style profile.

The basis
Aggressive players are characterised by their frequent use of raises and bets. Passive players call bets and raises. To be passive, which is essentially to be cautious, can be a good way to play in major tournaments such as the WSOP where, for example, a J-10 in a flop of 10-8-4 is decent enough for playing with middle of the road care. You’d play such a hand possibly by check-calling or placing only small bets with an aim of value-betting at the end if the table if it looks safe enough. But being too passive, as in this example, can lead to destruction.

Blinds – 3000/6000

Preflop:

A has As-Ah raise to 16k
B has Ks-Qs call 16k (Pot 50k)

Since B has a position over A and his K-Q is suited, he can afford a call. In the meantime A plays his pocket A’s like any other raising the hand in middle position to confuse B. If A only called his Aces it could make B think he has A-A and result in B calling or folding later should A give away more strength signals.

The Flop: 7s-2d-Qh

A bets 23k
N now calls with 23k – the pot stands at 96k

A’s gets are based mainly on the pure value of the Aces rather than the possible value of B’s hand. With three undercards falling (and the likely possibility of the Queen pairing someone, especially a caller from late position) his Aces are secure, provided that no face card falls later, because it may pair the kicker of the one holding a Queen. B too thinks his Queens hold value though he knows not enough should a King or Ace fall – an option now is to put A on a bluff with Ax or Kx, so he just calls.

TURN: 7s-2d-Qh-8d

A bets 55k
B calls 55k (Pot 206k)

A does again what he did on the Flop, and thinks likewise. B also stays the same. As there are no draws on the Flop (both may think a backdoor Flush unlikely) and his Aces still all undercarded A keeps on hammering B aggressively and B stays hammered in passive mode.

RIVER: 7s-2d-Qh-8d-blank

Now A bets 121k making the pot 372k
This bet forces B all in. Because all cards are undercards to A’s Aces, and all other board cards are undercards to B’s Queens, A thinks B now has a Queen which he may be willing to be suicidal with. So A does not slow down as most players do (even with Aces most players think that it is still just one pair, so they may check only, or if they feel their Aces are good, then they may try to check-raise) and instead pushes B all-in.

B still thinks his Queens are strong enough which is why he has come as far as the river. Then he plays the textbook maneuver. Could it be that he is up against A-Q? Unlikely he thinks so…

B moves all in on 121k

A aggressively hammered at B all the way from preflop to the post river all in death and B just kept accepting the hammering. A did not give B a chance to react gracefully. B just call-called all the way to his chip death.

It could be that B sensed As unusual strength since he just called all the time. If he did, then he should have trusted his read in the river. The Flop and the Turn bets may be offering cheap spots for him to call, so that even if he knows he’s beat at that point, he can still draw, but the river bet – enough to finish his tournament life – isn’t.

So, yes aren’t there a lot of things to think about in this hand, and of course the same it true for most poker hands. One point to be clear on is that there isn’t a right and wrong way, you should not play aggressive or passive all the time, in order to be great at poker you have to be able to play both ways and all the ways in between and adapt as you go along.

Ok that is easier to say than do I accept, so the next advice is that practice perfects the art. And a very good way to practice what this free online poker coaching article is demonstrating is to play free poker practice games but not with real money on our very own NoPayPOKER.com where you can practice your poker skills with zero risk of money loss (it is also US legal) and then when ready try your hand for real cash.

If this is useful for you please click this Google button > Our thanks to the wonderful only1dani for this very useful new player guide

Playing free online poker is all about fun but playing free poker that also pays you to play increases the fun to a whole new level and NoPayPOKER does exactly that.

I have played on NPP for over 2 years and have found that organizing the time I spend on here makes it more profitable which to me translates into fun , so when I first log into NPP each day I do the following:

FIRST THINGS FIRST

ADS – Do these every 90 seconds 26 times a day.

1. Click the ads at the same time every day.
2. Track the time by using a free on line countdown timer.

BONUS CHIPS – Increase your odds of winning.

1. Read the article HERE on how to get 450 free bonus chips a day and do this after clicking ads.
2. When you have built your bank to a sufficient level buy additional bonus chips to help you win even more FreeDs.

ENTRANCE TO THE HIGHER PAYING TOURNAMENTS

SPONSERS -  Do a minimum of 25 FreeDs  weekly to qualify for the 10k Sponsor  Game.

1. Read Suzzie’s article HERE on how to do these all the way through then keep it open while making your first attempts as a reference tool.
2. Check offers to make sure they are still valid prior to doing them.
3. Ask other players which sponsor offers they are having the most success with.

QUALIFIERS – Try to win at least one a day, I play them while playing other games. Don’t be left

out of the higher paying games, do these early in the week or month to ensure entry into the finals.

PLAYING GAMES ON NoPayPOKER

The only suggestion I will offer you in this area is to try all of the games not just the freerolls to see what is the best fit for you.  Some of the privately made games are a lot of fun and profitable as are the league games.

CHAT LOBBY
If your new to NPP you may have noticed the unique chat lobby and  the Moderators that are always there  to help you.

In addition to this is it is a place to meet and get to know other NPP players, a place to laugh and a place to just have fun prior to even registering for a poker game. Want help celebrating your birthday, your anniversary, having health issues and just need a few kind words, tired of being alone? You will always find a friend in the NPP lobby, we are like a family there and we really do care about all of the players on this site.

The Blinds

Preflop

Because B has position over A (and because his K-Q is suited) B can afford a call. In the meantime A plays his pocket A’s like any other raising the hand in middle position to confuse B. If A only called his Aces it could make B think he has A-A and result in B calling or folding later should A give away more strength signals.

The Flop: 7s-2d-Qh

A bets 23k
B calls 23k (Pot 96k)

A’s gets are based mainly on the pure value of the Aces rather than the possible value of B’s hand. His Aces are most likely secure now due to 3 undercards falling and the probable pairing of the Queen with a caller in late position, that is just so long as no face card falls later on as that could result in a paired kicker to the one holding a Queen. B also believes that his Queens have value, but not strong enough if a King or Ace falls – he may put A on a bluff with A-x or K-x – so he just calls.

The Turn: 7s-2d-Qh-8d

Now A bets with 55k
B responds by calling with 55k making the pot 206k

A does again what he did on the Flop, and thinks likewise. B also thinks likewise. As there are no draws on the Flop (both may think a backdoor Flush unlikely) and his Aces still all undercarded A keeps on hammering B aggressively and B stays hammered in passive mode.

RIVER: 7s-2d-Qh-8d-blank

A bets 121k (Pot 372k)

This bet forces B all in. Because all cards are undercards to A’s Aces, and all other board cards are undercards to B’s Queens, A thinks B now has a Queen which he may be willing to be suicidal with. So A keep the aggression going where a lot of players might slow down given that the Aces are only just a pair and so may check to stay safer or check-raise if they feel their Aces are decent, A however pushes B all the way to all in.

B still thinks his Queens are strong enough which is why he has come as far as the river. Then he does the orthodox maneuver. Could it be that he is up against A-Q? Not likely, so

B moves all in on 121k

A aggressively hammered at B all the way from preflop to the post river all in death and B just kept accepting the hammering. A did not give B a chance to react gracefully. B played passive in response to the aggression and called all the way to his all in destruction.

It could be that B sensed As unusual strength since he just called all the time. But if so he should have trusted his senses once the river was reached and bowed out. The bets at Flop and Turn bets might offer cheap call spots and even if he thinks he is beaten then he can still draw, but by the river stage bet is not cheap and is enough to finish him off.

As you can see there are a lot of factors involved in this hand, the same goes for most poker hands. One point to be clear on is that there isn’t a right and wrong way, you should not play aggressive or passive all the time, in order to be great at poker you have to be able to play both ways and all the ways in between and adapt as you go along.

In this free online poker instruction and tips lesson we’re looking at the use and application of value betting by use of a pro game real life hand example. Read through to find out who won and how.

In a board which is one off a Straight, such as 7-8-9-2-J, what will you do if you had the 9-8? If your opponent checks, would you also check? Most of us may, because your opponent may have, say, A-10 and hung on the Turn only to try to trap on the river. 

But once you have determined that he is more likely not to have the Ten in this case than to have it, we can get some additional chips from him by value-betting. Here is an example of a similar hand:

This hand was shown on the Turn. (Pot about 250k)

Both players checked on the Flop.

Both checked, maybe, because their hands were too weak for a Board which presented Straight and Flush possibilities. One may be on a draw, and someone may not be willing to continue strongly with just one Pair.

TURN: 9d-6d-10s-9s

A has ??-??, checks

B has ??-??, bets 200k

Now maybe B has a gutshot or a Flush draw, so he wants no more trouble with A. What does A do?

A raises to 600k

B calls 400k (Pot now 1.45m)

Now A’s check-raise may reinforce B’s belief that A has a made hand, like 9-x or a high Pair, but B may be on a draw, so B calls. Additionally, the pot is large already, so B can afford a call (400,000 in a 1.05m pot) if he has a Straight or a Flush draw, or even an overpair (which I suspect), or a Pair with a draw, even if he believes that A has a Nine (B may also have the remaining Nine with a Flush draw).

RIVER: 9d-6d-10s-9s-8c

A bets 1m

Even on a dangerous Board with a Straight draw (but without any more Flush possibilities), A bets. Now this is not a board where A can afford to push B all in; however, this is quite right for a value bet.

Here are the reasons:

1. A bets because if B has a hand and if B bets, then A will be put on a decision. A doesn’t want that to happen. He has shown strength on the Turn when he check-raised; therefore he wishes to be consistent. He wants to put B on a decision. He wants B to think if he has the Eight than give his opponent the opportunity of making him do the hard thinking.

2. Furthermore, A bets because check-calling has the same effect as betting and then getting called. But the second alternative, betting and getting called, is more aggressive.

3. A wants to get additional value for his Trip Nines. As long as he believes that B has a decent hand but not a strong one, he will bet to get chips from B, who has played passively from Flop up to now (checking after he checked on the Flop, betting small then calling a raise on the Turn). If B folds, he hasn’t a hand, and A wins the pot. If B calls and A’s estimate of his hand strength is right, then he will obtain more chips than he would if he checked and B just checked (which is what a passive player will do).

4. Now, let us add that A is a very strong player. He may be bluffing, but he doesn’t want it to be obvious. Therefore he dresses the bluff in the form of a value bet. He hopes that B will be fooled, especially in a Board in which a bluff may work well against marginal hands (paired Board and one off a Straight).

B calls 1m

B calls. B may have a decent hand which is good enough for showdown. A’s value bet gives him about 2.5-to-1 on a call (1m more to win a 2.45m pot) which B may consider to be sufficient enough for a pay-off with, say, A-10 or even a small Pair. So what are the two hands each are holding?

A reveals Jh-9h

A correctly rounded off the respective hand strengths of his and B’s hands; this gave him sufficient confidence for a value bet. A more passive player will just check-fold or check-check.

B mucks

So what was B holding, and what could he have made? He may have K-K, Q-Q, or A-10, and just slowed down when he saw a Board conducive for a Straight and Flush development, as well as a Pair. B may also have a small Pair, where he thought was the best hand, and just decided to pay off.

Whatever it is, it is a made hand, and maybe he couldn’t help wondering what A was holding; who was this A? That’s right; it’s Phil Ivey. Maybe B assumed the check-raise on the Turn and the bet on the river were bluffs; it was just Phil Ivey playing aggressively and reading hands.

So get practicing your poker value betting and learn how to bet better in poker games by applying the ideas in this free online poker training article. And if you’re not already playing free poker practice games at NoPayPOKER get started today, it’s utterly free and risk free and is US player legal even by the latest 2011 definitions!

My this free online poker games coaching lesson looks at the importance of self discipline for winning poker.

What do you do if you have a big hand such as AK or AQ? Typically, we raise with them. Some daring players even reraise them after a reraise. But are they strong enough to call raises?

Here is a hand reconstruction case in point that proves the idea:

BLINDS 5k/10k

A has 10c-4c raises to 27k

A’s hand is very weak but he raises with it. Maybe because A is an aggressive player? Or A is representing A-x which is a good enough hand to steal blinds with, or a big pair? What does B reckon?

B has As-Kc reraises to 87k
A calls 60k

Now B has the dreaded AK. Dreadful both for the owner of A-K and the opponent. If the opponent holds Ax and an Ace comes then unless he’s got 2 pair he will get beaten by the kicker AK.

Yet if the Ace or King does not come, B is going to have a difficult time representing what showed on the Flop, since if the opponent bets, generally the opponents cards will fit the Flop, and B is going to leak chips by attempting to buy the Flop by raising, and typically he is is not comfortable to raise with trash (following the opponents raise at the Flop).

B makes a good raise, it’s good since he is able to drive out a hand without the need to see a Flop (even pairs of JJ or lower can be pushed out); he doesn’t want to play AK too riskily. So how can A reply to the reraise?

A reraises to 237k
B to call 150k

So A really is an aggressive player! A, with nothing, reraises again! This might be a sign of AA, KK, even QQ. If B is facing any of these hands he is always an underdog (even with the Q-Q).

Now B has some options:

1. He can fold, thus not wasting any more chips. This is he decides that AK is better used against a passive opponent than aggressive.

2. He might call, since he has position, but if no Ace or King falls, A, being aggressive, can continuation bet even with trash, and B will have difficulty determining if A is bluffing. And even should he call and an Ace or King falls what if he’s facing AA or KK?

3. He might move all-in and throw A out of the pot, however, a reraise following a reraise is usually the sign of AA or KK (an effective trap), and B can’t make up his mind whether or not A really has AA or KK, or nothing.

So the choices are in support of his folding, so

B folds

A shows the bluff!

The aggression by A paid off well. But the focus of this play is discipline. B certainly did consider the reasons for every action, and determined that folding was the best choice. Of course we can add another reason: If we are in the pot with good players, unless we have good hands, keep out. Hold on until you playing with someone you can steal all the chips from.

Start playing with a strategy by practicing risk free on a free poker online site such as NoPayPOKER.com where you can play with no risk of loss and get loads of free online poker coaching too.

My new free poker online coaching lesson looks at how to make cunning use of small bets to get big wins. So how can a series of small bets add up to a very sneaky play? And why will do good players switch from conventional big bet thinking to small?

Here is a hand example that shows the idea:

BLINDS 6k/12k

PREFLOP:

A comes from small blind, has got 9d-4d, raises to 35k
B from big blind, has got As-3s, calls 23k (Pot 88k)

Both plays are simply standard plays. A may be trying to steal the big blind with a raise from the small blind. B calls since he’s got a good hand for the upcoming Flop.

FLOP: Js-Jh-10h

A bets 25k (Pot 123k)
B calls 25k (Pot 138k)

Here A’s bet is just small, because he has nothing, but he wants to take away the pot by representing a Jack on a paired board, or a draw. On a flop with Straight and Flush possibilities presenting, B might well put A on a draw and wait to see if A slows later. Also, with a call he gets 5-1 odds.

TURN: Js-Jh-10h-Kc

A bets 25k (Pot 163k)
B calls 25k (Pot 188k)

A bets again! Might A possess the Jack or 10? Now, what B is thinking is that he is getting about 6.5-to-1 on a call to hit an Ace (where if A also has an Ace, they may split the pot) or a Queen (for a Straight). So he calls.

RIVER: Js-Jh-10h-Kc-8h

A bets 30k (Pot 218k)

Still A bets again! Now with a blank river card which hardly fill any possible Flush or Straight (maybe 9-7 or Q-9, but I don’t think both of them think the other one has it) why did A fire three times! And not just that, they were small bets. It might be a value bet where A has a J and trapped B for 2 further bet rounds.

It may also be a value bet where A had A-Q. B might consider: “A might know I’ve got nothing, but if uses big bets he’ll make me fold. So he bets small, hoping to extract more chips from me. I’m getting 8.5-to-1 on a call, but no matter. I’m not going to fall again.” B shakes his head and folds.

A shows a bluff!

If A bet big B may also think that A is just sustaining a three-round bluff, and may call it. And recall B is a good player, and can detect sneaky stuff like this. (B by the way is Elky Grospellier. And A is Jeff Shulman.) But A was betting small and good players think good players think smaller bets are value bets, as a result good players indulging in reverse psychology are able to bluff other good players with small bets that resemble value bets.

Try your hand at small bet techniques by practicing your poker on a free online poker site like NoPayPOKER.com where you can do lot of riskless free poker online training.

Some handy free online poker tips on mental approaches to winning poker games and some ways to deal with problems.

“I’m fine … I’m wrong … In the dark, pushing a button that calls me … Do it!!!… … Don’t stop. Remember our old happiness … of glory. Do it: My name is ‘all in’ and now I am your angel… and your devil … ”

I think in “fight club” and I imagine a poker table … with my cards … my chips … … my opponents, there … with odds outs and calculating in my head … How i can pay this project, if it really means to pay me a hand lose more than win … Here is the short stack supertight just making me all in the small blind. There’s the super freak loose bigstack making mischief when we’re in bubble time… I account, watch their expressions … I am a machine to annihilate opponents from probabilities.

But I am … there. Eager to get the maniacal bigstack. In this tournament I play my life but I can win. AK vs 23. The 3 of diamonds on the river and the process is complete. I am out

I could talk about playing a tournament in the initial stage, I could talk about which cards are suitable for push or fold, maybe I could talk about the Independent Chip Model (ICM) in each call to determine the balance between gains and losses that may generate a decision. But after a long time in online poker I most of all feel the need to delve into what for me is the most important and most difficult part of this game: self-control.

You can win $ 10000 for three months with a perfect game plan. Suddenly, your limit of 10,002 dollars is not met, leaving in 9996 … Stretch out your level to gain a few dollars, now are 100 to be recovered … A few seconds more and again you’re out … to zero.

I agree with the theory that as a poker player you should not drive like a maniac stock market intra day trader monitoring actions every 5 seconds; but rather you should be a successful time unit player aiming for a safe zone. Don’t micro evaluate the numbers … You evaluate your overall game theme, sure you lost a tournament, a few dollars on a free table or a heads up on the river – but did you play well? That is the key. Good play over a long time will equate to being up as long as you play at the right level. 

The important thing about this game is to understand your units of play. For example, the loss of 2000 FreeD in a game is not serious when you have averaged winnings of 10,000 a week long term. Ultimately if handled as a unit you will be successful in the long term. Thus:

a) Do not play under the pressure of getting to zero. Play with the idea of  improving your game. So it is essential to have sufficient reserves. In my opinion you need no less than 50 Big Blinds for Sit & go and cash games

b) Play the types of game you are best at. If you’re good at Sit & go don’t play with any more than fun money on other types of game you’re not so comfortable with.

c) The tilt is perfectly manageable. Stop pressing your mouse and relax by watching TV, reading a book or chatting to your girlfriend/boyfriend/both/neighbor/cat/dog etc.

d) When you see a mortal enemy on the table … get out of there. Emotion/revenge = losing 

e) A stumble is not failure. Low points are opportunities to sit down and think about mistakes and how to avoid them in future.

Now go practice your poker skills with some free poker online at NoPay!

If most of you reading this article are like me then the bad economy is taking a big bite out of your, what I call, flexible income. This means that you, like myself, have to find a way to entertain yourself without spending a lot of money.

We all know that when we go out for a night on the town the bill can really mount up, but there is a way to have a lot of fun without spending much money. The way I am speaking of is to join a free online poker site. Not only is playing online poker fun, but it is also a great way to meet new friends. Most online poker sites offer chat groups.

This means that you can chat with other members of the site while you play or between games. This gives you a great chance to make new friends as well as a way to learn some really great free poker tips. Most sites also offer great poker tips and training for the new player to help you learn to be a better player.

There are many online poker sites to choose from. Some cost money to join and play, which really can go against having fun and saving money, but there are other sites like No Pay Poker that give you the opportunity to play and find new friends for free.

If you really want to find a way to have a whole lot of fun and save a whole lot of money doing so then find a good online free poker site that offers chat lines, good playing tips, and free poker play, and you will be amazed how much fun you can have while beating the hard economy. Good luck, have fun, and good luck.

If your idea of fun is playing against players that take a game very seriously, that are some of the better players on the site and if you think you are a better than average poker player then the $10000 Sponsor Tournament is the game for you. This is one of the most difficult tournaments to win on NoPayPOKER but yet has the fewest players of any tournament.

I would definitely recommend using the maximum allowed Bonus Chips in this game since most of the players do and to not do so will place you at a disadvantage and make it very difficult to place much less win the game.

Although it may seem daunting at first, getting a ticket to this game is not hard if you just read Suzzie’s article on how to do sponsors.  Anything worthwhile is worth doing and this game is very worthwhile, it will test your poker skills more than any other game on the site plus give you a chance to win a lot of FreeDs.  With the recent number of entries in this game first place has been paying from $4000 to $5000 FreeDs.

You may have noticed that you see the same players in this game week after week, the reason why is they took a small amount of time to learn to do the sponsors to ensure receiving a ticket. They are the “regulars” that frequently win this game and if they can do sponsors to earn that ticket so can you!  So do the sponsor offers, bring your “A” game to this tournament and show the “regulars” just how good you are.

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• 10000 free sponsor tournament

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