Free Online Poker Money vs. ‘Real Money’; NoPayPoker.com vs.Internet Gaming Sites
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In closing this series of Articles a brief explanation of the ‘best strategies’ you can deploy at the ‘real money’ Internet gaming sites is appropriate.

I’ll label these strategies as ‘The Texas Hold-Em Bible’. And, while some of the items held within the list that follows will be a summary of ‘poker advisories’ offered up in Articles 1 through 6, all 13 ‘best strategies’ are worthy of your careful consideration. Better stated, from my perspective, all 13 are worthy of your inclusion in ‘real money’ game play. Yet, once again, I’ll repeat: “no clones, no robots, no duplicitive play”.
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—- Patience: if you can’t bring patience to a ‘real money’ table, quickly self-identify with the word ‘absent’; you don’t belong in a poker game. Patience represents 50% of all the skills you’ll use while winning money on the Internets’ faux-felt.
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—- Playable Pockets: if you can’t memorize a Playable Pockets Matrix (PPM) prior to playing at a ‘real money’ table, or, if you can’t abide by a Playable Pockets Dictum (either mine or your own) while playing at a ‘real money’ table, identify with the words ‘fools folly’; you don’t belong in a poker game.

In all candor, the simple combination of Patience (see above) and Playable Pockets, absent any other ‘best strategies’, is good enough to make you a winner on the Internets’ faux-felt.
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—- Flops Percentages: if you can’t compete at a ‘real money’ table with a ‘Flops Seen Percentage’ of less than 20%, and, if you can’t compete at a ‘real money’ table with a ‘Flops Seen Win Percentage’ of greater than 40%, then you’re lying to yourself about both the level of patience that you bring to the game and the manner in which you use a Playable Pockets Matrix or Dictum.

And, when the lies are a reality, identify with the phrase ‘I may not look stupid, but I am’, you don’t belong in a poker game.
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—- Set-Mining: if you’re gonna’ be an ‘all-in chip-flinger’ every time you’ve been dealt a pocket pair at a ‘real money’ table, do yourself a huge favor, identify with the acronym ‘SOS’ (Stuck On Stupid), and abandon all Internet gaming sites.

Then, remain a full-time player at NoPay. Or, get serious! Set-Mining is one of only two poker strategies that produces a Return On Investment (ROI) of greater than 100%.

Plus, the ‘solid’ players who combine both Patience and Playable Pockets with Set-Mining CAN NOT lose cash in ‘real money’ games over the long-term. It’s absolutely impossible.
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—- Slow-Play: It’s the second of the two strategies that produces an ROI of greater than 100%, and, while you don’t have to use it to be a long-term winner in ‘real money’ games on the Internet (as described in the last strategy about Set-Mining), only a clown wouldn’t use it.

So, if you want to partner up with ”Pukie’, be my guest. But, if you want to add considerably to your ever growing bankroll as a ‘real money’ player, be certain that Slow-Play is a part of your game.

I mean, we don’t need to be nuclear physicists to quietly hold our ‘nut’ flush, check post-river to one or more ‘bananahead’ chip-flingers, and then, only then, come over the top.
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—- Question the Honesty of the Game: Collusion, bots, random number generators, juiced decks, algorithms - All of which could have easily frightened away many a good player. But, it didn’t send y’all rushing back to NoPay to play ‘farm animal’ poker.

No Way! Each of you, given the possibility of it initially costing you a dollar or two, have learned to not only question the honesty of the game, but y’all have learned how to identify the ‘bs’, and, subsequently, both avoid it and get around it. No matter what ‘roadblock’ has been placed before you, your DETOUR sign is at the ready, and you’ll quickly proceed down the alternate highway to money winnings.
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—- Targeting the ‘bananaheads’: There will likely be a number of ‘solid’ players at your ‘real money’ tables, and, of equal import, there will likely be a few ‘bananaheads’ present as well.

Certainly, as all of you have come to know, it’s more difficult to beat the bad players. But, it’s a fact of poker life that bigger winnings will come from the times when you get to ‘whoop up’ on the Bozo’s, the ‘bananaheads’, and the ‘PukieDumbo’ minions.

Thus, it’s a ‘winning strategy’ to identify and target these bad players. And, with conservative, carefully orchestrated play, you’re going to use your ‘heavy’ pockets, sets, and post-river ‘nut’ hands to ship these ‘Farm Animals’ off to gooseneck travel adventures.
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—- Ego, Emotions, and State of Mind: Your ego was dropped the moment you got on-line.

You don’t ever bring it to a poker table. And, your emotions are always in balance. A loss on the river, serendipitously dealt by Lady Luck, does not cause you an emotional swing towards stupidity. A win on the river, serendipitously dealt by Lady Luck, does not cause you an emotional swing towards over-confidence.

Any elevated, extreme, or intense emotional movement up or down is an immediate cause for your use of the EXIT sign, you simply move away from your PC, and stay away until your emotions return to a balanced position.

Plus, y’all don’t ever play poker for ‘real money’ when your state of mind is in disarray; be it a personal matter, a family issue, a work concern, or anything else that might cause you to lose focus.

Remember, your Consistentency of Focus (COF), serving as your foundation for Visual Safeguards, can be severely comprimised by any Ego, Emotions, or State of Mind conflict.
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—- Bankroll Management and Risk Tolerance: You ain’t playing in any ‘real money’ ring game (cash game) with more than 5% of your bankroll. And, you ain’t buying into any MTT game (tournament game) with more than 2% of your bankroll.

Plus, you’re fully versed on the fact that any loss or win is cause for an immediate adjustment to the 5% and 2% dollar values. For damn sure, if you lost in a poker session, you won’t ever ‘up’ the percentage of your bankroll in your next poker session. EVER! It’s a constant, it’s always 5% (cash game), or 2% (MTT game).

Additionally, you have a firm grip on your Risk Tolerance. And, you’ll never put an amount of money at risk that exceeds your personal tolerance level; regardless of how you arrived at that tolerance level….whether it was my way, figuring out how much currency you could destroy without it bothering you, or, whether it was your way, whatever that may have been. Risk Tolerance is the principal underlying element within Emotions Management.
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—- Deceptions and False Images: Think of yourself as a part-time actor while playing for ‘real money’ on the Internet.

And, no, you’re not ‘acting’ as a poker player….you are a poker player. But, you can be a ‘thesbian’ regarding the ways in which you play your cards.

Your game should include ‘deceits’, ‘lies’, ‘falsehoods’, and honest ‘chicanery’. Now, with those thoughts in mind, take a few minutes to read, or re-read, Article 3 of the ‘Brick and Mortar’ series.

You can find it easily by clicking on this link: Article 3 of the ‘Brick and Mortar’. Quite naturally, however, since the materials in the B & M article are meant to be used at a ‘live’ poker table, you’ll need to adjust the ‘tutorials’ to fit with your future use at an on-line poker table. But, y’all will have little trouble in doing so, you ain’t ‘Pukie’.
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—- Pot Odds and Implied Odds: Both are incredibly relevant to your ‘real money’ game play; both are to be used by each of you in just about all post-flop and post-turn betting situations.

You should never be playing a hand without a constancy of arithmetic calculations. And, whenever the resulting calculation does not provide you with ‘advantaged’ Pot Odds, you need to fold (unless Implied Odds suggest otherwise).

Plus, understand that ‘advantaged’ Pot Odds are defined by at least a 50% ROI.

> For example, your late position A/4 of hearts has been witness to a flop that contains 2 hearts and no board pair.

> You have about a 1 in 3 chance of winning the hand, and, Pot Odds of 2 to 1 would make for a long-term ‘break even’.

> Well, you ain’t playing to break even, you’re playing to win money.

> Therefore, you’ll need Pot Odds of at least 3 to 1 to attain a long-term ROI of 50%, Pot Odds of 7 to 2 for an ROI of 75%, or Pot Odds of 4 to 1 for an ROI of 100%.

Simple Arithmetic, all of which is based on your 9 ‘outs’ (the 9 available hearts in the deck).
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—- In low stakes games always be certain to get rid of the garbage hands when you’re holding a premium pocket (AA, KK, QQ, AK, and AQs). We want as many of the ridiculous potential calls to the BB gone….they could hit on the flop with cards that match their garbage pockets, and we would then face a situation where our ability to read hands becomes compromised.
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—- The Peter Principle: As delineated in the classic textbook written by Peter Drucker, titled “Management”, tells us that at some point all of us have taken one step too many up the ‘responsibility/functionality’ ladder; and, that we need to take a step backwards.

True, the book was directed at the business world; but, it applies to poker as well. We might reach the level of successfully competing on-line in $2/$4 NL poker, yet, every time we take our game to the $5/$10 level we get outplayed.

It’s the ‘Peter Principle’, and we’ve gone too far. It’s time to go back to the stakes level where we’ve routinely won money.

It ain’t a failure, it’s merely a recognition of our God given ability. It’s actually a major success; we were smart enough to identify our ‘responsibility/functionality’ limit, and we continue to play and win in a game we love.
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Next, the importance of ‘Cashing Out’ is not just something to be considered, it’s paramount to the whole goal of winning money.

And, it often times has a substantive correlation to ‘The Peter Principal’, often times, not always. Hypothetically, if you began your ‘real money’ play with a bankroll of $200, you started your ‘feaux-felt’ playing with $10 in a cash game (5%) or $4 in a tournament game (2%).

Not surprisingly, given that you’ve disciplined yourself with ‘The Texas Hold-Em Bible’, you’ve regularly done some winning, and, over time, you’ve managed to increase your player account balance to $2,000.
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Then, equally not surprising, you’ve stepped up to higher stakes games. And, while the regularity of winning at 10c/20c, 25c/50c, and 50c/$1 no-limit games seemed all too easy, the $1/$2 games produced very poor results, either a zero ROI, or a negative ROI (Return On Investment).

And, after a few attempts at altering the outcome in the $1/$2 games, your intellect identified with ‘The Peter Principal’; you recognized that you stepped up to an arena that is/was beyond your ability to compete successfully. It’s Okay! You didn’t fail! You’ve made yourself a ‘true’ winner.
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The time has come to start ‘Cashing Out’. And, no one has ever won money on an Internet Gaming Site who hasn’t cashed out their winnings. In fact, you’d never be able to describe yourself as a ‘cash winner’ if you didn’t cash out from your player account; the money ain’t yours until it’s either in your bank account or in your pocket.
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In the end, you’ve found the level of stakes play that will accomodate your player skills, that will reward your command of the game, that will provide a reasonable Return On Investment, and, that will cause you to be ‘Cashing Out’ with a high degree of frequency. What could be better? You’re a winning poker player. I love it.
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However, how much money should you be cashing out at any one time?

Certainly, you don’t want to cash out an amount of money that would require you to step down in stakes, you’re performing well at the ‘Peter Principal’ level minus 1; and, in said instance, as described above, that game play is at the 50c/$1 tables.

So, you need to maintain a player account balance that allows you to continue to play in those cash games (with attention paid to the 5% Rule). Thus, when cashing out, be certain to leave a bankroll that permits your continued play.
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Alternately, you could use a 20% cash out guideline. Simply stated, when you’re taking money from the Internet Gaming Site, when you’re cashing out, every withdrawal is 20% of the money in your account.

A $2,000 balance would translate into a $400 cash out. Yet, you can never withdraw 20% if it is going to leave a remaining balance that would not accomodate your play in accordance with the 5% (cash games) and 2% (tournament games) bankroll usage rule.
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But, cash out as often as you can; remembering that the money isn’t really yours until it’s in your hometown bank or in your hip pocket. Money left on an Internet Gaming Site, albeit won, ain’t yours while the site is holding it, and, since playing poker is ONLY about winning money, be sure to take the money whenever possible.

It’s your’s when you have it, it could be part of a ‘bankruptcy’ in cyberspace. Cash out with regularity; it’s your money.
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Finally, it’s certainly true that I get paid to write, for NoPay, and for other poker forums.

Yet, be aware of the fact that I do not write about poker because of the money I receive, I write about poker because of the money you, and others can win or receive.

The very same is true of the poker lecture series I give annually, the poker classroom sessions I teach two times a year, the selective private tutoring that I conduct on a monthly basis, the syndicated poker column that I write, and the Limited Edition Poker Book that I wrote 4 years ago.
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Plus, just about all of the money I receive is donated to Child Welfare charities throughout the United States. Should you care? That’s your business. But, keep in mind the very famous quote: “No man is as tall as he who stoops to help a child”. And, under no set of circumstances do I ever allow that quote to describe me. However, I’d be extremely pleased if it were to describe you.
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Additionally, I want to take this opportunity to thank my friend Michael Tanaka, the owner of NoPayPoker. Not because he allowed my scribblings to be readily accessable to the NoPay membership, but because he believes in learning. He understands that poker is a game of skills, and he wanted members to develop those skills, or, at the very least, to have a chance to develop those skills. “Thank you Michael”.
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Best of Luck at the Tables,
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D. Michael
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(c) copyright, November, 2011; all rights reserved by D. M. Vadnais

See all DM’s free poker training lessons on the “master” list of free poker lessons page.

So here we go for part 6 of 7 of the graduating from free online poker to playing poker online with real money…in the hope of winning more than you lose!

In this chapter D.M.Vadnais will cover Bad Plays, what he terms ‘D’ Codes and the hardy annual subjects of pot odds and implied odds in the context of online poker real money gameplay. Read on…

Part and parcel of the rationale for playing quality pockets, premium pockets, lies in the rationale for not playing garbage pockets.

And, to make that very point, a brief description of the ‘bad plays’ made by some of the competitors at the ‘real money’ Internet gaming sites are about to become known to you.

Additionally, the high level of poker mayhem, perpetrated by the incredibly dumb people making ‘bad plays’, brings our understanding of the game ‘front and center’ to an often repeated set of words: “It’s harder to beat bad players than it is to beat good players”.

Yet, regrettably, as you quite possibly suspected, the dreaded Rectal Cranial Inversion (RCI), a substantive factor in the mayhem, a principal factor regarding the dumb players, is not solely limited to just ‘PukieDumbo’ and her/his friends; its’ symptoms are readily noticeable, and it can be diagnosed anywhere that poker is played.

Plus, a few of the total ‘bananaheads’, all suffering along with ‘Pukie’ from the very same RCI disorder, have a constant presence on the ‘real money’ Internet poker tables.

Therefore, you’re gonna’ have to use your poker skills in a ‘moment-to-moment’ environment; you’ll not be allowing your Consistency of Focus (COF) to wane for any one second, during any one minute.

Else, the ‘bad players’, the hard to beat players, are gonna’ put you in a ‘donkfest’; and, your mastery of the game will slide into a flamboyant fiasco.

Now, It’s my hope that you’ll be both entertained and monetarily rewarded by the ‘bananaheads’ routine of being ‘Stuck On Stupid’ (SOS). [An acronym that you can comfortably say out loud in public].

Or, with the thought of getting some help for these ‘Inversion’ imbeciles, possibly with volunteered tutorial tasks, maybe you’ll become a supporting member of the the ‘Fund Unlimited Cranial Kindness Educational Days Under Program’. [Once you've constructed it, please be careful to NOT say this acronym out loud in public; you might cause yourself some embarrassment.]

And, yes, it’s true that the SOS play, fairly commonplace at ‘free money poker’ NoPayPoker, is less visible at ‘real money’ Internet poker sites. But, it is visible. It exists. It happens.

And, it’s all an open invitation for the ‘solid’ players to reap rewards.

Y’all are amongst that group; you’ve demonstrated your poker playing patience and skills on a consistent basis, you’ve positioned yourselves as winning poker players, you’ve built a bankroll, you’ve expanded that bankroll, and you’ve regularly left the ‘pinatas’, ‘pinheads’, ‘pukies’, and ‘pansies’ on the gooseneck trailer bound for the ‘farm animal’ pastures.

Their self-induced introduction to the ‘Alpha Bull’ was merely given an assist by you….don’t ever think that you meant them any harm.

One of the reasons for ‘Pukie’ (PD) and his minions to have come ‘backside to snout’ with the Alpha Bull relates to both a failure to understand….and a failure to avoid….poker’s bad plays. You do not make ‘Bad Plays’; y’all know that.

Yet, poor PD, and thousands like him, have yet to collect enough intellect, and develop enough thought processes, such that they might also ‘understand’ and ‘avoid’ the absolute stupidities tied to the atrocious play that they regularly bring to the tables.

They have no ability to look at 2 pocket cards and think of the word garbage; their mindset, however limited it may be, automatically dictates the action of flinging chips into the pot.

Yet, true to form, garbage pockets, over the long-term, produce garbage results.

Garbage pockets, over the long-term, produce massive ‘real money’ loses. And, Garbage pockets, over the long-term, as are routinely played by PD and the ‘bananaheads’, are the largest cause for massive runs to the drug stores and pharmacies where creams, lotions, lubricants, and antibiotics are sold. [Could the latter have anything at all to do with the 'Alpha Bull? I honestly don't know; but, like you, I can easily speculate as to the veracity of the implication.] Maybe we should all buy some CVS and Walgreens stock !!!!

So, to keep ‘garbage pockets’ in the momentary forefront, and, to serve as a perennial reminder NOT to commit these forays into the worlds of ‘insanity’ and ‘stupidity’, here’s a brief description of some of the ‘Bad Plays’ you’ve been a witness to in the past at NoPay and some of the ‘Bad Plays’ you’ll be a witness to at the ‘real money’ Internet gaming sites

Not necessarily in order of dumbness level; however, on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the dumbest, each is assigned a ‘Dumbo Code’ (DC):

—- Playing an Ace/Rag pocket – DC 9

How many times have you seen ‘Bozo’ play A/8 offsuit in early position only to be pounded into oblivion by ‘Mr_Solid’ holding pocket A/K or A/Q or A/J in middle or late position?

The ace/raggers, a commonplace name for the dummies who regularly go ‘wacko’ at the sight of an ace, belong in Poker Prison; their play, as compared to a minimal standard of quality, can be best labeled as criminal.

This gets a DC of 9. And, YOU WILL NEVER DO THIS (heads-up play would be an exception).

—- Playing a King/Rag pocket. DC 9

Are you laughing at ‘Bozo’? You should be. But, in that he plays A/8 from early position, his theory is why not K/7 or K/8.

However, regarding the latter, ‘Bozo’ ain’t Detroit Doug….a rock solid player, living in Las Vegas, who made hordes of cash using K/8 as his favorite pocket. And, of note, Doug only played the cards from late position. ‘Bozo’ simply flings chips because he’s gotten a pocket king; and that’s sheer stupidity.

This gets a DC of 9.  And, YOU WILL NEVER DO THIS (heads-up play could be an exception).

—- Gut-Shot Draws to a Straight.

Pre-river, ‘Bozo’ needs a 9 to fill a gut-shot straight. DC 9

The Pot Odds are giving him 3 to 1 on his money. But, the board also shows a flush draw. So, only 3 of the available 9′s could give him the hand.

He’s about a 14 to 1 underdog, he calls, and he’s a near certainty for admission to the No Brain Institute (NBI); a long-term care facility for the terminally stupid. This gets a DC of 9. And, YOU WILL NEVER DO THIS.

—- Open-End Draws to a Straight. DC 8 –

Pre-river, ‘Bozo’ needs an 8 or a 3 to fill an open-end straight, and, he’s again getting 3 to 1 on his money. Plus, the board also shows a flush draw. He’s a 7 to 1 underdog, and, possibly, only half as stupid as before, he calls. Clearly, the semi-private room at NBI is now ready for him. [This gets a DC of 8.] And, YOU WILL NEVER DO THIS.

—- Flopping a Pair and Betting Into Over Cards. DC 9

‘Bozo’ holds pocket A/6, and he caught a pair of 6′s on the flop; it showed 6/J/K. Suddenly, and without warning, the ‘Duh’ microbes in his mostly empty brain forced him to bet into the pot, into the 2 overcards.

Why would he care that there’s a Jack and a King on the board? He has no idea that the chance of any one of his 4 competitors to have hit a pair of Jacks or Kings is about 40%. Plus, he has no idea that the chance of any one of his 4 competitors to catch a Queen or an Ace on the turn or river is about 30%.

‘Bozo’ is about a 2 to 1 underdog….but, he’s betting the sixes. And, his bet is pretty close to being an ‘insult to stupidity’. [This gets a DC of 9.] And, YOU WILL NEVER DO THIS (heads-up play would be an exception).

—- All-In Betting with Low and Middle Pocket Pairs. DC10

‘Bozo’ gets dealt any one of the low or middle pocket pairs (22, 33, 44, 55, 66, 77, 88, 99, TT, or JJ), and becomes a ‘chip-flinger’; ALL-IN.

He has no comprehension of how much can be won over the long-term by set-mining; he has failed to understand that set-mining produces an ROI of greater than 100%.

And, of note, he has no idea how quickly he has been labeled by all the ‘solid’ players nearby as an amateur.

Additionally, the ‘ALL-IN’ bet made by ‘Bozo’ is not ‘pretty close’ to being an ‘insult to stupidity’….it’s far worse. [This gets a DC of 10.] And, YOU WILL NEVER DO THIS.

—- Extreme over-the-top raises. DC10

‘Bozo’ holds the current ‘nuts’ hand (an Ace high flush), and a competitor makes a large post-flop bet into the pot.

Then, once again, the ‘Duh’ microbes kick in, and ‘Bozo’ stupidly pushes out a monster raise (or an ‘all-in’ raise). The competitor folds. The intransigence consuming ‘Bozo’, his inability to move away from the SOS status he holds so sacred, is mind boggling.

He clearly fails to recognize the merits of ‘slow-play’. Had he opted to ‘smooth call’, allowing the bettor, post-turn and post-river, to continue to be the bettor, he would have won much more money at the end of the hand. [This gets a DC of 10.] And, YOU WILL NEVER DO THIS. Frankly, if you ever did do this, if you ever replicated this level of stupidity, I’d find an old M-16 and hunt you down.

—- Excessive pre-flop betting with pocket Jacks. DC9

‘Bozo’ has pocket Jacks, and doesn’t realize that it’s one of the most difficult pockets to play. And, as you might expect, he tosses a very large bet into the pot.

He’s completely unaware of the fact that the chance of one Ace, one King, or one Queen appearing within the flop is, on average, a minimum of 66% while playing against 1 competitor, 60% while playing against 2 competitors, and 54% while playing against 3 competitors.

So, in all of these instances, he’s an underdog; not the favorite. And, when the overcard appears, ‘Bozo’ generally gets a quick ‘intro’ to the Alpha Bull.

[This gets a DC of 9.] And, YOU WILL NEVER DO THIS (heads-up play being the only exception).

—- Eastern European Poison Poker. DC9

Even if you are from eastern Europe, you ought not be playing like an eastern European. Their poison is the combination of pocket cards and the flop; it’s only after they’ve seen 5 cards that a decision is made as to whether they play the hand, or, they don’t play the hand.

They have no Playable Pockets Matrix (PPM), thus, they have no dictum regarding playable pockets; nor do they have any understanding of Positive Expected Value (+EV) and Negative Expected Value (-EV). [This gets a DC of 9.] And, YOU WILL NEVER DO THIS.

—- Playing suited and unsuited rag connectors. DC9

‘Bozo’ is dealt the 6 and 7 of hearts. And, he’s delighted, stupidly delighted; he automatically believes that he’ll end up with a straight or a flush.

Unfortunately, for him, the actual chance of catching either a straight or a flush is less than 2%. Which, at best, taking into account the possibility of ‘Bozo’ boarding 2 pairs, gives him about a 1 in 35 shot at winning the hand. [This gets a DC of 9.] And, YOU WILL NEVER DO THIS (not even when you’re playing heads-up).

—- No attention given to the habits of other players. DC8

‘MisterC’ is a very conservative player. He almost always folds. And, he only plays a hand when he holds pocket Aces or pocket Kings. Every ‘solid’ player at the table knows this; frankly, even the average players know it.

But, not ‘Bozo’; he never pays attention, he’s the ultimate ‘Insult to Stupidity’. So, when ‘MisterC’ goes all-in with KK, and ‘Bozo’ calls with pocket Q/9 suited, then loses, then catches the ‘dimwits’ shuttle bus to the waiting gooseneck trailer, he does so without any comprehension as to how fundamentally stupid he is. [This gets a DC of 8.] And, YOU WILL NEVER DO THIS.

Now, the above list of 11 ‘bad plays’ could be expanded to 33 or more ‘bad plays’, and, I know full well that almost all of you could easily write a synopsis of the added 22+ ‘insane’ and ‘stupid’ poker mayhem actions regularly put forth by ‘Bozo’ and the marauding band of ‘bananaheads’.

Also, I’m completely at rest with the knowledge that none of you would ever duplicate the stupidities of the marauders, and, that none of you would ever be assigned a ‘Dumbo Code’ for something you did at a poker table. Or, for something you even thought about doing at a poker table.

All of you are winners!

All of you have the words “YOU WILL NEVER DO THIS” properly matched to the 11, 22, 33, or whatever number of ‘bad plays’ exist in the game of poker.

- You do not have ‘Duh’ microbes in your head; you have functional brains and rational thoughts.

- You play the game with ‘smarts’, it’s a ‘solid’ game that you bring to the tables, your poker strategies were long ago proven to be successful, and you win money.

- Bottom line: you ain’t ‘Pukie’, you ain’t ‘Bozo’, you ain’t a ‘bananahead’, and you’ve never had the occasion to meet the Alpha Bull. Nor will you.

Yet, it’s imperative that you maintain a rigorous vigilance in your search for, and observations of, the streaming stupidities displayed by any number of ‘real money’ players.

In many respects, as was the case in my B & M (Brick and Mortar) playing days, these ‘bananaheads’ contribute a continuous flow of cash to one’s bankroll, and it would be counter productive to allow their ignorance to fall by the wayside….simply stated, you’ve got to pay attention to their inability to play poker, you’ve got to pay attention to their ‘bad plays’, and, when opportunity rules supreme, you’ve got to take advantage of the ‘knowledge base’ constructed by your clever, constant, and cohesive attentiveness.

Their money deservedly should become your money….it’s poker justice; plus, you’re the court, the judge, and the jury.

- Take their money; your judicial black robe, used as a metaphor concerning your advanced poker expertise, provides you with the subpoena and license to do so.

- Simply think of it as the marauding band of bozo’s paying court fees and big fines.

- Yet, for now, store the black robe in the closet; you don’t need it for the picture we’re about to paint.

And, the ‘worded picture’ serves a singular purpose.

In the hope of making the ‘attentiveness’ task a fun event, draw a parallel; every time you witness a stupid play.

Think of ‘Pukie’ trying to entertain the Alpha Bull while marching through a dung filled ‘farm animal’ pasture, dressed in knee-high pink tights, wearing a baby blue frilled blouse, a pastel yellow feathered hat, ankle high white socks, black shoes, twirling a baton, leading a group of 76 morons, all of whom are blowing into a child’s toot horn….then, with that picture present in your mind, laugh at PD and all of his/her ‘bananheads’ in tow.

Or, laugh now, and every time you observe a PD stupidity, remember your current laughter.

OK….leaving morons, toot horns, white socks, bad plays, and Dumbo Codes behind, let’s renew our forward progression by  bringing Pot Odds and Implied Odds into a state of comprehensive understanding.

And, of significant note, once y’all have added the proper use of Pot Odds, the proper use of Implied Odds, and the ability to lay down once powerful cards (doing so when you’re not in an ‘advantaged’ position), to all of the other ‘skill sets’ you’ve already developed in your game, IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO NOT WIN MONEY WHILE PLAYING POKER.

Did you read that? I wrote the word impossible.

And, you’re 100% mandated to keep it in proper perspective. Impossible to not win money….yes !!!! 

However, that ‘impossibility’ applies to ONLY low stakes poker play on the Internet. A bit more ‘info’ concerning ‘low stakes’ versus ‘high stakes’ will be presented in the final segment of this Article.

Here, then, is a brief ‘intro’ to Pot Odds and Implied Odds:

——– Pot Odds relate to the amount of money occupying the center of the table.

If, for example, there was a total of $4 in the pot, and you were considering a call of $1, your $1 would be getting Pot Odds of 4 to 1 (the $4 that is already in the pot, versus the $1 that you would need to put into the pot).

Thus, Pot Odds can be best described as follows: The current size of the pot as it relates to the amount of money that you would need to put into the pot.

——– Implied Odds relate to the amount of money that is stacked in front of the other participants who are playing in the current hand, plus the amount of money that is in the current pot.

If, for example, ‘PlayerA’ had a stack of $20, ‘PlayerB’ had a stack of $30, the pot held $4, only the three of you remained in the hand, and you needed to call a $1 bet, you would be getting Implied Odds of as much as 54 to 1 ($54 to your $1; where the $54 is comprised of PlayerA’s $20 stack, PlayerB’s $30 stack, and the Pot’s $4 (one caveat: your stack must be equal to or greater than PlayerB’s stack)).

So, Implied Odds always gets defined as follows: The cumulative total of your competitors stacks (who are playing the hand), plus the size of the current pot, less your uncovered stack amount, where the combined total of the three relates to the amount of money that you would need to put into the pot.

Next, a ‘fast-track’ summary of how you should be using Pot Odds and Implied Odds at Internet gaming sites.

- First off, make certain you understand that Pot Odds are your baseline guarantee for winning.

- Not necessarily in any one hand, but over the long-term.

- And, while the novice player might need a detailed narrative on how to use Pot odds on offense (seeking out ROI advantaged plays), or how to use Pot Odds on defense (protecting a current ‘nuts’ hand), you don’t.

Principally because each of you could write the ‘detailed narrative’.

So, any attempt by me to do so in this Article would be a waste of time. [If, by chance or circumstance, you are a novice, get out of here....immediately, you don't belong in a tutorial environment that is beyond your level of expertise; start reading the 'Building a Bankroll' and 'Expanding Your Bankroll' series of Articles.]

Also, maintain an arithmetic avenue that keeps every calculation exceedingly simple.

KISS, or Keep It Simple S@#thead (the Marine Corps version of the acronym). Don’t be using 47 unseen cards, or 46 unseen cards, when you’re in the process of determining the current Pot Odds.

ALWAYS USE THE NUMBER 50….it makes every computation easy, and it never produces an ‘out of range’ or ‘distorted’ result.

For example, post-flop, you hold 9 outs to a ‘nut’ flush.

- You’ve seen 5 cards, you’ve not seen 47 cards.

 - The math: 9 in 47 gives you a 38.3% chance of catching the flush on the turn or river, while, 9 in 50 gives you a 36.0% chance of catching the flush on the turn or river.

- Who cares about the difference of 2.3%?

- It’s obvious that you have approximately a 1 in 3 chance of ending up with the ‘nut’ flush.

- And, 2 to 1 Pot Odds would make you ‘dead even’ over the long-term.

- Which, with an M16 at the ready, you have zip, zero, zilch interest in.

- What you really want would be Pot Odds of 4 to 1 or better….certainly no less than 3 to 1; but only if Implied Odds suggest that the 3 to 1 could be vastly greater.

Alternately, Implied Odds are your key to taking down monster pots.

Not necessarily in any one hand, but over the long-term.

Allow me to present just one example.

• > In late position, while holding pocket Ace/Four suited (diamonds)
• > You get to limp into a pot
• > The Small Blind (SB) limps
• > The Big Blind (BB) checks
• > And, in total, pre-flop, there are 5 players remaining in the hand.

- Remember, the suited Ace/Four in late position is a playable pocket with a +EV when all of the conditionals have been met; and, they were all met in this example.

• > Then, the flop shows 3d/5d/6s.
• > You now have a ‘nut’ 4 flush draw plus an open-end straight draw.
• > The pot holds $5, the SB bets $2, the other 3 players call, and the bet comes to you.

There is a total of $13 in the pot, and the Pot Odds on the $2 call you would need to make are 6.5 to 1.

• > Plus, each of the 4 players you’re competing against have your remaining $30 chip stack covered.
• > So, the Implied Odds are greater than 66 to 1.

- Additionally, you have 15 outs (not counting the potential for a pair of aces)….

- The 15 outs include the 9 diamonds remaining in the count of unseen cards (to make the ‘nut’ flush)

- And the three 2′s, and the three 7′s (to make the straight (the 2 and 7 of diamonds are included in the total of 9 diamonds)).

- Therefore, pre-turn, you have a 36% chance of hitting the flush, and a 24% chance of hitting the straight. Or, a near 60% likelihood of winning the hand.

In the end, not only do the Pot Odds tell you to make the $2 call, but the Implied Odds are screaming at you to make the call.

• > Yes, they’re f@#king screaming.
• > And none of us need to be graduate science students with organic chemistry as our major to understand what an incredibly advantageous position the Implied Odds have put us in.
• > Frankly, it’s even possible that ‘Pukie’ would understand that he needs to call the $2 bet.
• > We have a better than 58% chance of winning the hand.
• > Plus, we’re not only getting Pot Odds of greater than 6 to 1, we’re also getting Implied Odds of about 66 to 1.

Finally, some sage advice on a topic I mentioned earlier: more ‘info’ concerning ‘low stakes’ versus ‘high stakes’ play on the Internet.

Where, y’all must recognize that most of you have put together your bankroll while playing at NoPay. And, while that effort was both impressive and commendable, it was accomplished as a result of ‘whooping up’ on very bad players.

In all candor, it didn’t take much more than your arrival at the tables with a degree of patience, a sense of playable pockets, and a ‘player note’, or a few ‘player notes’, about the ‘farm animals’ you were competing against.

I mean, shipping players like ‘PukieDumbo’ to the farm animal pastures simply isn’t a major accomplishment. Plus, it didn’t cost you a single penny to build your bankroll, to load up the gooseneck trailer, or, to direct PD to the whereabouts of the nearest drug store….it was all free.

And, again, be mindful of the fact that your poker prowess is never meant to do ‘Pukie’ or any ‘bananhead’ harm; it’s their SOS approach to playing poker that consistently puts them in harms way….not the quality of your play.

You’ve done well, and you’re certainly prepared for poker gaming on the Internet’s felt.

Yet, as previously stated, your poker cash gaming needs to be restricted to ‘low stake’ poker play.

And, for current purposes, we’ll define ‘low stake’ as follows: cash games of no greater than $1/$2 tables, MTT games of no greater than $10 buy-in’s, and SNG games of no greater than $5 buy-ins.

Plus, all of the preceding is always subject to the 5% bankroll management rule.

Quite naturally, many of you might be asking the questions; “Why exclude ‘high stake’ play”? “Why can’t I use my ever expanding bankroll in bigger games”?

And, there are a number of very good answers to both questions.

—- First, and foremost, as the stake levels increase, the level of cheating increases (collusion, bots, and algorithms).

—- Second, as the stake levels increase, the ‘Quality of Play’ increases (more skilled players, fewer ‘Pukie’ clones).

—- Third, as the stake levels increase, the rationale for playing at a Brick and Mortar venue increases (reading tells, serious player notes, deceits, and other poker skills get added to your game; resulting in more advantaged play and higher ROI’s (please read the ‘Brick and Mortar’ series of Articles)).

—- Fourth, as the stake levels increase, the probability of slamming yourself head-first into the ‘Peter Principle’ brick wall increases (surely an uncomfortable thought, but a realty).

Last, please note that Article 7 of this series (the last Article; not only in this series, but also the last Article to be written for NoPayPoker) will not be posted until December 1st. My schedule is filled with 7 weeks of travel between late August and mid November….some of which is holiday related, and some of which is poker related; lectures, classrooms, and private tutoring. I’ll be in Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, New York, Vermont, Quebec, Spain, and Mexico. And, while I’ll be both working and having fun, I expect y’all to be winning money and having fun at the Internet gaming sites

Best of Luck at the Tables,

D. Michael

(c) copyright, September, 2011; all rights reserved by D. M. Vadnais

NoPayPOKER editor note – In this free online poker coaching and training tips lesson, part 5 of 7, we continue our journey into the dark realm of online poker cash games. The mission, to learn how to win bucketloads of cash online by the application of a fine mix of skill – skill in your poker game and skill in your ability to avoid the “natural” and “manmade” pitfalls that exist in this, at times, murky underworld. 

[AUTHOR'S NOTE: The contents that follow are not intended for the newcomer or novice to the game; you may well find that it would be a bit like reading a foreign language. If you possess limited experience with No-Limit Texas Hold-Em, prior to reading these materials, please first read the three series of Articles entitled 'An Introduction to The Game: Poker 101' (7 Chapters), 'Building a Bankroll' (11 Articles), and 'Expanding Your Bankroll' (10 Articles). Then, please read Articles 1 through 4 of this series of Articles (in the end, there will be a total of 7 Articles). Once done, the 'foreign language' will simply become a 'language of poker'.]

This Article is a continuation of the previous post (July, 2011); ‘Premium Pockets Dictate Your Game Play – Part 1′ (Article 4). And, while the overall theme to the text and tutorials that follow will categorically align with ‘Premium Pockets’, please note that we’ve already handled the ‘heavy’ pockets in Article 4.

The focus of these poker words, sentences, and paragraphs relate to the ‘light’ pockets: Ace/Paint, Paint/Paint, Low Pocket Pairs (22 through JJ), and Ace/Rag suited (A5s, A4s, A3s, and A2s). All of which, dependent on your table position, can possess a Positive Expected Value (+EV).

Let’s begin with Ace/Paint….that would be:

• A/Q offsuit
• A/J suited
• A/J offsuit
• A/T suited
• A/T offsuit

Remember that A/K suited, A/K offsuit, and A/Q suited, were all included in the ‘heavy’ pockets category contained within Part 1 of this Article).

And, as a fitting start to our playable pockets strategies regarding Ace/Paint , allow me to ask what would you do with pocket A/J suited when you’re seated in the Under The Gun (UTG) table position (immediately to the left of the Big Blind)?

Well….I hope you answered with the word“fold”. A/J suited in early position holds a Negative Expected Value (-EV). However, if you answered in any other way, you’re not alone.

Actually, you’re in some fairly good company; greater than 99% of all ‘solid’ poker players would not have said “fold”.

They’d be eager to play the suited A/J. And, their eagerness is not difficult to understand; the 2 pocket cards tend to create a ‘hidden smile’.

Yet, given the extensive study performed by the University of Chicago, given the results of that study (where every 2 card pocket combination by table position, after running a ‘billions of hands’ simulation, was assigned a Negative Expected Value (-EV) or a Positive Expected Value (+EV), given your experiences with the 2 cards in early position, given my experiences with the 2 cards in early position, playing the A/Js in early position on a consistent basis will unquestionably generate long-term loses.

Plus, as a memory refresher, the ONLY pockets that are playable from early position are A/A, K/K, Q/Q, A/K, and A/Qs….these are the ONLY pockets that carry with them a Positive Expected Value.

Not happy with the above? Yes? It’s both understandable and OK. No clones, no robots, no duplicitive play. You need to blend your game play with your personality, your nuances….and, more importantly, with your ‘reads’ on the players at your table.

Should you be competing with a group of only conservative individuals, people who are only going to participate in a hand when they hold ‘heavy’ pockets, the A/Js can, and will, bring about profitability.

• If you call the BB, and everyone folds except the Small Blind and Big Blind players, your suited A/J has become a dominant pocket….
• we could, for all intents and purposes, even go as far as labeling it a ‘conditional heavy’ pocket.
• Afterall, you’ve ended up playing against what should be called two ‘average’ pockets (Q/8 being the traditionally described ‘average’ pocket).

Or, should you be competing with a group of only loose and aggressive individuals, people who are going to participate in an inordinate number of hands, in a non-justifiable number of hands, in hands where they routinely hold ‘garbage’ pockets, the A/Js can, and will, bring about profitability.

However, if the players at the table replicate the ‘include all styles of play’, as was the case in the University of Chicago study, your suited Ace/Jack is a ‘long-term’ loser. And, as such, it becomes a mandatory fold.

So, when ‘all one style of play’ dominates the table, play the A/Js with a limp-in bet, and, when ‘multiple styles of play’ dominate the table, lay down the A/Js. In the end, you’re gonna’ win money.

Do we now create a dictum for the other Ace/Paint pockets? The A/Q offsuit, the A/J offsuit, the A/T suited, and the A/T offsuit. Sure we do!

From early position at the table these pocket cards are long-term bankroll drainers. And, since our principal reason, in fact, our singular reason, for playing at ‘real money’ Internet poker sites is TO WIN MONEY, we fundamentally have zero interest in dumping cash to a pot when we hold pocket cards with a Negative Expected Value (-EV).

Oh, sure, Pukie is inclined to give away money at the poker tables, and, sure, his/her ‘loser’ friends are inclined to give away money at the poker tables….but, you’re not; nor will you ever be.

Alternately, we have every reason to be investing cash in a pot when we hold pocket cards with a Positive Expected Value (+EV). And, the Ace/Paint pockets all possess a +EV when we’re seated in middle or late position. Plus, the Ace/Paint pockets from middle or late position should be cause for us to push around the weak players, possibly with a 3x the BB raise, maybe more.

And, they should be cause for us to conservatively approach the solid players, possibly with only a ‘limp’ to the BB. Again, though, any and all decisions as to how you play these +EV Ace/Paint pockets is conditioned on your knowledge about the competitors at the table. No clones, no robots, no duplicitive play.

Next, y’all should have a fairly constant approach to the way in which you handle Paint/Paint pockets; K/Q, K/J, K/T, Q/J, Q/T, and J/T….both suited and unsuited.

• First off, none of these pockets are playable from early position.
• They all merit a ‘fold’, they all hold a Negative Expected Value (-EV) (from early position).
• But, when you’ve been dealt these pockets in both middle position at the table and late position at the table, the Negative EV turns into a Positive EV.
• All 12 of these pockets become playable, all will win money for you on a long-term basis; not necessarily in any one hand, nor in any one playing session.

The soundest and most profitable manner in which these pockets should be played is ‘conservative’ with unsuited Paint/Paint, a ‘limp’ to the BB is acceptable, and, ‘passively aggressive’ with suited Paint/Paint, calling a raise to 3x the BB is acceptable.

This baseline takes into account the fact that while both suited and unsuited Paint/Paint pockets have the potential to witness a ‘high pair/decent kicker’ flop, they also have the potential for a ‘Broadway’, or near ‘Broadway’ Straight.

And, the baseline also takes into account the fact that the suited Paint/Paint pockets have the added potential for a Flush. Where, the possibility of the Flush justifies the 3x the BB call….yet, if no one raised to 3x the BB, there is no need for you to be the player who raises; take a free ride to the flop, simply call the BB.

At this point, I doubt that there is a demand for any additional ‘scribblings’ on Paint/Paint pockets.

However, there is a need for both a ‘tale of caution’ and a ‘tale of passive aggression’; and both tales involve the same circumstance.

• When you’ve flopped a pair, and the flop includes an overcard, be damn sure that you know your opponent extremely well should he/she be betting into the overcard.
• And, as is often the case in ALL of your ‘real money’ poker play, the overwhelming importance of knowing your competition’s game is paramount to your success.
• …the more you know about your opponents, the more you’re gonna’ win.

As an example, it’s perfectly OK to lay down your flopped Tens, Jacks, Queens, or Kings when a ‘solid’ player is tossing money into the pot because an Ace or an overcard (versus your flopped pair) was included within the flop; that would be the ‘tale of caution’.

And, conversely, as a secondary example, don’t be quick to fold when a Bozo is betting into the overcard after you’ve flopped a pair; that would be the ‘tale of passive aggression’. And, to take the latter one step forward, to change passive aggression into true aggression, knowing full well that it was a ‘pinhead’ who bet into the flop, consider coming over-the-top.

You understand his game, and you’ve often seen him bet a draw, a bluff, or some other equally stupid play against one or more flopped overcards.

Always be completely aware of your opponents betting habits, quality of play, and tendency towards utter ignorance….just because it’s a ‘real money’ game doesn’t mean that the minions who emulate the play of ‘PukieDumbo’ are not present.

Often these documented ‘bananabrains’ have yet to lose the whole of their bankrolls, and they’re at the table, your table; practicing ‘stupidities’. Therefore, it’s incumbent upon you to open the door to ‘Dummyville’.

Heck, for all you know, they may thank you for the rapid demise that greets them in the doorway’s portal, and, they may be equally grateful for the subsequent ‘gooseneck’ ride to the ‘farm animal’ pastures; where stench, slop, dung, muck, mire, and fly infestations rule supreme (tell me….what could be more fitting for these donkey-like critters?).

Moving on, the Low Pocket Pairs (22 through JJ) take center stage.

And, as many of you may readily surmise it’s a ‘favorite’ topic of mine….it’s often in my poker writings, lectures, and classroom sessions. For the best of reaasons!!!!!!

• These cards are the foundation to set-mining.
• Which, if you recall, were assailed by ‘Pukie’ in an absurdly stupid chat lobby post at NoPayPOKER (written about in considerable detail within Article 1).

And, while there is no reason to repeat the ‘tutorial’ contained within Article 1, there is every reason to remind you that set-mining is one of only two poker strategies that produce a 100%+ Return On Investment (ROI).

And, translated into ‘real money’ lingo, an ROI at that level means for every $1.00 you put into the various pots you’re playing in, you will win $2.00, or more.

Consider the following data about the Low Pocket Pairs (22, 33, 44, 55, 66, 77, 88, 99, TT, and JJ):

• Pre-flop, there is a 1 in 8 chance that you will hit a set with a 3 card board
• There is a 1 in 6 chance that you will hit a set with a 4 card board
• There is a 1 in 5 chance that you will hit a set with a 5 card board.
• And, importantly, anytime that you do hit a set, you’re at least a 5 to 2 favorite to win the hand (on average).

These facts are pure arithmetic; there’s no speculation, no projection, no wishful thinking, and no ‘PukieDumbo’ insanities contained within the aritmetic.

Plus, in that the 1 in 5 chance exists, be certain to allow a few thoughts about Implied Odds to rattle around in your brain….Pukie can’t do that, but you can; he/she doesn’t have a functional cranial area, you do.

So, how should the Low Pocket Pairs (LPP) be played?

• My first answer is “your way”; you’re capable of rational thought; you ain’t Pukie, you’re not Stuck On Stupid (SOS).
• You can capsulate into one formula both the 1 in 5 chance of hitting a set and the presence of Implied Odds; while PD and his/her imbicilic followers have no such ability.

They simply engage all of their chips, throw them into the pot, and, with every ounce of ‘shallow’ that represents their game, they holler out the words “All In”….allowing them to briefly satisfy their miniscule ego’s, and, allowing them to summon up the false pretense that they’re actually playing poker. Hey! Do the words “Ruby Bagonia” or  “Stupid is as stupid does” mean anything to ya’?.

My second answer is “you might want to try my way”. Yet, once again I’ll offer up sage advice: no clones, no robots, no duplicitive play.

However, I’ll tell you with absolute certainty that ‘my way’ produces greater than a 100% ROI. And, while I am now a retired professional poker player from the Gulf Coast Rounders Circuit, my 9 years of Brick and Mortar experience can’t be overlooked. I won tons of money playing the LPP’s ‘my way’, and there’s no reason that you shouldn’t win a whole bunch of cash on the Internet playing the LPP’s in like fashion….you decide: your way, diligently constructed, or ‘my way’, with a bit of duplicitive play.

Here, then, is a description of the LPP strategy employed by me during the 9 years of B & M cash game play (principally $5/$10 No-Limit games with a buy-in of approximately $2,500….sometimes higher).

• First, divide the Low Pocket Pairs into 2 groups.
• Group ‘A’, which includes 22, 33, 44, 55, 66, 77, and 88
• Group ‘B’,which includes 99, TT, and JJ.
• Group ‘A’ is intended to pursue pure set-mining.
• Group ‘B’ is intended to pursue both set-mining and post-flop dominant pairs (where the pocket Nines, Tens, and Jacks end up as the post-flop high pair; i.e. a rainbow flop of 2/5/8, while you’re holding pocket Tens)

The Group ‘A’ pairs (22 through 88)

• Should always be a reason for calling the BB from any position at the table.
• And, they should always be a reason for calling up to a 3x the BB raise in late position….
• ONLY late position.
• When playing to the BB in early or middle position, and a raise occurs, fold.
• When playing to a 3x the BB raise in late position, and a second raise occurs, fold.

Also, when a set comes with the flop, and there is no straight or flush draw, it should always become a ‘slow-play’ situation.

We want one or more participants at the table betting into the pot, rather than having ourselves betting into the pot; in many respects we’re looking for someone who caught the high pair/decent kicker to take on an aggressive approach to the hand; while we timidly (and falsely) play the part of the sucker who’s calling.

Post river, it’s our hope, expectation, and frequent reality that their aggression is cause for a large ‘real money’ movement from their stack to our stack….and, remember, on average, we’re a 5 to 2 favorite that such will occur.

The Group ‘B’ pairs (99, TT, and JJ) are played in similar fashion.

• However, there is one added element to our play regarding the higher pocket pairs.
• The set-mining is described above, but the pocket-held overpair is not (nor can it be; we won’t often hold a pocket overpair when we’re playing the low pocket pairs (22 through 88)).
• Yet, with Nines, Tens, or Jacks, there exists the possibility that the flop will not produce a card that becomes an overcard to our pair.
• And, when the flop fails to show an overcard, we need to take an aggressive approach to the hand.
• Certainly, a pot sized bet, at a minimum, is necessary.
• But, a bet that is 100% greater than a pot sized bet is a much more advantaged play.

The pot sized bet gives a competitor 2 to 1 Pot Odds.

And, many players with any number of hands, including ace/rag, when the rag showed in the flop, would be willing to call the bet.

Obviously, they’re disenfranchised from sensible thought, since they’d be calling from a disadvantaged position. However, a bet that is 100% greater than a pot sized bet, gives the competitor Pot Odds of 3 to 2.

And, while one might argue that there isn’t significant difference between Pot Odds of 2 to 1 and Pot Odds of 3 to 2 (where I would strongly disagree), there remains a very big difference in the image created by the larger bet.

The average competitor will view the larger bet as a statement of dominance, creating some momentary emotional dismay. This alone is often cause for the competitor to fold.

Plus, on a personal note, given my own level of disdain for all ‘ace/raggers’ (the individuals who always play ace/rag suited and unsuited from any position at the table, and, always play ace/rag suited and unsuited regardless of the amount of money bet), you could have actually seen me make an all-in bet while playing professionally.

And, any such first hand witness to me doing so would have likely been in the above overpair situation: i.e, I had Jack/Jack, the flop was 3/7/9, and the ‘ace/ragger’ made a large bet (holding pocket A/9).

My ‘over-the-top all-in bet’ would often be called, and I was about a 7 to 1 favorite. However, keep in mind, I knew with certainty, because of my player notes, that my opponent was an ‘ace/ragger’….and, without that knowledge, you can’t do likewise.

With it, you can. Also, I was playing in a hand with a 52 card deck; it was not a ‘juiced deck’. And, whether you like it or not, when you’re playing on the Internet, there is a very high probability that you will be playing with a ‘juiced deck’.

Therefore, if it’s a Random Number Generator with a 92 number database, there is a 3x greater chance that an Ace will hit on the turn or river….and, this reduces the 7 to 1 favorite status down to a little over 2 to 1. [Another reason to be playing at an Internet site with a VERIFIED Random Number Generator.

See if you can find a site where the RNG has been certified by a firm like Price Waterhouse Coopers (the most prestigious and trusted public accounting firm on earth).

The last of the 'light' playable pockets is Ace/Rag suited; which includes ONLY A/5s, A/4s, A/3s, and A/2s....

• Each of these 4 pockets possess a Positive Expected Value (+EV)
• That +EV is founded in the potential for ending up with a flush or a straight.

It's NEVER, again, NEVER, A/9s, A/8s, A/7s, or A/6s....these 4 pockets all possess a Negative Expected Value (-EV).

1. Additionally, the A/5s, A/4s, A/3s, and A/2s are ONLY playable from late position at the Table
2. They're ONLY playable as a 'limp' to the BB
3. They're ONLY playable with 3 or more participants in the hand
4. They're ONLY playable when one or more 'large stack' competitors are playing the hand.
5. [Note: all 4 conditionals must be met; else you're folding.]

When you’re dealt these pocket cards in both early position and middle position, it’s an ‘autofold’ in your brain; see the cards, fold, and watch the hand being played.

When you’re dealt these pocket cards in late position and a raise to the BB has been made, it’s also an ‘autofold’ in your brain; see the cards, fold, and watch the hand being played.

However, in late position, with ALL of the ‘conditionals’ met, you have approximately a 1 in 11 chance of winning the hand; or, in other words, you are a 10 to 1 underdog. Thus, you’re playing the hand ONLY because of Implied Odds….and, those Implied Odds better be somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 to 1 or better (generally 5x your underdog status).

Over every extended period of time, you will have saved a bundle of money by ‘tossing’ these suited Ace/Rags into the muck when you’re not in late position at the table and when you weren’t able to meet all of the conditionals while in late position at the table.

Alternately, over every extended period of time, you will have made a bundle of money by playing these suited Ace/Rags (A/5s, A/4s, A/3s, and A/2s) when you were in late position at the table and ALL of the ‘conditionals’ were met….again, ALL of the conditionals.

Plus, there is one added play associated with the 4 pockets: If you’re the Small Blind (SB) or Big Blind (BB), and you can get away with playing for only the cost of the BB, do so.

In summarizing all of the above:

• Ace/Paint is a fold in early position, and it’s a play in middle or late position.
• Paint/Paint is a fold in early position, a ‘conditional play’ in middle position, and a play in late position.
• Low Pocket Pairs are a ‘limp’ in early position, a ‘limp’ in middle position, and an ‘up to 3x the BB’ play in late position.
• Ace/Rag suited is a fold in early position, a fold in middle position, and a ‘conditional play’ in late position.
• Plus, in light of our creed, “no clones, no robots, no duplicitive play”, any and all of the above pockets are playable from anywhere at the table dependent on your ‘reads’ concerning the opponents at your table.
• You’re in the game to win money, and if you can take advantage of a ‘loose and aggressive’ group, or, if you can take advantage of a ‘conservative and passive’ group, you gotta’ do so.

Also, while the above summary might have come across as simplistic, the truth is that everything to do with Playable Pockets is far from simplistic; it’s relatively complex.

• It involves a considerable amount of arithmetic.
• It’s a test on your level of patience.
• It requires an ability to slide in and out of different styles of play.
• It mandates that you develope a ‘read’ on the players at your table.
• Additionally, it’s always an adjunct to your goals; where, in a cash game, you hold a singular goal, and in a Multi Table Tournament (MTT) you hold a miscellany of goals.

The cash game goal is only about winning money….nothing else. However, the MTT goals include pre-requisites to the ‘winning money’ goal.

You need to reach the general area of the bubble, you need to get into the money, you need to exceed your ‘buy-in’ within the money payout positions, you need to make the final table, and, quite naturally, you want to win the tournament.

All of which, except the latter, should be regularly accomplished; provided, of course, that Patience and the Playable Pockets guidelines are generally adhered to.

The exception, winning the tournament, requires one additional factor….Lady Luck has to visit you at least once or twice; you’re usually not going to win any tournament without her help.

Best of Luck at the Tables,
D. Michael
(c) copyright, August, 2011; all rights reserved by D. M. Vadnais

Editors introduction: In this, part 4 of the graduating from free poker games to real cash online poker  free online poker training series D Michael gets down to nitty gritty card play detail. 

While NoPayPOKER FreeD do have monetary value playing with and for FreeD, quite frankly, is not the same as if, say you have several hundred Dollars or more real cash on a table and stand to win (or lose) a lot more depending on how things go. As such you do not (should not!!) play your cards the same way that you may be tempted to at NoPay i.e., with occasional abandon. So in Part 4, DM looks at serious card playin, what to do and, more importantly, what NOT to do. So, read away… 

Start: The Internet ‘real money’ Poker Sites will invariably present an altogether different ‘style’ of play versus the ‘style’ of play you’ve acclimated yourselves to at risk free poker ‘free money’ NoPayPoker. Granted, it’s not going to be comparable to the quality of play (QOP) that exists in the Brick and Mortar casinos, Brick and Mortar card rooms, and ‘serious’ home games, but it is going to be a better quality of play than  NoPay’s ‘free money’, ‘farm animal’, ‘poor-quality’ play.

This being so, don’t go to an Internet ‘real money’ table with the belief that you’re only going to find the likes of ‘PukieDumbo’ and her/his incompetent poker playing equivalents at the felt; for the most part, they’re not there, you’ll traditionally find them in vast numbers at NoPayPOKER.

Plus, in all fairness, be somewhat grateful to them….you’ve regularly found the ‘poor quality’ players in the past, and, from their inability to play the game, you’ve managed to accumulate a tidy sum of money; then transferred that very same money to an Internet poker gaming site.

Yet, while not a constant, you are going to find a few players at the low-stake Internet tables like ‘Pukie’ and his/her cohorts….all with the very same lack of skill sets; possibly even worse than the ‘poor quality’ moniker used above.

And, some of the Internet players, not many, are nothing more than ‘chip flingers’. But, be ever mindful of the fact that the QOP will be far better than the QOP at NoPay; the ‘pinheads’ and ‘pinatas’ (the Spanish, candy stuffed, paper made, colorful figures that you beat with a stick at ‘fiestas’), lead by ‘Pukie’, can’t always be found on the Internet ‘real money’ sites.

Also, be cognizant of the fact that the ‘real money’ play you’ll be experiencing will be mostly absent the ‘ace/rag’, ‘king/rag’, and ‘rag/rag’ players (excluding the ‘poor quality’ players).

However, if at one time or another, ‘Pukie’, or anyone at his/her ‘lack of skill’ level, had been stupid enough to take a bankroll to the cyberspace world of online poker, they assuredly lost that bankroll many moons ago. The ‘real money’ they brought to the Internet gaming site tables is now in the hands of ‘solid’ players like yourselves.

And, using any serious long-term measurement method, there is not a person in the world who could add to their ‘real money’ bankroll when they are ‘lost in the delusion’ of foolish devotion to ‘rag’ play. It might generate a few dollars at NoPay, but it ain’t gonna’ generate profits elsewhere….they lost, they’re gone, and you’ll find them in ‘brief celebrations’ at NoPay; assuming, of course, they’re still pretending to play poker.

That said, it’s time for all y’all to understand that the ‘real money’ player who ‘bets out’ in early position is not doing so with King/Nine offsuit; he ain’t ‘dumb’.
> Y’all need to understand that the ‘real money’ player who ‘raises’ in middle position is not doing so with Ace/Seven suited; he ain’t ‘dumber’.
> Plus, y’all need to understand that the ‘real money’ player who ‘goes all-in’ from late position is not doing so with Ace/Ten offsuit; he ain’t ‘dumbest’.

No! There is a very high probability that all three of these players, the early position ‘bet out’ player, the middle position ‘raise’ player, the late position ‘all-in’ player, are all aggressively playing a premium pocket.

 These guys are not filming a new movie: ‘Dumb, Dumber, and Dumbest’. We pretty much left ‘PukieDumbo’ land, we abandoned the ‘hay munchers’ and ‘farm animals’; this is a game where the chips represent real money.

And, I want y’all to wipe away the memories of playing at NoPay, then, I want y’all to embrace the importance of the idea that ‘PREMIUM POCKETS DICTATE YOUR GAME PLAY’.

Of import, even though I’ve opined about it before. even though it was said in Article 3, and even though I’ll be saying it forever, I’m going to repeat it: “It’s harder to beat bad players than it is to beat good players”.

So, your game play at the ‘real money’ sites, while a step up in Quality of Play, is going to be a lot less difficult than y’all might think. You have proven yourself at NoPay, and you’re going to win on the ‘real money’ sites. It won’t be tough to do, and you’ll be experiencing your own ‘brief celebrations’ on a continual basis.

And, these celebrations, unquestionably, will be far more rewarding than the asinine mood adjustments known only to the NPP ‘rag’ community of players; they’ll never know, or comprehend, your good fortune. And, they’ll never know how you did it, or care.

They’re in the pasture with ‘Pukie’ and the ‘farm animals’, but you’re in the money with Winners. It’s were you belong.

And, while you should continue with your ‘free online poker money’ play at NPP, where you’ll regularly add to your cash balances, where you’ll further develop your skill levels, your serious poker play will be in ‘real money’ games, and your serious celebrations will be with other winners….other members of the Winners Circle.

So, how did you get there? How did the gate to the ‘Winners Circle’ open?
Well, besides the ‘lessons’ learned in Articles 1, 2, and 3 of this series of  7 Articles, besides the lessons learned in the ‘Building a Bankroll’ series of Articles, besides the lessons learned in the ‘Expanding Your Bankroll’ series of Articles, and besides your own self-initiated tutorials, you hold an absolute commitment to Playable Pockets; something much like the ‘PPM’ (The Playable Pockets Matrix).

You’re not an ‘ace/ragger’ or a moronic ‘chip-flinger’. You recognize the significance of where you’re seated at the table in relation to the Dealer Button, and you know which pocket cards are playable from any one of the 10 table positions.

You don’t overplay the marginal or ‘light’ playable pockets, and you often aggressively play the powerful or ‘heavy’ playable pockets….additionally, you know the difference between the two; you’re a ‘solid’ player.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, ‘Pukie’ and his ‘farm animal’ co-habitants rejoice at the sight of ace/eight suited in early position.

And, for that reason, and for approximately 2,500 other reasons (there are 2,652 different pocket card combinations), they live in a state of ‘where the f#*k is the Alpha Bull, and how safe is my butt.

Sadly, yet again, as we did in Article 3, we wish them ‘fair weather’, ‘shelter’, ‘quick feet’, and ‘safe havens’. Lord knows they already suffer enough from a serious case of RCI (Rectal Cranial Inversion), and, any unsolicited, non-welcomed, or uninvited encounter with the Alpha Bull is only going to exacerbate their problems; rectal, cranial, and otherwise.

Yet, it is possible that a ‘Playable Pockets’ refresher is necessary. And, it can’t hurt to offer up a quick review (you may want to skip the review if you’ve previously memorized the Playable Pockets Matrix (PPM)):

—From early position at the table, there are only 5 playable pockets: AA, KK, QQ, AK, and AQs; any other pocket is a mandated fold; no exceptions, all other pocket cards have a Negative Expected Value (-EV); the 5 playable pockets have a Positive Expected Value (+EV).

—From middle position at the table, there are only 18 playable pockets: AA, KK, QQ, AK, AQ, AJ, KQ, QJ, JJ, TT, 99, 88, 77, 66, 55, 44, 33, and 22; any other pocket is a mandated fold; no exceptions, all other pocket cards have a Negative Expected Value (-EV); the 18 playable pockets have a Positive Expected Value (+EV).

—From late position at the table, there are 27 playable pockets: all 18 of the early and middle position pocket cards, and AT, KJ, KT, QT, JT, A5s, A4s, A3s, and A2s; any other pocket is a mandated fold; no exceptions, all other pocket cards have a Negative Expected Value (-EV); the 27 playable pockets have a Positive Expected Value (+EV).

Also, while we’re still in the ‘quick review’ mode, please remember that it is generally acceptable to play the above mentioned pockets up to, and including, a 3x the Big Blind call; not a raise to 3x the Big Blind (BB), but simply a call.

And be mindful of the fact that the playable ace/rag suited pockets (A5s, A4s, A3s, and A2s) from late position can never be more than a ‘limp’ to the Big Blind….EVER; if a raise to the BB was made, fold. A ‘limp’ holds a Positive Expected Value (+EV), but a call to 3x the BB holds a Negative Expected Value (-EV).

[Note: any confusion on your part concerning Positive Expected Value (+EV) or Negative Expected Value (-EV) would be ample cause for you to re-read 'Building a Bankroll' and 'Expanding Your Bankroll'. Additionally, a read, or re-read, of the 'Brick and Mortar' Articles would also serve as an excellent source material regarding the 'Expected Value' definitions.]

Now, concerning your play on the ‘real money’ sites, you’ll need to make some minor changes to the way in which you play the 5 early position playable pockets.

And, you need to make the minor changes independent of what seat your planted at….the 3 early position seats at the table, the 4 middle position seats at the table, or the 3 late position seats at the table.

 These 5 playable pockets, the power pockets, the ‘heavy’ pockets, AA-KK-QQ-AK-AQs, will be dealt to you approximately 4 to 6 times in every 100 hands.

Should you opt to calculate the number of times you’ll be dealt the power pockets, you’ll want to argue the “4 to 6 times in every 100 hands”. Yet, pre-argument, please understand that the RNG’s used by many Internet poker sites are skewed toward the ‘dealing out’ of action cards; noting that it’s table action that generates their rake revenue.

And, action cards are most often identified as Aces, Kings, Queens, Jacks, and Tens. Of note, many of the professional players who sometimes compete on-line, have a propensity for describing this type of ‘deal’, or RNG, as a “juiced deck”.

And, the underlying parameters of a “juiced deck” are not at all difficult to comprehend. Where a ‘verified’ RNG will use 52 numbers in it’s source database (1 number for each of the 52 cards), an ‘action’ RNG might use 92 numbers in it’s source database….1 number for each of the 52 cards, 8 extra numbers for the four Aces (2 for each Ace), 8 extra numbers for the four Kings (2 for each King), 8 extra numbers for the four Queens (2 for each Queen), 8 extra numbers for the four Jacks (2 for each Jack), and 8 extra numbers for the four Tens (2 for each Ten).

As an example, the Ace of Spades could be number 1, number 53, and number 54 in the ‘action’ RNG 92 number source database. If, or when, any of the three numbers are selected, all three numbers get eliminated from the source database prior to another card being dealt.

The Queen of Diamonds could be number 9, number 61, and number 62. If, or when, any of the three numbers are selected, all three numbers get eliminated from the source database prior to another card being dealt.

 The Jack of Clubs could be number 13, number 69, and number 70. If, or when, any of the three numbers are selected, all three numbers get eliminated from the source database prior to another card being dealt.

Obviously, in each instance, all 3 numbers get deleted from the source database because the RNG can not deal out the same card twice in one hand. That’s an ‘action’ RNG; that’s a “juiced deck”.

And, you should know that it’s not all that difficult to determine whether or not you’re playing with an ‘action’ RNG, whether or not you’re playing with a ‘juiced deck’. To do so, take note of all the cards you get to see at the end of every hand. Count the number of Aces, Kings, Queens, Jacks, and Tens that you’ve seen.

And, remember that the total of all 5 ‘paint’ cards (20) represents approximately 38.5% of the number of cards in the deck (52). If you have seen 15 cards, and 9 of those cards were ‘paint’ cards, you’ve been witness to an anomoly….60% of the cards were ‘action’ cards.

It’s an anomoly because it’s happened once. In time, as you continue to watch the exposed cards, and continue to make the ‘paint’ card percentage calculations, and continue to come up with numbers like 46%, 48%, 54%, 58%, 63%, 65%, and 69% (all exceeding the 52 card deck legitimate 38.5%), there should be no doubt in your mind that the RNG is loaded with a source database of greater than 52.

It ain’t an anomoly, it’s a juiced deck. Sure, the players participating in a hand will likely be more inclined to play the hand when they hold paint pocket cards, yet, should you end up with a comparison of 38.5% versus 55.5%, you ain’t playing with a 52 card RNG database….for certain, it’s a juiced deck.

Thus, using a juiced deck as a baseline, if y’all are going to have ‘pocket power’ about 4% to 6% of the time, I suggest that y’all need to make the most of the ‘action’ cards when you do get them.

And, you should be executing a betting strategy that is somewhat akin to the following:

—- AA: a raise to 6x the BB, or, simply a call of the BB; where the latter is an attempt to hide your pocket Aces from the competitors at the table (a minor ‘slow-play’).

—- KK: a raise to 5x the BB, or, simply a call of the BB; where the latter is an attempt to hide your pocket Kings from the competitors at the table (praying that no Ace arrives on the flop).

—- QQ, AK, and AQs: a raise of 4x to 6x the BB; varying the bet as much as is possible so that no competitor can develop a ‘rock solid’ read on your betting action.

However, be aware of the fact that the above is only a suggestion on my part. I believe it to be a well-founded suggestion, but, you might want to adjust the raises to fit with your reads on the players who may have bet before it was your turn to act, you may want to adjust the raises to fit with your reads on the players who will follow you in the betting, and, you might want to adjust the raises to fit with your overall quality of play (QOP) opinions on the competition at your table.

Allow me to call this the ‘American Old West’ analogy: “Don’t wear another man’s hat”….they were words often used by the rough, rugged, and rowdy men who settled the American west in the 1800′s.

And, I’ve always indicated that none of you should be robotic in your play, or, that none of you should be duplicitive of my style of play. The above paragraph, and the ‘American Old West’ words are a reminder of that.

Your game should contain the imprint of your style of play, your personality, and your preferences.

My goal, through these Articles, through all of my poker scribblings, is no more than an attempt by me to get your game founded in ‘solid’ game play strategies. It’s never been meant to create ‘clones’.

But, duplicity aside, ‘clones’ aside, why the early position changes?

Why would we want to change what has been a very successful ‘rule’ while playing at NoPayPoker? (The rule being the classically accepted raise to 3x the BB with a ‘heavy’ pocket.)

The answer, while mentioned out of context earlier, is quite simple:”It’s harder to beat bad players than it is to beat good players”.

• And, in the instance of power pocket possessions, i.e. the ‘heavy’ pockets, we want the ‘draw’ pockets, the ‘low pair’ pockets, the ‘ace/paint’ pockets, and the ‘paint/paint’ pockets held by our opponents out of the hand.
• We want to rid the table of the players searching for the ‘serendipitous’ flop and turn cards that could appear on the board. (Assuming, of course, that we haven’t made a ‘limp’ to the BB in the hope that our AA or KK holds power post-flop.)
• We want to eliminate the potential for post-flop paint pairs, post-flop straight draws, post-flop flush draws, and pre-flop set-mining.

And, a 4x to 6x the BB raise, many times, but not always, accomplishes just that. Why? Two reasons.

1. First, ‘solid’ players tend to stick with the ‘only call to 3x the BB rule’ when they hold a playable pocket.
2. And, second, Pot Odds.

Also, since you will often be playing in a ‘juiced deck’ environment, be especially attentive to the board pre-river.

You’ll want to evaluate what level of impact an Ace, King, Queen, Jack, or Ten river card will have on your potential to win the hand.

So, from an ‘offensive’ prospective, you may want to remain in the hand with the hope that the ‘juiced deck’ will deposit the river ‘action’ card you need to attain a ‘nuts’ hand (Implied Odds should govern any such decision).

And, from a ‘defensive’ prospective, you may want to tone down any aggressive betting on your part because the ‘juiced deck’ could deposit a river ‘action’ card that might give the hand to a competitor (read the pre-river board, and decide if an ‘action’ card could make you lose the hand). Eyes open….remember to use ‘Vision as a Safeguard’.

Last, I’ll allow you to contemplate all of the preceeding, your navel, your next meal, the ‘PukieDumbo’ safe haven problems, the symtoms of RCI, Pukie’s home in the ‘farm animal’ pasture, and my two answers….Pot Odds and Implied Odds, until we get to Article 7; where both Pot Odds and Implied Odds will be the subject matter.

Also, Part 2 of this Article will be posted on or about August 1st. And, in Part 2 we’ll get to discuss the ace/paint pockets, the paint/paint pockets, the suited ace/rag pockets, and all of the low pocket pairs.

Best of Luck at The Tables,

D. Michael
(c) copyright; July, 2011; all rights reserved by D. M. Vadnais

• Part 1 of this series – Hope For the Best; Expect The Worst
• Part 2 of this series – Use Time As A Weapon; Vision As A Safeguard
• Part 3 of this series – Bankroll, Cash, Emotions, Sex and Risk Tolerance

See all the NoPayPOKER.com free online poker training and education articles:

• Poker 101 Course beginners free poker lessons.
• Building a Bankroll free online poker training to take the clued up beginner up to intermediate level
• Expanding your bankroll series of free online poker strategy designed to for intermediates who want to step up to expert level
• World of B&M free online poker training for players who have decided it is time to add real live face to face play to their poker playing lifestyle.

In this the 3rd article in the series Free online poker coaching Money’ vs. Real Money; NoPayPoker vs.Internet Gaming Sites our master of the pen D M Vadnais reveals the critical keys for success in money and mind management. Read on…

I would imagine that Article 2 provided each of you with a number of ‘eye-openers’. At the very least, I sure hope it did. I’d even venture a guess that it may have altered the prior plans held by a few of you to enter the ‘real money’ Internet poker environment.

And, while an “I won’t play” fits with my own feelings about online poker gaming, it was not, nor is it now, nor will it ever be, my intention that you withdraw from your potential involvement with the NoPayPoker Partner sites.

You will win, or you should win. And, this series of Articles is meant to provide you with an understanding of the Internet poker online venue devils, demons, and dirtbags.

Plus, this series of Articles is meant to provide you with an understanding of the safety nets, strategies, and sensibilities that will be the foundation to your future winning ways.

So, quickly cast my poker playing preferences aside, pay no mind to my personal idiosyncrasies; your time at the online poker for cash tables will be, should be, most profitable.

And, not withstanding the above, even though my imagination has been dulled and diminished by age (time, time, time, is NOT on my side), even though our fictitious screen name player ‘PukieDumbo’ never had an imagination (“stupid is as stupid does”, a blank slate), even though the NoPayPoker resident ‘farm animals’ long ago lost any facsimile of imagination (“there but for the grace of God go I), it’s not imagination that caused your eyes to open wide. No, it was fact; actually, it was three facts: the reality of the ‘RNGers’, the reality of the ‘Bots’, and the reality of the ‘Colluders’.

They exist, you now know about them, you can identify them, and you’re prepared to deal with them. Importantly, you also don’t fear them, and never will.

You’re going to circumvent their devious, disdainful, and derelict approaches relating to the ways in which they play poker on the ‘real money’ Internet sites. And, if you haven’t developed a complete command of the ‘circumvent’ process, go back to Article 2 and re-read all that was written; being prepared is a key to your success.

Alternately, ignore the facts associated with the ‘dirtbags’ approach to poker play, ignore the concept of being prepared, ignore their presence at the Internet tables, and accept the inevitable; your ‘real money’ will become their ‘real money’; you’re going to lose.

Unacceptable? No? You bet it ain’t; y’all came to the game for one reason; to win money. Now, accept THAT truth; it’s to win money; and, it is the single most important truth, out of many, about the game of Texas Hold-Em.

Then, note with detail, that I regularly accepted another truth; a ‘life lesson’ offered to me by my wife many times throughout our 41 years together. She bestowed it upon me often; possibly because I was stubborn, thick-headed, and opinionated.

She was fond of repeating it; I’ll let you read it: “Don’t engage with an A/H, he’ll beat you with experience”. She always smiled when she said it, she never meant for me to feel uncomfortable (or dumb, or stupid, or marginalized), and she never had to explain it.

I listened, I learned, and I used her guidance. Consequentially, her lesson not only applies to life, it also applies to Internet ‘real money’ poker play.

This being true, we can’t engage with these A/H’s, we can’t compete with them, they’ll beat us because of their vast experience with slime-ball, low-life, dirtbag cheating; it is essentially a profession to them, they’re very good at it, they scam a lot of money. And, as per Article 2, we simply need to get out of their way.

Importantly, last month, y’all developed an understanding of the ways in which each of you will be able to get out of their way; the ways in which you’ll not engage with these ‘dredges of humanity’; these A/H’s.

It may take a bit of practice, it will undeniably take a bit of patience, and, on occasion, it’s going to cost you a few cents.

But, you’re not ‘PukieDumbo’; you have a fully functional intellect, your slate is filled with facts, data, and poker mastery. You live in a home, you sleep in a bed, and you develop rational thought.

‘Pukie’ lives in the pasture, amongst the ‘hay munchers’, ‘dung tossers’, ‘fly infestation’, ‘perennial stench’, and The Alpha Bull. So, even if she/he had the ability to form the smallest of rational thought, unlikely as that might be, too much time is being spent in the pursuit of ‘safe havens’….concerning The Alpha Bull’s primary intention.

Let’s all hope she/he can win at the game of ‘Hide and Seek’; where ‘Hide’ is analogous with ‘protecting ones backside’….while y’all go on to win at the ‘real money’ poker tables.

Now, with poor Pukie’s big-time dilemma behind us, or behind him/her, y’all have nothing but forward progressions before yourselves.

They involve ‘tutorials’, or information, or further development of your poker mastery; all of which will become part of your anticipated long-lived winning play at the Internet gaming site’s poker tables.

And, it’s formative to comprehend that the totality of the ‘poker strategy’ and information being presented to you in these Articles is not intended to yield ‘robotic’ or ‘one-size-fits-all’ play. It is, however, intended to influence your game with a variety of sound strategies.

To start, there are some mandatory dictum’s concerning Cash Management (CM).

And, be attentive to this, Cash Management is far removed from Bankroll Management. One has to do with your total finances (Cash Management), and the other has to do with your available poker funds (Bankroll Management).

The two are truly very different than one another. So, you’ll need to configure a set plan for handling both. Yet, up front, I’ll tell you that Bankroll Management is the far easier task; it’s also considerably less stressful or time consuming.

Cash Management is a ‘survival’ issue, you have bills to pay. Therefore, you’d have no business at a poker table if you weren’t current on your household and lifestyle payables; think about your mortgage, the rent, the utility bills, insurance, food, staples, auto payments, and the twenty other checks you write every month.

It is ‘survival’, and it’s your responsibility; not someone else’s responsibility. Plus, you’re NOT a professional poker player, and it’s highly unlikely that you’ll ever get to a point in time where poker winnings will become your sole source of ‘rock solid’, ‘lifestyle supporting’ income.

Plus, there are other Cash Management issues that will always necessitate your attention; they might include one or more of the following: the university education of children or grandchildren, your own retirement planning, a savings account for vacations or holidays, a 6 month emergency ‘Sh@# hit the fan’ fund.

And, all of this requires the following very disciplined action: there needs to be a rigidly defined segregation of Cash Management money (essential) and poker playing money (non-essential).

Next, there is a ‘Rule of Five’; it relates to your bankroll (the poker playing money), and the proper management of that bankroll.

It’s a very simple rule: at any one time, you ought not be playing with more than 5% of your total poker bankroll.

• So, if your account balance is $50, the most you’ll enter a game with is $2.50.
• If your account balance is $150, the most you’ll enter a game with is $7.50.
• Or, if your account balance is $900, the most you’ll enter a game with is $45. 
• And, when your poker playing session ends, when you’ve played enough for the day, you have a new 5% factor to work with, a new 5% calculation to make.

If your last poker session resulted in a loss, say $15 from your then current $300 bankroll, your new buy-in would be maxed out at $14.25; which is 5% of your now current $285 bankroll.

Or, if you won in your last poker session, say $25 from your then current $150 bankroll, your new buy-in would be maxed out at $8.75; which is 5% of your now current $175 bankroll. It’s basic arithmetic, no Doctoral degree in mathematics required!

Risk Tolerance

Moreover, while we’re on the subject of money, your money, let’s make certain that y’all fully understand the level of your Risk Tolerance.

• And, there’s no doubt, each of us will be somewhere between ‘happy’ and ‘thrilled’ every time we leave a poker game with a profit.
• Conversely, there’s no doubt, each of us will be somewhere between ‘that’s poker’ and ‘the sound of all 4 letter words’ every time we leave a poker game with a loss.
• Now, ‘happy’, ‘thrilled’, and ‘that’s poker’ are all okay; but. ‘the sound of all four letter words’ is not.
• The latter could be suggesting that you’ve violated your Risk Tolerance.

And, if you’re not familiar with the concept of Risk Tolerance (RT), it’s the measure of how much you can emotionally handle in loses; specifically it can be defined, or equated to, the amount of actual currency you could destroy, or rip up and toss away, without there being any remorse or conscious negative.

Understandably, you might find yourself in disagreement with such a definition, you might think you could measure your RT in a less costly fashion. And, I might agree that there could be other ways to correctly measure your Risk Tolerance, I just don’t know what they are.

Next, carefully entertain the ‘P or N Rule’….the ‘Positive’ or ‘Negative’ rule.

It relates to your mind set. You can’t play poker for ‘real money’ when you’re not feeling well, and you can’t play poker for ‘real money’ when multiple stress factors are cycling through your thoughts.

Please, do yourself a big favor, if you’re sick, or if you’re brain is drifting from one worrisome issue to another, to a third, to a fourth, you don’t belong at a ‘real money’ poker table. In many respects, when negatives occupy your thought processes, abide by the poker adage “money not wagered is money earned”.

A few paragraphs ago, the ‘Rule of Five’, relative to Bankroll Management, was brought to the forefront. And, you may have asked yourself “Why?”. Or, “Why is the buy-in at any one time set to 5% of a bankroll?”. And, it would have been an intelligent question to ask. Fair enough!

Even though the 5% is a generally accepted poker standard amongst the really good players, that fact is not the best answer to your question.

Time, experience, and the human physce dictates the best answer. Plainly stated, the best answer is that a loss of 5% will not, or should not, trip any emotional switches.

And, your emotions, or the management of your emotions, are a major component of the cash-winning game that each of you will bring to the cyberspace felt.

You can not permit any highs or lows within your emotional bank, you’ve got to maintain an absolute constant. No elations, and no depressions. Why?

Another intelligent question! There exists the possibilty that elations will bring on over confidence, and, that would be a mistake, you could easily overplay your cards; with the potential of it costing you big money.

Also, there would be the possibility that depressions will bring on a quest for vindication, and, that would be a mistake, trying to take out the ‘Bozo’ who beat you on the river by competing at the Bozo’s level of play; with the potential of it costing you an even greater amount of money.

Plus, if you did so, you’d be violating the “Don’t engage with an A/H” advisory; and, the A/H might not be the Bozo, think about that.

So, if your emotions ever vary from the desired constancy, maybe to the downside from a ‘bad beat’ (serendipity), maybe to the upside from a ‘runner runner suck out’ (serendipity), be extremely vigilant in delineating the movement on your emotions scale, your emotions bank.

If necessary, simply sit out for a few hands; don’t re-enter the game until you’ve stabilized the off-center status of your emotions.

Remember, the only reason you’re playing poker is to win money; it’s not ego, it’s not ‘to destroy the bastard who serendipitously put the river beat on you’, it’s just money.

Last, the word SEX was in the title of this Article.

However, and quite possibly to your disappointment, it has nothing to do with carnal knowledge, or the lack thereof.

It does, on the other hand, have quite a bit to do with poker on ‘real money’ Internet tables. More precisely, it has to do with the gender composition of the individuals you’ll be competing against on your computer screen.

Factually, at NoPayPoker, in free online poker games you’ve played against a near equal gender mix, about 50% male and 50% female. Such will not be the case in the ‘real money’ cyberspace online poker games; the tables will likely be composed of approximately 90% males, and just 10% females.

Back up for a moment, then recall from the ‘Building a Bankroll’  series of Articles that women intrinsically possess a much higher level of patience.

Men should participate in Patience Development Exercises (PDE’s), women rarely need to. Thus, gender composition, and, the concommitant change to the average level of patience at the poker tables, will yield a not-so-subtle change in your gaming environment.

It has to do with speed of play, the pace of action, the frequency of aggression, and the non-moderated chat banter. For a few, it’s a prelude of ‘worse to come’. For some, it’s unnerving. For many, it’s meaningless. And, for everyone, it’s a reality.

‘Worse to come’? Yes! With males occupying 9 out of 10 seats at the cyberspace tables, you can expect ‘bar room’, ‘billiard parlor’ and ‘military baracks’ verbal interaction; albeit only when there is the availability of table chat.

Trash talk is commonplace. Over time, you’ll be called everything from ‘Donnie Donk’ to ‘Tommy Turd’.

You’ll read just about every 4-letter word humanity has thought up, and you’ll be exposed to many sexual admonitions that you never thought could be used to describe a human condition; and, someday, you might even wonder if all 9 of the world’s most vulgar people were sitting at your very table….all at the very same time.

In the end, ignore the A/H’s, focus on the way in which you manged to build your bankroll. It was done at NoPayPoker. It was free poker, it was fun poker, it was entertaining. You not only accumulated your ‘real money’ bankroll there, you also accumulated a wealth of experience there.

And, we might all agree that your accumulation of winnings on NPP was at the expense of ‘farm animals’; somewhere in the neighborhood of 90% of all the members at NoPay are nothing more than novice chip-flingers, at or beneath the ‘PukieDumbo’ level of play, level of intellect.

Yet, what you may not agree with is the contention that I’ve always put into print and taught to students; “It’s much more difficult to beat bad players than it is to beat good players”.

But, you’ve done it; you’ve beaten the bad players, you’ve put some solid ‘thumpings’ on ‘Pukie’ and his equals. And, you’ve proven that you’re more than capable of beating the good players.

Plus, it’s not just the fact that you’ve ‘whooped up’ on the decent players at NoPay, but you’re also capable of putting some ‘hurts’ on the better players you’ll meet at the ‘real money’ Internet poker sites.

So, allow a touch of self-confidence to mix with your karma; get on the Internet felt, and begin the process of winning money.

Best of luck at the tables.

D. Michael

(c) copyright, June, 2011; all rights reserved by D. M. Vadnais

See all the NoPayPOKER.com free online poker coaching and education articles:

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• Expanding your bankroll series of free online poker instruction designed to for intermediates who want to step up to expert level
• World of B&M free online poker training for players who have decided it is time to add real live face to face play to their poker playing lifestyle.