The arsenal of ‘poker weapons’ included in the strategies that each of you bring to the tables have often placed you in the final 10 of a cash or free online poker Multi-Table Tournament (MTT). And, on a fairly consistent basis (likely in the area approximating 20% of the time) they have also placed you in the position of playing ‘Heads-Up’ for a tournament title.

Moreover, whether you’ve specifically chosen to play in a ‘Sit-n-Go’, or you’ve ended up at a MTT final table, you’re going to experience multiple similarities between the 2 events that host a total of 10 players….the final 10 from a MTT, or the 10 who joined the ‘Sit-n-Go’. This commonality, plus the subsequent practical issues tied to ‘Heads-Up’ play, require some advisories.

Now….I know y’all get to a final table with a degree of regularity. But, I also know that many of you have a problem getting beyond 10th, 9th, 8th, 7th, 6th, 5th, 4th, 3rd, and 2nd place finishes.

Additionally, I’m fully aware of the fact that those of you who are ‘stuck in this rut’, are unable to find a cure to the problems that are ‘rustling you into this rut’. And, the fact that you’re doing so is costing you money.

Fittingly, might it not be a good idea to ‘rid ourselves of the rut’.

Of course it is! The 2 guys named ‘Dumb’ and ‘Dumber’ ain’t here. Both of them finally decided to get on the bus with all those bikini glad young ladies; some form of sanity intervention deposited on each of them implanted a modicum of intellect….or, they saw the ‘Alpha Bull’, and decided on the better option.

We also have a ‘better option’ regarding our approach to final table play.

> It incorporates the dictum that ‘Tight is Right’….at least until we reach the point where there are only 4 players left in the game.

> Additionally, we no longer want to view the table in 3 sections….i.e: Early, Middle, and Late.

> Change is necessary. The final table of any MTT (or ‘Sit-n-Go’) has only 2 sections: Early and Late. No Middle positions exist!

> What were the Middle positions now become Early positions. It’s a different game. Adjust!

Having written the above, keep your ‘Playable Pockets Matrix’ (PPM) in mind.

> It tells you that Early position playable pockets are limited to AA, KK, QQ, AK, and AQ suited.

> Thus, when you’re seated in what was the Small Blind (SB), Big Blind (BB), Under The Gun (UG), Middle 1 (M1), Middle 2 (M2), Middle 3 (M3), and Middle 4 (M4) positions, you’re not gonna’ be in too many hands any more.

> Again, a reminder, ‘Tight is Right’.

The ONLY exception to the above are pockets 22 through JJ.

Whenever any of these 10 pockets are dealt to you, call the forced Big Blind bet, hope that only ‘limpers’ enter the pot, and then pray that you flop a set.

Of course, if someone raises the forced Big Blind bet, whether you’ve already ‘limped in’ or have yet to act, lay down your pocket pair. This includes the Jacks (there’s a 66% chance that an Ace, King, or Queen will be a part of the flop).

‘Tight is Right’, and you want others OFF the final table before you begin to play competitively for the tournament title.

> And, of significance, that competitive point in time occurs when you and 3 other players remain in the game.

> Plus, by then, by the the time it’s just the 4 of you left, you’ll clearly have an understanding of the style of play and idiosyncracies associated with the game put forth by your 3 opponents.

Now, when play does begin on the table of 10, the size of your stack dictates your actions.

> If you’re among the low stacks, DO NOT go crazy with an Ace/rag pocket

> Try as best as you can to let 2 or 3 other players make the Ace/rag mistake, or the King/rag mistake.

> And, in so doing, as they get eliminated, move up from a potential 10th place finish to at least a 7th or 6th place finish.

> Again, lose the inclination to play Ace/rag (a frequent action on the part of many players who are low-stacked).

Or, fail to do so, and remain in a 10th place rut.

> Additionally, lose the inclination to go ‘all-in’ with a low pocket pair; 22 through JJ.

> Certainly you’ll want your low pocket pair to be hunting for a set, but you ought not be willing to take an ‘all-in’ loss on a low pair.

> Set mining….Yes. All-in….No.

However, if you’re one of the low stacks, and any one of the 5 playable pockets does come your way, get your chips into the pot, it’s one of the few times we’ll allow ourselves to act with aggression in the early stages of final table play; hopefully you’ll double up.

And, yes, you actually just read a sentence where I suggested, proposed, or alluded to an ‘All-In’ bet. Is the world coming to an end? Vadnais and an ‘All-In’ bet. Good Lord!

“I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul”….these are the last 2 lines from the poem ‘Invictus’ by William Ernest Henley. And, in the instance of a low-stack, with you in possession of one of the 5 playable pockets, and a brief prayer to your God, the British poet’s words DO NOT apply. Serendipity does!

Allow ‘Lady Luck’ to to be the master of your fate, allow ‘divine blessings’ to be the captain of your soul. So, as mentioned in the previous paragraph, the ‘all-in’ bet is acceptable.

If you’re mid-stacked or average-stacked, pound the words ‘Tight is Right’ into your mind.

> Primarily because your singular goal at this stage of play is to get to the final 4.

> Of note, since you’ll be involved in game play with ONLY the 5 playable pockets (and the low pairs of 22 through JJ), you’ll experience a ‘Flops Seen Percentage’ of much less than 10%

> Far lower than the 16% to 24% that you might normally identify as your customary number.

If, on the other hand, you have a large stack, or, if you are the ‘chip-leader’, you have a choice to make.

> And, it would be wise to make the choice that represents the opposite ‘style of play’ versus the ‘style of play’ that you generally compete with.

> Essentially throwing a ‘curve ball’ at the other players.

Remember, many of them are not familiar with the WAFABA group, they play well, they maintain a consistency of focus, and they know your game.

> They’ve seen both your ‘fast ball’ and ‘slider’.

> Thus, you unquestionably need the ‘curve ball’.

> At this point, it’s the only pitch they’ve yet to play against.

So, you can choose to play ‘Tight is Right’, or, you can choose to play very aggressively.

You have no other options. Unless, of course, someone has taught you ‘a new truth’ about the game, or a new ‘pitch’ to use as a metaphor or an option.

And, if that’s the case, I desperately need to have a special tutorial delivered for my benefit, heck, even at 67, I learn something new every day.

When you choose the latter ‘style of play’, very aggressive, you’re looking to steal as many blinds as is possible.

And, since the other players, in their attempt to get to the final 4, are probably adhering to a ‘Tight is Right’ approach, the pressure you apply to the table should be adding what are now fairly large blinds to your stack.

When you choose the former ‘style of play’, conservative, or ‘Tight is Right’, you’re looking to sit back, pick up on tells, discern playing habits, and let the competition eliminate each other from the game.

And, while you’ll be losing some blinds, while you’ll be moderately lowering your stack, it won’t be long before you end up finding yourself amongst the final 4.

Then, and only then, does the ‘real’ end-game play begin.

Now, at the advent of final 4 play, it’s ‘abandon the PPM time’, the Playable Pockets Matrix.

> Get in the hand for the cost of the Big Blind with suited connectors and suited one-gappers (like 6h/8h or 7c/9c).

> Get in the hand for the cost of the Big Blind with Ace/rag suited, King/rag suited, and Queen/rag suited.

> Plus, if you’ve been dealt a low pocket pair, push out a 4x the BB raise, where you’re looking to isolate your play against just one competitor.

> Hey! Take notice, you just became an extremely aggressive player.

And, from final 4 play to ‘Heads-Up’ play, it’s ‘extreme aggression’ that will produce significantly increased 3rd place, 2nd place, and 1st place finishes for you.

> Post flop, if the board does not fit with your pocket cards, get away from the hand.

>Alternately, if the board does fit with your pocket cards, vigorously maintain your aggression.

> And, you accomplish this by either pot-size bets or overbets, even when you hold a ‘nuts’ hand.

What? Betting with a ‘nuts’ hand, not ‘slow-playing’. YES !!!!

Simply because any one of your opponents could have reached the ‘limit of their frustration’.

By that I mean they are tired of playing, or bored with the game, or running out of patience, or dinner is ready, or fooled by your aggression, or, any combination of the five “I’ve had enough” mumbled words that they might be saying to themselves.

And, their call of your bet opens the door for their departure from the game.

Also, recognize that I’ve made no mention of ‘Continuation Bets’ (CB), for just cause.

> CB bets do not enter your game until Heads-Up play commences

> Then, you may well be consumed by Continuation Bets

> It’s one of a half-dozen keys to winning in Heads-Up (HU) situations; whether the play be in a 2 handed ‘sit-n-go’ game, a Heads-Up multi-player elimination event, or final table play between the last 2 players in a tournament game.

Importantly, you need to understand that you’re going to be in ONLY one of two positions when the HU action begins

> You either hold the chip lead, or you don’t hold the chip lead.

> And, the actions you will use during game play are directly correlated to which position you find yourself in

> Ahead in the chip count, or behind in the chip count.

When you’re behind, you need to be incredibly aggressive.

> This works to your advantage because your opponent is ‘hell bent’ on maintaining his or her chip lead.

> Additionally, you need to eliminate any fears you may have about Heads-Up play in general,.

> Simply think of it as a table of 10, with just you and your sole opponent remaining in the hand

> All the other players have folded

> 8 players watching the hand, 2 players competing in the hand.

The fundamentals to Heads-Up play when you DO NOT have the chip lead (you’re the lower stack) should be ingrained with ‘incredibly aggressive’ play as follows:

- anytime you’re dealt a Q/8 or better, put out a 3x the Big Blind raise

- post-flop, with or without a good hand, make a strong Continuation Bet

- in either instance, get out of the hand when an Over-The-Top raise occurs

- or, if you have a strong post-flop hand, push ‘all-in’ and try for a double-up

When you’re ahead, you need to be incredibly conservative.

This works to your advantage because all you need is one good pocket and board to claim victory.

You really don’t need to win a lot of hands, you really don’t need to steal a lot of blinds, you really don’t need to ‘bully’ your opponent – NO; you just need one ‘all-in’ winning hand. ‘

Tight is Right’ and ‘Patience’ should completely control your game play.

The fundamentals to Heads-Up play when you DO have the chip lead (you’re the higher stack) should be ingrained with ‘incredibly conservative’ play as follows:

- never initiate the ‘all-in’ bet, but call with pocket AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AK, and AQ suited

- never raise the Big Blind, but call a raise with the above pockets and any pair.

- always ‘slow-play’ your current ‘nuts’ hand, looking for an ‘all-in’ bet from your opponent

- never initiate any bet; allow your weak hand to be drawn against (put no chips at risk)

- your primary goal is to protect your lead; it’s NOT to defend your blinds

Were the fundamentals somewhat anti-climatic? Perhaps so! Yet, should you opt to follow each of them as listed above, along with a bit of practice, and a little more practice, you’ll eventually discover that approximately two out of every three Heads-Up game play situations will end up as an add to your victory column….and, an add to your bankroll.

Best of Luck at the Tables,

D. Michael

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

Practice poker versus your computer with integrated lessons in “Poker for Dummies” Perfect for the times when you just really don’t feel like playing real people

And play a poker championship in Governor of Poker 2

Read the Previous article in the Advanced Poker Strategies at advanced free online poker part 8

A bit advanced for you? Check out Poker 101 our Learn How to play poker for beginners series or Build a Bankroll for intermediates.

In poker be it free poker like you play at NoPayPOKER or big stakes you do not just play the cards. You also play the player, or to put it another way, you aim to manipulate other players so that they do what you want them to do. The desired end result of course is that they give you money!

Playing the player has 2 sides. On your side you are trying to read your opponent, classify their style, of play, motivations and actions and play your cards in accordance with your conclusions.

On the opposing player side you are trying to play them to increase the degree of error with which they classify your style of play, motivations and actions.

To learn how to do this lets look at an example of playing the player in action from a WSOP event.

BLINDS 50k/100k

• A has Ac-Qh raises 350k
• B is on big blind, has Kc-Js, calls 230k (Pot 880k)

K-J is usually a bit weak to call a raise. Moreover, B doesn’t have position over A, but he calls because he wants A to guess.

From the big blind, generally we just call because we are on a discount, so we might have 6-5, 10-8, and a bunch of other indeterminate hands which require guessing.

FLOP 4d-5h-3d

B bets 535k

Because small cards fell, B now wants A to think that his call from the big blind hit the Flop, and that his hand may well include those indeterminate hands like 5-4, 8-5, or even 6-7, or two Diamonds. But what did A think?

• A raises to 1.8m (Pot 3.215m)
• B needs 1.265m to call

Here, A thought that B’s bet was just a continuation bet, and with small cards falling A’s belief is reinforced that B is just trying to finish the hand. How would small cards likely hit B?

Additionally, B has been playing aggressively all night (stealing pots, etc.) so B could be betting with something (which is not likely with small cards falling) or with nothing. B could be playing just about anything, especially from the big blind.

At that point, A gambled that B has nothing. He may have also figured out that if B had something and then moves all-in later then he can move out quickly. So he raised to try B’s strength.

B folds

B folds, because, indeed, he has nothing, and if he calls, he will be committed to continue. (Had B moved all-in then it will be a good all-in, for A could still be guessing at this point what B’s hand was. But B’s cards were not strong enough.)

Also, he folds, because A raised from late position, which allows for a wider range of hands, like even 5-4 or two Diamonds.

Poker, indeed, is not simply a game of good hands versus good hands. Experienced poker players will win with bad hands under the right conditions.

We give credit to B for first trying to win with a bad hand, a good effort to play he player. Unfortunately for B, A did the playing the player task superbly too, having noted previous actions and motivations and related that to current con text and probability and so played out to win well.

The good news is that the majority of players can’t be bothered to learn how to play poker, they are happy to play in the donk zone and call it fun (it’s more fun to win money guys) so, for you, the player who wants to learn to play well the great news is that when you learn to play poker well you can go mercenary and deliberately hunt them down in cold blood in low stakes games on money poker sites and on free online poker NoPayPOKER that pay real $s and happily build your skills and bankroll!

It’s time to focus briefly on the Quality of Play aspects of the Bricks & Mortar (B&M) cash poker game.

To do so, I’d like to share some observations…all of which are credible estimates. However, no detail records have been kept by me; the card room management won’t allow me to keep a lap top at the felt table. And, that’s understandable. Could you imagine the clutter and vast amounts of time that would inundate the table and slow down the game?

Besides, while the game is only about money, no one is going to win money without bringing the requisite mental capacities to their seat at the table….if you can’t think poker, you can’t play poker.

On to the observations! At least 4 out of 5 players on the Internet, especially on free poker sites are donkies; yet, less than 2 out of 5 players at the B&M’s are donkies. At best, 1 out of 5 players on the Internet have some advanced degree of talent; whereas more than 2 out of 5 players at the B&M’s have some advanced degree of talent.

Somewhere around 1 out of 100 individuals are extremely good players in online poker; but, somewhere around 1 out of 10 individuals are extremely good players at the B &M’s.

Your chances of playing against a professional poker player on the Internet are almost zero, while your chances of playing against a professional poker player at the B & M’s are almost 100%…providing that your minimum play is with blinds of $5/$10.

So, if all of your No Limit cash game experience is tied to free online poker play, or, if all of your No Limit play is tied to poker tournament events on the Internet….NoPayPoker or otherwise….you’re going to walk into an environment at every B &M where the Quality of Play will present a very large challenge; a challenge that you’ll need to willingly accept, a challenge that you’ll need to openly welcome, and a challenge that you’ll need to be thoroughly prepared for.

Plus, here and now, accept the premise that this preparedness deals with risk tolerance, emotions management, patience, playable pockets, and practice-practice-practice…mostly with a mirror, teaching yourself to facially express the converse of the deceits you’re going to want to implement at the cash game table.

Therefore…do not approach a B &M cash game if you are not fully prepared to play well. I don’t want you giving away your money, I want you taking their money.

• On the free online poker tables you might often take the position that the names you’re playing against are donkies…don’t ever do that at a B & M.
• Ultimately, allow your well-spent time at the B &M’s cash table to assist you in making any such decision.
• On the Internet, you might often predispose yourself to an opinion regarding the absence of advanced talent on the part of your competitors…don’t ever do that at a B & M.
• Ultimately, let your personal observations at the B & M’s cash table provide the relevant information for you to form an educated opinion.

Additionally, don’t ever judge the proverbial book by it’s cover; whatever attire your competitors are wearing has little or no bearing on their level of skill.

Plus, there is no gender at a cash game table…no one is male, no one is female; they’re all just players.

Of note, however, unlike Internet poker, you will rarely see more than 1 out of 10 players who are female….and, I’m not sure why. I know quite a few truly remarkable and talented female poker players.

That aside, provocative, appealing, suggestive, inviting, alluring, handsome, attractive, sensual, disarming, sculpted, toned, thin, muscled, or any word denoting anatomical highlighting is non-existent.

• Let me repeat that…anatomical highlighting is non-existent.
• There is no gender at a cash game table.
• There is no Adonis, Brad Pitt or Marlboro Man.
• There is no Venus, Pamela Anderson, or Victoria’s Secret model.
• They’re all just players, they’re all genderless. They have to be, you can’t permit a distraction of any kind.

The texas Holdem No Limit cash game at a B & M is not an entertainment venue. Few, if any, players join a game to simply have ‘fun’.

• Their presence at the felt is centered around a singular goal; that goal is to take your money.
• They’re not interested in your friendship, your admiration, your respect, or your opinions; their interest rests exclusively in separating you from your cash.
• Come to accept this exactly as I have written it; your money is their goal.
• And, unlike the Internet, many of the B & M players possess the skill to do just that.
• No one is playing 64 off-suit; with the exception of the BB when only ‘limpers’ have entered the pot.

This is not the WSOP final table, where all of the participants know just about everything there is to know about everyone else…this is a cash game, where almost everyone knows next to nothing about almost everyone else (unless you’ve learned to use player notes).

Treat it as such. Let minutes and hours unfold where you maintain a Consistency of Focus (COF) that is unrelenting. This COF will fill your mind with countless bits of usable information. And, when the time arrives to put that information in play, do so with controlled aggression.

Deceptions aside, the B &M cash game is fundamentally an arena where aggression is rewarded.
Yet, I’m not talking about reckless abandon here, I’m talking about the situations where you’re in a clearly defined advantaged position.

And, you’ll need to choose aggression wisely. It should be a major factor in your game. In all honesty, it better be a major factor in your game. It can be used in many ways.

• You could initiate some mild aggression when you first sit down at the table.
• This use will be nothing more than a decoy…another deception.
• You’ll be donating a relatively small amount of money to your competitors; on purpose.

You’ll essentially be telling them that you’re an action player; thereby generating significant return action when you eventually get to hold a ‘nuts’ hand. Or, wait until you’ve built a decent size stack, then use it to ‘bully’ the table.

Either of the 2 choices can, should, and will move chips to your stack.

However, aggression can not be a constant in your game. It can not consume you, it must always be a singular tool that you can use to win…a tool that you occasionally take from a box that houses a multitude of tools.

The real constants will always be your playable pockets, patience, and the many deceptions you bring to the table.

Additionally, let’s be sure to select the right game, the right table.

• There is no need for you to start your No Limit B & M cash game play at the $1/$2 level.
• Take a look at all of the games first, and try to find a game where many of the players have a stack that equals your planned buy-in.
• The benefit of equivalent stacks rests in the possibility of you holding a ‘nuts’ hand when, or if, some competitor initiates an ill-timed all-in move.
• And, for reasons to be explained in a subsequent Article within this series of Articles, be sure that you select a $5/$10 game to begin your play.

However, to do so, to join a $5/$10 game, your buy-in needs to be in the area of $1,500.
And, hopefully, you’ll end up finding a game where 5 or 6 players have a stack that compares about equally to your stack.

Be advised, though, that before you buy-in, spend at least the better part of an hour observing the players in the game; memorize some mental notes as to the quality of their play, the style of their play, their money management techniques, their emotions management level, and their body language.

Once you have accomplished this, try to take the seat to the left of the best player at the table. And, allow the lessor players to be to your left.

You’ll want the good player to be making most of his decisions before you, and you’ll want all of the bad players to be making most of their decisions after you…for good reasons.

• The good player knows what he’s doing, he has demonstrated his expertise to you, you’ve watched him outplay the table, you’ve seen him take down pots with variations in his playing style, and you’ve observed his body language such that you may have registered a read on him.
• Great! keep him to your right, you’ll be sitting to his left; this way, almost all of his decisions are made prior to your decisions.

The bad players, again, should be to your left. You’ll want them to erroneously participate in the hands where you have a high probability of winning, and you’ll definitely want them to participate in the hands where you hold the ‘nuts’.

For the most part, we’ll have a standard operating procedure at the table…we’ll avoid the good player (or, players), and we’ll aggressively bet into the bad players when we’re in an advantaged situation.

Also, let’s be sure to select the right day for our trip to the felt table.
We certainly don’t want to be traveling to the B & M if we’re currently in a state of emotional disarray.

• We can’t be upset with family, friends, work, or financial matters.
• We can’t be tired as a result of a bad night’s sleep, excessive work around the house, or an unusual amount of hours spent on the job.
• And, we can’t be stressed from relationship issues, employment issues, or personal misgivings.

We need to be clear-headed, alert, responsive, and completely in balance with the ‘goings-on’ that surround us.
Plus, we need to address the issue of risk-tolerance with intelligent thought. We need to be certain that the cash we plan to use as a buy-in is viewed by us with something of an attitude that approaches indifference.

Not that we plan on losing…that would never be our intention. Yet, on any one day we could suffer from the negative effects of the ever whimsical Lady Luck…and, those effects, for this one day only, could be cause for our buy-in to regrettably disappear at the felt. It does happen; no matter how much skill we bring to the table.

Next, I want to offer up a few words about the five paint pockets…TT, JJ, QQ, KK, and AA. Which, I might add, I categorize into three distinct labels.

• The Tens and Jacks I like to call the ‘TROUBLE’ pockets.
• The Queens and Kings I like to call the ‘MONARCH’ pockets.
• The Aces, I like to call the ‘DOMINANT’ pocket.

Tens and Jacks are potential nightmares…almost disasters waiting to happen.

• Consider that there are 12 cards pre-flop that will bring about a disaster.
• And, let’s assume that at least one player who is in the hand holds a pocket Queen, or a pocket King, or a pocket Ace (a fairly safe assumption; else what the heck are they in the hand for in the first place).
• Therefore, the deck holds 11 cards that will cause us a massive headache if any one of them were to show on the flop.
• And, since there are 11 cards, the chances of any one of them appearing within the flop are approximately 66%.

So, taking the 66% into account, I think you’ll readily understand why I will rarely do anything other than ‘limp in’ with Tens or Jacks.

I have this propensity for wanting to avoid just about all circumstances where I’m forced to make a decision that needs to be made from a disadvantaged position.

Post-flop, if an Ace, King, or Queen have hit the board, and there is a bettor, I’m almost always folding. Again, I have a never ending disdain for continuing to play when I don’t hold the current ‘nuts’ hand. I’m only at the table to win, I’m not at the table to donate.

The Queens and Kings, the MONARCH pockets, are considerably more to my liking.

• Where the Queens get to go up against 7 cards (making the assumption that someone holds a pocket King, or a pocket Ace).
• And, the Kings get to go up against 3 cards (making the assumption that someone holds a pocket Ace).
• As such, the Queens have a 58% chance of surviving the flop, and the Kings have an 88% chance of surviving the flop.
• Thus, contingent on my player notes, contingent on my player observations, I’ll almost always call a moderate pre-flop raise with Queens, and I’ll almost always call an aggressive pre-flop raise with Kings.

However, since I’m not holding the ‘nut’ pre-flop hand, I’ll infrequently play either pair with purposeful aggression.

By that I mean I’ll hardly ever initiate the betting. Moreover, if I’m holding pocket Queens, and an Ace or King show on the flop, together with someone betting post-flop, I have little problem in laying down my pair…it’s not a current ‘nuts’ hand.

If I’m holding pocket Kings, and an Ace shows on the flop, together with someone betting post-flop, I’ll again have little problem in laying down my pair…it’s not a current ‘nuts’ hand.

The concept of laying down these big pairs, or any big hand that is not a current ‘nuts’ hand, is paramount to attaining a high monthly ROI.
If you’re not able to toss away what was once a very good hand, in the face of somewhat overwhelming evidence that it’s no longer a very good hand, you’re doomed to be no more than an average cash game player; winning on an occasional basis, losing on an occasional basis. And, by my standards, that’s just unacceptable. I play to win, not lose.

The Aces, the DOMINANT pocket, are a gift…a 1 in 220 gift. And, we need to treat them as such.

• I do not, however, always play pocket AA the same way; I would suggest that you do likewise.
• There is good and bad associated with every method of playing pocket Aces…y’all know them, I’ll not repeat them.
• But, believe it or not, there are times when I’ll actually ‘muck’ the 2 cards.
• And, again, I’m going to tell you that I only look stupid.

Let me give you an example…a time when I would certainly fold pocket Aces pre-flop.

• I’m the small blind…and I’ve been dealt pocket AA.
• The UG raises to 4X the big blind. M1 and M2 call.
• M3 raises to 12X the big blind. M4, L1, and L2, all call the 12X the big blind raise.
• Then, the DB goes all-in; essentially a bet that represents approximately 35X the big blind.
• Now, it’s my turn to call, raise, or fold. Wow, this is going to be one whale of a pot.

Two players called a 4X the BB raise, three players called a 12X the BB raise, and the next player went all-in.

• I’ve got to believe that each, or most, of the 12X the BB callers are going to call the all-in bet.
• That guarantees the hand will be played with at least 4 to 5 players.
• But, there could easily be more who will join in. The original raiser, and the two callers of the 4X the BB bet might enter the pot.
• Certainly, everyone is getting correct pot odds.
• Do the math, no PhD required. The hand could be played by 7 individuals.

But…am I getting the correct pot odds?

• Given all the participants in this particular hand, the probability of only a pair of Aces winning the pot are profoundly remote.
• So, I have a about a 1 in 5 chance of hitting a set (flop, turn, and river combined).
• Or, do I? No…I don’t think so. If that many players have entered the fray, the chances of one of them holding a pocket Ace are nearly 100%.
• This being true, I only have a 1 in 10 chance of hitting a set.

Frankly, with that many players in the pot, the likelihood is that two players hold a pocket Ace. And, with that being true, I have no possibility of hitting a set.

Moreover, who’s to say that a set will win this ‘lotto’ hand. Thus, I’d rather not play, I’d rather just toss the pocket Aces…I’ll wait, with patience, for my opportunity to take down a big pot when I’m holding a post-river ‘nuts’ hand. Patience, patience, patience…I doubt that I could ever talk enough about it.

Now, let me be the first to admit, the frequency in which the above described hand would actually happen has got to be close to zip; yet, it could happen. And, if you put some thought into it, you’ll likely come up with any number of situations that would provide a setting where 4 to 7 players were flinging vast sums of money around in a ‘lotto’ type hand.

Frankly, I’m fairly confident y’all have seen it happen; on more than one occasion. I’m even more confident that each of you are unable to count the number of times when you’ve seen pocket Aces get cracked.

So, when 4 or more players are tossing money around as though the world was about to end within the next few minutes, I’ll always toss the Aces away.

Simply stated, I don’t want to play in a hand where I’m not an ‘advantaged’ participant, or, better yet, where I’m not a guaranteed winner.

Why would I? This game is about winning, it’s about taking their money. It has nothing to do with gambling. In fact, I don’t gamble at all; never have, never will. Heck, I’ve never even bought a lottery ticket.

Best of Luck at the Tables

Michael

(c) copyright 2009; no reproduction, all rights reserved by D. M. Vadnais

NB – Over your head a bit for now? Don’t worry! Read the whole series by D.M. Vadnais on the NoPayPOKER.com blog then go practice your free texas holdem poker online on the main NoPayPOKER.com site. As our mastro says in previous articles, you can win real monet playing real free poker on NopayPOKER and with that fund your bankroll for the real deal when you go up to the B&M bigs.

We’ve put patience into our ‘real money’ game play arsenal, and we’ve developed a fairly comprehensive understanding of the vast differences between free online poker play and Felt Table play.

Plus, as mentioned in both Articles 1 and 2, we’ve learned that our ‘real money’ play must be limited to Brick and Mortar casinos, card rooms, or home games. We’ll never play for cash on the online poker sites….we’ve learned that their games have become corrupt, we’ve learned that their games host various forms of cheating.

Conversely, we’ve learned that our time spent on free poker NoPayPOKER.com can produce a number of ‘game improving’ elements; including….self-tutorials, practice, strategy testing, confidence building, skills development, and pennies pocketed (with the knowledge that pennies become dollars).

Yet, the word ‘deceit’ has not entered our preamble descriptor regarding the game of poker.
And, it should….it needs to; once we learn to use ‘deceit’ purposefully, we’ll be adding rather large amounts of money to our respective wallets, purses, and belly-bags (fanny-packs).

Moreover, as we embark on our excursion into the ‘deceit’ aspects of the game, please recognize that there are 3 separate components associated with poker ‘deceit’.

Possibly, one of the best examples of deceitful play (that’s 1), deceitful chat (that’s 2), and deceitful tells (that’s 3) I could present to you, would be the way in which Jamie Gold…great cards aside…toyed with the minds of all the players he sat with at the 2006 World Series of Poker.

If you haven’t already done so, take the time to watch the TV replays of the final table; and, while you’re watching, keep in mind that Mr. Gold is predominately a cash game player; he’s not a tournament player….neither by reputation, nor by participation. Cash tables are where he is usually found.

He frequently lied…He often told the truth.

• He taunted – He coached.
• He showed – He mucked.
• He was aggressive – He was passive.
• He was tight – He was loose.
• He was stoic – He was emotional.
• He was talkative – He was silent.
• He was sympathetic – He was indifferent.
• He was polite -He was rude.

Frankly, the only thing that remained a constant, was the fact that he was always ‘non-constant’.
Everything varied, everything flip-flopped. And, all of it was done purposely…he was the consummate bearer of deceit.

Do you think he solidified any friendships while he played…excluding Johnny Chan? I don’t.

Do you think he gave a rat’s butt about the absence of new friends? I don’t.

Do you think it bothered him that Norman Chad consistently cast aspersions on his play? I don’t.

Do you think his deceitfulness is NOT a regular and formidable component of his cash game play? I don’t.

Do you think he’s routinely donating money to other players in cash games? I don’t.

In all honesty, he’s a very profitable player; someone who completely dominates ring games with a frequency that is well known to the professional players community. And, he is amongst the group of players who sit atop the ‘most disliked’ list.

Good for him…he’s mastered a part of the game that we all need to learn; especially me. I can’t count the number of times I wished that I possessed his ability to offer up deceitful vocalizations.

Maybe…just maybe…we don’t need to be as arrogant, obnoxious, and disdainful as he is; or, as he appears to be. Maybe we simply need to incorporate the right balance between social interaction and deceptive strategies.

Maybe we can be liked by some, tolerated by others, respected by a bunch, and despised by a few. Is that something we can accomplish? Can we do it? Sure, and I can think of no reason to allow me to believe otherwise.

Thus, we’re going to move forward in an attempt to create the necessary balance between ‘being social’ and ‘being deceptive’.
Do we need to alter our personalities in order to attain such an idyllic ritual? Do we need to become altogether different people versus what we’re like in daily life?

Well…the answer isn’t simple; It’s not black and white…it’s not yes or no. It’s gray. It rests somewhere in our personal depository of capabilities. And, we’ll need to be able to call upon one of them at will; making it present itself whenever we so choose.

Let’s call it our ‘Zone’. A state of mind that we enter and exit as ever we wish. When we’re in this ‘Zone’, we’re not ourselves…we possess no fiscal compassion; we have no regard for others and their money (except we won’t cheat…not once, not ever).

When we’re not in the ‘Zone’…we’re our usual pleasant, courteous, caring, and compassionate selves. Well, at least y’all are. I’m not sure how many people would describe me that way.

Learning to include ‘deceit’ in your cash games, much like Jamie Gold has done in his cash games, will involve a bit more than just deceitful chat, false banter, and contrived utterances.

You’ll also need to bring both deceitful play and deceitful tells to your space at the felt table…and, you’ll need to do it with regularity.

Each and every step you take toward perfecting the art of putting forth ‘deception’, brings you closer to filling your pockets with your competitors’ cash.

The latter of the two, deceitful tells, would be the easier to master. It’s simply a matter of developing the where-with-all to let our body language deliver a false message. Sometimes we’ll want our movements or expressions to tell people that we’ve got rags; when, in fact, we’re actually holding the ‘nuts’.

Conversely, sometimes we’ll want our movements or expressions to tell people that we’ve got the ‘nuts’; when, in fact, we’re actually holding rags.

Now, this can’t be all that difficult to implement. And, as an example, let’s assume you’re holding a ‘nuts’ hand.

• Before you raise, let your left hand brush both of your eyebrows (or, anything similar)…let it happen subtlety, don’t make it overtly obvious.
• Do this the first 2 or 3 times you’re in possession of the best hand post-river.
• It’s not a false signal that you’re sending; you actually hold the winning hand.
  
• What you are accomplishing here is the ‘deceit set-up’.
• Then, the very next time you’re holding the ‘nuts’, don’t allow your left hand to move at all…don’t let anything move.
• This lack of movement is now sending the deceitful tell. Your opponents…at least the observant competitors…are going to read this tell.
• They will believe that you are not holding a winning hand, they’ll believe that you’re stabbing at the pot…attempting to steal it.
• And, since you are holding a ‘nuts’ hand, when this happens, you’ll almost assuredly move a mountain of chips to your stack.

Undoubtedly, you’ve now recognized that the opposite can be done.

• By that I mean, post-river, you’re holding rags…but, you want to steal the pot.
• So, get that left hand in motion, rub your eyebrows, and proceed to bet.
• The tell will be read by the other players at the table.
• They’ll believe that you’re again holding the ‘nuts’.
• Each will fold. And, the chips will be moved to your spot on the green felt.
• Or, do you think that the ‘opposite play’ just described might not be that easy?

If you do, you’re correct. Principally because this can only be done when a very definitive board is laid out before you.

The five exposed cards must be patterned such that a ‘nuts’ hand would be very hard to come by for any of your competitors; no straight possibilities, no flush possibilities, and no exposed pair. Again, keep caution in mind.

This type of deceitful tell is considerably more risk-oriented than it’s converse (the times when you’re actually holding the ‘nuts’ hand)…use it infrequently. Also, you can never use it when the deceitful tell, in a hand where you held the ‘nuts’, had been previously used to take down a large pot.

By that I mean, if you’ve NOT ‘rubbed your eyebrows’, and won with a ‘nuts’ hand that ended up being seen by everyone, you can’t ‘NOT rub your eyebrows’, and expect to win with rags.

Additionally, you’re going to have to alter your body language on a ‘play session’ basis…with regularity.

Each time you sit down at a new table, you’ll need to contrive a different tell. It can’t always be something like ‘brushing your eyebrows’ as described above. You’ll need to be changing it with rigorous consistency…day to day…every day.

Try scratching your right ear, rubbing your chin, tapping your fingers, toying with chips, or any other detectable movement.

And, while it’s perfectly okay that a few players who are often with you at a table come to fully comprehend your deceptions, please note that they are not the targets of your deceit. Certainly not after you’ve played with the same 2 or 3 people on a regular basis.

Your targets are the players who are new to you; the players who sit down at a B & M table as tourists…or, as local visitors…or, as occasional gamblers…or, as recreational day-trippers…or, as poker professionals. Who cares? It doesn’t matter who they are! What matters is that their currency is green, and that we develop the skills to move their cash to our wallets.

Deceitful plays, the third and last form of deception, can have many dimensions…many practical applications.
Yet, one stands far above all of the others combined. Therefore, it is the only practical application that I’d like to present in this article.

It has to do with betting…specifically, initiating bets and raising bets. And, prior to my making any reference to the betting strategy that will create the desired deception we seek, allow me to paraphrase a lesson I learned from my mentor…a well known poker professional who taught me the fundamentals of the game, and so much more.

The following is what he had to say…again, I’m paraphrasing, but I’ll put it in quotes anyway.

“Many experienced cash game players prefer to make all of their bets and raises equal to the size of the pot. This consistency helps to conceal the actual strength of their cards. Plus, any pot size bet generally creates a disadvantaged draw situation for most opponents; they’re just not able to get suitable pot odds. And, the absence of sufficient pot odds almost always puts the better players in a position where they’re inclined to fold. Or, if they do put money into the pot, whether they are good or bad players, they’re doing so with you holding the edge”.

Clearly, there’s a great deal of wisdom in those words. And, we’re going to use that wisdom while we attempt to define our third deception…deceitful plays. Which, as indicated above, for our current purposes, is solely related to betting…more accurately, solely related to pot size betting.

It should become our standard bet. If we hold cards that merit a bet, we pretty much hold cards that are worthy of a pot size bet. So, if we regularly make pot size bets, the other players at the table are going to mentally record our betting habit.

They will routinely see us making these bets, and they will frequently see us taking down pots as an adjunct to these bets. Where’s the deception? None…as yet. But, our tell has been handed to all those who are present: a pot size bet by us equals premium cards…they have all seen it, they have all watched us scoop up winnings that resulted from the pot size bets, from the premium cards. What could be better? Wonderful! Each of them has been set-up for the deception to come.

And, with the set-up in place, we now need to wait on our next ‘nuts’ hand. Patience, patience, patience…the rewards are endless.

The hand will come. It might take some time for it to arrive, but it will come. And when it does, we’ll put forth our deceitful play. How?

I think you likely already know the answer. We’ll simply alter the way in which we bet; it won’t be a pot size bet; that’s for certain. It’ll be an overbet, an underbet, or no bet. All three have a reasonable chance of working.

If the pot is $300, we could bet $500…the overbet. We could bet $100…the underbet. Or, we could check….the no bet. No matter which way we play it, our bet, or lack thereof, has let everyone seated at the table know that we’re not holding the ‘nuts’. Yet, we are.

And, no one at the table knows it; everyone has become acclimated to our pot size bets. Goal accomplished. We’ve managed to implement a ‘deceitful play’…and, hopefully, it was timed to coincide with a large pot.

Now, having been introduced to all three deceptions…deceitful chat, deceitful tells, and deceitful plays, and having developed some idea as to how we use them, and having come to realize the monetary benefits that will accrue to our favor when it’s all done correctly, it’s now time to introduce a reality that you may not have given any thought to…a reality that presents itself on a continual track.

And, the train that rides this track, day-in and day-out, carries new players to the B & M of your choice…new players who bring pockets full of cash to your table; everyday. Be exceedingly grateful for that track, welcome the train, smile at the new players, initiate some pleasant conversation, and make room in your wallet. What’s the reality? Read on.

Never lose sight of the fact that the newcomer who possesses any level of poker knowledge arrives at the table with both eyes wide open…he’s usually well versed on the importance of picking up tells. And, we’re intent on making him pay for the ‘deceit’ show in which we, individually, are the leading actor.

The show was staged by us, we did a great job in putting on the show, we established three completely different false tells, and the new guy has a stiff admission price to pay.

Now, back up, and think this through; it’s that important. New player, eyes wide open, intent on picking up tells, listening to your chat, noting your body language, memorizing your bets, then waiting to use the information he gathered against you.

And, remember, the information he’s holding, with dreams of a payday, was deceitfully given to him by you. So, while there is little doubt that a payday will occur sometime during the next few hours, the fact is that it won’t be the new guy’s payday, it’s going to be your payday.

Last, I want to render some words of advice. I offered them to you at the beginning of this Article, and I’m going to end the Article by repeating them.

Get a DVD copy of the 2006 WSOP Main Event Final Table play. Then, take the time to study Jamie Gold in action….the ‘deceits’ are an absolute constant in his play.

And, there aren’t too many people in the world who get to earn twelve million dollars because they demonstrate an expertise at deception.

Best of Luck at the Tables

Michael

(c) copyright 2009; no reproduction, all rights reserved by D. M. Vadnais

In this free poker strategy we’ll look at a critical part of poker success – money management. If you have no skill here then even if your playing skills are amazing you will end up broke.

Please understand that in the next three paragraphs I will not be pontificating. Nor, will I be trying to tell you how to run your life….or, how to handle your money. Both of these responsibilities belong to you, and, in all candor, neither is any of my business. But, since I’m about to detail my thoughts on Bankroll Management, Stack Management, and a third subject matter (as all three relate to poker), I wanted to make mention of your first, and foremost, money management priority.

It would be terribly difficult to handle the everyday financial demands you have concerning yourself and your family if you weren’t capable of properly managing your money. Just about everyone has monthly bills for shelter, food, clothing, utilities, transportation, insurance, health, and a myriad of other ‘mail box’ notices calling out for a portion of your hard-earned income.

Then, when all of your monthly obligations have been met, the amount of money remaining in your possession….by the definition of Economists….is known as ‘disposable income’. However, you not only have the task of handling current bills, you also have the task of preparing for future bills. You can label this as ‘Savings’ or ‘Retirement Planning’ or  ‘Emergency Funding’.

And, it’s often suggested by money management professionals that a minimum of 15% of your monthly income take an immediate path down the allocation road to ‘preparing for the future’. Clearly, not everyone can do this, not everyone can afford to do this, and, not everyone even knows to do this. That’s it, enough said….the first money management task is history; I made mention of it….you can take it as ever you wish.

NoPay is a free poker site….and, you can only win money; never make a deposit, never suffer a loss of your own funds. Your involvement in the game of poker, however, isn’t always free. Many of you play in Home games, play in Card Room games, play in Brick and Mortar (B &M) Casino games, and play in online poker real money games.

Moreover, just about everything I’ve addressed in this series of free poker strategy Articles was intended by me to be used not only here at NoPay, but also at ‘real money’ games. That being true, the first money management task was important.

No one should ever be involved with a real money poker game who has not properly handled their first, and primary, money management responsibility; so, if you can’t afford to play, don’t play.

The second money management consideration deals with playing online poker for real money on the Internet. And, as mentioned above, I suspect that any number of you, from time-to-time, partake in this gaming venue….possibly, some of you do so frequently.

Well….I can’t stop you from doing this. But, I can strongly advise against your participation in the Internet poker play community; at any of the ‘real money’ poker sites.

And, I’ll tell you why. With the advent of inexpensive, or free, communication methods….such as cell phones, long-distance land lines, PC messenger services, private chat sites, text messaging, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, cranberries, raspberries, dummyberries, or whatever….you would have to be fairly unencumbered with intellect to not recognize that many of your opponents are conversing with one another during game play.

Plus, the nature of their chat is not about the weather….it’s about online poker. More specifically, it’s about the hand that you’re currently playing.  Fundamentally, you must accept the fact that cheating exists on the Internet. And, you must recognize that cheating is not limited to just communication issues.

Both Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet Poker recently had software cheating scandals well publicized; as has been the case with a number of other reasonably prominent on line poker sites. And, the bottom line is fairly simple: you don’t belong in a gaming environment where cheating occurs; or, you don’t belong in a gaming environment where the possibility of cheating even exists.

Get away from the ‘real money’ Internet sites, and place yourself in a ‘trusted’ Home Game, an ‘automated shuffle’ local B &M Casino game, or an ‘automated shuffle’ local Card Room game.

And, take note, that the ‘automated shuffle’ is an incredibly important consideration. Without it, a dealer and a player could be conspiring against you, and everyone else at your table….with a degree of frequency that you’d spend the better part of a month identifying. Plus, during that month, you’d experience a serious ‘hit’ to your bankroll.

That last word….bankroll….brings us to the third money management topic for this free poker strategy Article. And, while what I am about to convey has bearing on all of your poker playing environments, the central theme to my scribblings will principally relate to your gaming at NoPay….as it should; you’ve spent approximately six or seven months ‘Building a Bankroll’, and you most assuredly should know how to properly manage the bankroll you’ve worked so hard to build. Otherwise, what the hell have we been together for….we ain’t swappin’ spit, and we ain’t cohabiting in the ‘Farm Animal’ pastures.

The primary governance regarding bankroll management (not stack management) is ‘The Rule of 5%’.

In rudimentary English, this rule translates to never committing more than 5% of your current bankroll to any gaming venture. If your current bankroll stands at 10,000 FreeD’s, you can not participate in any poker game where it would cost you more than 500 FreeD’s to buy into the game (500 is 5% of 10,000).

Should you lose the 500, you’d be left with a bankroll of 9,500. And, your next foray into the poker gaming enclave would be limited to the use of 5% of the 9,500; or, 475 FreeD’s. Obviously, had you won when you used the 500 FreeD’s, and your bankroll expanded to something like 12,000 FreeD’s, your next foray into the poker gaming enclave would also be limited to the use of 5%….yet, that 5% would now become 600 FreeD’s (600 is 5% of 12,000).

And, any win, or any loss, will always adjust the amount of your bankroll that is available for your use in your next poker session (although nothing is carved in stone mandating that you use 5%; you’re simply limited to the use of up to 5%).

The key to the entire function of bankroll management (and the ‘rule of 5%’) is stepping down a notch after you’ve experienced a loss, and stepping up a notch after you’ve experienced a win.

However, there is a well known charter outside the world of poker, and inside the world of business. It’s contained within a book written by Peter Drucker….the title of the book is ‘Management’; and the book is widely used in both undergraduate level, and graduate level, university business classes.

And, no, I’m not asking you to read the book. Mr. Drucker has identified this charter as the ‘Peter Principle’. And, while he uses it as a tool in the process of management staff promotions….and potential management staff demotions….you need to use it as a tool in bankroll management (again, not stack management).

The ‘Peter Principle’ essentially dictates that a successful individual is promoted through the management ranks as long as he or she can handle the new assignment effectively. 

Conversely, when a promotion is given to an individual who fails to live up to his or her responsibilities and expectations for the new job, that individual is demoted to the management level where he or she performed their work with a degree of excellence. In effect, promote until the person fails, then demote (back to the management level where exceptional work was done).

This very same principle needs to be applied to your bankroll management efforts. As your bankroll grows, as your skill levels expand, as your winning continues, you should be overtly willing to commit yourself to higher stake levels….this would be particularly true in cash (ring) games. But, it applies as well to tournament buy-in games.

Eventually, though, as is the case in the business world concerning successful executives, the overwhelming majority of all ‘talented’ poker players will one day be caught up in the ‘Peter Principle’.

You will have attained a stakes level where you are not only competitive, but where you are a consistent winning player. Then, the proverbial stuff hits the fan just about every time you take a step beyond that level….beyond the level where you’re routinely winning.

The advanced level, the level you’re losing at, is the ‘Peter Principle’ level, and it’s time for a demotion….where you will no longer seek to climb the stakes level ladder; at least temporarily. You have, for the most part, ‘maxed’ out your now-current abilities. And, you must now be content to remain a ‘winning player’ at the demoted level….again, at least temporarily.

Yet, there is no failure associated with the fact that the ‘Peter Principle’ has taken hold. Actually, just the opposite is true, congratulations are in order. You have demonstrated the skill and courage to move through the stakes levels, and, then you’ve demonstrated the wisdom to recognize and respect your limitations….whatever they may be.

Plus, as you gain more experience, learn new lessons, advance your skill sets, and move through possible ‘risk tolerance’ issues, the stakes level ladder will always remain available to you.

The fourth segment of money management relates to the way in which you would handle your stack during game play….and, it’s most often referred to as Stack Management.

It could, however, also be called Objectives Management; where there are four objectives.

• Your primary objective is to survive the tournament beginning….the ‘Farm Animal’ chip flinging.
• Your secondary objective is to survive the onset of the bubble….dumping the ‘Pinheads’ into the dung filled pastures.
• Your third objective is to reach the final table….waving goodbye to the herds of Jackasses.
• And, your last objective is to win the game….thereby fulfilling your ‘Building a Bankroll’ mission.

With limited exception, you’ll use Patience (Article 1) to attain your first goal; sit and watch as the ‘Farm Animals’ toss chips around in a moronic frenzy.

A few will survive, most will be trucked off to the confines of the fly-infested, muck-filled dung fields. And, in the course of your visually entertaining observations of the ‘beanbrain’ hysteria, you will have identified the targets for your ensuing premium pocket card play….assuming, of course, that both the dealer and Lady Luck opt to deposit some decent cards in your pockets.

Next, also with limited exception, you’ll use your Playable Pockets Matrix (Article 2) to attain your second goal; surviving the bubble. For the most part, the essence of your game play will be very conservative….you’re not necessarily looking to take the chip lead, you’re principally looking to progressively build your stack; maybe a little at a time, or maybe in a lump sum with the good fortune of being dealt pocket Kings or Aces that hold up through the river.

Once you’re in the money, once you’ve gotten by the bubble, it may well serve your interests to moderately shift your style of play.

After all, you should, at this point, be fully cognizant of who the bad players are, who the good players are, who the aggressive players are, and who the timid players are. And, all of that information combined should be used by you to dictate the degree to which you move into a semi-aggressive posture.

The meek do not win tournaments; they merely collect a portion of the prize pool.

The prelude to the ultimate goal is now in sight….you’ve made the final table; it’s time to garner a tourney title. How?

Well….it’s not easy! But, you know your opponents, you know your skill level, you have a complete command of Pot Odds, and you understand the importance of table position. So, put on your very best ‘game play’ hat and shades, softly whisper a pleasant greeting to Lady Luck (you’re gonna need her at least once), and cast any form of timidity aside….the winner is most often the aggressor.

Plus, it’s fitting that stack size now becomes one of the most significant components of final table play….especially since the subject matter contained within the last few paragraphs has been stack management. If you’re the low stack, and you’re dealt any worthwhile pocket cards, your play is going to be super aggressive.

Alternately, if you’re the high stack, maintain the semi-aggressive posture that got you to the final table in the first place….let your opponents knock heads, and watch them depart the game one by one.

If your mid-stacked, play the advantaged game you’ve come to learn, be ever mindful of Pot Odds, completely ignore Implied Odds (they serve almost no useful purpose in final table play), be certain that all of your bets are equal to the size of the pot, try to slow-play any ‘nuts’ hand that you hold, and always be extremely attentive to the Big Blind/Small Blind hands whenever there is a ‘no pre-flop raise’ situation. These two seats have the potential to turn pocket rag/rag into a monster hand if a terrible flop hits the board.

Best of Luck at the Tables

Michael

(c) copyright 2008; no reproduction, all rights reserved by D. M. Vadnais

(THIS ARTICLE IS CONTINUED IN NEXT MONTH’S POST)

Next in your free poker lessons strategy money management lesson course is A Lesson from Russia – The Gambler’s Mindset
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