Posts Tagged ‘Tournaments’
I Flopped A Massive Draw While Short Stacked… Now What?
I’ve been playing live poker tournaments for about 9 years, and I’ve written down countless interesting hands along the way. Hands from 2009 to 2011 — when big events were unbelievably soft — tend to be the most interesting. In this article series, we’ll take a close look at few of these hands so we…
Read More6 Essential Tips for Dealing with Downswings in Poker Tournaments
Downswings hurt no matter what poker format you play. But downswings in poker tournaments are the stuff of nightmares because variance increases as more players enter a tournament. Avid players of large field tournaments will experience incredible highs–like winning a WSOP bracelet–and devastating lows–like losing for months on end. If you are running bad in…
Read MoreWhy The Very Best Poker Players Make Decisions At Random (Mixed Strategy)
The many randomized elements of poker are a big part of what makes the game so strategically complex. We can never know with 100% certainty what cards our opponents have, nor what cards are going to be dealt on the flop, turn and river. So why on earth would anyone want to add more randomized…
Read MoreThe Ultimate Guide to Preflop Multiway Pots (And Squeezing)
Multiway pots are extremely complex. As more players enter the pot, the size of the game-tree increases. This makes finding the best play a more complicated task than it usually is. Many players, including top pros, frequently make mistakes multiway pots. We’ll break down 8 multiway pot examples in this article. These examples help demonstrate…
Read MoreRiver Bets: How to Decide Which Hands to Call Down Vs Triple Barrel
It’s rarely fun to face a triple barrel — bets on the flop, turn and river. Small mistakes are magnified when the pot gets big, and pots are on average the biggest on the river. The results of one river decision can make or break a session. Against good players with relatively balanced […]
Read MoreThis Is Why You Should Use Small Bet Sizes
When I finished writing Applications of No Limit Hold’ em a bit over 4 years ago, my favorite concept to talk about was overbetting. In many ways, it’s still is my favorite topic. That’s because once the theory behind overbetting is laid out, the situations where overbetting is correct are usually […]
Read MoreHow To Open-Raise In MTTs So The Big Blind Doesn’t Crush Your Soul
MTTs are constantly evolving. New trends emerge, old tricks stop working as the fields learn to adjust, and so on. But while cash games and sit-and-goes are getting closer and closer to being solved by software and the like, MTTs remain the only format where exploitative play is where the money is. Sure, MTTs have…
Read More4 Tournament Poker Mistakes To Avoid (Infographic)
“Poker is a hard way to make an easy living” sums up the life of a poker pro perfectly. So few of us that try actually manage to make a lasting career out of poker. I’ve seen countless aspiring tournament pros fail throughout my years playing this game, so much so that I’ve started to…
Read MoreRun Deep in More Live Tournaments by Preparing Like These Pros
“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” -Seneca When we think about how to gain an edge at the table, mental state and physical endurance may not always come to mind. However, these factors are vital if one is looking to optimize his performance and maximize his profits. Sitting at a poker table for…
Read MoreDoes Your Poker Journey Feel Stuck? So Did Doug Polk’s
Does your poker career feel stuck? Have you been playing in the same low- and mid-stakes games for what seems like forever, but now feel that your once-achievable poker goals are just pipe dreams? Do you feel like your love for the game keeps you playing, but that it’s ultimately pointless? You are not the…
Read More5 Poker Tournament Myths Way Too Many Players Believe
Everyone seems to have a strong opinion nowadays, and many people present their views as absolute truth. This is particularly common at the poker table. Poker is a game where only about 1% of all players make money, yet many of the remaining 99% still think they’re good–just unlucky. And boy, do all these “unlucky”…
Read MoreExclusive Preview: Tournament Master Class Training Course
Does being the best tournament player every time you sit at the table interest you? With assistance from Doug Polk, tournament specialist Pratyush Buddiga has developed the Tournament Master Class training course–a professional system that will help you crush your tournament competition–which is finally available here. Pratyush and Doug pull out all the stops in…
Read MorePrint Money with Your Flop C-Bets In and Out of Position
Every poker player knows how much easier it is to play hands in position. In position players get to play looser, bet more frequently and ultimately win more pots than an out of position player can. This article is about flop continuation bets(aka c-bets) in single raised pots– how to most effectively beat down your…
Read MoreThe Top 4 Must-Visit Tournament Destinations in the US
One of the most exciting and rewarding aspects of being a professional poker player is the opportunity to travel the world for tournaments. Over the years of my career, I have been fortunate enough to visit a variety of cool places, many of which I never…
Read MoreHow to Bluff Your Straight Draws Like a High Stakes Pro
Straight draws tend to make the best bluffs. And not just because of their chances of actually hitting a straight. Unlike flush draws, straight draws typically boast great implied odds because of their disguised nature. If that wasn’t enough to convince you, straight draws often block some of our opponent’s strongest hands on many board…
Read MoreHand Combinations – The Secret Weapon Pros Use to Win More Money
High stakes poker players have a secret weapon. If used properly, this secret weapon will: Force more folds when you are bluffing. Induce more calls when you are value betting. Make your hero calls correct more often. So, what is the secret weapon that high stakes pros take advantage of nearly every hand? It’s hand…
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