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How to Avoid Going on Tilt While Playing Poker

September 23, 2008

We’ve all seen it before—a good player gone bad. Usually it’s a bad beat that puts them over the edge, but really just about anything can start tilt: hunger, exhaustion, frustration, or a big loss. If you play poker long enough, it is inevitable that one day you will experience tilt for yourself. There’s a good chance you already have and may or may not have even known it. The real problem with tilt is that your mindset makes it impossible for you to play smart. There are a small handful of players who can play through the condition, but a far better approach to tilt is one of prevention.

Acknowledge the Situation
If you’ve just taken a big loss and can’t seem to get over it, or if you feel yourself becoming distracted and your play is erratic, then there’s a good chance you are close to going on tilt. Tilt isn’t a condition you can “shake off,” so when you recognize the warning signs the best thing you can do is take action.

Reason with Yourself
For some players, a quick reality check is all they need to get their mind back on the game. Remember that even the best players don’t win every hand, and that bad beats are just the ugly part of playing a game of odds. Letting yourself dwell on the negatives will in turn let the negatives continue to affect your game.

Get Something to Eat/Drink
When you’re way up or way down, sometimes it’s hard to see anything beyond the game. It’s this mentality that gets a lot of players in trouble. You might sit hours at a table with no concept of time or the fact that your body is tired, hungry, or thirsty. If you are in a situation where you absolutely can’t leave the table, a pick-me-up can usually hold you over. Likewise, if you’re playing in an online tournament, make a quick caffeine run to the kitchen. If you’re tired or hungry, eventually it will affect your ability to concentrate on the game.

Stand
If tilt is imminent or you’re already in it, the best thing you can do for yourself and for your bankroll is to stand. Because tilt impairs your playing skills, you will continue to lose hands you know you shouldn’t have which only increases your frustration and feeds the condition. For most players, a short break and a brisk walk is all it takes to clear their mind and get them focused again.

Try not to go on tilt while playing poker online.  Try your luck at cake poker.

Heads up NL Hold em Strategy

September 19, 2008

For those players unfamiliar with the term, “heads up” is when there are only two players remaining in a hold ‘em tournament. The dealer button rotates, and the blinds rotate with it. The player with the dealer button will post the small blind and bet first pre-flop, while the other player posts the big blind and best first on all streets following the flop.

Statistics show that most players play heads up too tightly. Maybe it’s exhaustion or maybe it’s the tension of being in the final two, but a lot of players drop their aggressive strategy in this final game. The irony of course is that now more than ever before it is important that you call your own shots. Because you will always be posting one of the blinds, folding becomes a far less appealing option. You should instead do your best to limp weak hands into the flop and should bet aggressively on any face card or pair.

This strategy may seem counter-intuitive to everything you’ve learned about playing a hold ‘em tournament, but remember that heads up is a whole different ballgame. For one, with only two players drawing from the deck middling hands become much stronger and the top starting hands become much rarer. This means you’re going to have to take more risks than the usual basic strategy allows. The upside to this is that your opponent is trying to protect their chips. Having already fronted a blind, they may be reluctant to forfeit their chips, but alternately do not want to blow their stack on their own weak hand.

To summarize, you must use betting whenever possible to optimize your hand, whether you’re trying to limp a weak hand through on your mandatory small blind or whether you’e trying to take your opponent’s stack with a truly rare and truly good starting hand. At this stage in the game, position has become especially important and should also be utilized to its full advantage on your alternating last position turns. Likewise your ability to read your opponent during the rest of the tournament will come into play as you do your best to manipulate and beat them.

Teaching yourself to focus on your method, on using your position, and on reading your opponent cannot only improve your playing style but help to distract you from your own natural tension. The best heads up NL hold ‘em strategy is one that combines not only an aggressive playing style and observation but that incorporates a cool head and calculated risks too.

Final Table No Limit Hold em Strategy

September 9, 2008

Making it to the final table of a no limit hold ‘em tournament, big or small, is already an accomplishment to be proud of, but if you want to make the most out of your position then it’s important to make some minor details to your strategy. Typically no limit hold ‘em tournaments pay out for places 1-10, but the payout for each of these placings rises significantly with the rank. For example, at a small online tournament you may only win $30-50 for 10th place, whereas first may be several hundred dollars. At a larger tournament, the top prize grows significantly and may be in the thousands (or even tens of thousands). This makes having a good strategy more valuable than any other playing situation.

Remember when coming to the final table that your opponents have already withstood the test of time and less competitive tables. There are not likely to be any fish here. Also remember that players with bigger stacks are going to use them, so if you are going to survive the growing blinds then you need to use your stack wisely too. Folding is still an important skill, but folding too frequently can chip away at your stack pretty fast in these last few hands. Depending on how many players are left, you’re going to have to take some calculated risks to stay in the game.

For example, most players as a general rule only play with the top ten starting hands. At this point in the tournament though—and especially as it progresses and the playing field is further whittled down—a pocket pair or any Ace can give you a serious advantage pre-flop. If you are sitting on one of the smaller stacks, don’t let the big boys or the blinds push you around. It is better to go all in with one of these marginal hands than to let someone else force you to take a risk on a weak hand. If however you are lucky enough to have the big stack, continue playing tight; many of your weaker competitors will feel the need to challenge your lead, essentially doing your betting for you, which will give you ample opportunities to call bluffs, collect pots, and eliminate more players.

Big risks should not be taken until you’re in the top five. You’ve given your opponents the impression that you only play when necessary, so few will question your bets giving you key opportunities to semi-bluff and steal the blinds. This is the best time to play aggressively, as weak hands get stronger with every player eliminated. By now your payout significantly exceeds your buy-in, so you’re only going to gain from this point on. With more experience, a better knowledge of poker rules, and a good amount of patience, you will be making more final tables in no time.

How to Read Moves in Online Play

September 8, 2008

A big part of playing poker well in any environment is being able to read your fellow players. Many players new to online poker make the common mistake of assuming that if you can’t see a player then you can’t read them. More experienced players know that this assumption is not only untrue but will put you at a serious disadvantage. Just as with live poker, with careful observation in online poker it is easy to discern the betting patterns, playing style, and even personality of some of your opponents.

Betting Tells
Betting tells are the best way to size up your opponents online. Many players both on and offline make the mistake of playing their cards too straightforward. After a few hands, you can get a pretty good idea of what they’re holding based on what they bet, as they have a betting system that dictates they bet the same exact way for hands of specific values. These types of players are not only easy to read but are also usually easy to push around.

Another online betting tell is how quickly they bet, call, or raise. Unique to online poker rooms are automated features that allow you to choose your move before your turn. You yourself should not use these unless you want to intimidate your opponents. A common mistake even experienced players make is to use these while playing multiple tables, but what they fail to realize is the clear message that an automatic call gives their opponents. You may notice patterns in speed of betting also.

What You Can Learn from Their Talk
Virtually all online poker rooms have forums and a lobby, and most tables will also have a dialogue box. It’s tempting to close this box, but sometimes an obnoxious chatter can tell you something useful. Hang around the lobby for a few minutes, and you’ll be amazed by how many fishes reveal themselves. Likewise, many of the players using the chat box at a table are revealing more than they realize. For example, most of these chatters only use the box when they are nervous or are trying to distract their fellow players. This may be a sign that their hand is not as strong as their bet might imply.

Player History/Statistics
This is an excellent feature that many online casinos now offer. You can view your opponents’ win/loss statistics and in some cases even their last few hands. If you have the time and initiative, tracking these statistics is a great way to pigeonhole even some of your fiercest competitors.

Official Poker Rules for Pot Limit Holdem

June 25, 2008

Pot Limit Holdem is just the same as No Limit Holdem except for the betting structure. Holdem is a great poker game played with 9-10 players per table. It can be played with poker chips or real money. The overall goal is to have the best poker hand from 2 down cards and 5 community cards. The best 5 card hand wins.

Check out the official rules for pot limit holdem:

First thing is determine who is the dealer. Deal out a card to each player. The player with the highest card will be the dealer.

To start each hand the player to the left of the dealer plays the small blind and the player left of the small blind plays the big blind. You can choose the blind amount bases on the amount of chips you begin with. Blinds can be increase on a certain time interval to keep the game moving.

Each player is dealt 2 down cards to start. The first round of betting begins with the player to the left of the big blind. They can call, fold, or raise.

In pot limit holdem you can only raise what is in the pot. You first will need to call the bet. Then you can raise what is in the pot.

Next the dealer will three face cards up as the community cards, the flop. Any player can use these cards to make the best 5 card hand. A new round of betting commences. Pot limit is in effect for all rounds.

Next the forth card is placed face up called the turn. Another round of betting commences.

Finally the last card is dealt face up, called the river. The last final round of betting begins. Players decide to call, fold, check, or raise. Players do not have to show their cards if no one calls their bet.

The best 5 card hand for the players whole card and 5 community cards wins.

Thanks for checking out the official poker rules for pot limit holdem. You can pot limit holdem online at one of the top online poker sites.

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