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Beginner

• Making Money Playing Texas Hold'em
  When the average Joe off the street thinks of poker, the last thing to come to their mind is a game of strategy, discipline and preparation. Instead images of guys sitting around a kitchen table smoking cigarettes drinking beer and calling out "give me four cards" are common; a game where the ability to bluff and call peoples bluffs makes you a winner.
• The Basics of Cash Game Poker
  When poker began, there were no tournaments. The idea of a poker tournament was effectively unheard of well into the 20th century. When the World Series of Poker came into existence in the 70s, tournaments were still the province of only a select few professionals.
• Possible Texas Hold'em Leaks
  Online Texas hold'em is a great poker game that has enthralled millions over the last decade. A great many of those hold'em players probably feel that their results are not as good as they would like them to be or as they should be. It's important for good online Texas hold'em players to be able to plug leaks in their game. This is impossible to do without first identifying those leaks. Here are some common leaks in a player's online Texas hold'em game.
• Small Blind Play In No Limit Texas Hold'em
  In many ways, the small blind is the worst spot to be in while playing no-limit Texas hold'em. You're compelled to put money into the pot, but not enough so that you will get to see the flop if no one raises. If you do call and see a flop, you'll be out of position the entire hand. How then, should you handle the small blind in no-limit Texas hold'em?
• Betting related limit Texas holdem questions
  Hi, I have a few question about Texas Hold'em limit poker. I am trying to understand the precise order and betting structure especially when there are multiple all-in players and multiple side pots.
• Double Flop Texas Hold'em
  Texas hold'em is a lot of fun to play, but for some players it can get monotonous after awhile. For these players, double flop hold'em has been invented. If you know how to play regular Texas hold'em, you can play double flop hold'em.
• Pot Limit Texas Hold'em Strategy
  No-limit Texas hold'em has been popular for some time, and many poker players are ready for new challenges. One such challenge may be pot-limit Texas hold'em, a game that requires some subtle strategic adjustments from the no-limit game.
• Facing Flush Boards in Texas Hold'em
  A common situation in Texas hold'em arises when you have a made hand and are facing a board with a draw. Your typical approach will be to bet and make your opponent pay for the opportunity to catch the card that beats you. However, what happens when that card comes? Do you automatically give your opponent credit for making his hand and forfeit the pot?
• Texas Hold'em Rules and Angle Shooting
  Although in most cases the rules in Texas hold'em are fairly clear, there will always be someone who tries to skirt them. Players who try to bend the rules of Texas hold'em to their advantage are called angle shooters. They hope that they can win or save a few extra bets by performing actions that are not technically a rules violation, but are in reality quite inappropriate.
• Limping in Texas Hold'em
  One question that commonly arises in Texas hold'em is "to limp or not to limp?" Limping means flat calling the blind rather than coming in with a raise. Some players say never do it, others swear by it. As with many aspects of poker, it often depends on the situation.
• Railbirding - Learn Hold'em By Watching
  There are many advantages to playing online poker. You don't have to travel anywhere, meaning no travel time and no travel expenses. You don't have to tip waitresses or dealers and you can always find a game. However, many players neglect to think about another big advantage to online poker, which is online railbirding.
• Handling the Turn When a Draw Hits in Texas Hold'em
  Handling the turn in Texas hold'em can be tricky business. While different poker situations will require different strategies, there are some basic approaches a player can take to turn play that should make things easier.
• Flopping the Nuts in Texas Hold'em Poker
  Flopping the "nuts," or the best hand, in Texas hold'em poker would seem to be an enviable spot, and it is. However, just because you have the best hand on the flop does not mean you can play the rest of the hand on autopilot. You need to consider how to bet in order to extract the most from your opponents and to make them pay for trying to draw to a hand that will beat you.
• Differences between Cash and Tournament No-Limit
  

  Hi Alan,

  I've been learning a lot from your site. One issue I'm still struggling with is the difference between no-limit cash games and tournaments. Other than (a) the overriding goal of staying alive in a tournament and (b) the fact that you need to play more hands in a tournament end-game to win chips before time runs out, is there any substantial difference in how you should approach cash games vs. tournament games?

• Differences between Cash and Tournament No-Limit
  

  Hi Alan,

  I've been learning a lot from your site. One issue I'm still struggling with is the difference between no-limit cash games and tournaments. Other than (a) the overriding goal of staying alive in a tournament and (b) the fact that you need to play more hands in a tournament end-game to win chips before time runs out, is there any substantial difference in how you should approach cash games vs. tournament games?

• How Often Do 'impossible' Things Happen In Poker?
  You know the feeling. You get all your chips in with QQ and are called. Your opponent sheepishly turns over JJ. To your delight, one of the other players announces: "I folded a jack." You're counting your chips as the flop comes out 6 4 3, the turn a 9 and the river….J.
• Poker: The Art Of Bragging
  We've all seen him at the poker table: The braggart. He arrives at the table letting you know that he'll soon have all your chips. He'll remind you every time you bet that he's not afraid to go all-in with you. Maybe he'll win big, maybe not, but he'll leave the table the same way he came in, making sure you know that, at least in his mind, he's the best there is.
• Maintaining Discipline in No Limit Texas Hold'em
  You sit down to a $3/$6 no-limit Texas hold'em game with every intention of playing tight, disciplined poker. For the first hour, you fold hand after hand, only playing your blinds. You see opponents win huge pots with hands like 56 offsuit.
• Overcalling Before the Flop in No Limit Texas Holdem
  Pre-flop action in no limit Texas hold'em poker is about more than just going all in or folding. There are cases when you may want to limp in, make a small raise, call a raise or even overcall.
• Playing a Lot of Hands in No Limit Texas Hold'em
  One of the first things poker players learn is to try not to play too many hands. Playing too many hands is one of the most common mistakes new players make. If someone is playing consistently weaker hands than other players, they are putting themselves at a decided disadvantage.
• Facing a Minimum Raise in Texas Hold'em
  In limit Hold'em, players always know what to expect from an opponent who is betting. The size of the bets is fixed so there are no surprises. In no-limit poker, an opponent can bet anything up to his entire stack, so what bets a player will face are anybody's guess. One of the scariest and often most confusing bets for new players to deal with is the minimum raise.
• Playing Draws in Texas Hold'em Sit and Gos
  It is often tricky to figure out how to play a draw, but the sit-and-go presents some specific challenges with regard to this type of play. How you will play a draw, or if you will play one at all, will depend on the strength of the draw, your position in the hand, and the size of the blinds.
• Choosing a Sit and Go
  So you know you want to play a sit-and-go. However, which one? You have more choices when it comes to sit-and-gos than you may realize. Here are some of the options you should probably consider before sitting down at your sit-and-go table.
• Getting out of a Slump in No Limit Texas Hold'em
  It happens to even the best poker players: the dreaded slump. Although poker is a game of long-term skill, it is a game of short-term luck, and no amount of ability can protect someone from "running bad." A slump could last for days, weeks or months, but whenever it happens, it often seems like it will never end. What can a poker payer do to get out of a slump?
• Extracting the Maximum in Texas Hold'em
  Some of the most fun that can be had in no-limit Texas hold'em is when you have the winning hand. There's nothing like holding Ah 5h and seeing a third heart hit the board on the turn. Some new players may assume that hands like these play themselves. In fact, in no-limit hold'em, maximizing the value of your winning hands is just as important as getting away from losing hands, if not more important.
• Deciding How Much to Raise Pre-Flop in Texas Hold'em
  The first important question to ask in a no-limit Texas hold'em hand is: What to do pre-flop? If you are staring at a 72 offsuit, the answer is easy: fold and wait for the next hand. However, what do you do with a hand like AJ offsuit? You'll often want to play this hand, and aggressive play dictates that you should often come in raising. However, how much to raise?
• No Limit Hold'em Tips: Raise or Call?
  No-limit Texas hold'em is exciting, but can be somewhat daunting to new players. One issue where new players sometimes make mistakes is in deciding whether to call or raise. This decision will depend on a variety of factors.
• Limit Texas Hold'em Tournaments
  The no-limit hold'em tournament is the cornerstone of the poker boom. It is the game played as the main event of the World Series of Poker and the most commonly televised form of poker. No-limit hold'em is not the only game that can be played in tournament format, however. Tournaments can be played with any type of poker, including limit hold'em. If you're new to limit hold'em tournaments, there will be a few tips you'll want to remember.
• Texas Holdem: Moving from No Limit to Limit
  In the past, many players started out by learning spread-limit or fixed-limit poker, where one could bet a pre-determined amount at each stage. After the poker boom, many of these players switched their focus to no-limit due to all the new action.
• Maximizing Your Poker Profit with Rakeback
  

  Everybody wants to be a winning poker player. Seeing players win millions on the World Series of Poker or World Poker Tour has inspired thousands to get involved in the poker explosion, hoping to win their own big score.

• Knowing When to Quit in No Limit Texas Hold'em
  No-limit Texas Hold'em can be a real roller coaster ride. Depending on the stakes you play, you can find yourself up or down hundreds or even thousands over the course of a few hours. The question many players struggle with is when is it time to quit? Since the goal in poker is simply to win as much money as possible, how do you know when you have reached or failed to reach that goal?
• Texas Hold'em Strategy: Sit N Go Introduction
  You've decided to play a Sit N Go for the first time. Perhaps you are used to playing cash games and see Sit N Gos as an interesting entry into the tournament world, or maybe larger tournaments have always been your thing and you want to see what the Sit N Go fuss is all about. Maybe you've never played online poker at all and this is where you've decided to start. Whatever the reasons, there are a few things you can expect from your first Sit N Go.
• Fixed Limit Texas Hold'em Strategy: ABC Poker
  What is ABC poker? Poker players use the term "ABC" to refer to poker played "by the numbers," that is, with little deception. Instead of trying fancy bluffs and check-raises, ABC players tend to play in a straightforward fashion. They bet when they have a hand, they check or fold when they do not. Experienced players tend to look down upon this style of play, feeling that it is not only not creative, but that it makes these players easier to read and hence much easier to beat. However, in a fixed-limit hold'em situation, it is important for beginner to examine the merits of ABC play.
• Playing Pocket Pairs Pre-Flop in Texas Hold'em
  An element of Texas hold'em poker strategy that many players struggle with is how to deal with pocket pairs before the flop. Pocket pairs are interesting in that they tend to have stronger pre-flop value than most other hands, but can get progressively weaker as the hand continues. A pair of deuces beats ace-king, but most players would rather see a flop with the two high cards than the lowly bottom pair. Playing winning Texas hold'em strategy requires a solid plan for your pocket pairs.
• Texas Hold'em Rules: Tournament Rules for Beginners
  If you're a beginner playing in your first live Texas hold'em poker tournament, you may not be clear on all the rules. Here are a couple of questions commonly asked by players who have never played a Texas hold'em poker tournament before.
• Counting Outs in Texas Hold'em
  Strong Texas hold'em poker players understand that to implement winning Texas hold'em strategy you need to understand pot odds, the odds the pot is offering you versus the odds of you winning the hand. To determine if the pot odds favor you, you need to be skilled at counting outs.
• Texas Hold'em Rules: Tournament Etiquette Rules
  If you're playing in your first live Texas hold'em tournament, you should be aware that there are some accepted rules of appropriate behavior that you must adhere to. The tournament should furnish a hard copy of the rules which you should examine, and the tournament director should review the most important rules before starting the tournament. However, in case you miss any of that, here are some important rules you should know.
• Playing Sets in Texas Hold'em
  To have a winning Texas hold'em strategy means knowing what to do in a variety of situations before they ever occur. Texas hold'em poker is a game of decisions, and in the no-limit variety of the game, they can be big decisions. Having a repertoire of strategic ideas at your disposal will make it easier to make more decisions that are correct over the course of the session. One situation you should know how to handle is what to do when you make a set.
• Texas Hold'em Rules: Exposed Cards
  One Texas hold'em poker rule that is often discussed and debated is how to handle exposed cards. The issue of exposed cards doesn't come up during online poker, but if you find yourself playing in a live cash poker game or tournament, you'll want to know how to handle this situation.
• How to Play a Turbo Freeroll
  There's a new type of Texas Hold'em freeroll that's making the rounds online. It is popular because the action is fast and furious, and online poker players love a fast game. It's called the turbo freeroll, and it's sort of like a poker tournament on speed. Turbo freerolls are good for players who don't have eight hours to devote to trying to win a multi-table tournament, and for players who love the excitement of all-in action and building massive chip stacks.
• Texas Hold'em Freerolls - Early Stage Strategy
  Texas Hold'em freerolls require you to remain focused for long periods. You need to pay attention to the information at the table, and you need to participate in the action at the right moments. Since your goal is to stay in the tournament for as long as possible, it's important that you play with a winning strategy right from the start.
• Shifting Gears in No Limit Texas Hold'em
  If you haven't heard the term "shifting gears" as applied to No-Limit Texas Hold'em poker, you'd better learn it quick. The ability to shift gears is a crucial skill in no-limit hold'em, and no matter what their style, every pro poker player knows how to take advantage of this idea.
• Texas Holdem Secrets
  It's not that complicated to become a winning No-Limit Hold'em player. Most online poker players have knowledge about the basic winning strategy including pot odds, hand strength, position play and bankroll management.
• A poker hand consists of five cards
  Question:
  Community cards are K, K, Q, Q, 5
  Player 1 holds J, 8
  Player 2 holds 8, 5

  The question is: Which Player wins? My theory is the K, K, Q, Q are discounted because neither player has any advantage with them; therefore the 5 pair (player 2) wins. The other theory is the best 5 card hand: K, K, Q, Q, J (player 1) wins.

  This actually happened and could not be resolved. The pot was split between the two players.

  /John E. Rowe

• Playing Suited Connectors
  If you are an intermediate poker player, most likely you are playing poker with the standard tight and aggressive style. The style usually plays only with strong starting hands and has you play them aggressively both pre and post-flop. While playing tight-aggressive is a winning combination for most poker players, advanced players often increase the range of hands the play to vary up their game.
• Misc Thoughts On Live Poker Versus Online Poker
  Cheating Holdem Poker Games: I think it's a good idea to mention cheating when we are talking about poker in general and specifically online and regular casino games. Not many people are worried about being cheated when they play holdem at a real casino; they are more likely to be worried about some superstition (a "bad" dealer for them, etc).
• Texas Hold'em Training
  I'm a big fan of training. The main hobbies/interests of mine have always been those that I did day in and day out and slowly progressed at. You do the sport/activity because you love it and years later you look back and realize how far you've come.
• Texas Holdem Tells
  

  What are poker tells?

  
  A "tell" in poker is when you pick up on a behavior of another player that gives you a clear message communicating the strength or weakness of their hand. When most people think of poker they think of tells and bluffing. Picking up on someone elses tell is supposed to enable you to stomp all over them in a game.
• Texas Hold'em Gambling
  If you only play sometimes or play in home games with your friends you may not want to play tight aggressive poker. Tight aggressive poker is usually not as fun as gambling -- much like many other things in life taking the safe bet isn't always the most exciting.
• Texas Hold'em Hand Groupings
  Below you will the modified Sklansy fixed limit Texas Hold'em Hand Groupings. The poker hands are listed in groups from strongest to weakest. Also within each grouping, the stronger hands are listed first so in Group 2, TT is supposedly stronger then AK.
• Texas Hold'em Hand Groupings
  Below you will the modified Sklansy fixed limit Texas Hold'em Hand Groupings. The poker hands are listed in groups from strongest to weakest. Also within each grouping, the stronger hands are listed first so in Group 2, TT is supposedly stronger then AK.
• Sure Ways to Lose in Texas Hold'em
  The following is some pitfalls that most players fall into when playing Texas Holdem. By reading these tips hopefully you can save some money by not doing the same.
• Texas Hold'em Bankrolls
  This article isn't an indepth look at poker bankrolls but just some general guide lines for beginners and how much you should bring with you when playing.
• Entering a cardroom for the first time
  Entering into a casino or a cardroom for the first time is more than a little intimidating. Knowing what to expect can take away some of the anxiety and hopefully will let you make that first transition into playing live texas hold'em go more smoothly.
• Entering a cardroom for the first time
  Entering into a casino or a cardroom for the first time is more than a little intimidating. Knowing what to expect can take away some of the anxiety and hopefully will let you make that first transition into playing live texas hold'em go more smoothly.
• Online Sit And Go Tournaments: Low Buy Ins $10 to $20
  Phase One Blinds 10 to 20, 15 to 30

  Sit back and relax. This is the time to take notes on each player. How many times did he or she stay in the first 10 to 15 hands? The percentage of hands a player calls is the biggest "tell" of all. If shown down what kind of starting hands did they stay in on? Were they aggressive, passive and how was their play?

• Get Some Sleep, And Knowing Your Limits
  I probably should have spent more time with that title. Oh well, I already saved the file. In any case, I'm going to tell a little story with some rambling lessons mixed in. This was a few months ago. The reason I'm adding it now and not before is because I just realized that reading other player's stories is interesting, especially if they may play bigger games than you do.
• Leave Yourself An Edge
  Poker is larger now than ever before. Between online poker, expanding brick and mortar cardrooms and home games, finding action has never been easier. All this equates to options. You have options for the stakes you play, where you play them and which game you select.

Experienced

• Betting related limit Texas holdem questions
  Hi, I have a few question about Texas Hold'em limit poker. I am trying to understand the precise order and betting structure especially when there are multiple all-in players and multiple side pots.
• Taking Advantage Of Table Image In No Limit Texas Hold'em
  One of the more useful elements of no-limit Texas hold'em strategy is table image. If you know how to control your table image, you can control how other players at the table react to you, and that can lead to big profits at the poker table.
• Facing Flush Boards in Texas Hold'em
  A common situation in Texas hold'em arises when you have a made hand and are facing a board with a draw. Your typical approach will be to bet and make your opponent pay for the opportunity to catch the card that beats you. However, what happens when that card comes? Do you automatically give your opponent credit for making his hand and forfeit the pot?
• Facing Sudden Big Bets or Raises in No Limit Texas Hold'em
  No-limit Texas hold'em has been described as a game filled with hours of boredom interspersed with moments of sheer terror. Indeed, some no-limit Texas hold'em hands are relatively innocuous. Two marginal hands trade bets and calls, with the winner taking a small pot at showdown. However, there are some situations where the player who has been leading is suddenly faced with a large raise. What's the best way to handle these situations?
• Texas Hold'em: Ignoring the Odds
  Many poker players understand that odds are a critical part of the game. Knowing pot odds and understanding how they relate to your winning potential informs many decisions in a typical Texas hold'em game. However, interestingly enough, there may be times when it is correct to ignore the odds in Texas hold'em.
• Playing Marginal Hands in Texas Hold'em
  Most players when starting out in Texas hold'em will receive as their primary instruction: "Play good starting hands." It's true that the biggest mistake many new Texas hold'em poker players make is playing too many hands. Limiting oneself to playing only the strongest hands can usually minimize losses and often ensure a modest profit. However, is there any time to play those marginal hands?
• Strategy for Online WSOP Satellites
  

  A World Series of Poker satellite is the only opportunity many poker players may have to win a seat at the World Series of Poker main event. As such, if you're going to play in WSOP satellites, it's important to go in with a winning strategy.

• When Not to Value Bet in Limit Hold'em Poker
  In limit Texas hold'em poker, it is of extreme importance to know when to value bet. Limit hold'em is about winning extra bets, not winning big pots. Being able to win one more bet than your opponent is what separates the pros from the amateurs. As important as it is to know when to value bet in limit Texas hold'em, it's just as important to know when not to value bet.
• Value Betting in Limit Hold'em Poker
  

  In no limit Texas hold'em, being able to make a nice value bet is a positive enhancement of your game. In limit Texas hold'em poker, being able to successfully value bet is absolutely crucial to your success. Since there is a fixed amount of bets in limit hold'em, your chances of a positive outcome rest solely on the ability to win an extra bet when you have the best of it and save a bet when you don't. Value betting is a key component of this exercise.

• Stop Loss Strategy
  It's difficult to know when to get up and walk away from the poker table. Do you quit when you are winning? What if you are cutting off an extended losing streak? Do you quit when you are losing? What if your luck is about to change so that you can get even? One method for controlling your sessions is the stop loss strategy?
• Playing Top Pair Medium Kicker In No Limit Texas Hold'em
  No-limit Texas Hold'em provides many challenges, which is what makes the game so enticing to many poker enthusiasts. One difficulty new players often have is how to value their hands. Many new players understand from reading poker books or through experience that certain hands are not playable before the flop, but it is much harder to know after the flop whether certain hands are good. One type of hand that is very tricky to play is top pair, medium kicker.
• Flopping Two Pair In No Limit Texas Holdem
  In no-limit Texas hold'em, it would seem that if one pair is good, two pair is better. In a way, this is true, but in another way, two pair can be worse in that you can get yourself in a lot more trouble with two pair.
• When to Change Gears in a Poker Tournament
  If you're a poker player, you're probably familiar with the term changing gears. If you're not, you should be. Changing gears essentially means moving to a different speed, playing faster or more loose and aggressive, if you've been pretty tight, and slower, or more selective about the hands you play and the chips you put in, if you have attacked lots of pots without necessarily holding big cards.
• Overcalling Before the Flop in No Limit Texas Holdem
  Pre-flop action in no limit Texas hold'em poker is about more than just going all in or folding. There are cases when you may want to limp in, make a small raise, call a raise or even overcall.
• Running Big Bluffs In No Limit Texas Hold'em
  No limit Texas hold'em is often referred to as a game of big bluffs. Hold'em allows the biggest bluffs, because you can put your entire stack in the middle at any time. How can you become a great bluffer in no limit Texas hold'em, and is it really worth it to do so?
• Turning Pro at No Limit Texas Hold'em
  It is the dream of nearly every no-limit hold'em player who plays regularly: to turn pro. To give up their dreary day job and spend their days and nights battling it out over the felt, enjoying all the luxuries the world has to offer paid for by naïve tourists and overconfident amateurs. To be sure, the opportunities for professional poker are great, with a large pool of no-limit Texas hold'em players provided by online poker sites and a constant flow of poker tournaments held at various casinos. Whether or not it is a realistic goal depends on the individual.
• Overbetting On the Turn in No Limit Texas Hold'em
  Turn play can be the least considered aspect of No-Limit Texas Hold'em, but it can also be the most important. The betting round on the turn is the last betting round before all the cards are out and people's best possible hands can be determined. As a result, some players who like their hands may bet quite a lot in order to discourage opponents from drawing out on them. This overbetting can sometimes be a real mistake in terms of expected value.
• Manipulating the Odds in Limit Hold'em
  Some players may think that since in limit poker you cannot size your bets and therefore cannot price out drawing hands, understanding the odds is insignificant. Nothing could be further from the truth. Understanding and being able to manipulate odds in fixed-limit poker is critical to success.
• The Pre-Flop Re-Steal in No Limit Texas Holdem
  In No-Limit Texas Hold'em, the forced blinds represent money that no one has a claim on as action begins. It is important, particularly in no limit Texas Hold'em tournaments where the blinds rise consistently, to recognize when those blinds are vulnerable and attack them.
• Calculating Win Rates in No Limit Texas Hold'em
  If you're going to play poker professionally, or even as a profitable hobby, you're going to want to know your win rate. Your win rate is simply how much you make per hour playing poker. Calculating your win rate in no-limit Texas hold'em is fairly straightforward, but there are some traps to consider.
• Increase Your Decision Making Power in No Limit Texas Hold'em
  Poker is a game about decisions. Money is won or lost based on the decisions that are made. In no-limit Texas hold'em, entire bankrolls can be wiped out by one or two incorrect decisions. Famed poker author David Sklansky's fundamental theorem speaks to this. The theorem essentially states that every time you play a hand in a way that is different from how you would have played it if you could see your opponent's cards they gain, and when you play it the same way, they lose. When your opponent plays a hand differently than he would have if he knew your cards, you gain and when he does not, you lose.
• Learn How To Play Heads Up Texas Hold'em
  Heads up poker used to be something of a rarity. Poker is designed for play by multiple opponents and the occasion for heads up play did not occur that often in the past. In addition, casinos rarely spread heads up games as they required a dealer and table which could otherwise be used to accommodate many more players.
• Adjusting for Loose Fixed Limit Texas Hold'em Games
  There are many approaches to starting a foray into the world of fixed-limit Texas hold'em. You may warm up by reading books or playing poker video games. If you train yourself according to expert advice, you may be a little surprised at what you find when you sit down to your first real money live or online poker game. Often at lower limits, players are much looser than you might expect, and more than once you will see someone's big pair like AA or KK lose when someone who has been calling multiple bets spikes two pair with his T8 when a T lands on the river. Playing "correct" poker by waiting for premium hands and betting them strongly can be extremely frustrating when you wait an hour to get a hand, bet it like crazy and lose a big pot to someone who had no business being in it in the first place. However, if you can learn to adjust to the loose game situation, you can make a tidy profit from many of these games, even as a beginner.
• Playing Unusual Hands in No Limit Texas Hold'em
  Some of the most exciting no-limit Texas hold'em poker hands come when a player has decided to enter the pot with an unusual hand and it hits. This can often result in a bewildered opponent pushing in all his poker chips with a hand he is sure is good, but which is soundly defeated. Masters of playing these unusual hands for a profit include players like World Poker Tour champions Gus Hansen and Daniel Negreanu and 2003 World Series of Poker runner-up Sammy Farha. These players know how to employ these hands for maximum effect. However, they also know that playing these unusual hands incorrectly can lead to disaster.
• Approaching Texas Hold'em As A Sport
  There is some dispute among poker enthusiasts as to whether poker is a sport or a game (or both). Some feel that since there is no clear athletic ability required, poker cannot be classified as a sport. Others feel that the level of endurance, focus, competitiveness, skill and discipline required for success in poker gives it much more in common with sports than mere games. Whether you agree that poker is a sport or not, approaching poker as a sport can have beneficial effects.
• Playing the Maniac in Texas Hold'em
  A sight that makes new Texas Hold'em players groan, but has many experienced ones licking their lips, is the presence of a "maniac" at the table. A maniac is a loose-aggressive player who seems to be putting maximum pressure on every pot. He will frequently make a big pre-flop raise after a number of players have limped in, and seems to pounce on any sign of weakness, taking nearly every "check" as an exhortation for him to bet. How can you play against this kind of monster?
• The Squeeze Play in No Limit Hold'em
  The squeeze play is a tactic that has probably been used for years in no-limit Texas hold'em tournaments but was crystallized by Dan Harrington in his must-read volumes on no-limit Texas hold'em poker strategy "Harrington on Hold'em." You may not decide to use the squeeze play but it is important to understand how it works in case it is used on you!
• The Continuation Bet
  Of the many concepts surrounding Texas hold'em poker, one that has received much more attention in recent years has been the concept of the continuation bet. What is the continuation bet and how can you use it to be successful in your Texas hold'em games?
• The Bluff Call
  To be successful in no-limit Texas hold'em, you need a variety of weapons in your arsenal. You need to be able to trap, bluff, semi-bluff, value bet and maybe even give off a reverse tell or two. A very sophisticated no-limit Texas hold'em play that can also be very effective is the bluff call. This move is an example of higher level thinking, meaning play based on what you think your opponent may think you have. Here's how it works.
• Control Betting in No-Limit Texas Hold'em
  No-limit Texas Hold'em poker is all about betting. The size of a bet is entirely up to the player, and different bet sizes can mean different things. There are different types of bets in a no-limit Texas hold'em poker game as well, and one of these is the control bet.
• The Winning Attitude: Humble Optimist
  I've always considered myself to be a fairly rational person. My thought was always that as long as I make the right moves, emotion doesn't matter. I mean, come on, does me being happy or mad change the cards? The concept of tilt seemed ridiculous to me -- as if I would get so upset I would forget how to play! Only as of late, within the past year and a half, have I realized how important the right attitude is to playing poker well. Not going on tilt is only the start, one needs to keep a positive state of mind. In this little addition to the site, I'm going to talk about what I've coined as a "humble optimist" and why it is so paramount.
• Introduction to Short Handed Texas Holdem
  The following is an article on learning how to play winning shorthanded texas holdem poker. This article is geared towards limit play but many of the concepts carry over to no limit holdem as well. The concepts introduced here are advanced so please be careful about their application. This article will also help out heads up play. I assume you already have a decent understanding of regular holdem.
• Texas Hold'em: Playing Well or Getting Lucky?
  Most likely when we look at our game we aren't doing it because we are winning. We do it when we are losing and we try to figure out why we were winners before and not now. Long term winning in limit texas holdem poker depends on your consistency in making good decisions.
• Texas Hold'em Raising
  Today I'm going to go over raising in Texas Holdem. There are a number of reasons why you raise and some of the are more obvious then others. Being a player that does more raising and folding is always better then being a player who just calls. The article below lists the following reasons to raise: more money in the pot, information, free card, limit competition, bluff and deception.
• Texas Hold'em - Tips For Playing Out Of the Blinds
  The goal of this little article is to provide a lesson for playing out of the small blind and big blind positions in low limit holdem.
• Bluff and Semi-Bluffing
  The goal of this little article is to introduce new texas hold'em players to bluffing and semi-bluffing. Note this is specifically for limit texas holdem and not for pot limit or no limit. It isn't for tournament holdem either. All though the rules for playing are very similar in each game, the way one plays is much different so not everything will apply to other facets of holdem. By "limit" holdem we mean a structured bet like $5/10. We would also call this a "ring game".
• Texas Hold'em: Am I a Rock?
  As poker has become more popular both online and off there has also been an increase in the amount of poker literature produced on how to improve ones game. A few days ago I realized that most, if not all the books and info that I've read over the years have talked mostly about discipline and being tighter then your opponents.
• Texas Hold'em: Perfect Play
  Is there perfect poker play? And if so, what is the definition of perfect texas Holdem play?
• Changing Your Strategy
  Is there a correct way to play? Yes and no. Winning players do have subtle differences in their styles but what you'll find is that what they have in common outweighs what they don't.
• Deception Is At A Premium
  Poker is evolving. Five years ago, the games were much different than they are right now: much looser, more action, less educated players. With the advent of online poker, poker as a whole has exploded and so has the amount of poker information.
• The "Sometimes" Concept
  One of my goals with this site was not only for helping beginning players get to the intermediate level, but also to help intermediate players get to the advanced level. The tip I'm about to compose here can be helpful for all players, but it is geared mainly towards more advanced players.
• What's Worse?
  There is lots of information for beginners on how to learn how to play Texas Holdem. The problem is though, is that there isn't much info on how to get better and take your game to the next level after you've progressed to an intermediate player. The following tip is something that I've been thinking about for a while but I haven't been able to really formalize it into a rule per se.
• What's Worse?
  There is lots of information for beginners on how to learn how to play Texas Holdem. The problem is though, is that there isn't much info on how to get better and take your game to the next level after you've progressed to an intermediate player. The following tip is something that I've been thinking about for a while but I haven't been able to really formalize it into a rule per se.
• Tournament Strategy: Winning Versus Agressive Players
  The Texas Hold'em poker phenomenon has taken the country by storm. There are reportedly over 100 million active poker players worldwide.
• Short Handed Holdem Tips
  Shorthanded holdem is when the table isn't full. My definition of a shorthanded game would be a max of five players. I love this kind of poker, more so than full games, because this, and heads up poker, allows me to play more hands. Because you are playing so many hands, errors compound more quickly, you get to know your opponents better, and you have a greater opportunity to exact your strategy on them.
• Short Handed Holdem Tips
  Shorthanded holdem is when the table isn't full. My definition of a shorthanded game would be a max of five players. I love this kind of poker, more so than full games, because this, and heads up poker, allows me to play more hands. Because you are playing so many hands, errors compound more quickly, you get to know your opponents better, and you have a greater opportunity to exact your strategy on them.
• More about Implied Odds
  If you know anything about poker, then you've inevitably heard quite a few poker terms that deal with odds: pot odds, drawing odds and implied odds. While most good poker books will cover the basics of calculating drawing odds and counting pot odds, an important but often untouched on aspect of poker focuses on implied odds.

Texas Holdem Tips

• Top 10 Texas Holdem Tips
  It's not that hard to beat the game. Check out our best tips on how to become a winning Texas holdem player.
  
• Carbon Poker WSOP Satellites
  A big part of online poker is the opportunity to win seats into big tournaments like the main event of the World Series of Poker, and Carbon Poker several methods for winning your WSOP main event seat.
• PlayersOnly Poker WSOP Satellites
  Do you want to go to the World Series of Poker? Well PlayersOnly Poker wants to get you there, not just as a spectator, but with your own seat in the Main Event. PlayersOnly has updated their look and feel to let poker players know that they want their site to be where the players go. PlayersOnly has some great WSOP packages that anyone can win.
• PokerStars WSOP Satellites
  So, you want to be the World Poker champion? The first thing you'll have to do is get a seat in the Main Event. Unless you have $10,000 to spare, this can be a challenge. If you don't have that kind of money lying around, you might decide to do what 2003 WSOP champ Chris Moneymaker did and win your seat online at PokerStars.
• Full Tilt Poker WSOP Satellites
  The World Series of Poker has nearly every poker player excited, and many online poker sites are making efforts to meet the demand for seats at the big dance. However, only Full Tilt Poker has Main Event Mania, with a variety of different ways to win a free seat and make millions on top of the WSOP prize.
• High Stakes Online Texas Hold'em
  You've been playing online Texas hold'em for some time now and having considerable success at it. You see the big action taking place at the top of the games menu and would love to be a part of it. However, are you ready for high stakes action? It's important to consider all the factors before you jump into the big games.
• Bodog Poker WSOP Satellites
  Bodog poker wants to send you to the World Series of Poker in 2008. Bodog is offering $12,000 WSOP prize packages which include a main event seat, $2,000 travel money, plus the opportunity to party with celebrities and the Bodog crew. How much do you have to invest for all this? Believe it or not, you can earn your way in for as little as $1.50.
• Betfair Poker WSOP Satellites
  Everyone's trying to get to the main event of the World Series of Poker in 2008, and online satellites seem to be the way to go for most players. If you're one of those players, Betfair Poker may have your solution. They have a variety of satellites at low buy-ins to allow nearly any player with the skills and a bit of luck to make it to Vegas.
• Party Poker WSOP Satellites
  If you have played online, you've probably heard of Party Poker. For years, Party Poker has been at the forefront of online poker, providing millions of tournaments, cash games and free money games to online poker aficionados.
• The Poker Uniform
  The poker uniform has become as ubiquitous as the garb professional athletes wear (in fact, a basketball jersey is often part of the ensemble). Clearly there are no requirements as to what to wear to your no-limit Texas hold'em game (and if you are playing online poker, no requirement to wear anything at all), but you might ask yourself what the merits are of various poker accoutrements.
• Practice Texas Hold'em Online
  The advent of Internet poker has probably contributed to making Texas hold'em the most popular game in the world. If you want to become a master of Texas hold'em, booking as many winning sessions as you can, you're going to have to practice. A great way to practice Texas hold'em is online.
• Poker Bonuses Explained
  Are you looking for a place to play your favorite game? Today there are hundreds of online poker rooms competing for your attention with various bonus offers and other promotions.
• The Most Common Methods For Calculating Rakeback
  If you're considering joining a rakeback program, you're not alone. A great many online poker players are discovering the next great way to increase their win rate is through rakeback. Rakeback is essentially a discount the online poker site offers you for playing there. You pay a rake as a fee to the site hosting the game, and rakeback returns some of that fee to you, the player.
• Comparing Online Poker Bonus Offers and Rakeback Deals
  

  Hunting down great promotions is a big part of online poker success. The major promotions online poker players are looking for are online poker bonuses and rakeback deals. Due to the proliferation of online poker sites out there and their need to drive new traffic to their sites, there are a great many online poker bonuses and rakeback deals to be had. As a successful online poker player, you need to know how to negotiate and compare these different types of promotions.

• Table Image
  It cracks me up when I go into a cardroom and I see a bunch of people with sun glasses on, their collars up and their hats low, trying to give the impression that they are forces to be reckoned with. The main reason I find it so funny is that if you were really so good, why would you want your opponents to think that?
• Barry Greenstein: Ace On The River
  I don't sell books here or anything, but I would definitely recommend Barry Greenstein's new book called Ace On The River.
• Winning And Losing: Stopping A Session
  This tip is about how you know when you should leave and when you should keep playing. Poker is like gambling in the sense that you never want to leave the table.
• Betting Amount In No Limit Holdem
  Learning how much to bet in to no limit holdem is one of the trickiest parts of the game. It is always a battle between risk and reward. For example, you would like to get paid off on your good hands, but if you bet too much you chase everyone away and if you bet too little to keep them in, it runs the risk of backfiring by giving them odds to draw.
• Baby Steps: Online Texas Holdem Cash Games
  One thing that is easy to do when playing online poker on multiple tables is to kind of get spun out. You see so many hands per hour that it is easy to lose perspective and you start to get involved in too many pots.
• Idle Practice
  While learning how to bowl, I was reading a book and in it the author mentioned that if you go to the alleys without a clear idea of what you are trying to hone, your efforts are largely useless -- idle practice. This is true in poker too.
• Beating Tougher Games
  There are different kinds of games. Some games are easy, some are tough. The same play that beats one game won't beat the other.
• Why There Are So Few Winners
  I've heard figures thrown around estimating what percentage of poker players actually are winners; sometimes I hear 15%, sometimes only 10%. As hard as these numbers are to believe, I do believe them.
• Urge To Play
  Note: this is for cash games only, not tournaments. I'm looking down at a piece of white printer paper with the following notes jotted down in black magic marker:

  - Submit to position

  - Dry cards, urge to play

• Know Your Weaknesses
  So much of our time goes into playing and very little goes into thinking about the game away from the table. And the little time spent away from the table finetuning our game rarely is spent on weaknesses. One major tip I can give you is to understand your own strengths and limitations.
• The 2/4 Rule For Calculating Odds
  One of the hard things to do in holdem is to calculate odds on the fly. Regular flush draws and straight draws are easy to figure, since you run across them so often. What is difficult is calculating weird drawing hands.
• Entitlement
  Fundamentally, winning at poker boils down to you getting paid off on your good hands and avoiding your opponents good hands. Many players have a problem with the latter of the two.
• Remember Winning
  Yesterday one of my buddies, after going through a dry spell, finished up the week with a good sized win (at one of the larger limits he plays at). On the drive home while dicussing the days events, he made the comment how he had a few hands that he normally would have gotten involved with, but he wasn't going to today because he didn't want to give any of it back (it being a little of the 7 racks in front of him).
• Don't Overthink It
  The vast majority of the time, things are as they appear. As you become a better player, you run into the problem of losing touch with your prey. What I mean by that is that you forget how they think, and you can overthink hands and end up making fancy plays at the wrong time.
• Betting Versus Calling
  New players often overvalue slow playing. It is ok to trap opponents, but with marginal hands that are worth calling, a bet is usually a better play.

Texas Holdem Submitted Articles

• Playing Ultra-Low-Stake Single Table Tournaments Online
  Article Sent in by reader:

  I have been playing poker online for about six months, mainly no-limit hold em, 9 or 10 seat STTs for small stakes from 10c to $2 per tourney, where the top three places payout. I don't have a huge bankroll and I'm not a gambler at heart. I only want to play poker to win money, however small an amount.

  After a while playing at this level a few things became obvious and I started to make steady, if unspectacular profits. If it's OK with you I'd like to share some of my observations with your readers.

• No Limit Hold'em Beginner Advice
  The following article on No Limit Holdem was submitted by Chuck:
  I'm a relatively new player. I've been playing online for real money for about 6 months now. I usually play no-limit hold'em at the $100NL tables at Empire/Party Poker. Although I've only been playing for a short time, there are days when I have looked at 500-1,000 hands a day. I found my early attempts at limit hold'em to be frustrating because intuitively I didn't feel I had enough control over the betting and raising part of the game. At low-limit online tables, people seemed to just call down everything.
• Overplaying Hands
  Question: I'm still a beginning poker player. Texas Hold'em is my game of choice, and I tend to play home games mostly (no-limit tournaments if possible). Having a weekly game with predominantly the same players presents some issues. Playing against the same people regularly, you tend to learn a bit more about the way they play than you would just watching 15 min at an online table, or sitting down to a game in a casino.
• Fun Things To Try, NL Home Tourney
  Question: I just wanted to drop a note an mention that we play a few twists once in awhile in our home games. I don't like my friends to feel as if they were cheated so I attempt offer different ways to win part, if not all of their buy-in back even if they don't place high enough.
• World Poker Tour Boot Camp
  WPT ENTERPRISES, INC. SET TO LAUNCH WPT BOOT CAMP™

  Attendees to Learn the Secrets of Tournament Poker from WPT Experts

• Quick Ways To Calculate Odds
  One of the things that probably keeps players from improving is the inability to calculate pot odds on the spot. I mean, they've got all that math flying around in their heads, dividing x by some God-awful number like 47 or 46 and trying to come up with a fraction or a percent that can be compared to the amount that they're being asked to bet by some increasingly impatient opponents versus the pot, which is the same as it's been on the flop for the last eight hands because everybody keeps limping in, et cetera... So this should make things easier. I tried to make things as simple as possible.

Texas Holdem Bad Beats

• Kings four of a kind, ace high
  This happened on FullTilt poker during a tournament.
  
  The table was pretty aggressive, with PillaginPete and GOBLAZERS777 raising pre-flop every other hand. Pete had the chip lead and I had the second most, about 1200 less than his 9300. Pete was in big blind when I get dealt 99 two behind the button. Two people call, one folds and I raise to 5x BB (500). SB folds and Pete, in BB pops it to 1500. Everyone folds around to me and it's heads up, I call. The flop comes KK9 and I'm hoping to god he has AK. He checks and I bet 2000. He min raises to 4000 and I push all in, he insta calls. He has A 10.
• Getting bad beats suck
  Middle position. A-10 off suit. With 9 players in the table, I call the blinds and everyone else just calls. It was a very aggressive game and there were at least 3 players who were stupid callers. Given the aggressiveness of the table, I played a hell lot tighter than usual and I established (unintentionally) a table image of a rock. The A-10 call was meant to be a "loose table-image" call.
• Two bad beats happened in home game
  I'd like to share a few bad beat stories that happened on back to back hands. Thankfully this happened in a home game, so at least I was giving up the money to a friend who felt so bad he bought me beer all weekend for it.
• Ten Bad Beats!
  Ok well I am the guy who buys pre paid cards and deposits into bodog almost every other day. Somedays I play cash games with the intention of being a "donkey" (I'll buy into $25 tables with $5 and try and triple up) other days I play it safe and play the minimum $10 buy in tables. Or I play in tournaments such as $5 buy in or $10 buy ins with $1,000-$3,000 guaranteed. We'll let me start my stories off with the $25 cash game
• Sickest Hand I've Ever Seen
  In this hand I delivered the bad beat, but it was a crazy hand. I'm fairly new to poker and was playing a small $3 tourny on fulltilt.
• Even if he had the flush I still had a few outs
  A couple weeks ago I am at the casino playing in a small cash game, no limit of course. I sat down at table with $80, blinds are 2 2. I played super tight poker and got a pretty good read on the game. With in a 1/2 hour I was up to 180 dollars. I am no pro but I play well just have the worse luck.
• Loosing both pots against quads and a full house
  Just experienced a stinging bad beat:
  
  I was playing a 3$ tournament at Pokerstars and was doing pretty good. Had an above average chip stack after playing about 2 hours. All players started with 2000 and I was up to 10000.
• Straight flush against straight flush
  Hi
  This is not actually a bad beat story but quite incredible anyway.
• When he hit his set his chances decreased
  The worst one I can recall, took place on Absolute Poker. Ring game situation, I was playing heads up at the 5/10 NL tables. I am dealt K(h)K(s) in Sb and decide to limp my monster.
• My Bad Beat
  I was playing a couple weeks ago at a local bar, just a sit and go game, like I normally play a couple times a week.
• Worst Day Ever
  Yesterday was perhaps the worst day in term of people sucking out on me over and over in both ring games and tourneys...
• Set over Set When Two Brothers Meet
  While necessarily bad play, but certainly bad luck.
• Running Nines - aka. No Justice for Great Play
  I've taken some pretty bad beats before - runner-runner straights and flushes, two-and-three outers on the river - but this one really stung. It's a classic example of how you can play a hand perfectly and still lose.
• Two bad beats from Down Under
  Game 1: Online
  I am chip leader, and i am dealt 7 H 8 H as BB, UTG raise 3 x blind and all others fold. I am a player who favours suited connectors so I call to see a flop knowing I can easily get out of the hand if not favourable.
• Missing one hand
  So I'm playing 1/2 NL Holdem at the local casino for about an hour not really catching any hands. I leave my chips on the table and get up for 1 minute to make a phone call.
• Table full of maniacs
  I was playing in a home sng, not the smallest stakes in the world. Table full of maniacs. I was on the buton with pocket 9s, i called a 4xBB raise with 2 callers.
• Staring at the screen in disbelief
  This hand is almost not believable, even if you were to witness it happening. I literally had to sit and stare at the "last hand" window on FTP for a good couple minutes to realize what had just happened.
• An Online Bad-Beat Epic
  This is the story of a man who just runs bad. It doesn't matter what stakes I play, who I play against, or how I play - I just take bad beat after bad beat. It'd be comical if it wasn't so tragic. Consider the following run that happened in a single evening at BoDog Poker (note: this sequence is only slightly worse than what I go through on a regular basis):
• Two under cards with the same draw
  I'm playing in a free roll poker start tournament. Everyone starts with 1500 in chips. I lost to a common bad beat and now have about $700 left.
• No one believes me when I tell them this hand
  I sent this bad beat in last year and it wasn't published. It has to be because it's not believable. Even experts don't believe this one. I want to repost this story again in that this really happened. It happened on Bo-Dog. No one believes me when I tell them this hand. It is that unrealistic.
• You've never seen this!
  I have been reading up on bad beat stories on the internet and finally decided to post the one that still makes me giggle. It has been about 5 or 6 years since this occurred and is still fresh in my memory bank.
• Always check the flop before betting your life
  I was playing a cash sit and go a few years back now. i was doing quite well, around £38,000 in front of me. this had been sponsored by an overdraft credit cards and a loan, £24,000 all together. so i had won £14,000 so far that day.
• Nothing to do against a maniac
  I was playing in a cash game at a friend's house last weekend. To my left is Bob, the most loose aggressive maniac I think you'll find--he's a true gambler, who's put down hundreds of dollars on a blackjack hand on more than one occasion.
• **NOT UR AVG BAD BEAT** THIS ONE STUNG
  THIS WAS THE FINAL TABLE OF A SATELLITE TO A 256 MTT SUNDAY TOURNEY ON FULL TILT, I WAS 2ND IN CHIPS AS YOU CAN SEE, WAS IN THE BIG BLIND...WHEN THIS HAND HAPPENED...I AM NOT MAD ABOUT THE CALL ON THE RIVER SO MUCH AS HIS CALL ON THE TURN...I THINK THIS GUY NEEDS HIS HEAD EXAMINED FOR THAT CALL ON THE TURN...
• Beating a Donk at His Own Game
  It's late in the first hour of a BoDog freeroll, with the blinds at 30-60. I've caught a few good hands and been able to maximize their value, turning my initial stack of 1,000 into about 5,400.
• Horrible Day at the Oaks Club
  

  Just finished a horrible day at the Oaks Club in Emeryville, Ca.. my home club...This particular bad beat happened yesterday, but today was just awful all around.

• Not Really A Bad Beat
  I was playing at a poker table at FullTiltPoker.com, just a low risk game.
• Runner-runner Straight Flush
  

  i'll keep it quick....

  short handed, 3 people left in a tourney. one guy was being VERY aggressive, TOO aggressive in fact. hes to my right. and raises. im getting short stacked after a couple bad beats...

• Beaten by Fishy Pro at the WSOP
  I won the poker.com $12,500 WSOP package last year. On the first day I played (1D) Dario Minieri the scarf guy, or the kid that looks like Harry Potter was sitting to my right.
• He Caught Running Quads
  

  I am in a 2/4 nl at the venetian. I got about 600 dollars in chips so does my opponent. I raised in the cutoff with my pocket duces.

• A Tough Pill to Take
  

  Hello

  Prior to this story occurring, I had AK beaten preflop by K4, AA beaten by 6 4 and AQ beat by A9…. Not crazy beats but still bad ones none the less. I am not on tilt, crazier stuff has happened and I needed to focus on the game.

• Three Nasty Beats in a Row
  I was playing a partypoker tournament, which was going okay for the first half hour. I bluffed a little and won a medium sized pot to nearly double my starting holdings.
• QUADs VS QUADs - How deceiving
  It was a Friday nigh, approximately eleven O'Clock, when I decided to join a free roll on Crazy Poker. A little more than 11,000 players did the same. This is the type of free rolls where one half of the players get busted within the first 30 minutes, early all-ins to make up stacks etc. After all, with 1,000 chips at start the total chips in play is approximately 11,000,000.
• Oh woe is me, sick beat followed by a sick beat
  I have late position with the hand AQ.....blinds are at 300-600, i have around 8000 in chips (fairly decent chip stack). 3 limpers in front. I raise to 1400. Under the gun calls my bet, then a fold, then seat next to folder makes a re raise all in it was another 1900 to call. I then go all in over the top to isolate the hand, I made it 5500 over the top to go, and then player under the gun folds.
• Loosing to garbage
  Playing $1/$2 on Betfair, a guy who had been playing awful (lost about $300) calls my raise pre-flop of $7, along with 2 other players.
• Bad beats, bad luck
  i've been playing texas holdem for about two years now, and losing pretty much constantly ..... at first this was, no doubt, because i was a bad player, but it now seems to me that i am getting constantly and soundly beaten by worse players than me. i consider myself to be quite a solid player.
• Losing to 2-7 off-suit
  

  Just about an hour ago I had a 10 Jack suited pocket.

• Queen Trips Loses to River Straight
  

  Hi there,

  Was playing great poker in a tournament down to last 5 players.

• Double bad beat in tourney
  Last summer, I had increased my online bankroll from $20 to over $1100 playing $20 sit-n-go tournaments over a few weeks time. I couldn't loose.
• Greatest Hand Ever
  OK, I recently dished out the worst beat I have ever witnessed. I was playing online at a 50c/$1.00 NL Hold'em table.
• Flopped nuts loosing to runner-runner
  

  Question:

  This hand happend to me in a 2/4 Cashgame a couple of days ago.

• No one noticed his straight flush
  5 handed in a c50-$1 cash game. It's the end of the night, a couple hundred dollars on the table. I get Ah Jh on the button and make it 2 to go. Three of the four players call me.
• Quads crushed
  Not a bad beat for me just a bad beat for my friend. I will tell it from my friend's point of view.
• The game of idiots
  Playing in local cash game $30 buy-in get you 10k in chips $35 re-buy can get another 10k when you go bust. Blinds start at $100/$200 and double every 15 min. Starts at 27 total (3 tables) and pays 60%, 30% & 10%. Not a huge game, but the winner can usually walk out with between $5-600.
• Two nasty beats at Ladbrokes
  Bad beat number 1: Hole cards KK . Flop K77 (bet large), 2 callers. turn 7. Bet huge - 2 callers. River 7!!!! 2 callers win with quad 7s and an ace.
• AAA twice in one night
  Poker tournament at friends house last week. Twice had AA to see the flop come in with a third A.
• Losing to a meglomaniac fish
  I just suffered the worst two in a row bad beats of my life.
• Terrible luck at family reunion
  Since it's a nose dive that I technically could have saved myself from, I'm not sure if it's considered a bad beat. It was terrible luck though.
• Nasty Beat
  Question:

  Live No Limit cash game. I am on the button with A3s. 4 players call BB and I limp in. Flop comes 2d,4c,5h. I check, UG bets $25 the other 3 call and I raise to $50 and 3 of the 4 players fold and one guy in mp calls. The turn comes Jc. MP checks to me and I raise all in $300 and Mp calls and turns over a 2-6 off suit. Yep you guessed it……the river is a 3. Where on earth do these people come from.

• Flopped Flush Loses to Runner Runner
  

  I was playing in an online NL multi table tournament ($3 buy-in 1800 people). It was early on, 15/30 blinds and I was just to the right of the button. Five people had limped in before me and I had A spades 6 spades. I decided to play in hopes of hitting big on the flop. The button and small blind folded and the big blinded raised it up to 60.

• This guy had like .50 PCT odds and kicked my ass
  In a "Casino Night" at a local fire house I sat down at a 100+50 no limit game with about 145 people. Top 12 places pay out and after a quick drink to calm the nerves and a look around I start sizing up the competition immediately.
• A set of bad beats and turnarounds
  

  Got a triple-header for the readers here.

  Bad Beat #1: I'm at a local NL tourney ($50 buy-in, max payout of $500, charity event), I'm about halfway through the field of about 130 people, and doing rather well. After starting out with $1600 in chips, I was up to around $7500. I was in middle position, dealt 5h 7c and raised to 3x big blind, got one caller, a woman who was playing tight/aggressive for most of the time I was at the table with her. Flop comes 6s 8s 9s, giving me the 9-high straight. Figuring my opponent was four-flushed, I bet out 10x big blind, she takes a while, and calls it. Turn is 7d, so she may have a straight like I did, so I try to represent the flush and push all in, she IMMEDIATELY calls it and shows her 2d 5s, giving me the best hand with the 9-high straight, but she is four-flushed and can draw the 7s to make the straight flush... well, given that this is a bad beat story, she does, and immediately thanks me for the rest of my chips. The worst part of this story is that my opponent was my sister... I didn't hear the end of it till I gave her a taste of her own medicine recently by flopping the same straight flush, hehe.

  Note: You had the same nine high straight on turn

• Set of queens is no match
  

  I was playing my usual stakes NL game today when this hand came up. For my bankroll the stakes are pretty high and if I do lose a big hand I sometimes have trouble dealing with the variance.

• Strange Luck when Playing Internet Poker
  Howdy, i've had some strange luck playing internet poker recently and i thought you might be interested as i'm probably one of the only people to win less than $1 with two separate royal flushes in no limit hold em.
• Flopped Boat Sunk Hard on the River
  Playing in a no limit holdem tournament, late in the game I was somewhat small stacked and needing some good cards to make a move as all my bluffs were getting called. I was dealt cowboys, pocket kings, and knew this was my hand to win as I was in decent position. Nobody had raised pre-flop by the time it got around to me so I raised enough to push out the people chasing low cards. Two people called, both in worse position, so things were looking good.
• Beaten Blind
  I was in a friendly high stakes game with some friends of mine....I was low on chips, and being a little loose from some beers, decided to go all-in blind. My friends congratulated me for my bravery, and one person, I'll call him "Levi" called.
• Quad Ducks Goes Down
  Got into a pot cheap in late position with 22 with 4 others, no raisers. This was playing 2/4, by the way. Flop was 2-5-5. Figured it was time to slow play! It goes Check, Bet, Fold, Fold and I raise. The bettor raises, so I reraise and he caps it. Next card is a Q. He leads out, I raise, he raises and again we cap it. At this point I'm slightly nervous, but figured him for an A5 or an overpair at best. The river is another 2, giving me quads, and calming any fears I had (except one, which I'm sure you've figured out by now). He bets, I raise, he raises again and of course I call. He shows the 55 and for the first time ever, I see quads lose to quads. I wish I was at Party Poker, wouldn't that have made me eligible for the bad beat jackpot??
• Straight Flush Kills My Hand
  My story is not really one of a bad beat, but it is as unlikely as they come.

  I was playing a 7 people NL home tourney, best two places pays, and we were down to three. I´m low on chips, real low. Blinds are 200-400 and I´m big with just 500 after I pay. Button folds, small blind calls. I look down at KK. Needless to say, I go all in for the remaining 500. Small blind calls and reveals K8 offsuit. As good as it gets, I think as I show my cowboys.

• Boat Loses To Running Tres
  First of all I love you site its been really helpful. I wanted share a bad beat story which happened the other day while I was playing online. I was at this $50 NL table and one guy was an absolute calling station, but worse he was just destorying everyone. He kept getting lucky time and again. I noticed that every other player in the table was just waiting for the right hand to play against him. Everytime someone would pick up a strong hand he would crack them by getting 2 pair with J4 or something.
• Ace On The River
  At a $1-$2 no limit game at a local spot...

  I was the small blind and the dealer dealt the cards. I peeked at my hand, JJ... Not my favorite hand, but i decided it's worth a shot...

• Running Aces Sinks My Boat
  I was in a tournament recently and doing pretty well. I was in middle position when I was dealt pocket Kings and raised and had one caller.

  The flop comes down A K 8 (rainbow).

• 77 Beats My Boat
  I had an Ace 6, in the small blinds, i was playing a low limit game, everyone was in the pot, it was actually a sit-and go tournament but a small one.
• Setup After Setups
  Hello, here are some of my bad beat stories that you can post up on your site.

  ________________________

  #1:

  Title: What an a$$ hole !!

• KK Loses To 22
  This was crushing. It was in a 10$ buy-in hold 'em tournament. Winner take all except one buy-in to second. 7 players. Buy-ins had it up to 90 for the winner and 10 for second place.
• Back To Back Beats
  I was playing in a game with a bunch of coworkers when I was dealt A-J offsuit in the small blind. It had been a fairly wild game, so I limped in just to see the flop (that was likely my biggest mistake, you tell me).
• Two Unlucky Hands
  I was last to call before the button and was dealt TT. Dealer raised $1000 after all blinds ($300/$600) were in and myself and one other player called. Flop comes Q 7 7.
• Running Sevens To Win
  I don't know if this qualifies as the worst beat ever, but it's got to be pretty close. This beat is the reason I will no longer play online poker because I'm thinking a beat like this could only happen online.
• KQ Busted My AK
  I was playing in a no limit texas holdem tounament yesterday. I do not know if this was a bad beat or just my stupid decision.

  I was dealt Ace King, 8 players at the table and 1 guy raises 2000. At this point I am getting low stacked because the ante was way up and I was getting some bad cards for a long time. I figured this was my time to make my move.

• Losing Quad Threes
  I haven't posted any of my own bad beats on this site yet. I've played so long now, I've literally seen everything. Not much surprises me.
• The Bad Beat Spin
  The Bad Beat Spin

  I played side games at the Rio in June this year during the WSOP. The games were quite good. My first night there I got into a $10-20 Hold'em game. I won only one pot in the first 4 hours. Still, it was a sizeable pot and I managed to find myself even and feeling good about winning for the night if I could just get a few hands to hold up.

• Nut Straight Nightmare
  Nut straight on Flop... Loser!!

  This is a recount of what happened a few weeks ago during a reoccurring, $40 buy-in, NL hold'em home game that I had the unfortunate pleasure of hosting.

• 96,1% to win and lose
  This happened to me today, it was a small online tournament with 100+ people in. I made it to the final table and was in good chip position with 5 people left.
• Never Playing KK Again
  Not sure if this is a bad beat or not, but kind of a crazy situation. I'm playing online and watching the 05 WSOP. Cloutier is up against some no-name for the braclet in one of the circuit events, and in one particular hand, flops a straight against the other players 6s.
• Losing Set To Backdoor Straight Flush
  I learned a lot from your site so I thank you for all your advice.
• Top Set Loses To 72
  I sent you guys a couple bad beat stories yesterday, but this one takes #1, and the first serious crushing blow I've suffered since I started playing poker in Jan of 2004.
• Losing To A One Outer
  Just as I was thinking it had been awhile since I took a brutal beat, it happened last night - I'm playing $10 NL and have King, 5 of diamonds in the big blind.
• AA Losing AK
  AA losing to AK

  I'm in an online tourny and I'm at the final table of 9. I'm number 3 in chips. I have been sitting out about 12 hands because I couldn't catch any decent pocket cards and a couple of guys at the table are maniacs that call everything. I've watched these morons chase down to the river and catch. I'm playing very tight and trying to let the maniacs take each other out while maintaining my chip position.

• Why He Quit Playing
  Title: Why I quit online Poker for life as it may be rigged!

  This is not to defame any sports books in particular but I honnestly think SportsBooks and other Poker sites have holes that have the ability to un-randomize cards and actually control the cards to soak their players for more than just the Buy-Ins. I have played Limit, No Limit and tournaments (Multi and Heads up). Here are the reasons why I think online Poker is rigged:

• KK Three Times In A Row
  

  Classification: UNCLASSIFIED

  Caveats: NONE

  KK verses AA three times in a row!

• Poker Stars pokerstars.com
  I am not going to play at pokerstars.com limit ring games anymore. I've given their site a fair shot now and they have proven to me that something is a miss with their system. If you don't believe what I have to say that is fine, you can try it out yourself but I felt it my duty to speak up in case new players got a bad idea of what real poker is like by playing there. I understand that many people will dismiss what I have to say regardless of how much I write about what happened so I'm going to keep this short; and yes I also am well aware of the swings poker can have. If you don't play middle and upper limit poker then the first point is that most pots you are in are heads up or three way. Because of this the best hand has a huge advantage and usually holds up (this is just math and the only way there is a strategy for beating poker). The first day I played $30/60 at pokerstars.com I had JJ three times and flopped a Jack three times -- I had full houses twice and quads once. That day I also had AA three times, every one of them I flopped a set and it held up. I mention this because that day also was odd (a "good odd"). Besides that day though, every other day has been really strange where you are up against one opponent who has a weaker hand and they catch you so many times that it makes it impossible to come out on top. Here are a few examples (multiply this by 100 and it gets a little old and suspicious):
• Bad Beat Or Bad Play
  Question: I have been playing holdem online for about 3 months now, and I have read plenty of literature. I would say that about 90% of my time has been spent in mult table no limit tournaments.
• Trip Jacks Losing To QQ On River
  Question: Hi, I just found your site today and its been very helpful. Last night I was playing online limit holdem for $.50/1 and I get AJoff in the hole and I was in last position. Two people call the big blind and I believe I did too, then the flop comes TJJ and everybody checks to me and I bet, everybody called, the turn was a T so I have the best full house, and again everybody checked to me and I bet, at this point I believe two people folded and there are 3 of us left. The river brings a Q which worries me because a JQ can take me, and somebody of course bets before me and we reraise till the limit. The guy had pocket Queens, now I was devastated, I don't understand why he would have stayed in all the way to the river since I had bet on the flop and the turn, with TJJT on the table. Should I adjust anything in my game or is that just lucky/bad play by the other person. Thanks.
• Losing Quad Aces
  Question: This was the worst beat I ever had. I'm playing in a no limit game. I get pocket aces so I raise pre flop. Another player re-raises me and a third goes all-in. I go all-in next and the third guy goes all in. The flop comes: Ah, Jh, 9s. So now I'm feeling real good right? I got the nuts trip aces. Next comes the turn: Js. Ok, this is great right I figure I just won a huge pot with three of us all-in. I have a full house Aces over Jacks. Can't beat that right? Wrong. The river is a 10h. Ok so I have the full house. Wanna guess what the other two have?? Pocket jacks and KQh. That's right dude. I got beat by both four of a kind and a Royal Straight Flush all in the same hand!!! Any idea what the odds of that happening is? I've lost a lot of all-ins, but I don't thing anything will ever beat that one. Just figured I'd share that one with everyone. The good new is it was only a .25/.50 game with a max buy-in of $50. I lost about $45.
• Royal Flush In NL Cash Game
  A friend of mine told me this story which is hard for me to fathom. A buddy of his plays in some high stakes no limit cash games.

Texas Holdem Room Reviews

• Full Tilt Poker
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• Sportsbook Poker
• Poker Stars
• PlayersOnly Poker
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Questions & Answers

• Another side pot situation
  In a Texas hold em tournament, small blind is $1000 and big blind is $2000. After the flop the player to the left of the dealer goes all in but is short of the blind. He has $1200. The question is, does the next player have to meet the bet or do they have to meet the blind?
  
  Steve M
  
  
• Arguing over the forfeited chips
  Hi.
  
  Please can you answer the following question for me? There are 8 players at the table and blinds are 500/1000. Player A posts the 500 Small Blind. Player B posts the 1000 Big Blind. Players C to G all fold without calling, leaving only Player H to call. Player H only has 400 chips and goes All In, so we now have Player H with a 400 bet, Player A with Small Blind of 500 and Player B with Big Blind of 1000.
  
  Player A (the Small Blind) chooses to fold and forfeit their Small Blind of 500 chips, leaving only Player B with 1000 blind and Player H with 400 All In.
  
  When the hands are declared, they both have exactly the same hole cards, so it's a split pot. However, who should win the folded Small Blind (500)? Does it get split between both players, or does Player A (Big Blind) take it all, as Player H couldn't even meet the Small Blind?
  
  This actually happened in a game tonight and caused a huge argument! Half said Player H wasn't entitled to the 500 Small Blind, as she'd only bet 400 in the first place and the other half said it should be split equally!
  
  What SHOULD have happened, please?
  
  With sincere thanks
  
  Fiona
• Arguing over the forfeited chips
  Hi.
  
  Please can you answer the following question for me? There are 8 players at the table and blinds are 500/1000. Player A posts the 500 Small Blind. Player B posts the 1000 Big Blind. Players C to G all fold without calling, leaving only Player H to call. Player H only has 400 chips and goes All In, so we now have Player H with a 400 bet, Player A with Small Blind of 500 and Player B with Big Blind of 1000.
  
  Player A (the Small Blind) chooses to fold and forfeit their Small Blind of 500 chips, leaving only Player B with 1000 blind and Player H with 400 All In.
  
  When the hands are declared, they both have exactly the same hole cards, so it's a split pot. However, who should win the folded Small Blind (500)? Does it get split between both players, or does Player A (Big Blind) take it all, as Player H couldn't even meet the Small Blind?
  
  This actually happened in a game tonight and caused a huge argument! Half said Player H wasn't entitled to the 500 Small Blind, as she'd only bet 400 in the first place and the other half said it should be split equally!
  
  What SHOULD have happened, please?
  
  With sincere thanks
  
  Fiona
• Can player A reraise?
  Dear webmaster, I am Sasan from Iran.
  
  My question is about pre-flop reraising. Let's say, there is a table in which blinds are 20 and 40$. Player A is the first one to act and has 1000$ and raises to 200. Player B, who has 1400$, calls. Player C has 280$ and goes all in. The others fold. So it is player A's turn to call 80$.
  
  My question is that can he reraise? Does the fact that player C went all in forbid player A from reraising?
  
  Thanks in advance.
  
  Best wishes,
  
  Sasan
  
  
  
• Texas Holdem dealer mistake
  Dealer goes all in with $10,000, small blind calls and big blind calls too. Then dealer deals out the cards, flop, turn & river with out waiting on the other 2 players to make their bets. Small blind player was chip leader, big blind had $2000 left.
  
  Does the hand still play or is the hand dead and all players get their money back and deal again with same dealer? Or would dealers hand be considered dead & remaining 2 players hands play?
  
  Amy
  
  
• Is this heads up?
  I have a question about what is considered heads up in texas hold 'em poker.
  
  Assume there are four players in the hand and three of the four is all in and there is one person left to call the all in. Since it states that in heads up you may expose the cards would that be considered heads up because it's the all in players against the one person left to call? Or does heads up simply means 2 players? If so why do they say when multiple players are in the hand and all of them are all in they say everyone is heads up?
  
  Cedric Cirunay
  
  
• And the winner is...
  player 1 has 4 4
  player 2 has J 10
  
  The community is 2 A A 8 8
  
  Does the win go to the pair of 4s of player 1 or does the high card J of player 2 take the hand. Please explain.
  
  Thank you,
  Ramiro Chacon Jr.
  
  
• How to deal cards correctly?
  Just a quick one... is there a rule involving how cards are dealt for the flop, river, etc.? I was called on this because I dealt the flop 1, 2, 3 left to right, then dealt the turn card to the right of 3 and then finally the river to the left of 1. So is this okay? Can I deal the cards anyway I want?
  
  Douglas
  
  
• 2 big blinds in a row?
  Playing final table, tournament style no-limit. Four people left; two bust-out leaving the two who posted the small blind and large blind. Deal moves to the person who posted the small blind. Other player has to post two large blinds in a row. Is this correct?
  Thanks,
  John Kayartz
  
  
• Showing cards in case of a side pot
  Hello,
  
  Thank you for answering my poker question.
  All-In No limit game, three players in hand.
  
  
• AA with the kicker, who wins?
  Player 1 has As 8s
  Player 2 has Ad 2d
  Player 3 has Ah 4h
  
  The community cards are
  Jc Ks 9d Ac 5c
  
  Thank you very much for your help.
  James R Vaughn
  
• AA with the kicker, who wins?
  Player 1 has As 8s
  Player 2 has Ad 2d
  Player 3 has Ah 4h
  
  The community cards are
  Jc Ks 9d Ac 5c
  
  Thank you very much for your help.
  James R Vaughn
  
• Arriving late to home poker game
  I know this is an odd question but I hope you can help.
• Arriving late to home poker game
  I know this is an odd question but I hope you can help.
• Dealer forgets to burn
  Webmaster, thanks for taking the time to answer all our questions. I know everyone else finds your summaries as helpful as I do.
• Dealer forgets to burn
  Webmaster, thanks for taking the time to answer all our questions. I know everyone else finds your summaries as helpful as I do.
• Straight on the board, flush in hand
  We play poker weekly and we have a recurring question. Today the following scenario happened and we would like a ruling on the correct way to determine the winner:
• Straight on the board, flush in hand
  We play poker weekly and we have a recurring question. Today the following scenario happened and we would like a ruling on the correct way to determine the winner:
• What happens when a card is on the floor?
  In a home game, play came down to an all-in showdown with one player winning the pot, knocking the other player out and sweeping the chips to his stack. It was then noticed that there was a card face down on the floor next to the dealer who was not in the showdown.
• What happens when a card is on the floor?
  In a home game, play came down to an all-in showdown with one player winning the pot, knocking the other player out and sweeping the chips to his stack. It was then noticed that there was a card face down on the floor next to the dealer who was not in the showdown.
• Half or full bet rule, which is correct?
  Hi, This happened today at a game I was hosting and I would like to know if my decision was right:
• Half or full bet rule, which is correct?
  Hi, This happened today at a game I was hosting and I would like to know if my decision was right:
• When can I request a chip count?
  I am wondering if a player can call for a chip count at any time during a game. I saw a game of Texas where there 2 players left. Player A was major chip leader over player B. Player A went all in pre flop and Player B called him. Just before the flop was dealt Player A requested a chip count.
• When can I request a chip count?
  I am wondering if a player can call for a chip count at any time during a game. I saw a game of Texas where there 2 players left. Player A was major chip leader over player B. Player A went all in pre flop and Player B called him. Just before the flop was dealt Player A requested a chip count.
• When can I request a chip count?
  I am wondering if a player can call for a chip count at any time during a game. I saw a game of Texas where there 2 players left. Player A was major chip leader over player B. Player A went all in pre flop and Player B called him. Just before the flop was dealt Player A requested a chip count.
• Do I have to announce raise verbally?
  When a bet is made, and you want to raise, can you just say raise or do you have to say the amount or "all-in". What is the correct way?
• Do I have to announce raise verbally?
  When a bet is made, and you want to raise, can you just say raise or do you have to say the amount or "all-in". What is the correct way?
• When is a muck not a muck
  A game of texas holdem: All cards have been dealt and the result is a straight on the table. The pot will be split by both players. One player throws his cards in face down and is called for mucking his hand and the pot goes to the other player. Is that the right call?
• When is a muck not a muck
  A game of texas holdem: All cards have been dealt and the result is a straight on the table. The pot will be split by both players. One player throws his cards in face down and is called for mucking his hand and the pot goes to the other player. Is that the right call?
• How to Know When an Opponent Get Two Pair on Turn?
  I am a novice player and can hold my own at the easy tables online. However, I've had some upsets because of difficulty putting a late two pair on someone. Hitting two pair on the turn or river when everyone has checked around is a tough call and can sometimes make a full house on the river. I guess this is when you need to have a good table image.
• How to Know When an Opponent Get Two Pair on Turn?
  I am a novice player and can hold my own at the easy tables online. However, I've had some upsets because of difficulty putting a late two pair on someone. Hitting two pair on the turn or river when everyone has checked around is a tough call and can sometimes make a full house on the river. I guess this is when you need to have a good table image.
• Explanation of Positions in Poker
  Hello. I have seen a couple of definitions of the early positions. 1) Small blind, big blind and the player to the left of the big blind. 2) The player to the left of the big blind and the two players to the left of him. Which is the correct opinion?
• Explanation of Positions in Poker
  Hello. I have seen a couple of definitions of the early positions. 1) Small blind, big blind and the player to the left of the big blind. 2) The player to the left of the big blind and the two players to the left of him. Which is the correct opinion?
• Can I Avoid AA Suckouts
  So it had been a tough poker day-a couple of tough loses where AK would lose to AT all or a set to runner-runner flush. I'm a student and usually make some decent money each day playing one table tournaments. I shook off the beats from earlier and decided to play one last one-a solid win would almost make up for the loses from earlier.
• Can I Avoid AA Suckouts
  So it had been a tough poker day-a couple of tough loses where AK would lose to AT all or a set to runner-runner flush. I'm a student and usually make some decent money each day playing one table tournaments. I shook off the beats from earlier and decided to play one last one-a solid win would almost make up for the loses from earlier.
• How Many Tables Should I Play?
  Hey I was wondering if you could go over the topic of whether or not to play multiple tables while online. Sometimes I play at just one table but other times at 2-3 tables (I usually play at a .25/.5 NL table). I've been trying to figure out which one is more profitable but it varies too much for me to be sure.
• How Many Tables Should I Play?
  Hey I was wondering if you could go over the topic of whether or not to play multiple tables while online. Sometimes I play at just one table but other times at 2-3 tables (I usually play at a .25/.5 NL table). I've been trying to figure out which one is more profitable but it varies too much for me to be sure.
• Rules for Blind Structure in Tournaments?
  Is there a set rule as to how the blinds increase in tournament style no limit texas holdem? In other words, if you start the game with $50/$100 chips as your blinds, when the blinds increase every 15 minutes, how do they increase from that point?
• Are Limp-Raises Always A-A?
  I was playing in a tournament and the following happened: First position limped, there were two other limpers. I had KK on the button and raised 5 times the Big Blind hoping to look like I was stealing and maybe thin the field but get some action. The player in the first position re-raised to about 15BB, he was called by a limper in the middle. I was pretty scared that he had limp raised me with aces, but pushed anyways. He of course has AA. Should I have just called and seen the flop or simply folded? Do people commonly limp-raise with anything other than KK and AA?
• Are Limp-Raises Always A-A?
  I was playing in a tournament and the following happened: First position limped, there were two other limpers. I had KK on the button and raised 5 times the Big Blind hoping to look like I was stealing and maybe thin the field but get some action. The player in the first position re-raised to about 15BB, he was called by a limper in the middle. I was pretty scared that he had limp raised me with aces, but pushed anyways. He of course has AA. Should I have just called and seen the flop or simply folded? Do people commonly limp-raise with anything other than KK and AA?
• Acting Out of Turn
  Two players are left in the game. Player one raises and I'm thinking what to do. Player one gets distracted and thinks I have called. He opens his cards. Is his hand dead?
• Acting Out of Turn
  Two players are left in the game. Player one raises and I'm thinking what to do. Player one gets distracted and thinks I have called. He opens his cards. Is his hand dead?
• Which Full House Wins?
  I am not sure who wins the hand when there is a tie. My opponent had A, J, 9, 8, 5. I had A, J, 10, 9, 8. Who would win? Secondly, both myself and my opponent had a full house, who wins?
• Which Full House Wins?
  I am not sure who wins the hand when there is a tie. My opponent had A, J, 9, 8, 5. I had A, J, 10, 9, 8. Who would win? Secondly, both myself and my opponent had a full house, who wins?
• Who Gets the First Card in One-Blind Games?
  I know in Hold em games with small/big blind that small blind gets the first card and action begins to the left of the button, but if I'm dealing a hold'em game with only one blind, who do I deal the first card to and who starts the action?
• Who Gets the First Card in One-Blind Games?
  I know in Hold em games with small/big blind that small blind gets the first card and action begins to the left of the button, but if I'm dealing a hold'em game with only one blind, who do I deal the first card to and who starts the action?
• Who Wins When a Boat Is Boarded
  Who would win this? Ok, here it is. The community cards are Ad, Ah, As, Jd, Jh player one has Ks, 10h and player two has 2s 2c.
• Who Wins When a Boat Is Boarded
  Who would win this? Ok, here it is. The community cards are Ad, Ah, As, Jd, Jh player one has Ks, 10h and player two has 2s 2c.
• Are the rules a little different on Full Tilt Poker?
  I was playing texas holdem and i had a really great hand 6s 7s dont know why i played them but ended up getting a straight flush.
• I hit sets too often!
  Question: Dearest Webmaster, I LOVE poker, and I love your website. Great stuff. I am great at "playing the player" and acting like I don't own the A 7 J pot when I'm holding pocket aces. (I am a hypnotist/hypnotherapist so I am good at noticing subtle physiological nuances like that) but I just CAN'T get my head around odds.
• I hit sets too often!
  Question: Dearest Webmaster, I LOVE poker, and I love your website. Great stuff. I am great at "playing the player" and acting like I don't own the A 7 J pot when I'm holding pocket aces. (I am a hypnotist/hypnotherapist so I am good at noticing subtle physiological nuances like that) but I just CAN'T get my head around odds.
• How Do I Withdraw Poker Winnings?
  I only play live games but want to play on the Internet too. Being cautious, how does one get one's money OUT of these internet games? Do they credit a bank account, mail you a check, or? And where are the rake amounts specified, BEFORE signing up and downloading software?
• How Do I Withdraw Poker Winnings?
  I only play live games but want to play on the Internet too. Being cautious, how does one get one's money OUT of these internet games? Do they credit a bank account, mail you a check, or? And where are the rake amounts specified, BEFORE signing up and downloading software?
• How do I explain how kickers work?
  I was having the damnest time explaining why someone wins the pot even though both players have the same high card but different kickers.
• When Can I Go Pro?
  Hi, my name is Paul and I am seriously interesting in Poker. It's only job I would like to do for living. I've done a lot of jobs but wasn't deeply happy in anyone. I've played poker for 9 months and have experience with online poker only. Unfortunately, I'm a loser in the long run and don't exactly know where the problem is. I'm limited with my bankroll, can't afford too much money for play and therefore I wanted to build it slowly, with patience and discipline.
• When Can I Go Pro?
  Hi, my name is Paul and I am seriously interesting in Poker. It's only job I would like to do for living. I've done a lot of jobs but wasn't deeply happy in anyone. I've played poker for 9 months and have experience with online poker only. Unfortunately, I'm a loser in the long run and don't exactly know where the problem is. I'm limited with my bankroll, can't afford too much money for play and therefore I wanted to build it slowly, with patience and discipline.
• (Un)friendly Home Game Etiquette
  We were playing a no limit holdem home game and came to the following situation: Two players were left in a hand on the river, player A is first to act and checks. The board is: A Q 9 Q K. Player B checks and asks player A to see what he has and if he caught trips.
• (Un)friendly Home Game Etiquette
  We were playing a no limit holdem home game and came to the following situation: Two players were left in a hand on the river, player A is first to act and checks. The board is: A Q 9 Q K. Player B checks and asks player A to see what he has and if he caught trips.
• Advice for a Badly Beaten Player
  Pocket Aces, im starting to think I should just fold them... Heres why, I lose alot of chips with them. If I try to slow play them to get paid, they always get run over, if I bet big someone calls and runs them over.... Now, I'm just a little frustrated and I do know better than to fold them pre flop... lol. But here is what has been going on as of late, I don't know if it has just been a streak of bad luck or what?
• What to Think of When Drawing to a Flush
  How often does a flush hit, when you have suited hole cards, and two of the same suit flop giving you the draw. Does it matter how many players are in the hand? I need the % of the hand hitting the flush. Use all random hands, is there a way to figure this out.
• How to Calculate Odds Pre Flop
  I have only been playing holdem for a short time. I have been reading many articles on the various internet sites on how to calculate odds. They all seem to deal with calculating odds after the flop and after the turn.
• Combining tables in multi table tournaments
  Hello,
  I have a question about rules for multiple tables with hold em no limit.
• Misplayed or Bad beat?
  This is from my local VFW's $5 buy-in game/tourney. We play a few times a week, so I'm familiar with many of the players' styles. I had a relatively healthy stack of about 35000 or so with the blinds at 1000/2000. Another player had just come to our table with a huge stack, probably about 120000 or more.
• What if there is no hand?
  Dear fellow poker enthusiast,
  
  Okay, I've read that a tie breaker is determined by who has the best 5 card "hand." A "hand" being one of the 10 poker hands i.e a pair, straight etc etc. Now, what if in the end there is no hand?
• I Don't get the Showdown
  I don't get the showdown. How do you match up the cards? / Kyle
• Complex Question Dealing with All Ins
  I have a very complex question dealing with all ins. Occasionally I'll play with friends no-limit hold em. Sometimes there will be more than one person who goes all-in... creating 2 or 3 or simetimes 4 pots.
• Pot odds in tournaments
  Hi - First off, great site!!
  Its really only a very quick question, whether it warrants being posted on the site or not is your judgement - I suspect not!!
• Kill pot button in split pots
  I know how kill pots work but I would like to know if a pot is split who gets the kill button and do both winners put up the kill amount? I have asked around but nobody seems to be sure though everyone has an opinion.
• Who ranks the highest?
  There are 7 players left in the tournament. Player 1, left of the dealer, goes all in, player 4 calls, player 6 raises all in (side pot), player 4 calls.
• Calling an All-in Bet
  A player goes all-in in a tournament for 1500 blinds are 500/1000 does the next player need to make it 2000 or can he just call the all in bet.
• Buy-in for a 10/20 Limit Game
  I was just trying to find out what would be the proper buy in for a 10/20 limit game? Any info would be appreciated.
• End of Game - Chip Count Versus Hand
  We had a game last night where there were 3 players remaining out of 8. We had agreed to pay out 3 places before the game started.
• AJ in mid position
  Hi, great site, I wonder if you could give me your thoughts on how I played a recent casino cash game hand. Background - I have been playing poker live & online for about three years now. I would catogorize myself as a tight/moderate agressive style. I have had success online and at casino cash games. This hand took place at my local casino 1-2 no limit.
• Does only the highest flush card count?
  i know you prob get this alot but i had a big arguement with some guy last night about what would happen in this flush situation. The board ended up having a king high flush all were spades.
• Learning poker strategy before making the leap to real money tables
  I have just started playing texas holdem. I started at the free money sections online at pokerstars, but they aren't quite realistic, there are people who go all in every time, and people aren't afraid since nothing to risk, so never fold. I was wondering what you'd recommend to someone just starting, that understands the basic rules, but wants to learn the strategy better, before playing real money games.
• Betting rules in a friendly game
  Hello
  My question is betting rules in a friendly game. We had four people left. Blinds where $6 and $12. First player called the blind and went all in for another $3 that is all he had. 2nd player folded. 3rd player small blind said all he had to call was $9 since that is the bet at the time, $6 to match blind and the $3 raise.
• Full House - Do the Best Five Cards Win?
  My situation is such:
  A full house, jacks full of fours, comes up on the table. One player has a four in his hand and insists that because he has one of the cards in his hand, his full house, still jacks full of fours, is more valid than everyone else's full house. I insist that the best five cards win.
• Ace High Flushes
  Great site, very informative and a good read. I'd like to think this site is partly responsible for the money I've been winning at the small buy-in tournaments I've been playing.
• Quads on the Board
  

  Hi my name is Paula and I'm learning Texas Holdem

  My question is if there is a four of a kind (for example 4 x 4's) on the board with a A kicker is it a share pot for the players?
• Betting related limit Texas holdem questions
  Hi, I have a few question about Texas Hold'em limit poker. I am trying to understand the precise order and betting structure especially when there are multiple all-in players and multiple side pots.
• When does a Texas Hold'em Hand End?
  

  Hi

  A situation cam up last night which comes down to us not knowing the rules but we haven't been able to find any clarity on this subject.

• Playing poker online without real money
  Are there free websites I can play online without real money? and what does freeroll mean?
  Thanks, Fritz
• Can I muck my cards?
  I was always under the impression that if you are in a hand & call someone after the river, he has to show first & you have the option to muck your cards... When I was at a recent game, I was told that no matter what, everyone in the hand at the end of the hand had to show...
• Building sidepots
  I play poker on a website that doesn't charge any money, though it does have some tournament prizes. Since the players don't pay anything, they tend to place pretty low value on their chips, so I see a lot of all-ins.
• Who Wins This Hand?
  

  Hi there,

  Could u tell me who win this hand please?

• Playing high card hands from early position
  Hi there!
  I really like your site and it has really helped my game improve in the few months I have been playing. I have been participating 2-3 times a week in local free rolls in my area. They tend to feature a mixed bag of player types with about 30-35 people playing.
• Not enough to cover blind
  I just finished playing a game of Texas hold'em where my friend who had $10 in chips left was told he could no longer play because he didn't have enough chips to cover the big blind, which was $40.
• A couple poker rules questions
  Hello,
  Discovered your site and found some really good info on it so I'm sure you can help me with a couple of questions.
• Which one of us losers places higher?
  Hi,
  I will greatly appreciate an answer to my question. I was on your site and couldn't find that it had been asked before but I'm sorry if it was. I play in a weekly home game tournament, and haven't ran into this scenario before.
• Raising after you have called
  Love your site.
• Pay out dispute
  There are 6 placements and seven players left................
• Getting Away from a Straight Flush
  Hi, I have a question regarding a funny situation I encountered today that went as follows:
• A Bunch of Poker Strategy Questions
  Hi,
  BTW love the site excellent resource, that being said i have a few questions and if you could answer a few of them i would be much appreciative. They are pretty general and besides taking the players past betting pattern and table manner could u answer some of my questions. thanks in advance
  
  Thanks again and love the site!!!!
  Tim
• He Was Forced to Reveal His Cards
  

  Hi,

  During our lunch game today a player saw another player's cards by mistake. He then told the rest of the table what the player had and forced him to turn over the cards.

• When The Big Blind Busts
  

  Hello,

  Here is my question:

  The small blind always gets the 1st card when dealing. after the big blind busts the previous hand and we have a dead small,should the big blind get the 1st card delt?

• Can You Straddle in Tournaments?
  

  I know what a straddle is but wanted to know this. Can you straddle in a tournament? I know you can in a ring game. Also can you straddle in any posistion or just the "under the gun" person.

  Thanks Charlie

• Can I check-raise in Holdem?
  I'm a beginner and I know one cannot check and raise in the same round of betting in regular poker. Can this be done in holdem?
• Differences between Cash and Tournament No-Limit
  

  Hi Alan,

  I've been learning a lot from your site. One issue I'm still struggling with is the difference between no-limit cash games and tournaments. Other than (a) the overriding goal of staying alive in a tournament and (b) the fact that you need to play more hands in a tournament end-game to win chips before time runs out, is there any substantial difference in how you should approach cash games vs. tournament games?

• How to Handle Calling Stations
  Have been playing for a year or two. Mostly online. I know a bit about position and odds. Recently introduced my friends to poker and we are starting to have a regular game. The problem is that they are all serious calling stations and my online style wont work.
• How to Handle Calling Stations
  Have been playing for a year or two. Mostly online. I know a bit about position and odds. Recently introduced my friends to poker and we are starting to have a regular game. The problem is that they are all serious calling stations and my online style wont work.
• How Large is the Minimum Raise?
  I've got a question regarding betting.
• Wow - You Are Ruining the Game
  wow i just read an article of yours that said you'd rather play with 6,7 than pocket ace's.....i can't believe you would tell the american public that, unless you are trying to in fact make them worse at poker so you can rape them.
• A Fish Drowning
  I would classify myself as a tight playing fish for two reasons. I've only been playing for four months and secondly I have been loosing. I play live in a $3/$6 game, typically with 8 to 9 players (mostly older guys and perhaps a couple of younger guys). My dilemma is reading the type of game being played and adjusting my game.
• Did I play this hand wrong?
  Dear sir First let me say your site is one of the best sites for a beginner poker player. My question is I was playin a NL$5.0 sng blinds were 10/20 I was dealt jj in early position.
• Big Blinds Not Having Enough to Cover Blinds
  

  Hello,

  I have a question. I was playing at a regular game this evening and the big blind did not have enough to cover the blinds. Let's say the blinds were at 75/150 and the big blind only has 50. Is he eligible to win the blinds even if he did not have enough to cover, or can he only win the amount that he had in the first place?
• Exposing hole cards
  

  Question:

  Hi

  I've been enjoying your website. I have a question about exposing my hole cards. I understand it's wrong to do this as long as there are people still competing in a hand (even if I've folded), but is it legal if I am the very last person responding to an all-in bet?

• Learn to play a solid game
  

  Question:

  I read some interesting tips for playing texas holdem by Ian Horne. Does he, or do you know someone fairly reasonable that would teach me to play a solid game?
  Thanks in advance for any feedback you can provide.
  
  /Dave
• How badly did I play my hand?
  

  Question:

  Hello, Firstly, I wanted you to give me your opinion on this hand. I was playing in a multi-tourney and played a really bad hand. I had been playing really good up to this point and got a little carried away. Could you please tell me really how badly I played this hand.
• Strange dealer mistake on the river
  

  Question:

  Your web site is great.

  Here's the question:

• Is it legal to play for real money in the U.S.?
  

  Question:

  Is it legal to play for real money on the internet in the United States?

  / Devin

• What is a sleep bet?
  

  Question:

  Playing a friends only cash game:

• Required bet for next position, after an All-In Bet
  

  Question:

  Here is the specific scenario that almost caused a fist fight at a tournament the other night.

• What are the rules regarding side pots?
  

  Question:

  What are the rules regarding side pots? I've seen 6 players go all in and 5 winners come back.

• Acting out of turn to trap other players
  

  Question:

  Hi:

  I know this has been covered to an extend in your website. However, here I have an interesting question for you.

• What is "running it twice?"
  

  Question:

  Hey,

  Recently, I've heard people talk about "running it twice" in poker games. What does this mean?

  / Bob

• Best way to try for WSOP?
  

  Question:

  Long time, no talk - I was wondering if you have given any advice regarding a good way for players to get to the WSOP?

• Can you move a player after he has posted the blind?
  

  Question:

  Dear

  I have a very important question to ask, and hope you have the answer for me. I was engaged in a satellite Texas Holdem tournament in Casino du Liban (Lebanon)

• Question about WPT controversy: Update
  

  Question:

  Thank-you for your reply. I was surprised with your reply, since on your internet site under "Don't muck winning hands", the example used was very similiar to my situation at the WPT. As written on your web-site, "The rule is clear: If your cards touch the muck, it is considered a fold. It doesn't matter if the cards are face-up or face-down".

• What happens when a player bets out of turn?
  

  Question:

  Heres the situation. Blinds are at 50 and 100 dollars. A player on the button states that he is betting 3 hundred in the dark. What do the players after the blinds do?

• Question about WPT controversy
  

  Question:

  Hi,

  I played in the 2007 wpt at the fallsview. Yesterday, I placed 19th. I am very interested in your opinion regarding the play with Adam Levy's ace in the muck. I would really appreciate a quick response.

  Thank-you, Catherine.

• Switching to Short-handed Games
  

  Question:

  I have played online Texas Holdem for about two years, mainly no-limit cash games. Recently I made the switch from full tables to short-handed ones.

• How should I play in loose office games?
  

  Question:

  Hi there, Chris here,

  I play a lot of no-limit Texas Holdem with the guys at the office. They're usually quite loose, and since the blinds are cheap several players often see the flop, even if it's been raised and re-raised pre-flop.

• When does at bet become official?
  

  Question:

  I purposely vocally stated I was going all in, out of my betting order, trying to scare some people off; there were 2 players to bet before me.

• Played too weak and lost, what should I have done?
  

  Question:

  I have a question regarding a no limit game. $4,000 buy-in with the blinds 10/20. I have got $3,500.

• What does "show one show all" mean?
  

  Hi,

  You have a great site that helped with a lot of information when I was first getting into poker. I had two questions regarding the showdown of hands in tournament and cash games. The two situations are as follows:

• Fire way or hit the breaks?
  

  Question:

  Hi Champ!

  When you play your very loose and aggressive game, raising pre-flop in every other hand and leading out on the flop most of the time, how you decide when to fire away and when to hit the breaks?

• Was it really a misdeal?
  

  Question:

  We have a guy in our weekly game that has a habit of pre-dealing the flop,turn, and river (all face down).I guess to save time, I dono, but here is what happened.

• I misread and lost - what went wrong?
  

  Question:

  Your insight would be much appreciated here...

• Should I stay away from drunk maniacs?
  

  Question:

  Hello,
  before I begin I just want to commend you on a great site. It has so much good information I've hardly been able to scratch the surface. My question is more psychological than theoretical.

• What is a straddle?
  

  Question:

  What is a straddle bet in a cash game?

  / Frank

• Will my style work in high-stakes games?
  

  Question: (this is the fourth in a series of questions)

  I'm not thinking that high-limits means a bluff fest. I know that the basis of all poker is making a hand and getting it paid off.

• What happens when players bust in the same hand?
  

  Question:

  We recently played a home game in which an unusual situation came up that created a little controversy.

• How do people handle one-pair hands in high-stakes games?
  

  Question: (this is the third in a series of questions)

  In 6-handed high-stakes online games, how often does a call in position slow down a lead bettor, one way or the other, post-flop (slowing down doesn't mean they're necessarily done with the hand)?

• How to exploit weak play in short-handed games?
  

  Question: (this is the second in a series of questions)

  In 6-handed high-stakes online games, how do people look to exploit weak play? What are some of the differences between an actual value bet and a scared bet on different streets? How much limping is allowed?

• What NL games do you play?
  

  Question:

  To be as frank as possible (excuse me if I'm too frank), what NL games do you play?

• Four-of-a-kind on the table - who wins?
  

  Question:

  Who is the winner if players have 4 of a kind on the table(community cards)?

  Thank you.

  / Gala

• Antes vs blinds - what's the deal?
  

  Question:

  My husband and I are having an argument about antes and blinds.

• Chip Dumping - WSOP Rules
  

  Question:

  Please tell me the definition of "chip dumping" as listed in 2007 WSOP Rules. Thanks!

• Which Flush Wins the Pot
  

  Question:

  We were playing Texas Hold'em tonight and something came up and none of us knew who won. On the board was all hearts with A,T,6,4,8. I had a J of hearts and someone else had a 5 of hearts in his hand. The question is this: Is it a push because it's simply an Ace high flush, OR do I win with my J making it the higher Flush?

  Karen

• Does Three Pair Beat Two Pair?
  

  Question:

  My question is on who would win in 2 particular Texas Hold'em games, and why. This is what is on the table for 2 different games.

• I Win the Pot, Thank You Very Much!
  

  Question:

  There are four hearts on the table and one of them is the jack of hearts. I have the five of hearts and you have the ten of hearts (the other cards don't matter). Who wins, or is it a split pot?

• Calling with less than the bet
  

  Question:

  If at the end of a game there are two players left and the first player bets say $100 and the other player does not have enough money to match that bet, but says I am going "all in" with the money that they have left...is that legal and can it be done? Say the money he has left to bet is $75. Can he put that in and the other player then removes $25? It happened in a game I was playing

• When a Flush Beats a Flush
  

  Question:

  In a recent game with friends we ran into a divided table on who should have won a hand. The problem was that three different players ended up with a flush. The flop was: ace of spades, king of spades, eight of clubs. The turn was: ten of spades, and the river was: 6 of spades.

• Is peeking at misdealt cards allowed?
  

  Question:

  Hi,

  I have a question about an argument that happened in my last poker game.

• Re-shuffle or not re-shuffle?
  

  Question:

  I was playing in a tournament last night last night when we had a situation happen that I have never seen before.
• All-in with KK or wait for a better hand?
  

  Question:

  Hi, I would like to thank you for your help in the past. I have a question & it leads like this:

• Showing cards in all-in situations?
  

  Question:

  My question is based either on both a home game or tournament play. Two players go all in pre-flop - should both players reveal their cards face up?

• I flopped a monster. Should I go all-in?
  

  Question:

  I have been playing Step tournament at Party Poker & early in the tournament I'm dealt 9Qo, one player checked before me, I raised a small amount & 2 players called after me. The flop come 9Q9 so I push all in. To my surprise, the guy just before me push all in & I was pretty sure I got him beat.

• Question about odds and Big Slick
  

  Question:

  Love your concise page of odds, yet site the following apparent discrepancy: You list the odds of 2 overcards improving to a pair by the river at only 26%. Yet, you list the odds of AK hitting an A or a K by the river at even. How are these 2 scenarios not the same thing?

• Pocket queens against five players?
  

  Question:

  How would you play pk Q's in the early stages of an online tourney after a raise UTG and 4 callers?

• At what point should I have stopped betting?
  

  Question

  Hi there,

  I have a question regarding this hand I played a couple days ago, I'm not sure if I was too reckless.

• How to play in tournaments with time limits?
  

  Question:

  I play in a regular weekly game with a modest entry fee and a chance to win some decent money. The game is a $50 dollar buy in but there is a time limit in order for everyone to get home at a reasonable hour. It averages anywhere from 12 to 20 people whom of the majority are older guys with plenty of card playing experience, not necessarily Holdem.

• I'm card-dead - what do I do?
  

  Have a couple of questions...

  1. Frequently find myself card dead in online NL tournaments. Starting hands like 73o, J3o, 92o hand after hand. I'm patient and often make it to the final table, but usually short stacked, having been whittled away by the blinds. Is this just the nature of the game? How do you deal with this predicament?

• Correction: number of possible starting hands in Texas Holdem
  

  Question:

  I love your site. You've done a great job.

  In one of your Q&A articles dated 8/24/04, "Odds for Beer Hand", your last sentence states that there are 2,652 possible two-card hands (i.e., starting hands for Texas Hold'em). I believe that the correct number is 1,326 (which equals 2,652 / 2).

• Poker Tournament Question
  

  Question:

  Hi

  I've been reading your emails and website for quite the while. I love the new webpage format.

• Are There Any Successful Maniacs?
  

  Question:

  I have been playing poker for 20+ hours a week online for over 2 years, at one point I was a winning $2/4 6max NL hold'em player, but then I started heavily reading poker books and reading forums to try to plug any holes in my game and move up to $3/6NL.

• Calling with Implied Odds in Holdem
  

  Question:

  Okay this is a pot-odds question. This is a situation that is in one of your articles.You are playing in a full table, no limit cash game, with blinds of $0.50/$1.00. The blinds post and there are 3 limpers. You look down and find yourself holding Ks Ts in the button. You call and the SB folds and BB checks (pot is $5). The flop comes down: As 2s 5c.The BB bets 5 dollars and one limper calls making the pot 15 dollars. It would cost you 5 to proceed to the turn so you would be getting 3-1.

• Stack Size and Cash-Game Strategy
  

  Question:

  Nowadays most of the literature you read and discussions you hear about No Limit Texas holdem is either about Deep Stack No Limit (Effective stacks of 200+ big blinds) or extreme short stack No Limit (Such as tournament endgame, effective stacks of under 15 big blinds), however if you look at the majority of the lower to middle buy-in NL cash games, you will notice they are populated by stacks of ~50-75 Big blinds.

• Side pot to the second-best hand
  

  Question:

  Dumb question I'm about to ask, but it will solve an argument. When playing a hand, one player goes all in on the flop, yet the other players keep on raising after his bet. If the first player should have the winning hand, what happens to the coins left? Does the money go back to the separate players or does the next winning hand take the remainder of the pot.

  thanks

  Angelo

• A few "Who wins?"
  We get a lot of questions regarding who should win the pot, and have answered a few of them below. The most important thing is to remember that you always use exactly five cards to make the best possible hand in Texas Hold'em, and that you can combine your hole cards and the cards on the board any way you like.
• Chip Count Determinates Second Place Finisher
  

  Question:

  My apologies if you have already covered this, but my buddy just described this scenario, and I figure you could give us an answer:

  There are three players left in a tourney, and the top two spots get paid...

• Three Pocket Pairs and Three Sets
  

  Question:

  In a small tournament recently, I was out first hand. We all start with $4,000 in chips. There was moderate betting pre-flop, leaving three of us in the hand. I sat on snowmen -pocket 8s.

• Who finishes second?
  

  Question:

  Three players remain. The big stack goes all-in with Q6. The 2nd player goes all-in with Q9. The 3rd player goes all-in with AQ. After all five community cards are turned, the big stack wins because he paired his 6. The player, with AQ, has the next highest hand. The third player has the worst hand - Q9.

• Kicker Trouble
  

  Question:

  I am bluffing with only ace high in my hand. My daughter is holding K5. The flop produces a pair of 10s and a pair of 6s plus a 5. Does my daughter win with her resulting pair of 5's or is it negated by the higher pairs and therefore ace high beats her king? My grandson said I win with ace high. Please solve this family dispute. Thanks!

• Impossible hands?
  

  Question:

  In your section on Texas Holdem Poker Hand Ratings, when comparing full houses, you say: "Jacks full of tens (JJJ, TT) beats Jacks full of nines (JJJ, 99)." How can this ever happen? There are only four jacks in a 52 card deck. What am I missing here?

  Thanks, Steve Seitel

  P.S. Your site is VERY informative and helpful for this beginner. Thanks for putting it up.

• Don't muck winning hands
  

  Question:

  I have a real quick question on mucking. We are playing hold em and there are only two people in after all the cards are on the board. Player one goes all in and player two says "I call" but flips his cards face up on the muck pile.

• Who Is First to Act Heads Up?
  

  Question:

  When you are playing head to head I understand that the button is the little blind and the other player is the big blind but who plays first? I am new to the game and am trying to figure this one out. Thanks.

  Palmer

• Always Protect Your Hand
  

  Question:

  We had a situation where 3 people were playing a hand and after the turn card, one folded and threw their cards on another player's hand instead of on the muck pile. The player whose cards were buried didn't remember what cards they had in their hand and wanted to call it a misdeal and take back their chips. What should we have done?

  Thanks, Jeremy

• Percentage of Someone Holding an Ace
  

  Question:

  I know that there is a 54% chance of at least 1 player out of 5 having an ace pre flop. What is the % of 1 player having an ace when there 10 players at the table pre flop?

• Can you get away from a set?
  

  Question:

  I love your website and thanks for taking time to read this. I play in a 1-2 NL Cash game about twice a week. It's a very loose game with raises to 10 dollars being called by 3-5 people a lot of the time. Here is what happened in my situation though.

• Poker Is a Five-Card Game
  

  Question:

  We had a game of Holdem recently. Four jacks and a two of clubs was showing after the flop. Three players were left in. One guy had a two and an Ace.I had a two and a nine. The third guy had a seven and a three. Who wins? Does the four of a kind go to the highest fifth card?

• High-Carding for the Button
  

  Question:

  Ok, here is a question that I can't seem to find an answer to: What is the strength of suites in poker in regard to dealing? I know that no suite is ranked higher during game play. What I mean is, during a home game when you are deciding who deals first you deal out cards to everyone. Let's say two people had aces dealt to them. The proper way to determine the dealer is to give it to the person who had the highest ace, right? I have seen this done at casinos during tournaments.

• Questions about Math and Poker
  

  Question:

  Hello, my name is Tyler Kuhlman I am in the eigth grade and I am doing a project on Texas Hold'em for my teacher Mr.Dimino. We have to pick a subject that has to do with math and find out some questions that have math related to them and our subject. Mr. Dimino also said we have to find an email and ask them some questions about our subject. So these are the questions I will be asking you.

• What Happens to the Button When Someone Gets Knocked Out?
  Question:

  I have a question. I was at the final table once. There were 4 people left on the hand after the dealer got knocked out. I was to next in line to deal. The person to the left of me grabbed the cards and said that it was his turn to deal. Needless to say the blinds were very high. Was it my turn to deal? Was it my turn to be small blind? A TD who does not like me for some reason, said I was big blind alone, and the blinds had gone up at that exact point. 3 people were left at the table at that point. It cost me the game. Could you please tell me all conditions and rules on when someone is knocked out at the table, and how that situation affects who deals? I am sure the person to the left of me was not the dealer! Please advice.

• When is the right time to call?
  

  Question:

  Hi. I recently took up texas-holdem again, and it has been 2 yrs. i was surprised that you still kept the site and not only that it is now better. and i respect you on keeping the site and helping the rest of us on improving.
• Folding when the board plays?
  

  Question:

  A question about playing the board and split pots. This is the scenario:
• Betting etiquette - when is it ok to move all-in?
  

  Question:

  My question is regarding betting etiquette. The other day I was watching No Limit Holdem on TV. Daniel Negreanu was heads up against an amateur fairly early in a tournament. The blind/antes were relatively low. Daniel bet out $600 and his opponent went all-in with $40,000.
• How to Win Large Poker Tournaments
  Question:

  I have been playing NL Holdem tournaments for almost a year now & had my up & down when it comes to the final stage. I just wonder what is needed to finish 1st on a tournament of 500 plus players. I have come 9th. 7th & 5th But never been able to make it to the last two or three places.

  I also have a problem of getting too excited when I get a hand such as AK, AQ, AJ or 99, TT, JJ & loose when I'm just about to make it to the final table.

  Appreciate your advice on the above.

  Best regards,

  Sam

• Don't donk your chips away with crap hands
  Question:

  In a no-limit game I'm short stack and getting so-so cards. Everyone folds pre-flop except the person who has the big stack. I had noticed him playing a bit loose and he has won hands by causing others to drop because of aggressive betting. First bet is the minimum BB. I had a 7h Js. The two of us see the flop and it shows three more hearts. I have one to a flush, but a small flush. My opponent bets first, $2,000. I decided to call him all-in with $3,200 because I had two shots for a flush and my judgment of his hand based on prior betting was that he had a paid, not necessarily a big pair. He sees the all-in and I'm right. He had a King in hand and one on the flop. I bet because with only two of us and a large bet I saw a way with only one player against me to really improve my chip situation. I never did get that flush. I left the game feeling good about that bet and no regrets. Was I right?

  Thank you.
  Ed Pinto

• Can You Hide your Chips in Poker?
  Question:
  I play friendly games at home with some friends and we played recently and there was 3 of us left in it and 1 of the other players had someone else helping him. The person who was helping but not playing was keeping half of the person who was playings chips out of view underneath the table. Is this legal?? We decided it wasn't.
  Thanks
  Love The Site!
  
  
• Playing AA after a scary flop and some resistance
  

  Hi

  I continue to learn a lot from your site, as I have become pretty well read on nolimit poker. Now its only a matter of applying that knowledge. I have seen a distinct improvement in my tourney results over the past year (thanks to your resources among others), and thought I would share a hand that I ended up misplaying and my takeaways on how I played it. As always, any comments you have would be appreciated, if time does not permit I understand.

  Scott

• Acting Out of Turn
  

  Question:
  Hi

  My question is on betting out of turn. I did read the post on this issue, but this is a rather unique question.

  The hand had 4 players after the flop, players A, B, C, and D. Player A was first to act. Player B bet out of turn and verbally declared himself all in and move his chips into the pot. Then Player A, who was skipped, immediately declared himself all in and moved his chips into the pot.

  Now we have two players who acted out of turn, because I believe that the action should have been to player C with players' A hand being forced to "check".

  We ruled the following:

  1. Player B acted out of turn.
  2. That there was action after his bet even though player A now acted out of turn.
  3. Players' B bet was binding because of the action of player A.
  4. Then Players C and D were now allowed to play their hand.

  What would a ruling on this situation be?

  Thanks,

  Tim

• Books on Poker Theory
  Question:

  Hi,

  You have the best website ever. I came across it yesterday and I can't get away from it.

  I have a question please. Could you suggest a good book on theory of poker that is heavy on math and applies to today's poker if possible? I read only few books so far and there just seems to be too much fluff.

  I will greatly appreciate your answer. Best regards, Voj
• A poker hand consists of five cards
  Question:
  Community cards are K, K, Q, Q, 5
  Player 1 holds J, 8
  Player 2 holds 8, 5

  The question is: Which Player wins? My theory is the K, K, Q, Q are discounted because neither player has any advantage with them; therefore the 5 pair (player 2) wins. The other theory is the best 5 card hand: K, K, Q, Q, J (player 1) wins.

  This actually happened and could not be resolved. The pot was split between the two players.

  /John E. Rowe

• Reaching the long run
  Question:

  Great site!

  I have played texas holdem for an year and have given the game alot of thought. In addition I have read 4 books and done alot of research on the net. I play cash games at the casino at a ´2/2 No Limit table where min buy-in is 50-200. Now I have played about 15 times in all and to my surprise I am ahead of the game.

• How to kill a hand
  Question:

  If a player throws over his cards face up preflop without any announcement is he committed to call the all in bet?

• Taking just one card of when cutting the deck
  

  QUESTION

  Observed on your site that you don't cut the deck. However, if someone does cut the deck, what is considered legal? I play with a gentleman who insists on cutting the deck by taking one card off the top of the deck and placing it on the bottom, stating it's a legal cut. I was wondering if it is in fact a legal cut?

  Thank you, Aaron

• Questionable all in with KK in a tournament
  Question:

  Hi, I love the site... I have a specific hand question that leads into a theory question that I thought you could discuss. I was playing in a $69+6 Double Stack online tournament (3k starting chips) when I found myself in the BB with KK. (blinds 50-100). I had 4.9k, sb (player A) had 13k, and 2nd position (player B) had 5.6k.

  B leads out with a 350 raise, A calls, I only raised to 700 because my timer thing was running down (my first mistake... usually I'd have made it about 1k), and both call. Flop comes 8-3-t rainbow. I bet 1800, a slight overbet, trying to compensate for my mistake preflop, and both call... At this point I was worried about a set of 10s, and I was debating just folding the turn, which was a 9. A bets 2800, putting me all in (I had 2.4k), and I decide to call for a few reasons; I doubt anybody has a straight, and if I lose to a set with kings I lose to a set. I reasoned that if it were a cash game and I put him on a set I could lay it down, because I would have many more chances to play, but in a tournament, sometimes you have to take what you can get.

  Anyway, player B pushes and A calls, with B having JJ and A 88. Miraculously, I river a king and take over the tournament chip lead. So, I know I did a lot of things wrong in this hand and still got rewarded. But from a philosophical aspect, would you have folded the turn if you were me? Would you have folded it if this were a cash game situation?

  Thanks, Reid

• Which tactic should I use, shorthanded or fulltable?
  

  Question: With respect to short table v.s. full table in on-line games, 5/10 blinds. If your on the cusp between the two, say 6 or 7 players and two or three fold in front of you pre-flop, would it be prudent to switch your play from full table strategy to short table strategy or continue your play based on full table concepts?

  I tend to lean toward sticking with my full table game at these times, but occasionally switch to short table strategy when my starting hand has a face card (i'll consider playing any starting hand with a face card).

  Best regards,Jim Rowley

• Is it allowed to ignore the sidepots?
  

  QUESTION

  My question is about all in after the flop. Player A went all in. I called the all in as player B. Player C raised and player D called. I then checked but was told I had to call player C or fold as I still had chips left. I said I only wanted to compete for the all in and not the side pot I was over ruled and had to fold or match player C. What is the correct ruling as I understood the rules as side bets are not compulsory?

  Many thanks/Glenn Burnside

• Button position in heads-up play
  Question:

  Hi!

  Great site. This is kind of another heads-up big blind question. Although a little different.

  If you have 3 runners, and the person on the button is eliminated. The person on his/her right is the big blind. After the elimination, the button goes towards the eliminated's left. This means that this person is now the dealer/small blind, correct?

  Does this mean, the person who was the original big blind. Is big blind once again?

  Michael/Thanks.

• Confidence and Psychology and Acting on Them
  Question:

  Hi!

  I've written you a couple times here and I'm still going on a lot of the things you've written. Even more than the strategy, you taught me dealing with losing and what being a professional poker player means. I'm not yet where I want to be so I'll just call myself a decent student of the game.

  I recently played two very interesting hands that affected each other. The game is $2.5/5 NL Hold'em. The very hand before the other one I raised on the button to $20 with A-J and got three callers, making it a multiway pot. The flop came Q-Q-3 and everybody checked to me. Normally in this spot I'll just check, having flopped nothing and it being a multiway pot but I knew that they'll know that and unless one of them flopped trip Q's here they won't like the situation. I wanted to set up the image that I won't need a monster to bet into a multiway field (which generally tends to be true). So I bet a value bet like $24 and "LaBarca" called, everybody else folded.

• There is no sixth kicker
  Question:

  My question is about Texas Hold'em:

  In the middle are the cards 9, 10, J, Q, 4

  Player 1 hand is K, 2
  Player 2 hand is K, J

  so who wins and why?
• The Minimum Raise in No Limit Texas Holdem
  Question:

  If there are 10/20 blinds in No Limit Hold 'em and Player A raises to 50, what is the minimum amount the next player can reraise? Is it up to 100 total, which is double the previous bet or 80 total because the previous raise was 30 more (20-->50)?

• How to Play Online Poker for Mac
  When I bought my new Mac, I was really excited, excited to get online and play poker. However, after realizing that most online poker rooms were only made for Microsoft Windows, I was on a hunt for information about where I could play poker for Mac. This is my story and a guide on where to play Mac poker.
• Matching an All-in
  Question:
  

  When two people are heads up and one is the blind...this is the scenario. I have $225 in chips and no one else calls the all-in. However, the big blind at $300 wants to continue play. What will the big blind have to put in in order to play? Does he keep $300 in or pull back $75???

  Jennifer

• Short Stack Strategy in NLHE Tourney
  Question:
  Ever make a play that should work but doesn't? I am short-stacked in a live NLHE tournament. I can use this situation to my advantage since I still have enough chips (I never let myself get too short unless I get crippled) where my push will force people to pick up a hand.
• When Two Players Have a Full House
  Question:
  

  I was playing holdem and a problem came up. The flop comes out k 8 8. I'm holding A 8, I bet twice the pot. I get 1 guy to call so I put him on a k. Next card comes out k so I think sweet full house. The other guy goes all in and I call. I am right he has the k. The river comes and it is an A so I think I am a winner but the table tells me I am a loser because the other guy has 3 K's and 2 8's. I have 3 8's and 2 A's. Why do i lose...

  Please help me

  Rich

• Play Sets in Action Games and Suited Connectors in Passive
  Question:

  Hi there,

  I have a question about something I read in Sklansky's book (hold'em for advanced players). He says small pairs like games where there is a lot of action on the flop, while the small and middle suited connectors prefere more passive play. Why is that?

  Snarf

  p.s. Like your site. Keep up the good work!

• Private Tables
  Question:

  I have several friends all spread out along the southeastern United States and we'd like to get together for a game. Do you know of any site that allows players to get a game together online in some sort of private room?

  Any help is appreciated.

  John Price

• Don't Create Unnecessary Side Pots
  Question:

  Hi, and thank you for a very great site. i have a question that i couldnt find in your site though. it's about all-in.

  ex. 100-100 blinds player 1 - (bigblind) 200 player 2 - goes all in for 150 player 3 - raise to 400 player 1, big blind folds

  player 3 would then match player 2's 150 right?

  if player 2 wins, will he get all the pot including big blind's 200? or just 150? will the remaining 50 goes to player 3?

  thanks very much! Joyce
• Splitting the Pot
  Question: O.K. here is my question, In a recent no limit game blinds were in at 40/80 my friend was first to act and went all in about 200, the next guy (not a blind) called all in for what he had (61) chips the 40 and 80 blinds folded. All this was pre flop if it matters? the guy with 61 chips in the pot won the hand against my friend. If you can break down what amount of chips should he win total and from who???? Great site ya got here, just found it today and made it a favorite.. CHRIS Q
• Misdeal or Not
  Question: During the 1st hand of a tournament we had a situation where the hand was dealt to the river where both players went all-in and a player was knocked out. After the hands were flipped and the pot awarded we found that there was an extra card flopped that was stuck behind another. We declared that it was not a misdeal because it was not found until all the action was complete. Were we right? John
• Do You Have 2 Fill Up?
  In a no limit game, if the first person betting after the flop cannot meet the blind and goes all in, do the other players have to meet the big blind or just meet what that first person has bet? All players have met the blind before the flop. Fran
• Pocket Eights
  Question: Hi, This is one of the best advice sites on the net and read it daily. I have a quick question on a hand I played on the 2.5M MoneyMaker R1 that I am not sure if it was correct play or not. I had pocket 8s and UTG. Its a nine player table and early in the tournament. Blinds are 15/30, I have 1900 in chips. The player who calls below has slightly more at 2400 (or so). I open up raising at 150 and everyone folds except one player in late position who calls. Thus it is heads up. The flop is J73 rainbow. I bet 550, he raises all in. I think about it for a little and then go all in. The turn/river dont help and he shows JKo and wins the pot with JJ. I am out of the tournament. Was this ok play? I suspect I should of folded... Thanks and again a fantastic site!! Jason
• Who won the hand?
  I guess I must blame myself for not explaining this properly in an article since "who won this hand" question is the most common one. So as a punishment I'll continue to answer them on this page until I do write about it.
• Playing 6-2 suited after a pre flop raise
  
• Trash Hands In Holdem
  Question: Hi, I'm not sure if you have time or the interest to answer peoples questions but you seem like you enjoy helping people. I consider myself a good player. I think I am lacking in a couple of areas such as discipline. I play online mostly. Because I don't have a lot of money I find myself playing in the 25 and 50 dollar NL tables. I read about your three stages and found them very interesting. I do believe that I am in the third stage with the exception of having enough discipline. I have read about 20 poker books but believe my game has progressed past them, basically just because I think about the game so much. I am interested in possibly doing this for a living in the future when I have the appropriate bankroll. I think recently one of the problems I have is that I am falling in love with trash hands, suited (or one maybe two gap) connectors especially from bad position (again a downfall of lack of discipline). Do you have any advice that could help me improve my game. I also had a specific question trash hands and one or two gap connectors. Do you think it is worth the risk to play these hands and possibly take the a little to far to try to break someone, and possibly create a table image that could be profitable in the future. Thanks for taking the time to read my email and I hope to hear from you soon.
• Home Dealer Question
  Question: Home Game Dealer Question

  I have a couple of questions about home game dealing, I know you give tips on mostly how the play, but if you have time to answer this question on dealing it would be appreciated. Every week I have a game at my house with a bunch of friends playing .50/1.00 NL Holdem. We used to pass around the deck and have everyone deal and use the deck as the "dealer" button, but it was getting too hard because many of them are not the best dealers so I started dealing every hand and we used a real dealer button. I also played in the game, but everyone agreed that it was best if I dealt ever hand because I was quick, fair, and dealt well. I have had my share of mis deals or improper flops, but I have tried to make it as smooth as possible. First off I was wondering what is the best way to shuffle for a home game. I just do a standard bridge shuffle a couple times. I have read 7 times makes it total randomized, but on TV they just take all the cards and move them around with their hands on the table until it is randomized. Next, sometimes we have a problem with people folding because we do not know if they are in or out. Where is the standard place to put fold cards when you have a full table of 10 (table is a real felt one). Third, are people allowed to fold out of turn. People do this all the time and I think that since its a home game its different then a real game and I dont wanna make it un fun, but sometimes folding out of turn can change peoples decisions preflop. Any other tips on home game dealing also would help.

  Matt

• Postflop Play After Missing Flop
  Question: I was recently in a tight 3/6 limit ring game online. Only 2, possibly 3 players out of ten were seeing the flop. I was dealt AQs, AQos twice, KQs and KJos in the first 12 hands or so. Not once did I get any help from the flop.

  I bet the turn once with 2 overcards, but folded the rest instead of chasing my lone overcard. I lost the equivalent of 14 small bets but felt I could have lost 2-3 times as much if I bet/called to the river.

  My opponents, none pre-flop raisers had no problem betting into me, as I had raised pre-flop in 4 of the 5 hands. All were heads-up scenarios.

  My question is: Did I do the right thing by folding rather than "gambling to see the outcome of all 5 board cards? I didn't feel I was going to push any of them off their hands and not knowing anything else about these players, I was in the dark. I would imagine I lost to cards like J9 and Ace/rag; who knows.

  Any thoughts?

• Pot Committed Definition
  Question: First off, this is the best site out there for tips and stradegies. Thanks for taking the time to help out us beginers.

  My question has to do with being "pot committed". I often hear, "He had to call the all in bet because he was pot committed". How do you know when you are pot committed? Is this a bigger factor in tournament play than in a ring game?

  Thanks,

  Mark

• Pot Committed Definition
  Question: First off, this is the best site out there for tips and stradegies. Thanks for taking the time to help out us beginers.

  My question has to do with being "pot committed". I often hear, "He had to call the all in bet because he was pot committed". How do you know when you are pot committed? Is this a bigger factor in tournament play than in a ring game?

  Thanks,

  Mark

• Isolating A Player
  Question: Today I was playing online and was in mid position with the largest stack. I was dealt AA. 1st position raises 10x the big blind. I raise him hoping to isolate him. Unfortunately dealer, and both blinds call my raise and so does the original bettor.
• Drawing When Board Is Paired
  Question: If you have time, I would love to hear your opinion about a hand that knocked me out of a 1000 player tourny recently.
• Pulling Cards From The Muck Pile
  Question: I play live N/L tournaments that are scheduled 3 times a week near my hometown. One of the best local players we have is solid player who frequents Las Vegas 3-4 times yearly. He actually runs the NL tournaments I mentioned.
• Pulling Cards From The Muck Pile
  Question: I play live N/L tournaments that are scheduled 3 times a week near my hometown. One of the best local players we have is solid player who frequents Las Vegas 3-4 times yearly. He actually runs the NL tournaments I mentioned.
• KK When Ace Flops
  Question: Hi there,

  I've been playing No Limit Texas Hold'em for 6 months now and consider myself a reasonable player, but I have a tendency to get myself into all kinds of trouble when playing under the gun with big hands. I'm a big believer in information betting to help me understand how strong my hand is post flop but I often struggle with using that information to my advantage.

• Loose Fixed Limit Games
  Question: What's your advice on how to beat limit games that routinely see 5-7 players limp into every flop, or 3-5 players 2-betting into every flop. I play good cards, and am tired of getting my big hands cracked by 75off.

  Rich Boles

• How Are Cards Revealed?
  Question: The situation is; the river card has been dealt and betting is done. It is time to reveal the pocket cards.
• Percentage Of Winning Players
  Question: Thanks again for the wealth of information!

  I'm wondering if you have any information as to what % of people play profitable poker.

• NL Holdem Cash Game Questions
  Question: Dear Webmaster:

  I like your website very much and I have learned a lot from you. I think I have developed a tight aggressive style to play online full ring NL100. However, it seems to me that playing tight aggressively usually is not the fastest way to triple or quadruple your buy-in. Those people who are up a couple racks are usually LAGs, and they seem to play nearly 50% of their hands. Moreover, they tend to stay to see the turn card or even the river card. Sometimes I see they make their hand at turn or river and get paid off huge. Am I just playing too weak tight?

• Protect Your Hand At All Times
  Question: This is probably a strange query but it is just something that I need verified.
• KK Cash Game Hand
  Question: Hi,

  I'm a shorthanded NL$200 player (blind are $1-$2). I'm doing well at this table. This hand appeared and I would like to hear your opinion.

• Evaluating Flushes In Holdem
  Question:Only two players(P1 & P2) left in hand.

  P1 hole cards: 7of spades & 2 of clubs.

  P2 hole cards: 4 of spades & 5 of spades.

  Community cards: A of spades, K of spades, 9 of spades, 2 of spades, & 10 of hearts.

  Who wins?

  We had a big argument. I said P1 wins he has higher flush. Others said they both had ace high flush split pot.

  Thanks for your input.

  Jeff

• More Than One Person To A Hand
  Question: Your site is great... I'm VERY new to the game (3 weeks), and you're general advice has definately kept me from being torn apart by the people I play with... I haven't won a tourney yet however because it's a "kitchen table" game I've managed to get my buy in back 4 out of the five times I've played... I've got my family hooked on your site too... They all love it and they've been playing holdem for years!!! Keep it up... But I do have some questions, and I hope that you find them worthy enough to answer:
• More Than One Person To A Hand
  Question: Your site is great... I'm VERY new to the game (3 weeks), and you're general advice has definately kept me from being torn apart by the people I play with... I haven't won a tourney yet however because it's a "kitchen table" game I've managed to get my buy in back 4 out of the five times I've played... I've got my family hooked on your site too... They all love it and they've been playing holdem for years!!! Keep it up... But I do have some questions, and I hope that you find them worthy enough to answer:
• 5 - 5 Limit Holdem Tips
  Question:

  Hi - I play texas holdem in Colorado where there is only $5.00 limited stakes gaming. The most popular game is 5 - 5 Texas holdem. The small blind is five dollars as is the big blind. There is a 30 dollar cap on betting per betting cycle pre- flop, turn and river.

• Tourney Advice For Middle Pairs
  Question: hello

  great site you got...i was wondering if you would have some advice for me:

  this has happened to me twice now in a space of 3 months...i´m playing a small buy-in freeze-out tournament (20 € buys 300 points or euros) in helsinki, finland...there are maybe 90 participants...

  i want to play tight aggressive style in order to go deep in the tournament...

• Not Enough Chips For Small Blind
  Question: I have a question that has caused a lot of discussion in our group. It concerns players that do not have enough chips to post the small blind (or big) blinds. Example: In tournament play, with blinds of 20/40. The player in the small blind position only has 15 chip value. Should that player be eliminated because he is unable to meet the blind value; or should he be allowed to play (all-in) the chips he has?

  Chris

• Big Pairs Versus Sets In No Limit Holdem
  Question: Hi,

  I have a recent hand I played that I thought would be interesting to share.

  This hand was in a no-limit cash game ($0.50/$1.00) and deals with what I find to be one of the toughest reads - playing high pockets into a set Fortunately for me, I was on the right end of this story (to begin with at least), but I think it exemplifies just how tough this type of a situation is to play.

• AA KK Mixing Play Up
  Question: I have not been playing poker long, but I have read some hold'em literature including many of the posts on your website. Recently, I have been thinking some about the philosophy behind the appropriate way to play AA or KK starting hands. I have heard the following many times: "Typically with AA or KK you will either win a small pot or lose a big one". Because you rarely get these cards in the hole, this statement would lead one to think that these hands could easily be losers in the long-run if you are not very careful with them.
• Observations From A Bad Streak
  Question: Reading your last column in the tips -section this seems lowly but I have reached the level of "professionality" comparable to a normal person working meaning $2500-4000 a month. On top of that I'm about to become a sports activities instructor making about $2500-$3000 a month. I'm writing you cause you gave me the opportunity to get where I am currently.
• Preflop Bet Sizes In NL Holdem Cash Games
  Question: I've heard it told many times that you should never vary your bet sizes according to your hand strength in online no limit holdem, because you then risk revealing the strength of your hand. One rule that a lot of good players seem to play by, is to bet 3-5 times the size of the BB + 1 BB per limper. But then it occured to me that there are other factors that maybe should help determine how much to bet, that still won't give your hands strength away.
• Required To Show Both Cards
  Question: Playing on the final table in a tournament, I held a K, 3 (no one raised my big blind). The flop came K, 2, J. I raised and everyone folded. Someone asked me to show my cards so I showed only the King.

  Two guys at the table insisted I had to show the second card. That's my question. If the hand is over and everyone has folded and I opt to show just one card, do I have to show the second card if requested?

• Big Semi-Bluffs In No Limit Holdem
  Question: I was playing in a No Limit Hold'em ring game yesterday and this hand came up. Blinds were $0.15 and $0.25 (I don't have the cash to play anything higher yet). I was in the cutoff and was dealt Kh 10h, several people limped in before me and I decided to limp as well (I tend not to favour raises with these kind of hands in low stakes, simply because you will get several callers). The button calls as well, SB calls and BB checks.
• Beat 10/20 NL At Party Poker, How To
  Question: hi,

  I've been observing the 2000 buy-in limit at party poker for a while now. I've been watching these money games and trying to pick up betting patterns on players to basically get a feel for the table and trying to put players on hands and categorize players as tight, or aggressive. There are some overly aggressive players and some players that are tight where you can maybe bluff at the flop if it doesn't have any over cards.

• More NL Cash/Tourney Questions
  Question: Dear Webmaster:

  Thank you very much for answering the questions on my last email. Your answers are insightful, and are a great encouragement to me.

  I have a few more NL cash game and tournament questions that I would like to seek your advice:

• More NL Cash/Tourney Questions
  Question: Dear Webmaster:

  Thank you very much for answering the questions on my last email. Your answers are insightful, and are a great encouragement to me.

  I have a few more NL cash game and tournament questions that I would like to seek your advice:

• Did I Play My AA Right Or Too Passively?
  Question: I need you help to evaluate my play on a certain hand that I feel I played as perfect as possible. The game was $1-2 NL in a casino.
• Nut Flush Draw In Tourney Too Passive?
  Question: I've been trying to play more aggressively. I don't know if I was too aggressive this hand or not aggressive enough.
• Gutshots With Overcards
  Question: In your article "Sure fire ways to lose", you give the example:

  Hole: AK

  Board: TJ4

  It says that drawing to the queen is (more) justifiable because you're also holding 2 overs. Which I partly agree with, however, many times proves to be lethal. Why? Well, what happens when the Ace or the King drops? All of a sudden you have top pair-top kicker. That's good, right? Or did that fill someone's open ended straight?

• Set Of Aces In A Tourney -- too passive?
  Question: Ok, using your "how would you play it if you saw your opponents down cards" rule, I think I played this well.

  But, 3 days later, it still hurts, so I thought I'd ask your opinion.

• Small Pocket Pairs Versus Short Stack All-Ins
  Question: I just laid down pocket sixes against a preflop all in that got called before I acted.

  Of course a third six hit, and I would have won. That´s poker, I know. I´m confident that my lay down was correct (I would have costed half my stack, and I was already kind of short.), but it got me thinking. If someone who´s extremely shortstacked moves all in, and you hold a low pair, I say call. But if the shortstack gets called before me, the odds goes from (probably) 50/50 to... What?

• Burn And Turn Too Early
  Question: Hi there,

  Was wondering whether you could help me out. Myself and my friends were playing a (kinda) friendly game of holdem when the following situation arose:

• How Important Is It To Steal Blinds In Cash Games?
  Question:I'm making the transition from NL Holdem home game tournaments to casino cash games. How important is it to steal blinds in cash games, specifically when you're in late position in an unopened or unraised pot?
• Running Hands Twice
  Question: Hey, I have been playing no-limit poker for around 6 years now and have just come across something I have never seen before, and wondered if you could shed some light.

  I was watching a high-stakes cash game on tv. 2 players went all-in (board was 910J player 1 holds KJ player 2 AA) the players didn't show their cards, and after the turn (A) and river confirmed the AA hand to be the winner, they agreed to draw the turn and river again! - I think they called it a second run. This time a K came making KJ the winning hand, and they then split the pot.

  I couldn't understand what was going on here, why did the guy with trip aces agreed to draw again when he could've been quite confident of having the winning hand (or is this agreement made before the first set of turn and river??)?

• Jackpots And Quads
  Question: Whom it may concern:

  I have very simple question to ask

  Any Four-of-kind need a Kicker? please read below and provide any knowledge.

  888.com( pacific poker)

• Pushing Or Calling All-in With Draws
  Question: My question deals with pushing or calling all in with a draw.. Now, not a gut shot or bottom pair. I'll give you a perfect example of what I mean...
• Sharing Info Away From Table Ethical?
  Question: I have learned many things from this site and I thank for that. I have a question about poker when you are not playing poker. I have played in 3 different poker situations, casino, online and with friends (home games). I prefer home games, and that is what I mainly do as a rule.
• Playing Against Tricky Players
  Question: I'm currently playing at NL 1/2 level (6 person tables) and i'm doing alright building my bankroll for the next level. There are a couple of things though that i would like to sort out, and maybe u can help. I generally play a tight game not bluffing a lot. My wins come mostly out of the crazy and the tight players.But against the tricky players one of the things i think i should improve is reraising.
• Loose Aggressive Limit Holdem
  Question: I really, really love your site.... i think you should bound up alot of the advice into a book.. would be excellent.

  my question is this: have you ever done a column about playing in a limit game with alot of pre-flop raising (could be tight or moderately loose)? when i play in these games i find things very tough... i have checked the archive two or three times and never found anything (but the archive is very large now).

  thanks in advance,

  steve from toronto

• Stating Your Hand and Computer Opponents
  Question: I'm sorry to bother you but i have a silly question that i really need to have answered, and i've couldn't find it in any writings. i'm new to poker. well: is it allowed to tell the other people what you got? like 'hmmm, ace pair, nice?'

  is it allowed, when there are only 2 guys left?

• Stating Your Hand and Computer Opponents
  Question: I'm sorry to bother you but i have a silly question that i really need to have answered, and i've couldn't find it in any writings. i'm new to poker. well: is it allowed to tell the other people what you got? like 'hmmm, ace pair, nice?'

  is it allowed, when there are only 2 guys left?

• Playing Against Conservative Players
  Question: Now, I have a question regarding playing against conservative players, usually at a small table ( 6 or less). I have confidence and I usually do well in NL$50 when the players are more aggressive, it just seems easier to play against them, or at least to make money from them when I have a good hand. I can control myself and not loose to many chips before I hit someone good.
• How'd I Play My Set?
  Question: Game is 2/5 nl in Atlantic City . Early position player makes it $15 to go . About 5 callers .
• Laying Down A Set In A Tourney
  Question: Hi,

  Thanks a lot for answering my comment in the last post. Sorry for asking too many questions but I faced a really tough decision in the last week Pokerstars' Sunday tournament ( 1 million gauranteed prize pool) and even after a long discussion with a group of friends, still can not figure out what the right play was.

• Playing From The Small Blind
  Question: Hello again.

  I still visit your site regularly and I commend you on your effort to educate the poker masses.

  My question, this time, concerns calling from the small blind. I know that everyone loses money playing from the blinds, but in an effort to control those losses, I fear I may be folding hands when I have the correct odds to call (even small, limit type raises).

• Texas Holdem Cheating
  Question: If 2 players are expected of cheating at a table by 1 of the players intentionally folding the better hand after the river to the weaker hand, can the players be asked to show their hands to the table or at least to the dealer?
• Proving Yourself At Bigger Limits (short handed play)
  Question: Second time I have written to this site, and I have read absolutely everything here. Great job.

  I like to play a bit of every type of poker on-line (hold'em, full-table, shorthanded, limit, no limit, Omaha, Omaha H/L, Stud, tourneys, etc.), but my main game (biggest money winner) has always been shorthanded limit hold'em ring games. I got into a rut for quite a while and burned through my bankroll at .50/$1, tilting after being drawn out on many times.

• Discussing A Hand In Play
  Question: Looking for your opinion on something...

  All in situation playing NL. Player 1 shows his cards and is the underdog to Player 2. Player 3, who is not in the hand, tells the table that he folded one of Player 1's outs to win the hand. Player 1 gets pissed off that Player 3 opened his mouth. I wasn't involved in the hand that led to the dispute, but if got me to thinking that I've never heard this discussed.

  Is it bad protocol to discuss outs in this situation, after all the money is in and after all the cards are face up?

  Thanks,

  Rich B.

  Racine, WI

• Split Pots And Kickers
  Question:

  Here are some related questions from different readers:

  1. I've noticed on online games that there are times when two players have 2 matching pairs (each player has 7s and 10s) and different kickers. I'd think the higher kicker wins; however, the online game automatic splits the pot sometimes. How come????

• In A NL Rut
  Question: Hello, I'd like to start my message to you with a dash of flattery. I have read and re-read almost every piece of content on your site and it has helped me tremendously in all areas of my play. Now a little bit on my background...
• Theory For Beating NL Cash Games
  Question: I have a theory - what I think may be the definition of winning poker (for the game that I play in). I'm not arrogant or accomplished enough to presume that this theory is right, however, so I'd love o hear your opinion.
• Percentage Of Playable Hands
  Question: I have a question about how many hands you're "supposed" to play. A tight player will play about 20-25% of the hands they are dealt. When they say "play" I assume it means the hands that see the flop. Now my question is when you calculate that percent does that include the percent of times you saw the flop from the big blind position? I have been substracting the big blind from the total to get the percent of hands that I do play. I average around 30-40% with the big blind subtracted. Am I playing too many hands?
• Bankrolls For NL Cash Games
  Question: Hey My name is Guido and I've read your page and keep reading it. Its helping me a lot.

  I play in the internet Absolute poker and its been hard for me but after i read your tips i found my way to build up $70 starting from 0.

  I won some money in few tournies and then went to the NL $0.10 and won what i have.

  I read on one of your articles or maybe answers that to move up in limits u need bankroll to do it. I was wondering if u could tell me how much do u think its the lowest bankroll you need for this:

  NL$0.25

  NL$0.50

  NL$1

  NL$2

  NL$4

  Thank you!

• Must Move Games
  Question: Hi,
• Playing Heads Up
  Question: I am doing relatively good in the home tournaments that we have regularly on weekends. I usually make to the final 3 players but I always have problem when it gets to heads up. I just do not have any plan and have no idea how to play. Every time my opponent raises, I just can't call if I don't have the top pair and it just does not seem to be the right plan. On the other hand, I am pretty good at trapping and if I get a hand I usually make him lose a lot of chips before he realizs that he is trapped but I do not necessarily get any opportunity to do that. How do you play heads up? What are the geneeral strategies for heads up?

  Thanks a lot again,

  Reza

• AQs Unimproved PostFlop
  Question:I was playing a $50 - 50 players no limit s&g tourney and we were down to 20 players. My stack was about $4500 (about avg) and sitting on the button with AQd. Blinds are $200-$400. Evryone folds except a middle position player with about $5000 stack size making it $1800 to go.

  I've been playing very tight since the beginning of the s&g, while he has been involved in quite some hands. Earlier, he was chipleader with about $10000 which melted down to his appx. $5000.

  I called the $1800 and the flop came 9d 3h 6d.

• Can't Remember How To Win
  Question:I've hit rock bottom, I simply cannot win money in NL holdem anymore. I've tried everything.

  Doyle Brunson among many other pros claim that aggressive poker is good poker. So in addition to the starting requirements an ABC player will raise with preflop (AA, KK, QQ, AK), I'll add in some suited connectors or AQ or even AJ in late position. However this just accelerates the rate at which im losing, because the more pots i raise preflop, the more bets im going to be making on the flop when I don't have anything. And in a $3/6 NL game online the players are pretty decent so when you bet 2/3 the pot at a 842 flop, they can pretty much figure you are just betting overcards so they either call or reraise me and then I have to let it go, and with $24 in the preflop raise and about $40 for the flop bet, I just lost about 1/6th my buyin. So a few hours go by and I lose a buyin or 2 or 3 (being aggressive) and then I'll finally catch a hand that if im lucky will bring me back to even but usually not even close. I really don't understand how Doyle claims that being aggressive is winning poker , because to me it seems that the implied odds of being in a hand with you increase and since you are bluffing more, they will simply call you more with lesser hands.

• Reply To: No Limit Holdem Sets vs. Flushes...
  Question: Hi,

  I am a constant reader of your website and learned a lot from it. I have a comment about your post on 3/29/06 "No Limit Holdem - Sets vs Flush Draws/Top Pair Top Kicker" in Questions/Comments section . I actually had the exact same problem since I play in a lot of low limit online sit 'n go NL Hold'em tourneys. I do not agree with the part in which you said " Now if you bet again (on the turn) and the player plays back at you with a big raise or an all-in, then you'll need to think hard about what it means and if you still have the best hand".

• Does Betting Order Affect Side Pots?
  Question: Hi,

  I have a question about pay out in this situation.

  We have four players left in a no limit tournament. All with different amount of chips of course.

  (I am going to cut the explanation short because I am only interested in how the pay out should be.)

• Equation For Pot Odds
  Question: Dear learn-texas-holdem.com:

  I have enjoyed many of your articles and have learned many useful tips to improve my game. Just looking the following :

• KK Play In A Sit And Go Tourney
  Question: Good afternoon,

  let me start off by saying that I really enjoy your website, and think its one of the best sources for new players out there. I have only been playing poker regularly for about 7 months now, but I've read a lot and studied the game and have enjoyed the great learning it has provided me along the way. So far I have played only no limit, mainly on-line, but a bit of live action at the Casino and with friends. Here is a hand that came up recently in an on-line no limit sit & go tourney that I think I misplayed but would like your opinion if you have the time to respond:

• Tournaments With Thousands Of Entrants, Playing In
  Question:hello,

  first of all, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge - i think you've helped a lot of inexperienced players starting to get a grip on this game...

  here goes: i play a lot of online tourneys with play money, since i'm not ready to lose cash yet :) these tourneys start out with somewhere around 3000 players (starting stack 3000 chips). i play very tight in the beginning, unless i get dealt a hand that will justify rolling the punches. after an hour, there are mostly 1000 players left. at that time, the average chip count of all players will always exceed my stack. is there any sense in playing when you are at your starting chip count (plus minus 500) when antes kick in and the blinds go to 400/800?

• No Limit Holdem - Sets vs Flush Draws/Top Pair Top Kicker
  Question: Hi,

  I have a couple of questions concerning certain plays that occur quite often.

• Who Gets Second Place When Everyone Busts
  Question: Great site!

  I have a question for you. The other night I was hosting a No limit Texas Holdem tourney at my house $50.00 buy-in and you get 850 in chips. For the most part everything went well. At the end there were 3 people left all competing for money 1st- $400, 2nd $200 and 3rd $100.00.

• Blind Assignment When Small Blind Busts Out
  Question: Hi: At a tournament when you get to the final table of eight players and a player is knocked out and the player to his left was the big blind and now will be the small blind and next hand the big blind again - What are the rules governing blinds in this situation where by their size it impacts the game? Lloyd.
• Slow Playing Big Hands In No Limit
  Question: Great site. A few weeks ago, I decided to try a $1-$2 No-limit cash game for the first time. I've played several tournaments and limit, so I wanted to give it a try. Messed around in a few hands, but just about $100 the whole time. In my fateful hand, I held J-Q offsuit in the big blind. There were 3-4 callers, so I decided to check it. For this game, in general, either a few players limped, or there was a raise to $10-$15.
• Dealing With Cockiness (personal)
  Question: Man, you have the BEST site online. Anyway, most people write saying they now win all the time after reading your site. My opening is:

  "I used to lose all the time and win only when I lucked out. Now I'm losing a lot less, and when I win, it's not due to luck!"

  My question is on emotion.

• Middle Limit No Limit Holdem Advice
  Question: Ok... I am what you would call a recovering-successful-poker player. I am recovering from the changes that the literature in the last few years has done to our beloved middle limit NL holdem games. In the good old days I used to be able to sit down and employ the tight aggressive strategy and win almost effortlessly. I would raise with my AK, get called by some loose-passive with KT, and take his stack when the flop came K724J. Of course I would occassionally lose to a set of 2s or something, but I won with a higher kicker often enough to come out ahead. However all the recent literature has destroyed these games! Now when I raise with my AK and the flop comes K724J, the only time I get any action is when I'm up against a set or AA. But then I will win it back when I catch a set vs. someone elses' AK, so I have evolved into a break-even player.
• Still Have Some Pot Odds Problems
  Question: i know this must be super annoying by now, but I have read all the Pot Odds tips questions over and over and i just don't QUITE get it still. I understand the simple examples, but here is an example I had last night in a hand that wasn't quite close to the right odds (i don't think so anyway, NOT taking implied into account at all)
• Sand Bagging And Betting The Nuts
  Question:i thoroughly enjoy your site when i first started reading, it made me aware of many strategies and improved my game dramatically. i have two questions:

  the first is concerning how you can tell a bad player has made a strong hand. most loose-passive players that i encounter will often call all the way down whether they have bottom pair or top set; i often bet hand such as top pair and try to remain aggressive.

  do you have to wait for the absolute nuts before facing these opponents or can you still play big pairs and top pair w/ a good kicker with positive expectation?

• Run Of Bad Cards Common?
  Question: Hi, I really wanted to ask you a question since you have lots more experience than I. How common is it to get bad cards for an extended length of time?
• Intentionally Exposing Your Hand
  Question: I host and run a big poker league with 50 person NL tournies running every Thursday. Deep into tourny 9/50 players remaining I get dealt pocket Queens, and send my 7000 chips into the pot. One guy calls, and another is pondering the decision. I figure my best move at this point is to show him before he makes his decision that I have pocket Queens. I wanted to discourage him from coming in to the pot. It worked, and he backed out because I showed him. I beginning to love this move more and more with Pocket KK and AA. It's not really risky because if you have QQ or KK, and they have KK or AA, you were probably going to loose all you're money anyway. Most people seem to back off knowing that they're calling into bad odds?

  Is this move legal? Is it ethical?

  I love it.

  Jesse

  AKA TheJazz

• Ruling On Mucked Tourney Hand
  Question: Weird thing happened in a 107man NL Tournament that I was in this weekend and I was wondering what the ruling would be. It was a community deal Tournament so that you know. I was involved in a hand in which I had Kh Jh and I was heads up with a guy that had Jc 9c the flop came out 7c 7h 5c turn 7d river Kc after multiple bets at the river knowing this guy hit the flush and would have a hard time laying it down, i pushed all in I was the large stack. After a few seconds the other player states Yea Ok, at which time the dealer takes this as that player folded and starts raking in the community cards. At this point I ask the dealer as I am in the far end of the table what the other player did, the dealer says he folded so i toss my cards into the cards that where raked and start to collect the chips. At this point the other player goes beserk and flops his cards over to reveal the flush and says that he called the all in.
• Staying Focused Online
  Question: No matter which poker book you read or which top pro advises you, there is a resounding communal opinion that when you are playing poker, actually watching the play and concentrating on the action at hand is a key part of winning.
• When Betting Rounds End
  Question: Some friends and I were playing the other day and we have a question about how betting is allowed in a standard game.

  Let's use the extreme example of saying I have pocket Aces. Obviously feeling good about my chances to win the hand, I would like to maximize the amount of money I can draw out of my opponents before seeing the flop (or at any other betting point in the hand). I make a wager of what I feel will be an appropriate number of chips that will be called by several players without scaring anyone off too early.

• On The Bubble Hand
  Question: Situation - Live tournament in a northern Minnesota casino. Buy-in was $150, started with 170 players and we are down to sixteen players at two tables of eight. The tourney is paying 15 players, so we are on the bubble. 10-15 get $150, 9th $200, 8th $400 and on up to $9,500 for first. Blinds are $4,000 and $8,000 with $400 antes. Total chips in play $850,000, so average stack is about $53,000. There are a couple of big stacks at the other table, but most guys are near the average, and no-one at our table has $100K. I have $36,000 after posting the $400 ante and the small blind. Pot is $15,200. All fold around to me.
• Just Plain Unlucky
  Question: Hey!

  Great site. I think i visit once a day, seeing if anyone can relate to the problems i have with cards. I honestly dont care about having this posted on the site, i just wanted some sort of answer, or possibly a little insight to my problem.

  Anyway, the question: I know poker or most card games in general are about mathematical odds. I have read just about every article on your site, looking for anything dealing with luck and bad beats. Problem is,

• Multiple All-ins Early In A Tourney
  Question:Hiya, I wondered if you could give me some advice on what to do if you have a really good hand but are faced with multiple all ins. The hand below was very early on in a $3 tourney.
• Verbal Declaration, Out Of Turn
  Question: Can you please tell me, in a live game if you say that you are going all in when it is not your turn can it be said that it is a VERBAL declaration or is it not worth the paper it is wrote on.

  kevin. Thanks

• Trying To Move Up In Limits
  Question: My goal is to play $10/$20 no-limit holdem ring and try to win a big tournament in WSOP or WPT, so i focus my studies around Higher level games.
• Common Problems As A Good Player
  Question: hey there. posted a question on AQ in no limit a while back, saw your timely response on the site. thanks for following up on that. anyways ive always respected what you have to say in your posts and was wondering if you could give me a few thoughts on this...

  well since, ive tried to take on poker almost full time (playing 4 days a week) but have had a horrible horrible streak of losses. ive lost my entire poker bankroll that ive built up over the months playing high stakes no limit. with this amount of losses, ive tried to analyze. and ive come up with a few questions that have been bugging me and i think need to be cleared up in my mind in order me to get back in the game. i also would like to share with you my thoughts about some issues as well and would love some feedback on what you thought about it.

• Semi-Pro, Questions Related To Becoming
  Question: First I want to say that I love this site. I'm about to become separated and because of my job, I have the flexibility to live anywhere in the country that's close to a major airport. 37 years old with no kids, so I can live virtually anywhere. Currently, I live in Maryland, and the nearest poker room is Atlantic City (I don't want to move their). Three questions.
• Beating Really Loose Live Games (as an online player)
  Question: Hello and thank you for this great website. I was hoping you could give me your advice regarding the following situation:

  About me:

  I am a 24 year old (very under-funded) grad student who yesterday played my first live session at a casino. The setting was Harrah's in Atlantic City, and I sat down with $150 at the $2-4. My poker resume includes extensive online multi-table tournament success, but no live experiences to speak of. I've read all the books and have played hours online and with friends. I felt very confident going into this and was anxious to sit down and get started…

• How Much Chasing Should You Allow?
  Question:I had a hand that's been troubling me since it happened a couple days ago. I was playing online NL, .10/.25

  I had pocket 5's under the gun and I limped in with them. A player in 5th position raised about 4 times the big blind. He got a call from a person in 8th position. I called as well after it was folded around to me.

• Raising Flop For Free Card (with action on turn)
  Question: G'day,

  I have learnt everything I know about poker on your site and so far in my poker career I am up - so thank you!

  My question regards raising on the flop with a flush draw in order to get a free card. I realise this discussion is unrelated to the players in the game etc and thus is situationally independent, but what is a logical and sound way to make this play WHEN there is action on the turn. Is this action of raising the flop hoping for a free card the best move against only 1 opponent with a made hand? And what happens if they call and then bet the turn, thus skewing the odds on catching on the river?

• AJ Suited In No Limit Holdem
  Question: I was just wondering what you think of this play with Ace Jack suited. Instead of the usual raise that most people would put in with this hand pre-flop, I mainly elect to just call the big blind with this hand. I do this for a number of reasons: first of all, this hand generally doesnt play well after the flop for various reasons. Also, if I raise pre-flop and am subsequently re-raised, I'll usually just have to muck it, thus wasting valuable chips. And thirdly, if I just call the flop comes Ace Ace Jack or I make the nut flush or nut straight, my hand will be very well disguised since it would be hard for people to put me on AJ after only a call pre-flop. There are obviously some disadvantages to this play. For example, if someone behind you raises pre-flop then you don't really know where you stand. Also, as the tournament progresses and tables become shorter then i think raising pre-flop with this hand is important since winning blind and antes becomes profitable, but overall I'd prefer calling rather than raising with AJ suited (similarly for A10). Just wondering what you think about this play?
• Big Blind All-In - BB Amount
  Question: I have noticed on online poker sites that when a player is the big blind and is all in, but doesn't have enough to call the blind that the players still in only have to call what the big blind is in for and not the whole blind.
• Does Burning Cards Change The Odds?
  Question: We play every week and a debate started a few weeks ago. In our group, we do not burn cards. Everyone knows this and it was in an effort to speed up the game and avoid dealing errors. A new person to the game has the opinion that if you burn cards you decrease the odds of possibly hitting what you need, because there are less cards left in the deck. For example, if you have a pair KK and there are 4 players, then there are 44 cards left in the deck before the flop. If a card is burnt, then the deck decreases to 43 before you flop.
• Switching From No Limit To Limit Holdem
  Question: Hey, I love the work you do on the site, all the information is a huge help. I have been playing no limit poker for about 3 or 4 years now and have never played limit holdem. But in May I am going on a cruise and they have limit poker on the ship. So i was just wondering what I can expect to be different and if you have any suggestions on how to play differently it would be appreciated. I realize that more people see the flop in limit and bluffing is much less of a factor but I really feel like I have trained myself to play no limit. Betting strong, raising, hardly ever just calling whereas in limit holdem it seems that everyone calls and raises dont mean nearly as much.

  Thanks for your help.

• First Time Playing Live Poker
  Question: Made my first visit to a real casino to play live poker finally. I'd much rather play a tournament, but none were scheduled, so instead I joined a cash game. Since I've learned much from your site, I thought I'd share a thing or two for other's benefit. I played at Caesar's Indiana riverboat, which recently expanded and modernized its poker room. (I was really impressed with it - over 40 tables of games going on)
• Can You Win More Than You Can Cover?
  Question: During a hand, the big blind and small blind were put in, going around the table only one guy called the blind, kevin, he went all in but it didnt even match the big blind, it was fifty chips short of it. Being that the big blind had in fifty more chips in the pot than kevin who went all in would the big blind take out that extra fifty chips so that kevin would only be able to win what he put in?

  We had alot of arguing over that hand, and it would be nice to know how that really works. I think it would only be fair that he could only win what he had to cover. It was only fifty more chips but what if it had been alot more, i dont think that would have been fair.

  If you could get back to me as soon as possible that would be great.

• Home Tournament Ruling Questions
  Question: Thanks for such a great site first off! I look forward to the new questions and answers that you post for us. I need your opinion on three "short" questions. I held a small N/L tournament this weekend. As the host I encountered three "problems" during the game and want to know if I handled them correctly. Sorry if this a bit long but I don't want to leave out any vital info.
• Did I Make The Right Play?
  Question: This one a concrete example of a game I played live last month w friends. For the record, I think I played it horribly, making exactly the wrong decision. I've worked through the math, but I wanted to get an experts opinion on what they'd have done.
• Poker Profits And Taxes
  Question: I realize this question does not have much to do with holdem strategy (nothing at all actually), but I'm in college and I've never made over 10K in one year at a summer job until recently, now I'm playing in 5/10 and 10/20 NL tables online and making quite a bit more than that. This is great and all, but I was wondering how you go about dealing with the IRS and such.

  How can you get a tax shelter? Is it a good idea? what about offshore accounts? Do poker players have to pay more/less taxes in America than the normal 9to5er? Ive heard that in England you dont have to pay taxes on gambling winnings, is there any type of program like that over here? Any info on these topics would be very useful.

• Declare Hand In Holdem?
  Question: Three part question:

  1. I am the dealer but am out of the hand. The player who is called card turns over his cards and says he has a pair. However, unknowingly he has a straight. The opposing the player has a higher pair and tries to take the pot (as the player with the smaller pair acquiesces). As the dealer, am I allowed to call the straight as the winning hand or is it between the two players to decide?

  2. After shuffling the cards and the deck is cut, do you burn a card when dealing the two hole cards?

  3. Is there any rule on who cuts the cards?

• What Is Being Pot Committed?
  Question: My question has to do with being "pot committed". I often hear, "He had to call the all in bet because he was pot committed". How do you know when you are pot committed? Is this a bigger factor in tournament play than in a ring game?

  Thanks,

  Mark

• Is Luck More Important Than Skill?
  Question: I sent you an email about a month ago about a situation where i flopped the nut straight, managed to get my opponent all-in, and got rivered by a miracle card. I was asking you and myself if i was playing to aggressively and i was wondering if i should bet less instead of losing almost my entire stack to a bad beat. You replied that it was ok to extract the maximum when you have the nuts. I beleived that too.

  Well, i applied that strategy...and....well i lost everything. I started playing online with 25$, played 0.02$-0.04$ limit an some no limit, managed to get up to 140$ in a few months (not much i know but i'm learning) and lost it all in 2 weeks.

• Poker Tracker And Other Stats
  Question: I have been looking at poker tracker to analyise my online games but I have found there is little description of the best way to interpret the data.

  For example, one of the statistics I can view is the % of times I played a hand. Most poker players would know that a good player does not play every hand, and selects which hands to play based on postion and pre-flop card strength and other players actions.

  Whilst I have a stat that shows the % of times I played a hand, I have no real way of determining if I am on track. For example, I dont know whether playing 60% or 20% of all hands is better in the long run.

  Can you provide any comment as to which key statistics I should be monitoring and reviewing and what the key statistic is? For example, monitoring number of hands played, and this should average around 18%. (Note that the discussion above is only an example to demonstrate the problem I have with the myriad of information available to anaylse)

  Any clarity you can provide as to which statistics to monitor and what are the key variables I should be looking for would be greatly appreciated.

  Cheers

  Richard

• Follow Up On The AQ Question
  Question: Hi,

  I enjoyed the recent post about playing AQ in NL cash games and I've got a comment. I just played in my first B&M NL cash game at a local casino yesterday and had that very thing happen to me.

• Blind Rules When Players Bust Out
  Question: During play when someone who would have been in the small or large blind goes out, what happens to the blinds? Do the blinds immediately go to the remaining two players to the left of the dealer? Is that players blind skipped rather than forcing a player to put in a blind seemingly out of turn?

  Please respond with a detailed answer to all possible questions pertaining to blinds. I have not found any rules for these situations on line.

  Thank you,

  Beau

• Blind Rules When Players Bust Out
  Question: During play when someone who would have been in the small or large blind goes out, what happens to the blinds? Do the blinds immediately go to the remaining two players to the left of the dealer? Is that players blind skipped rather than forcing a player to put in a blind seemingly out of turn?

  Please respond with a detailed answer to all possible questions pertaining to blinds. I have not found any rules for these situations on line.

  Thank you,

  Beau

• The Button In Low Limit Holdem
  Question: I play some of the lowest limit hold em tables. (.05/.10 or .10/.20) It seems to me that opening up more on the button is only more important than middle or early because you play less hands over all. I understand that opening up on the button is important in higher limit games because you have more info. It seems to me when you play at this low of a limit, that all of the people are so inexperienced that they always check and call no matter how you raise. What I am saying is that if you are on the button, and you raise, everyone else will just call. If you are in middle position and limp, everyone else will just call etc. So-With that being said, is it extremely advantageous to open up only on the button and play tighter in other positions, or just play less cards all together? Seems to me that no matter what, there is no "respect value" in these games, and most of the time you are not going to be able to use any "technique". Regardless of what you do, everyone always checks and calls anyway. Please let me know your thoughts if you have time. Thanks.
• All-In Against Chip Leader
  Question: I am curious if you think this was a decent play. I was playing in a home tourney that started with nine players. We were down to three where the money started. I had near $30,000 in chips in the BB, SB had $90,000, and the Button had $40,000. Blinds were $1500/$3000 Ante $400 Preflop the button folded, SB called, I rasied to $12,000 with A-9 unsuited. SB called. The flop came 10-7-K rainbow. SB checked to me. I know the guy fairly well so I am pretty sure he would have bet if he had the King. I raised all in for almost $20,000.

  SB Called and had Q-10 unsuited. The turn and river were no help to me. I give the guy credit for making a tough call and the right call. I don't think It was good call since I showed strength preflop and post flop and it would have made a huge impact on the outcome of the tourney had he been wrong, All three of us left were the better players out of the group so every hand mattered.

  I feel like the only chance I had at winning that pot was my all-in move. Sure I could have checked. Then hope he makes a bet on the turn and come over the top. Only problem would be I had $20,000 left, the pot was $24,400, if he bet into me it would probably be a bet like $8,000-$14,000 since he did not know if his 10 was good. I could then reraise all-in, but only $6,000- $12,000 to see a pot of $32,400-$38,400 which is an easy call at that point.

  What do you think about this play?

• Playing Against Raises In Low Limit Holdem
  Question:First off, great site and lots of great info. I read your section on the first page about initiating raises in low limit hold'em games.

  However, wondering if you have some tips for playing against raises.

  I've decided I'm pretty much a weak/tight player at my current level. I know what the good starting hands are and usually stick to them. I usually bet or will call bets when I have top or second pair or some kind of strong draw. And I usually don't raise alot. Generally, I'm pretty conservative and don't like raising or playing against raises either. Basically, if I raise, I often find myself automatically firing out bets on the flop and turn to take down the pot and ultimately seem to lose a good chunck of my chips most of the time.

  And playing against raises, I usually don't hit anything on the flop and just find myself folding.

• Community Straight And Comparing Holdem Hands
  Question:We were playing and had the following community cards:

  4 5 6 7 8

  Only 2 players were left.

  Player 1 hole cards:

  5 5

  Player 2 hole cards:

  A Q

  Who would win???

• Middle Pairs In No Limit Ring Games
  Question: When you are holding 99,TT, JJ in Middle position of a fairly tough $5/10 NL ring game, and you are facing an early position 3x raise from a tight aggressive player(AK, AQ, AA, KK, QQ, and maybe JJ all being likely starting hands) do you call and treat the pair as a "set catcher" or do you reraise and treat it as a premium hand? I ask because i completely hate being put in this position and folding, calling and raising all seem to have a comparable amount of pros and cons

  What are some factors i should take into consideration besides his likely holdings?

• Trips With Flush Draw On Flop
  Question: An actual subject for this question would be: "Catching trips with 2 of a suit on the flop."

  This happens frequently to me and it's always hard to play because you don't want to bet too high to the point in which everyone folds but you don't want to check it to let them pick up their free flush but then again whatever you do bet to keep them in will… do exactly that, keep them in. How do you go about playing these hands? What do you do if the flush card hits on the turn? The full house is also a possibility but let's not factor that in, also let's not factor in being out kicked.

  Thanks

  -Jarrett

• Tipping In Cash Games And Tournaments
  Question: I've yet to see this subject covered and I recently have wondered about tipping the dealers in holdem cash games and tournaments. In 1/3 2/5 cash games I usually tip a dollar to 3 dollars on pots and sometimes if its real big I will tip 10 dollars if the pot is over 500. Someone told me they read a book where it said you should only tip 1-2 dollars because with a rake in each pot anymore you will be giving away too much. Is this true for any size pot? Also, what is customary for tipping in tournaments. What if you chop with 4 players? Of the people who do finish in the money who tips? The tournaments I play in the house takes a portion of the buy in already but its not going to the dealer. What about re-buy tournaments? Thanks.
• Betting In No Limit Holdem
  Question:hey guys,

  just writing out some successes I've had with different betting styles. if you thinks it's useful, feel free to post it with your other excellent tips.

  I thoroughly enjoy playing in no-limit Texas hold'em tournaments, and have seen (and tried) so many betting styles to varying degrees of success, it really put me in mind that, all things being equal (as probability says the cards are in any given round...) winning or losing the game comes down to betting. This may seem understated, but I see a lot of beginners who tend to bet well enough on their good hands, but have no idea what to do on the others. I started looking closer at this after several tournaments where I would make the money table, but would always have the short stack, or something very close to it. Additionally, all the books tell you how to bet against "good players", and even against player types (i.e.. calling stations, rocks, etc.) but very few say anything about how to bet at tables with complete amateurs, or mixed tables. While inexperienced players usually beat themselves, there's nothing worse than a night of bad beats from fish after fish. How do you bet when you flop to the ignorant end of a straight, but you are at a table full of people who pay to the river on most hands?

• AQ In NL Holdem Cash Games
  Question:Hey there.

  Love your site at learn texas holdem, i think it offers some solid strategy for a ring no limit player like myself unlike a lot of books I read that mainly offer strategy for pro tournament play.

  My question for you is about AQ. I've been contemplating about this hand for a while. How would you play AQ in early position? In a 100 no limit game, I've tried raising 15 preflop, and also tried limping in as well as a mini raise (6-10 preflop raise). So far, I've not found an effective way to play AQ preflop.

  When I raise 15, if I get one or two callers, and an ace drops, I can't be sure my queen kicker is good, and if the flop misses me, I'm first to act and not sure if I should bet regardless to try to win it there with ace high and assume both players missed as well.

  When I don't raise and the flop hits an ace, it's difficult to tell if somebody flopped two pair on you or is on a draw when they call you bet. Same case with a mini-raise. If i held AQ in late position, this seems like a much better time for me to raise, but the problem lies when I hold in early position.

  What are your thoughts on this?

• Trips Against Weaker Players
  Question:

  1) I've been playing in nlh low buyin tournaments (start w/ $1000 in chips) against weaker opponents where the blinds increase every 13 minutes (5/10, 10/20, 20/40, etc.) and where it is common to see multiple limpers preflop. What is the best way to approach these types of players? Is it good to play a strictly solid aggressive game or raise more often with less than optimal starting hands? I figure since the blinds move fairly quick, that it's imperative to play more pots than usual, since you may not make enough to cover the incressing blinds each round even if you win a few small pots.

  2) When do you slowplay trips? Does the board have to be very uncoordinated (different suits and no straight potential) or can you do it even if you have a coordinated flop? (i.e. TcTs with a Kc Td 5d flop)

  Thx.

  RN

• Big Pairs In NL And Reading Opponents
  Question: I have been playing poker for about 2 years now. I have played 4-8 limit casino, 60 man no limit casino tournaments, and many home games with other decent players. I have been doing very well at these formats making some good cash so I decided to take the leap online.

  I prefer no limit so that is what I have been playing primarilly (1-2 no limit tables.) I find that I do pretty well and pick up quite a few pots, grow my chip stack, then WHAM, I get dealt A,A, or K,K and there goes my stack.

• Set Hand In A Tourney
  Question: First I just wanted to say that I enjoy your site very much as I have a learned a lot just by reading your experiences as well as other people's experiences. I was wondering if you could give me insight on how bad I played this hand (forgive it's length).
• Regular Session Swings
  Question: I've played poker on a "unserious" level for about 2-3 years with short and longbreaks during this time, and decided for about 1week ago to try to make it a valiable income. Read alot of info, and I already got the average hang of the game.

  I started with merly 50 euro in chips and after 15 mins I've build that to 75 with no problems in a 0.25/0.50 fixed game, most people playing relied on luck and my hands just seem to outpreform theirs all the time, which for some reason maked me feel like I had to make it a challenge for myself..by playing worse hands, total +20 euro before I decided to quit.(this is my first problem, not that big, but it always happends when I finally(very rarely) gets to start building chips.) How do you do to keep it on a constant + going spiral, any tips?

• Best Way To Learn Holdem
  Question: Is there a better way of learning, practacing, gaining experience than playing with real money at low stakes no limit holdem games? It would appear to me that using real money and against real players at real games would be the best way to learn, sharpen your game, is that so and if not what are the drawbacks? Thanks for being so generous with your time.
• Doyle Brunson No Limit Holdem Tips: Trouble Hands
  Question: I regularly play in 5/10 and 10/20 NL holdem online and I was making good money until i started reading more literature... I know that most of the literature teaches an ultratight approach that ultimately creates a "rock" image that makes no money whatsoever. But then there is supersystem which many regard as the book that supposedly breaks you out of this Rock mode and makes you into a looser, more aggressive, unpredictable, and most importantly, winning player. Doyle talks about how calling raises with hands like AJ, AQ, KJ, KQ, etc. are troublesome because of the win a small pot or lose a big one.
• Folding In All-in Pots
  Question: Situation: Player A is the short stack. Player A goes all in. PLayer B and Player C both call. After the flop, Player B goes all in. Player C does not wish to call player B, but Player C thinks he still has a right to compete for initial three way pot. I think that once Player C decides to fold against Player B, he then forfeits any right to three way pot also. Who is right.

  Karen S WI

• Progressing As A Player
  Question: I have been trying to learn the game for about a month now. I started out getting my butt kicked, of course.
• Losing With The Best Hand
  Question: Hi, I'm having some difficulties winning live tournaments (friendly tournaments) and I would like to know if i'm being too aggressive or if i'm playing somewhat right.
• Calling Post Flop In NL Holdem
  Question: I'm a winning small stakes no limit player. I usually play in full games online where I have no problem grinding out a slow but steady profit.
• Beat 4 Times - Should I Stop Playing?
  Question: Hi!

  Have played poker for only a month - trying to read and learn as much from books and the internet. Yesterday I felt ready to start "small", so I went to 0.5$ / 1$ Limit Holdem.

• Idea For Home Tournaments
  Question: Hi,

  I quickly want to say how much I appreciate your site. It is more than awsome!!!

  My question is:

  We are a few friends and we want to play holdem this weekend. Our goal is to have fun and play for the entire evening ( 5-6 hours) We don't want to put in a lot of money so 40$ is the maximum each player wants to put in.

• Cash Games Versus Tournaments
  I played live poker in a casino for the first time recently, cash games as well as a tournament, no-limit in both cases. Obviously, there's a huge difference between how one plays with cash chips and how one plays with tournament chips...different "typical" pre-flop raises given this or that circumstance, different standards on what kinds of hands to bet, raise, or call, all on top of the obvious monetary difference between cash games and tournament play.
• Moving Up In Limits
  Question: I started playing the money side of a poker site recently, and am wondering about when or whether to move up in limits. My usual game is $10 PL, with some $5 + .50 10-seat NL tournaments thrown in, and I'm doing pretty well at both, though over a short term. My $40 in PL winnings work out close to $3 per hour of play, and I have a first, second, and third in five tournaments (plus two fourths, but close doesn't count in poker).
• Calling With Little Pocket Pairs In No Limit
  Question: Ok, here is mine. Im in a MTT online NL tournament. I have just been moved to a new table so I know nothing about the players.

  I am on the button w/ 22. UTG raises 3 times the blind, everyone folds to me. How many chips do I need to call the raise? I know the odds of flopping a set is 7.5 to 1 but, I can flop a set and still loose, or not get it paid off if I do catch a 2. Do I need a minimum of 10x the raise? 15x? Hmmm. More???

  Oh, and what if there is a caller in front of me? How about 2 callers? I read allot and have not found anyone who knows, or is willing to share, the math about these situations.

  And how about w/ 56 suited?. Is it as good as the 22 or does the math change? Maybe more callers of the raise helps this hand more than it does the 22?

  Thanks!

  Joe

• Are some people just lucky in poker?
  Question: I finally got together a bit of bankroll to play poker with over the past few weeks, but I'm truely starting to believe that I'm just an unlucky player.
• Did I Play My Pocket Jacks Wrong?
  Question: Did I play JJ wrong in a Rounders Tornament?

  I was in a rounders tournament. Buy in 5 $ in the first level. The top two players move on to the next level. First price in level 5 is 3000 $.

• Beating Mirco Limit No Limit Holdem
  Question: I wrote you earlier about how to beat microlimit (.05/.1) NL Holdem cash games and I'm disappointed that you haven't responded. I've played several more times since then and I'm absolutely losing my shirt to these people. I can't seem to find a strategy to beat these people.
• Did I Play My Trips Right?
  Question: I had a hand in a no limit tournament at home last weekend that was interesting to me.I was in the big blind with Q3 and checked to see the flop against one other player who is a fairly aggressive bettor after the flop.
• Seeing Trends In Cards
  Question: I am relatively new to poker, i have been playing for a few months now and i just have one question for you, i would apreciate your insight on this and maybe some advice.
• Going All-In In No Limit Holdem
  Question:I was playing online on a 50p table.

  I was dealt Q, 2 -both hearts.

  Flop came 3,4 hearts, 5. I thought well if an Ace comes out i've hit the striaght but yet someone else may still tag along betting on the Ace.

• Dealer Button Position Heads Up
  Question: I just have a follow up to the question about dealer button during heads up.

  Last night I was watching the Superstars of poker re-run, and was noticing where the button was and who acted first.

  What I noticed is that the person with the button, did not get the first card as you stated on 7/7/05. Do they use a different set of texas hold em rules? They did however 'act' first as they were in the small blind.

  Thanks

  Matt D

• The Dreaded AQ
  Question: i've had a lot of trouble with A,Q lately (suited or not). It seems like the kind of hand that you win a little, or lose a ton. I've been playing low limit $3/6 lately and today was one of the hands that got me.
• Low Limit Holdem Woes
  Question:First of all, I love your web site. I've learned a lot about the game, and appreciate your efforts.

  Here's my question...

  I've been playing online at PartyPoker, and because I'm not the wealthiest guy in the world I've been playing at the .50/1.00 limit. I started playing 2 weeks ago, and I'm up about 75 bucks. Not a lot, but I'm happy.

• What Is Soft Play
  Question: Poker TDA Rule No. 7 (Penalties): A penalty MAY be invoked if a player exposes any card with action pending, if a card(s) goes off the table, if soft-play occurs, or similar incidents take place. Penalties WILL be invoked in cases of abuse, disruptive behavior, or similar incidents.
• Was My AQ Call Correct?
  Question: Our group plays $10 buy-in, 10,000 in chips and we go till somebody has em all.

  I was early chip leader off of pocket 6s and a flopped set, and used it to bully a few people around. My cards dried up, so I had to tighten up and my stack went back down a bit as I paid blinds, and folded them, or would limp into hands with suited connectors and try to hit a hand before folding.

• Calling For 2 Outers And Such
  Question: Let's say that your on the button with 22. Five players have limped in and you make a call for the minimum to see the flop and it comes up K 9 3 rainbow. On the flop the first person to act opens with a weak bet the minimum, the remaining four just call as well. So with 6 min bets on the flop, and five people limping post flop, does that make it an ideal time to reach to make a set?
• Unorthodox Home Games
  Question: Hello!

  I started playing poker some months ago and I'v recently started to read some books and articles on the web to improve my game.

  However the only poker I play ,besides some online chip play, is home games with my friends and the way we're playing is somewhat unorthodox, we usually play limit preflop and no limit postflop.

• Limit Or No Limit Holdem Tournament?
  Question: We're hosting a very low stakes ($5 entry) hold 'em tournamnet this weekend for couples with no real poker experience. I was wondering what you thought of playing limit (with increasing blinds and limits) as opposed to no limit since this will be a group of novices.
• Taking Your Game To The Next Level
  Question: I have been racking my brain trying to figure out my next step in my poker career. What i have done is studied Doyles Super System and read 1000s of articles on your site along with playing for 10 to 15 hours a day almost every day. I know you are probably wonder where i get all that free time, well i am playing poker for a living, mind you its not a great living........just making ends meet some months.
• Reading Hands And Playing AK
  Question: Hi,

  I've got a question about reading other players. Every once in a while I seem to get bit hard by this and I'm not sure how I can prevent it from happening. Sometimes I'll get dealt a high ace like AQ or AK and I'll either get a big bet into me or somebody will reraise me. I automatically put them on a big ace as well. As things turn out, the flop comes down low (jacks and below).

• Sealing The Deal
  Question: Want to pay you a major complement.

  I just started playing hold em about 1 1/2 months ago. I play online poker only. About 3 weeks ago I decided that I really enjoyed it and wanted to get better. I started to play every day for many hours. I first started by just paying attention to my cards only. Then I "graduated" to watching the others. Eventually I started to understand the game and took 7th in a WPT tourney, but outside of that would usually finish in only the 50 percentile.

• Being Seen As Too Tight
  Question: I have the problem of apparently being seen as a tight player around some of the people I play with. I didn't really feel like this was the case because I loosen up quite a bit in our home games by usually playing most connectors and most hands with two face cards, etc, but when I would get into pots and hear "Uh-oh, two aces", I figured it must be a problem.
• Building A Bankroll
  Question: Here is my problem of the week - I kinda know how much money you should have for a certain level of games. What is a good way to build up a bankroll when you have limited funds on a week to week basis? (quite simply put, I'm married).
• Home Tournament Strategy
  Question: Here is my situation:

  I just started playing texas hold-em about 6 months ago. For our small home games (6-8 people), I usually win the tourneys or at least finish in the top 3, and finish up in our cash games.

• Spread Limit Games Compared To Limit
  Question: I'm going home in a couple weeks to visit the family and am planning on playing the $1-5 spread limit hold em game they have at the local casino. Should a spread limit game be played like a limit game? Or maybe more towards the No limit where you might want to limp in with some garbage in hopes to flop something big - I have not played in any spread limit and am trying to figure out how much money to bring, and if I should play mechanical or try to mix things up - I was thinking about bringing $150 to the game.
• Board Paired Flops
  Question: I played a hand today in a $0.50/$1 game, in which I got a free look at the flop out of the big blind with a hand of 24o. I think the small blind and two others were in. The flop was Q4Q, the small blind checked and I bet, thinking there was a decent chance I had the best hand at that point, and figuring that if someone had a queen they might raise.
• Getting Bad Beats In Tournaments
  Question:I have a question that I'm not sure has a definitive answer but I'll shoot anyway. Let me start by explaining my situation. I feel like lately I have been playing some of my best poker (thanks to some help from this site). I am my own biggest critic and know there is always room to improve my game. I have been making it down to the final few players in some small local tournaments but can't seem to win one because I always wind up getting nailed by some maniac.
• Is Ace High Or Low In Holdem
  Question: Recently we had a Texas Holdem Nite at my house. One member insisted that the Ace can never count as a One.
• Official Rules Of Poker
  Question: I sent the e-mail below last week hoping to see a response in your Q&A section.

  Please accept my apologies if you've answered a question like this in the past or the info is somewhere on your site already. I only stumbled upon your website a month ago and am still soaking it all in.

• Two Tournament Hand Questions
  Question: I play no limit holdem tournaments with my friends.

  The game is somewhat loose but nothing too crazy.

  After my last session I am questioning two hands that I played and hoped you could help.

• Trouble Playing Monster Hands
  Question: There is something I have a problem with and was wondering if you could provide some insight - I feel stupid even asking, but one problem I have is playing a monster hand. My problem is I kinda have this thing where I want respect from others at the table -
• Coin Flips In Tourneys Against Weak Players
  Question: I recently hosted an 11 man home tourney, at which there were several aggressive college students attending. Early on I noticed that there were far more all ins being made than I am normally used to. I was up slightly from were I had started and as the table limped in around to me on the button I looked down and found big slick. He was a little under-dressed (off-suit) but at a table of limpers I felt good about my hand.
• Touching Another Player's Cards
  Question:

  I was recently in a "house" game and playing with about 12 guys I didn't know. The hand in question was between this other guy and me. I only had a 10 / 4 off suit and was checking and betting with this other guy until the river card. I realized I was trying to bluff to win the hand and I can't remember if we checked on the river or if he or I bet, but I showed a pair of 4's (one 4 in my hand and one 4 on the board) he showed a pair of six's (one 6 in his hand and one 6 on the board) I knew, and he knew, that he had won.

• Down Under Fun...
  Question:Gidday...Just had to pipe up and say, "Loved the flame mail." I don't know what it was; What you said in response. Or how you said it. But it frightened me to think that I'd ever end up at your table. In fact more so than any of the great, free, advise, thoughts, strategies, analyses, laughs that you've given us. Ummm, there aren't many of "US", are there? lol

  Bit of a short history...if I could indulge...

• Minimum And Maximum Raises In No Limit Holdem
  Question: I play in a weekly No-Limit Tournament Game and this issue keeps coming up. Pre-Flop if blinds are 10/20 the minimum call is 20 but what is the minimum raise? We have been playing the minimum is equal to the big blind and anything over (unless all in)
• Going All-in With A Made Hand
  Question: I have a question about a specific hand I played that knocked me out of a tournament at my local watering hole.

  First of all I am an amatuer player but have become very drawn to the game. I recently found your site and have already learned alot. Thank you.

  Here was the scenario. We were down to 5 players in the no limit tournament (small tournament, only started with 20 players). Myself and another guy were very close in chips and had 4 or 5 times the amount of the rest of the players.

• Getting Bored At The Table
  Question: I have been playing poker for about a year and a half with a group of friends. We always play a game of Texas Hold em atleast once a week with .50/$1.00 blinds (we are all in highschool), it usually lasts around 4 hours or so. The same players show up everytime, so naturally you get to know how everyone plays certain types of hands. It has usually been the same people winning (including me) up until recently, when the people who usually win started to play differently (calling dumb hands, etc.). My question is, I have been on some what of a losing streak recently, and whether it is smart or not to try and change up my playing styles to better suit how other players play. I usually play loose but not dumb, I will raise with good hands but also take my chances lots of time with alright or poor hands, etc. I usually win a pretty good amount everytime we play, but I have recently become bored during these poker games and seem to lose interest of playing, making me call dumb hands and loose. Other players at the table (usually ones that are worse than me) are able to take advantage of my boredom by calling my raises with bad hands, and end up winning. Do you have any tips on how I should play (with my playing style) and if I should change it up considering I have been losing, since I play with the same people every week.

  Thanks,

  Mike

• Tight Tournament Play
  Question: Just wondering if you could share some insights about single table play and tournaments...
• Advice For House Or Prop Players
  Question:Hi,

  Is there a poker strategy for the house-player. I got paid $18.75 an hour to play poker in the casino. I only play up to $8-$16 with a kill pot. These includes all the game. I always play tight to protect my hourly pay, 'cause we play our own money. Do you have some advice on what's the best strategy for us? I really appreciate if you do.

  Thanks.

  Harry

• Low Flushes From Suited Connectors
  Question: Hey. I hear all this talk about suited connectors, like 45s and stuff like that. What you should do with these cards is to limp in with a lot of callers, flop something big or fold. Right?

  Sure, if by chance I were to flop something like A23 rainbow, how can I lose? And sure, it´s an easy fold if I don´t hit anything.

  My concern is when the flush hits. How can you bet your flush when you have a 5-high flush? If I´m up against one or two or maybe even three players, I´ll bet and hope to eliminate any higher draws. But against 6 or 7 players, I never feel comfortable with low flushes. And yet, the suited connectors require lots of action to profit.

  If it matters, I might add that I mostly play single tables, where you make one mistake and your´e out of the game. But none the less, how safe is a 5-high flush against lots of players?

  This is something I´ve been thinking about a lot, and I can´t seem to get myself to play the low suited connectors. Some help would enable me to open up my game some, which is always nice.

  Thanks for a great site,

  Kristoffer

  Sweden

• High Card Strength Heads Up
  Question : I like your web site and recently read the piece posted on Intro to Short Handed Texas Hold Em. In the section on Hand Selection it suggests running an experiment dealing out 2 hands and noticing what hand rankings win the hands. The article specifically states that "what you'll notice is that a good portion of the hands are won with only a high card".
• Missed Burn Card
  Question: So the other night me and the guys were playing a tournement of nl texas hold em. There were several tables and at the final table this event happened. Preflop me and another player got all in. It was just me and him in the hand. We lay the cards down, I have Ace King suited he has Ace Duece suited. Flop comes he catches his deuce no help to me. Turn comes a king but the dealer then relizes after he has laid the king down that he did not burn a card before this. What should happen? Should the king remain or should it be the burnt or misdeal? What would happen professionally if this were to happen in a casino? Thank you for reading this.
• Preflop Hand Percentages
  Question: I have a question regarding pre-flop percentages. I have used the 2 / 4 rule regarding post-flop percentages and it has helped greatly. Is there a short-cut way to calculate winning percentages pre-flop? I have personally found that multiplying your outs by 8 works most of the time, but not all the time (for instance, pocket pair versus two over cards - 6 outs x 8 = 48% for overcards to win or pocket pair vs. pocket pair - 2 outs x 8 = 16% for lower pocket to win or AJ vs KQ - (which would actually be 5 outs because the A high is winning already) so 5 outs x 8 = 40%. for KQ to win. But it doesnt seem to work so well, for instance, when you have a pocket pair vs. an over- and under-card (QQ vs. AJ). I know there is some theory amidst all this, and maybe it is better to memorize percentages because whether it is AJ vs KQ or K10 vs. QJ or 1010 vs J9, it seems for the most part the percentages will be relatively close. Any ideas? Thanks.
• What Is A Good Hourly Rate
  Question: Hello,

  Thanks again for all your help.

  My question is: I always see that 3BB per hour is a good average, but is this regarding limit holdem or NL? I play all NL, typically .25/.50 and jump in .50/1.00. My hour rate has been averaging around $13.00-$15.00 per hour. I'd like to here what you think.

  Thanks again,

  Matt

• Canada's Biggest No Limit Holdem Tourney
  Question: My story is this.......In Regina, Sk. Canada there is a No Limit Texas Holdem tourney at the end of this month that i won a seat for through a satalite. This tournament is $1000 buy in and is going to be televised. People all across canada are coming. it is going to be great.

  But my question is how should i play this tourney to be successful. I want the gold.

  see the structure is like this....

  it has two stages.......

• Starting Hand Selection For Loose Tables
  Question: Your site is REALLY the place to go and learn how to play the low limit, I red books, tried what was written in books, and figured it didnt work as good as what they were saying, and thenm i ran across ur site, tried, it works, it is by far the best playing strategy I've come across yet..

  so good work!!

• Question About Tourney Hand
  Question : Hey, awesome site. I can't tell you how much it has helped me. I feel like I should send you a royalty check from my winnings. :-)

  Anyway, here's my question. This happened a few weeks ago and it's been bugging me ever since. (It could be because I haven't had a chance to play since.) Here's the scenario: 19 person, 2 table, nl tourney, very few of whom I've played against, but I heard it was a fairly loose friendly crowd. It was very early, first round of blinds. I'm dealt TT in middle position. Everyone ahead of me folds. I raise 3x BB and get two callers, neither of whom I've played before, one the BB.

• Final Three Players All-in Who Wins?
  Question : when there are only 3 players left in a tournament.

  1, 5000 in chips 2, 2000 in chips 3, 1000 in chips

  player 1 goes ALL-IN and both players CALL

  player 1 wins. WHO GETS 2ND PLACE PRIZE ?

• Loose 10/20 And Up Limit Games
  Question : I wonder if you would compose an article on 10/20 and up limit holdem loose play.

  I recently played in a loose 10/20 limit holdem game and got killed.

  Just so we have the same understanding of loose. It consider loose to be calling preflop with just about any 2 cards. Also address if you can passive loose play and aggressive loose play.

  I guess it is time to step down and regroup . I dislike 5/10 and 6/12 because nobody folds and you constantly get sucked out . As a general rule, what is good time guide line for saying to your self that this has the makings of a bad day, and quit til next session, or leave your current table and return later that day ? Please answer what you can. Sorry for rambling, just a frustrated holdem player !!!

• AA Hand Question
  Question: Can you offer any advice for the following type of casino tournament:

  60-70 players, start with $2000 in chips Blinds start at 25/50 and double every 15 minutes.

• Dealer Button Blind Positions Heads Up
  Question: in a tournament, when down to 2 players, who gets dealt to first? the button? and why?

  When a tournament gets down to the final 2 players, who is in the big blind, the dealer or the non-dealer? What is the order of play pre-flop and post-flop?

• Pro Level For Cash Games
  Question : Hi,

  I had sent this question to you a while back and that is fine if you don't feel it is relevant to place on your site. I saw the hate email from that one guy and trust me it doesn't hurt my feelings at all if you are not sure or don't want to advertise this question. I was hoping that maybe you might be able to send me back a quick email if you have time. I am interested in this question because I am going to Vegas next week and usually play 1-2 or 2-5 no limit when I go. I was wanting to step up to a higher limit but do not want to be the fish in a very good pro's game. Do you happen to know what most pros would play in Vegas?

  I hope you have a minute to answer me.

  Sean

• Player Not In Hand Reveals Hand
  Question: So heres the situation that I despretly need help on.

  I was playing with a 4 friends and 2 players dropped out, and me and this kid were betting through and made it to the river. He bet first putting in a dollar and I had already put in 2 50 (we were playing 5 dollar buy in) so if I bet I would be left with 60 cents. This is where to problem comes in, someone who had folded looked at my cards (with permission) and revealed that I had an Ace, clearly revealing that I had at least a pair. Now I need to know if this was a misdeal, or what should happen. I had 2 pair, My opponent had trip threes. I eventually called a misdeal because my opponent knew that he had me beat, and I couldnt have bluffed. So my question is what happens if a player who is not in, reveals someone elses hand?

• Taking Chips Off The Table
  Question: I've played this exclusively online, but I know that Vegas has NLHE cash games, and was wondering what the rules were?

  Let's say we're at a $1/$2 no-limit game, with a $100 buy-in. The maximum number of chips you can buy-in for is $100. This is well-understood. But now let's pretend (hey some of us have to pretend! :) ) that you're doing very well in the game, and are up 4x the buy-in. Normally having 4x the buy-in is a great thing for NLHE players, but every now and then the confidence factor starts to wane, and one might worry about losing his whole stack, so he wishes to reduce the chips he has in play.

  In an online game I can just leave the table and re-join for the normal buy-in, so I've banked 3x the buy-in. Can I do this in a live cash game too, or must the chips remain in play? Am I crazy for occasionally wanting to bank a few chips when I'm up to keep the bankroll secure?

  Thanks!

  -Joe-

• Pushing All-in Against A Draw
  Question: I was playing in a home tourney the other day and the folowing hand came up. First hand dealt, i get 4-5 clubs on the button, everyone folds to me so i raise it up to 80 total (blinds are 10-20). I'm one of the better players there so I like to mess around with these type of hands in position because I know I can out play these guys post flop. Anyway, so the small blind calls and the big blind calls.
• Betting Flop After Raising Preflop
  Question:I think the majority of people that have read a couple poker books or read your site knows to bet on the flop if they raise preflop because most likely the other person didn't catch anything.

  However, I have been having a problem with this tactic. I usually play 25$NL, and if I bet on the flop (pot size or slightly smaller if the flop looks safe and ugly for them too) after raising preflop, the majority of the time I will get a couple calls that usually have high cards. It seems like this happens very often, because they probably think that I am just using the popular 'bet on the flop after raising preflop' strategy and I most likely didn't catch anything, either.

  Now, If I caught something, it is easy to play, but if I have a few callers or even one and didn't catch anything on the flop, it is very hard to believe they caught something, since people call them so often. Especially if the flop is all low cards, and I know they didn't catch anythign and they know I didn't either, they will call down with something like AQ.

  I hope this makes sense. Maybe it is the buy-in that I play at that is kind of low and people tend to chase more. Maybe I could bet a larger amount then potsize to make they pay to chase, but I don't want to put in that much money on high cards either.

  Do you see this often when you play? And if so, how do you deal with it. Thanks

• Small Pocket Pairs In No Limit Holdem
  Question: With low pockets pairs in early positions I just call the min bet and hope that I hit a set. When in late position I do the same thing most of the time. My question is when the table is weak (everybody limping) or down to 5 handed due to many folds, can my small pockets be used aggresively? I have found when it gets down to four or five handed, I can raise my 2's, enough to make everyone fold, or to take one player heads up. Once I have a caller, I like to open the betting with a pot sized bet, (basically betting that he's missed the flop, or he might think I have a better holding than him due to my preflop raise.) Does this strategy sound good, or is there another way you would suggest I play my low pockets, when many people fold and I am in late position?

  Jesse

• Spiraling Out Of Control
  Question: I have a question regarding a habit I have noticed from my play. When I have been winning, I tend to do very well. However, I've noticed that when I run into some bad luck/bad plays, I can't seem to get myself out of a bad groove. I play online mostly cause I love to be able to play with $50, whereas I feel i need a few hundred to play a $3/6 casino game...So I stay online - What tends to happen is i'll take some weird beats, start missing draws and I actually FEEL myself trying to make the game come to me (playing cards faster when I shouldn't even be playing them). I have no problem turning off the computer for a couple days and trying to come back later - But even when I come back, I'll keep playing poorly...At that point it seems like I run into nothing but bad luck and lose all of my money. I find that I get angry when someone will beat me with a terrible play and then i'm really done for...is there some advice you can give?

  thanks

  Paul

• Cheating At Holdem Home Game
  Question: hi, i hope you have time to answer this one becuase ive been wondering about it for a while now,

  I have a question relating to cheating in a home game. One of the players that usuially plays in the game has been caught cheating multiple times, whether it may be looking at the cards to come, moving flop cards around, switching his hand, or just plain rigging the deck. The person is a friend of all the players who play at the standard home game, so i have 3 questions.

  1) what should someone do if they catch the person cheating but he denies it and there is no hard evidence?

  2) what action should be take as a whole if the person is caught cheating and there is evidence?

  3) based of previous being caught at cheating should we stop inviting the particular person or just make sure they dont deal?

  thanks,

  Brian J

• Unable To Make Blinds
  Question: We are a small group of friends learning to play Texas Hold 'Em. At the end of the night, I had all the chips and one other person had just a few chips, not enough to make even the small blind. I thought I won, but the other people said that in this case, we both put in the amound of chips the other person has, and then both turn over our cards and continue as if we are both all in. Whoever gets the best hands then wins. I said this sounded more like "War" and not poker, but was outvoted. We played this way for about 5 hands and the other person kept winning. Is this correct? You continue to play even if you can't make the blind? Thanks for any help!!
• Cards Hitting Flop Cards During Showdown
  Question: My brother-in law and I recently played a tourney game at a card hall. The rule was, If you called and showed your hand and any card touched the flop. You were called for mucking the cards and disqualified from winning the pot.

  So we tried playing it this way at home with 6 players and sure enough it happened. Player A hit a straight with the last card and laid them on the flop. Player B said nice hand, but you lose to my pair because you mocked the cards? He got mad and left game.

  We did state at beginning it was a rule. But I got burned and so did another person. I hate the rule and don't think we will play it that way in the future. But is it a RULE?

  Please E-mail me back, so I can get my buddy to talk to me again.

  Thanks

  Ken

• Acting Out Of Turn
  Question: Another player who was all in showed his cards while there were other players still betting, is this allowed, or would that ruin the betting of the other players? This is a very serious problem among our group your answer is appreciated thank you.
• Average Winning Hand
  Question: I have a question that I haven't found a good answer for:

  In a ten player holdem game, what is the average winning hand strength?

  For example, if you played 10,000 hands and all ten people stayed in each hand, would the average winning hand be two pair? three of a kind?

  What would the average winning hand be for a game where 5 players played all the way thru?

  Please respond to my email if you can...

  Thank you,

  Rob

• Playing Online Holdem
  Question: I have been playing online a lot. I found it quite useful to improve my skills but the question that raises is that is it really useful? I mean is it any different from the actual in face games in terms of strategy and hand readings? I have seen a lot of strange bad beats that you will rarely see in the actual on-board games.

  Your help would be appreciated.

  Thanks in advance,

  Reza

• Funny Flame Email
  Question: Send questions about texas holdem poker to this email address: webmaster@learn-texas-holdem.com Subject - "Holdem Question or Comment" Then in a couple days it will appear online below.

  Bullshit - you suck...picking and choosing the questions you answer and ignoring questions that you apparently don't have the balls to address one way or the other. Why the fuck should we listen to your advice at all? Who the fuck are you?

  Too bad, I actually thought you had a decent site, shame you have no sack - don't bother replying, I'll get advice elsewhere

• Beating Low Limit Holdem
  Question: Hey thanks for the prompt reply on my last email. Just to clarify something, the game in question is 5/10 structured Low-limit hold em (casino game in sydney), I am not playing no-limit. Sorry for the confusion. Betting is structured.

  The no-limit games i play are just friendly home games with friends. In these no-limit games i can hold my own because i can protect my strong cards when they hit by making it expensive for people to draw on me. At the casino i seem to constantly get run down until the river and often lose.

• Played Well Or Got Greedy
  Question: Hi, like I've said before, great site. I've got two completely unrelated questions. The first one, was when I was in a B&M casino earlier today, in fact it was the first time I'd ever been there. I sat down to play, mucked all my hands preflop till the big blind came around to me. Now, i was sitting in the 10 seat, directly to the right of the dealer. What happened, is after my cards were dealt, utg called, utg + 1 mucked, then the dealer took those cards and put them right into mine, effectively throwing the much pile on my hand. I immediately told her about it, action was stopped, and the dealer called the floor over. they told me i should have protected my cards. So my hand was mucked, but my big blind had to stay in. Here's the problem i have with that. I only had a span of a couple of seconds before that player mucked to protect my cards. The even bigger issue I have is that the table they use, didn't have a betting line around the table. The whole thing was all green, no line at all. I thought the whole hand should have been redealt, but they said no. What do you think?
• Folding AA Preflop
  Question: Setup: 10 person NL - $20 buy-in tournament. 20,000 in chips blinds start at 100/200 (15 min increments) (although my question really pertains to any tournament).

  3rd hand in the game I get AA in late position. Blinds are 100/200. 1st position comes in for 500. 2 callers. I move in for 2500. 1st position moves all in for his 20,000. Everyone else folds and I have to think. I know right now I have the best hand and 70+% of the time I will beat the next best hand, but this is my tournament life at risk. Needless to say I call. He shows KK, which is great for me and it was the what I suspected and hoped for (AK would have been a little better for me). Anyway, flop is KQJ. No 10 all the way to the river and I am the first one out.

• Not Betting Flop In Limit Holdem
  Question: I started playing a few months ago with a few friends, almost exclusively NL holdem. I've been playing online for a couple of months, also NL holdem, and done pretty well. I've recently decided to give limit a try, and am starting at the 5/10c tables - and my question is about betting after certain flops in holdem games, where 60+% of people see the flop.
• Two Pair Hands
  Question: I have a hole in my game that I am having a hard time figuring out. I play limit and no limit. I do well when I have strong hands, or top pair good kicker, and I do a good job at trapping people.

  However, I always freeze when I have top pair, but see the board pair, especially in no limit. What strategies do you use when this happens? For example:

  Hand- QJ

  Flop J-7-7 rainbow

• Odds Of Preflop Starting Hands
  Question: I have been playing holdem for 18 months and have read several books. I can calculate pot odds after the flop, turn , river. How do you calculate odds before the flop.Let's say I have KQs and raise on the button and I get re-raised.
• Playing Trips In Holdem
  Question: I've been playing $0.25/$0.50 no limit for a few weeks and have learned a heck of a lot from your site. I've got about a million questions but I'll stick to just two for the moment.

  I was wondering how you play trips? I've won a lot of money with trips but at the same time lost a lot. For example a few people limp in and you have AT in late position, you call and the flop comes A-A-8 rainbow, how would you play it if then everyone checked to you or alternatively there was a small or large raise?

  Other thing I wanted to ask was about thinking a couple of cards ahead. For example say you have 87 in late position, a few people call and you limp in as well. The flop is A-3-9 rainbow, guy whose first to act makes a small raise say $1 and a couple of players call, a couple fold. Now I'm thinking I have 8 outs to make an open straight (6 or 10). Would this be bad play to pay the $1 to see the turn card in the hope of completing the straight on the river? The same would apply if you had A5's for example and one of the flop cards was of the same suit, would it be stupid to call a small raise in the hope of hitting four to a flush on the turn?

  Regards

  Febja

• Pocket Pairs Worth More In Holdem?
  Question: I play texas hold'em with my friends weekly. They are under the impression that if for example: you have pocket 9's and other person has A J unsuited and the flop was 5 7 10 the turn A and the river 3. They think the pocket pairs beat the split pair. Is this true it has been an ongoing argument with us. I believe the AA J high wins. Please let me know who is right.
• Pot Odds In Texas Holdem
  Question: This is a simple question on pot odds:

  If there are 4 ppl in a hand and im on the button after the flop, if small blind bets and everyone calls, do i calculate their bets into the pot size?

  for example: Pot size $7. . .

  1pl bet $3

  2pl call $3

  3pl call $3

  Me. . . . . . . . so if i have 19% to hit my flush do i add up the pot size with the bets behind me to calculate pot odds?

  so is it 7 + 3 / 3 = 3/10 =30% ----dont call or is it the pot will be $16 before i call so. . . . 16+3/3=3/19 = 15.7% so call????

  I would be very grateful if you could send me a response.

  Thank you

  bob

• Having To Show Losing Hands Cont...
  Question: I read the "6/1/05 - Show One Show All Rule Cont."-question, and your reply.

  I´m not sure if I understood you, but seems to me, that if I´m in a hand to the river, and I call someones´ bet, and he has me beat, he has the right to see what I held. It just seems... ...unfair, to me, anyway. Given the information you can get about the losing person, how come it´s not demanded more often? I mean, politeness is not a strong argument in competitive poker.

  Say you hold a pair you hope (but you´re not sure) will hold up on it´s own, and you bet into someone from pre-flop to river, and luckily catch that third card, making your hand a winning set when you get called.

  Seems kinda nice to be able to find out if in fact you needed that extra card and you were the underdog and got lucky, or if your read was correct the entire hand. Right? And, contrary, it would be in the losers´ interest to not show he/she was correctly read all the way...

  How come, if it´s allowed, that people don´t do it all the time?

  Kristoffer,

  Sweden

• Home Tourney And Aggressive Players
  Question:Hi,

  I was in a small 10$ no limit tourney yesterday. We all get 1000$ in chips. 10 players at the table. Some are very aggressive, almost maniacs, some are tight, some have no idea how to play. So it was a very mixed tourney. I try to be a tight aggressive kind of player.

  A LOT of preflop bets go as high as 250$ early in the game. It is almost impossible to get to the flop for little money.I get dealt 7-2o, 10-4o, J-3o all night making it hard for me to call 250$ and sometimes 300$ to see the flop. I finally get pockets kings and i bet 300$. I get 2 callers and loose to pocket aces. I am now in a bad position with approx. 350$ left. The bad cards continue to come. I very rarely see cards higher than 10. Eventually I get QJo and, down to 150$ I decide to go all-in. Of course I get called and loose it all after only an hour and a half of play.

  When I got home, I started thinking about what I did wrong and I came to two conclusions.

• Side Pots And Live Hands
  Question:Hi there, just wondering if you can clarify something for us? Tonight we had 5 players playing no-limit texas holdem and player 2 went all in (with only 1 remaining chip) so everyone called. Player 3 and player 5 wanted to have a side bet. Player 1 and player 4 didn't want to side bet. My question is do player 1 and player 4 have to side bet to stay in the hand or are they still eligible for the original pot. I understand they are obviously not eligible for the side pot but can they still stay in for the original pot?

  Thanks,

  Very Confused!

• Making Other Players Mad
  Question: I have a question about a hand that had upset my opponent. There was no raise before the flop and I was in the small blind so I called a 8d-4d. The flop was Ks-10d-6-d. He raised a small amount and I called it. The other players folded. Turn was a 7c. He put me all-in (which was about $20 and I thought that I had enough outs to call him. So I showed him my hand and he was in disbelief. He showed his pair of 10's and before he said anything else the river was a 9h. I won the pot with the straight and the guy was extremely rattled. He said something to me like "How can you call me with an 8 high flush draw. I told him I didnt even need the flush do beat him which aggravated him even more. I admit it was a gamble and I got lucky with the river but was it an idiotic call to make?

  I also got into with this opponent later when he raised me $10 and I came over the top and raised him $40 with an Ace high. When he folded I showed it to him and he told me I didnt have to do that. I was doing this to show him I wasn't afraid to bluff and hope I would do it again to him when I did have a hand. I wondered about this later if it is bad poker ettiquette to show a hand when you are bluffing?

  Ben

• Flush Draws In No Limit Holdem
  Question: Just a quick question about flush draws.The details. I play $10 nl holdem. At these tables anything less that 6 or 7 times the big blind will usually be called. There is a preflop raise of three times the big blind from an early postion raiser with 4 or 5 callers. I am in late postion and am dealt A9s. I call the raise. When the flop comes four flush and I hit bottom or middle pair with my 9 (no a or k on the flop), and there is a lot of action before it gets to me, is it correct to move all in here, so I can get my 2 cards "for free"?

  If I had AKs and was four flush with overcards, and there is heavy betting on the flop with maybe a queen or jack showing can I count my overcards as outs? My thoughts are if it's mulitway, I probably cant think a pair is good, so I'm aiming for my flush.I've read alot about "chasing" and how stupid it is to move in on a draw, but IF the flush does come it is hard to get paid if you didn't move in before, because everyone sees the flush and will bail, so I risk a lot for a small pot, but if I move in...I'll get paid when I do hit.

  Should the nut or near nut (kxs) flush draw be pushed hard when you have more than 9 outs from the flop? For example if the flush draw is also working on a straight, or you hit your overcard?

  Thanks.

  Corey

• Not Quite Holdem Game
  Question: The Casino's in Atlantic City now have Holdem tables that are similar to blackjack.You play against the dealers 2 hole cards.There is an upfront bet you place for your 2 cards. Then if you want to continue to the flop,you bet again.The same for the turn & river except the bet is doubled if you want to continue.At the end the dealer shows his cards & the better hand wins.My question is what advice can you give in regard to what hands & how these tables should be played.Thx,Mike
• Trouble Against A Wild Player Heads Up
  Question: I have a question that has been happening to me often.In the last couple of days, this has happened to me probably 75% of the heads up matches I have been in. I will usually be in those heads up tournements, and I am the aggressor in the beginning. He folds often, which makes me believe he is a tight player or he is trying to understand how often I raise, check, etc.

  I am feeling confident, and then all of a sudden he turns around maybe 5 min into the match. He starts raising almost all hands preflop, and bets on flop and turn if I just call. Maybe I will win 1 in 5 hands, because I raise, or call down and win with high card, but he will take over and I don't know what to do. And these aren't small raises either. if the blinds are 15/30, it will be a 3x BB preflop raise, and usually pot size bet on flop, which in heads up, can be your whole stack in a few min.

• $100/$200 No Limit Holdem: Session Start
  Question: I wanted to pick your brain about strategy in $100-$200 buy in, no limit.

  Whenever I play, it's a weekend night at a casino, so I'm automatically on the short stack. How do I defend my chips when guys with bigger stacks can bascially put me all in from the get go? They see my small stack and raise big into me to see if I have anything.

  It seems like I need to marry myself to a decent hand and just go with it because it costs me such a huge % of my stack to see cards after the flop.

  I've gotten cold feet calling big raises a few times and it just whittled away my stack to the point where I was forced to go all in anyway.

  Can you give me some advice?

• Aggressive Weakness
  Question: What is the best strategy for beating counter-punchers at a table with 6 or less players?

  A game I regularly play in has two guys who are excellent players. Both prefer to let others do their betting and then come over the top eventually.

  I'm an aggressive player, but have run into trouble recently. Part of it is I think I've fallen in love with the "aggressive" part of tight-aggressive. I know I have to show more restraint in choosing my spots.

  Besides that, what would you recommend?

  Side question: as someone with an aggressive rep at the table, how can I best parlay that to my advantage?

• Suspected Cheating
  Question: I have a question about what to do when suspecting foul play. Recently I played in a $50 NL tournament held at a friend's home where second place would win back their buyin and first would take the rest. It was a 8 person friendly but competitive game but I only personally knew 4 of the other 7 players. I consider myself the best player at the table but busted out first when my pocket Kings ran into Aces preflop. When the game came down 3 players it was 2 that I didn't know and a friend. As soon as he busted out and it was those 2 left to battle it out heads up, one of them who had roughly a 2:1 chip lead who had not said a word all night became very excited and quickly asked for splitting the pot. Upon seeing this, I suspected that there had been team work and I immediately responded that this behavior was very weird and asked, "why are you so eager to split the pot?" It was literally as if the game was over and that there was no need to play. Other players agreed at the table that what had happened was very weird and one of the 2 responded that 'I dont like playing my friends heads up and its my right to split' and then told the 3rd one they were with that he would be getting his money back.
• Suspected Cheating
  Question: I have a question about what to do when suspecting foul play. Recently I played in a $50 NL tournament held at a friend's home where second place would win back their buyin and first would take the rest. It was a 8 person friendly but competitive game but I only personally knew 4 of the other 7 players. I consider myself the best player at the table but busted out first when my pocket Kings ran into Aces preflop. When the game came down 3 players it was 2 that I didn't know and a friend. As soon as he busted out and it was those 2 left to battle it out heads up, one of them who had roughly a 2:1 chip lead who had not said a word all night became very excited and quickly asked for splitting the pot. Upon seeing this, I suspected that there had been team work and I immediately responded that this behavior was very weird and asked, "why are you so eager to split the pot?" It was literally as if the game was over and that there was no need to play. Other players agreed at the table that what had happened was very weird and one of the 2 responded that 'I dont like playing my friends heads up and its my right to split' and then told the 3rd one they were with that he would be getting his money back.
• Odds And Raising
  Question: I've been going back to basics after having lost my way. I've re-read a few books: Sklansky's "The Theory of Poker", Super System I & II etc etc. After reading all of this stuff, most of which applies to Limit Holdem anyway, I have a question for you, if you don't mind.

  Some of the decisions made, especially in limit are based on pot odds, implied odds and hand odds (the odds of hitting your cards). All of the information I've read, so far, tells me that if you have the pot odds or the implied odds, you should call, even if you know you are behind, because you are getting a good return on your investment if you hit. If you do not have the odds to call, against a drawing hand, you should fold. But what about when you have excellent pot odds (say 3 or 4 times your drawing odds), can you use this to justify a raise? I see this kind of situation regularly at micro limits where the pot is giving you 14 to 1 on a flush or open ended draw, post-flop.

  Thanks in advance,

• Playing The Board After Mucking Hand
  Question: I was playing at a 3 / 6 limit hold'em table at a local casino. I had K 10 unsuited, and the flop was K Q 10, rainbow. I felt pretty good with my 2 pair as I initiated betting and no one raised me. The turn was an A, and the betting weeded out everyone but me and one other guy. Yes, I was worried about the straight, but before the turn, the guy wasn't betting, just responding, so I figured him for 2 pair at best, too, and possibly only a pair of As. The river was a Jack, putting a A-high straight on the board, no flush possibility. I grinned and bet & he raised & I called him. He flipped over an A and a 10. I laughed, didn't turn over my cards, but pushing them, face down towards the common cards saying "my best hand is on the table".
• Playing A Big Stack
  Question: Keeping a big stack

  I would like to know, once I have the big stack what do I do to keep it. I have tightened up with several people at the table and I have also pushed to make people make decisions for all of their money. I know there is no absolute answer, but what is your recommendation for holding onto a big stack at a table with 6 or more people.

  Joey in LA

• Learning Texas Holdem
  Question: I played poker in my youth and have just (3 weeks ago) taken up internet TH as a hobby in my 70's and find it fascinating. I started off with the premise that - at cheap tables - playing tightly to a set of rules should make money, and I have consistently turned a profit on the $1-2 tables, but lose money every time I move up to $3-6!!! To try and judge my performance, I recently played 250 $1-2 games with Noble Poker, playing very tight (It took 41/2 hours) and I made $25. I then left the lobby to check with their game records, only to be told that these were only available in the gaming room (which I had left). However on request they very kindly emailed me full details of all 250 hands (see attachment) which I have been studying. It struck me that what I really need (and would be happy to pay for) is someone to go through my play pointing out mistakes I made. Do you know of any poker trainers who offer this kind of service? George
• Six Person Tourneys
  Question: Once a month, we gather for cards. A few months back, we converted over to NL Hold'em. We play two tourneys each night with blinds structured to make each last 2-4 hours. Really is working out great. I'm doing well - 3 seconds in the last 4 tourneys. Two bad beats and one big mistake cost me the wins there.

  Here is my question for this time: In reviewing the suggested starting hands from the various experts including you, I think they are assuming a starting table of 9 players. Obviously, with starting with 6, I need to play looser than that. But I'm trying to get a feel for how much looser.

  I know there is not a "right" answer and each hand depends on position and the type of game we play.

  Just looking for the general guidelines to adapt my play.

  Thanks,

  Rick
• Do I Ever Show My Hands
  Question: I have been playing (mostly online) for about 8 months now. I have a ways to go, but feel I am steadily progressing. I have a quick simple question which I don't think I have seen here.

  Do you every show your cards either after a hand win or lose? I very rarely show my hand and if I do it is only when I have won a hand and have a good hand. I never show when I am bluffing. However, I like to show every now and then if I win with a strong hand, which I feel may make someone re-think calling or raising a bluff I may throw out later on. Just wondering what your thoughts are on revealing hands.

• Show One Show All Rule Cont.
  Question: Howdy,

  I read this post and had a follow-up question. It so happens at the casino where I play that people will show their hand to the guy sitting next to them or to others at the table. Once or twice doesn't bother me but after awhile I come to realize that the person being shown is getting a lot of free information regarding how the person who showed the hand plays. That's information they're getting for free, that I have to pay for in chips (have to call their bet!). So I'm curious as to the right way to handle the situation. I'm afraid to make a correction at the table, or to ask the dealer about it, because I don't want to be seen as a jerk but on the other hand it's an unfair advantage and the rules -- especially in a casino -- are the rules. What would you advise in this sort of a situation?

• Kill And Reserved Buttons
  Question: My question is what are the Reserved and Kill Buttons used for? I have seen these buttons for sale with big and small blinds buttons.
• Odds And Calling With Losing Hands
  Question: My question is, how do you know if you have the best hand?

  As an example, just recently I was playing a hand online and I was holding KQs. It was a 1$ big blind table. There are no raises preflop when it gets to me at the position before the button so I raise 1$. Everyone that was in the hand calls and flop comes 333. Checks all around. Turn comes Q, and it checks all around. River comes K and it checks around to me, so I bet 5$. Everyone folds but one guy, who re-raises me 15$. At this point I'm thinking maybe he has a set of 3's but I felt like it was a total bluff. I call and he shows me K3 off suit and takes down the pot. I'm not really sure if I played that poorly, with 25$ in the pot and I having to call 15$ to win it the pot odds weren't good but I felt like it was a bluff and felt like I probably had the best hand with 2 pair.

• Hourly Rates And Exceptation
  Question: I had a question regarding the earn rate question and answer on the site. I have also heard it said that a proper expectation would be one big bet an hour. My question isn't with respect to whether that is proper or not because like you, I believe that it always boils down to the game you are in. That being said, my question is, what is considered a big bet? Is it a bet the size of the pot, or something like doubling up what you have with you? Of course with different blind levels, the amount would vary, however it should have some relational relevance. I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Thanks...

  DJZ

• Watching The Pros
  Question: I've been playing hold 'em for about 3 years - just before it got really big. I consider myself an above average player for the stakes I play. Which range from $20-$100 tournaments, $5-10 limit, and nl table games with buy ins up to $300. These are the stakes my bankroll can afford, the stakes I am comfortable at, and the stakes at which I win or place often at. I don't want, need, or have the time to make the game more. I love the game, and your Q&A's.

  These days there is so much poker on tv, and it is great. but I feel like many people get tricked. You see 1 or 2 hours. How long are most of these sessions? I imagine 4-12. Also, you only see the monster hands or wierd hands or river hits. What I am saying is that many people I know or see play crazy and are very impatient. The pro's play these long sessions and set their play and fellow players up. And we see the espn like highlights. When in reality these sessions are like classic pitching duels in baseball where its not all offense, but a skillful chess game. What is your advice to new players who'd like to watch more of these heavy hitters play more, and play well?

• Earn Rate In NL Holdem
  Question: Hello,

  Im playing NL 0,5/1 and sometimes 0,25/0,5 and max two tables at a time.The tables are 5 person tables if that matters.

  I have done quite good for two weeks now and I would like to know if Im playing good or if Im just lucky.

  My recent stats from 8 hours playing is: (last week was quite similar) Win total: $300

  If I remember right it was about 600-700 hands.

  I have read about earning rate about 1 BB/h in limit poker is good. But what's good for NL?

  All the best,

  Jonas

• Being A Weak Player
  Question: I need help with my game. I've played NL holdem on the net on and off for a year and a half. I've read some books and thought I had become a great player. Around the first of the year I took a $40 dep. bonus to $2000 in two months playing .25/.50 NL.(2-tables). I play fairly tight only the top 25 hands or so but I believe my play is weak. I have since been stuck at $1800. I do manage to pull off some steals in late pos. but only on small pots. I have almost quit playing suited connectors because of not being able to release when I hit a pair. I also feel that cards come in "spurts". When I'm getting good cards I play well, when I'm not I don't and my weakness shows up. Example: It's hard for me to make myself raise to $4 with AK when I''ve missed the flop the last five times with it. One question about AK, I see people play it all different ways some raise small, large and some all in with it. What is the correct play if someone raises strong in early pos. (after the flop) and I hold AK?
• Smart Aggressive
  Question: Just completed the latest 6 person tournament (actually, two of them in a single night) with some friends. In re-hashing the evening in great detail, I've concluded the theme for me was "When to lay down good cards and when to make a stand". Before I ask my specific questions, here are the two hands that prompt it…
• Pocket Pairs And Chatting
  Question: I play microstakes no limit holdem online (usually .10/.25, $25 max buyin) just so you know where I'm coming from.
• Playing JJ Preflop
  Question: You're Under The Gun. You look down. You see two hooks. What do you do?

  A spirited discussion on the Two Plus Two forum led to mixed opinions. Some said that limping was a good play and to play jacks for set equity. I feel otherwise. I feel that Jacks, while tricky, are a fairly strong hand and you should treat it as such. Come in with a standard raise for that table (usually 3-5x BB).

  I feel that this defines your hand as strong enough to raise in early position. It forces people in the blinds to pay to play and it chases off the suited connectors and weak Aces and Kings that might otherwise limp. Jacks might be tough to play but it's harder in a multi-way pot.

  Those who advocate limping say that they are scared of a reraise, which I find silly. You get reraised and you don't like it, fold. Or call it and if you don't hit your set, fold then. Either way you know that if you're being reraised, you're probably behind. Whereas if you limp and the button raises, you could still easily have the best hand and then you have to decide if you want to call that anyway.

  I feel that it is almost always a mistake to limp with Jacks into an unraised pot. What do you think and why?

• Not Going All-In Preflop With AA
  Question: Situation: 10-player online tournament NL Holdem. You're first to speak and you've been dealt AA. You don't know anything about your opponents, but suspect (based on similar past tournaments) a big bet/all-in might be called by as many as 4 players. Two of these are likely to be maniacs, but are you willing to risk playing against that many?

  Certainly in a ring game I would have pushed the limits. But because of the tourney format and seat position, I didn't bet big. I've seen too many reckless first-hand all-ins, with legitimate hands beat and sent packing. My current strategy is to weather the storm and let others duke it out until I can start to get a read on the feel of the table and some of the players.

  Was it too cautious?

  - D

• AK Play Correct?
  Question: This was probably one of the toughest hold 'em decisions I've had to make.

  Early in the tournament I was BB and was dealt AKs. Everyone folds to SB who makes a substantial bet. I raise to double SB's bet. SB calls. Flop comes JJ9. SB bets. I raise. SB raises. I call. Turn is a 5. SB checks. I bet . SB calls. Flop is an ACE. SB bets enough which would put me all in if I called. I have AAJJK. Did SB start the hand with AJ? I finally called. SB had A9o. I finished 2nd in the tournament. Do you think I played the hand correctly?

  Thanks!

  1

  BTB

• AK Play Correct?
  Question: This was probably one of the toughest hold 'em decisions I've had to make.

  Early in the tournament I was BB and was dealt AKs. Everyone folds to SB who makes a substantial bet. I raise to double SB's bet. SB calls. Flop comes JJ9. SB bets. I raise. SB raises. I call. Turn is a 5. SB checks. I bet . SB calls. Flop is an ACE. SB bets enough which would put me all in if I called. I have AAJJK. Did SB start the hand with AJ? I finally called. SB had A9o. I finished 2nd in the tournament. Do you think I played the hand correctly?

  Thanks!

  1

  BTB

• Marginal Hands In Tourneys
  Question: Here's my problem... There's very few starting hands I don't like. 5-7, 4-6, 8-10... You can just nail someone when you hit a good flop and catch some weird straight or full house. I know I can't play like that all the time or I'll blind out quickly when I never catch "the big one". I guess I don't know when to fold all the time. If I'm left with a gut shot I might stick around for a small bet or two to see what happens. Seems I live a little too dangerously, I'm totally vulnerable to a big bet which causes me to fold a lot. That sometimes works to my favor when I do hit though and can win big. At what point should I tighten up? Seems a lot of times I'll hit big, then quickly blow a big stack by chasing too many things...

  Paul - Cincy

• 9 vs 10 Seat Tables
  Question: In limit ($3/$6) online poker, what, if any, are the advantages and disadvantages, to the players, of a 9 seat vs. a 10 seat table? I did read the question from 1/25/05, asked from the houses view. Would it be something of an extension from playing at a six seated table (question from 1/26/05)?

  Thank you

  Thomas

• General Bankroll Rules
  Question: I have seen multiple times that you recommend "playing within your limits" and "having the proper bankroll for the game you are in" as well as "having enough bankroll to smooth out variance" however, I haven't seen actual rough figures given for each limit.
• Opponents Chasing Flush Draws
  Question: Today I had two hands go really bad in my .25/.50 NL game online and I thought I'd ask you what I did wrong to avoid problems such as this in the future.
• What Is Aggressive Play In Texas Holdem
  Question: Hi, i am a new hold'em player, been playing the game for about a month, read a lot of ur articles that was posted on the site, and they really get me more intrested in playing the game.I have read some of ur articles which said to playing tricky, deceptive, aggressive, and tough. As much as i wanted to do those, i have always wondered, What is playing aggressive? What do to become a tight aggressive player?
• When To Quit A Session
  Question: I play 1-2 NL Holdem at a local card room a couple of times a week. I have been playing well and leaving a winner approximately 3 out of 4 times I play. I buy in for $300.00 and have been leaving when I am either up $300 or lose my original buy in. I typically play on average 3-5 hours a session. My question is kind of vague but I wonder if maybe my play could net me more (i.e. $600) if I stuck it out a few hours longer. However, I risk losing my sure winnings if I do that. I feel that I can beat the game I play in most nights. Do you have any suggestions on how to decide when to quit while being up or keep playing with the hopes of winning more.

  Sean

• Going All-In With KK
  Question: Hey I've got a question about an interesting hand I recently played. This was in a 2-5 NLHE cash game at a casino. I'm in early position and am dealt K-K...unfortunately, I was distracted by a conversation I was having and just called in the dark since I was on a bit of a run at the time (i know, not a smart thing to do). Luckily for me, everyone behind me folds to the small blind who calls and the big blind checks.
• Going All-In With KK
  Question: Hey I've got a question about an interesting hand I recently played. This was in a 2-5 NLHE cash game at a casino. I'm in early position and am dealt K-K...unfortunately, I was distracted by a conversation I was having and just called in the dark since I was on a bit of a run at the time (i know, not a smart thing to do). Luckily for me, everyone behind me folds to the small blind who calls and the big blind checks.
• Odd Chip Amount In Pot
  Question: I ran into a situation I'd never seen before last week. 3 players in the pot, the river card comes out, making a K high straight on the board. No one has the ace, so there is a three way split. There just happens to be 2 odd chips in the pot. Does the first person to the left of the dealer get both, or do the 2 people to the left of the dealer split?

  ~JB

• No Limit Holdem - Flush Gets There
  Question: I have something to ask you about, this subject might have already been treated in one of your subjects but i did'nt find it.I think the more money I loose in Online Game (against weak oponents) is on Turn & river play whithout position, here is an exemple:
• Live Hand Touching Community Cards
  Question: I was recently in a tournament and I went all-in after the flop. I received one caller. It was the first hand of the tournament so we were both all-in.

  I was the dealer and when I flipped my two cards over, one of them hit one of the community cards (both my cards were face up). Does this constitute a dead hand and therefore my oponnent automatically wins the pot? Some were insisting that I automatically lost, others said it only applies if my cards were face down.

• Straight On Community Cards, Who Wins
  The three questions below are all related so I've grouped them on one page here:
• Betting After Player Goes All-In
  Question: My family and I were playing Texas Holdem tonight and we are all pretty much beginners. There were three of us left in the game. I went all-in with a small pot. The other two players both had more chips than I did and both called my bet. We had only seen the flop when I went all in and they called. The other two cards had not been turned over. After I called all-in, should the other two players have continued to bid on the turn and river card? Or do the other two cards just get flipped with no more side bidding with the other two players?
• Most Bang For Your Buck
  Question: I have a request for your opinion. I have been playing hold 'em for about 6 months now and just recently began playing for real money. I feel I have been doing ok, having tripled my initial bankroll of $50 in a 3 weeks This has come from playing both cash and SnG's a few times a week.

  I guess my question is, in your opinion, where is the best place to play to give you the greatest chance to build a beginning bankroll. I have won some very nice pots by playing a solid game in the low limit cash games, but I may not see much action at all for many rounds. Whereas in SnG's, I have finished in the money 7 out of the 10 times I play. I know I can do well in both but it just seems SnG's give me more opportunity to play aggressive than in cash games, but of course you are always set on a limited amount to win in the 45-60 minutes a SnG takes.

  Any insight would be great. I enjoy your site... it has proven very helpful. Thanks.

• Dispute Ruins Night
  Question:Who wins? Or is it a split pot?

  The five cards on the table were (7)(9)(J)(10)(K)

  Opponents hand (K)(5)

  My Hand (K)(3)

  He claims he wins, I think it's a split pot.

  We spent 2 hours looking online for a specific answer before ending the game on a terribly sour note. We are all angry at eachother now... so please settle this once and for all.

  Thanks, Evan

• Folding Winners
  Question: I *have *to tell you about a hand I had yesterday night in an online nickel/dime game.
• Rebuy Tourney With JJ
  Question: I just read your post on JJ vs AQ which I believe answered my question but was wondering if you could comment on how you would play them with multiple callers. I played a NL tournament last night with 12 people at the table. Re-buys are allowed for double the original buy-in if someone goes out on the very first hand. It's the first hand, we all have 1000 chips, blinds are 10/20 and I am the small blind.
• Rebuy Tourney With JJ
  Question: I just read your post on JJ vs AQ which I believe answered my question but was wondering if you could comment on how you would play them with multiple callers. I played a NL tournament last night with 12 people at the table. Re-buys are allowed for double the original buy-in if someone goes out on the very first hand. It's the first hand, we all have 1000 chips, blinds are 10/20 and I am the small blind.
• Signs Of Being Trapped
  Question: How can I tell if someone is trapping me with a smooth call?

  NL $1/$2. Lets say I hold AK, raise 3 x the big blind and get called by 2 players. The flop comes KT6 with 2 suited cards. I make a pot sized bet and get called by one player. He could have AK, KQ, KJ, KT, QJ, Axs, Kxs or 66. Say the turn brings a "safe" card, how should I play it? If I make a big bet and he holds 66 or KT, I'm in big trouble. If I check or bet small, I make it cheap for him to draw. Any advice on how to play this? If the flop had been K72 rainbow, I would be more likely to assume I was being trapped.

  Many thanks

  Dave from Scotland

• Calling All-In With Wrong Amount Of Chips
  Question: An odd thing came up in a tournament and even a tournament director who really knows his stuff couldn't figure out what to do. In the late stages of a tournament after the flop I was acting first and I made a bet of $10,000. I was raised $30,000 more. I pondered it and said "That will put me all-in... Okay, I call."
• Outs And Do You Want Them
  Question: I have a couple of questions and I was hoping you could clear them up for me.

  Firstly I have read many things about "outs" yet I cannot grab the concept. Is it better to have more or less out's? Also it seems that if you are playing an off suit hand (A,9) there are only 6 possible outs?

  Am I on the right track or am I heading in the wrong direction?

  My last question is in relation to what cards to play. For example if I get dealt A,9 suited I feel that hand is worth playing. Even though you can only make a one card straight you can make the highest flush?

  Again any help or suggestions would be great.

  Once again great site.

  Thank you in advance,

  Steve

• Understanding Limits
  Question: I am taking a trip to Vegas in July and will be staying at the Horseshoe. I saw online the different types of games that they have going on a regular basis. One of the limits that they have is 1-4-8. What does that mean? I have always seen it as 2/4 or 3/6. Also, on a 1/2 NL game, the minimum buy-in is $100. How much do you recommend buying into this type of game? Is it going to be influenced by how many chips the other players at the table have?

  Thanks

• Revealing Hand Follow Up
  Question: I have a follow up question with respect to revealing your hand before showdown. I have heard many conflicting comments regarding this. I have heard that you can only do it when it is down to one on one when you are last to act, therefore if someone were to go all in and you had yet to act, you could reveal your hand and try and gauge their reaction. I have also heard that you can't. I read in Doyle Brunson's "Wisdom from a Poker Champion", that he often would reveal his hand in similar circumstances for that very purpose when it was one on one.

  It would seem that even if your opponent was last to act, the only person you can hurt would be yourself. If you have them beat, they will fold. If they have you beat, they can bet at you without fear.

  I suppose my question, is there an actual rule or is it a matter of table etiquette? Thanks...

  DJZ

• Losing To Friends
  Question: First of all I just wanted to say that your site is filled with more than enough information on playing holdem. I have bookmarked this site and all most every night I spend about an hour or so reading over your great material. I'm writing you because I'm having a hard time playing my cards. Once or twice a week (lately three times a week) me and my friends. The five of us buy in to a five dollar tourney everytime we play and the fun begins. Out of the times I have played, I' ve placed twice and frankly I'm tired of loosing to them. I sit back and look at all of them play and I know I'm a better player than them. My best play is a slow play and I get them everytime. I'm not so good at bluffing my hand but I understand that it takes time. When I try they usually call or raise just to spite me. So my problem is that i find myself chasing a lot of cards to the turn and river, Usually flush and straight draws.Now we are getting ready to host a big tourney ($20 buy in) and I don't want to be on the short end of the stick. I was wanting to know if you had any exercises that I could practice or maybe a place to start since I really just jumped into the game with out any direction. I talk a lot of crap and I want to be able to back it up before this tourney. On a side note, I'm not sure what the hand groups are for. Your site has been more than helpful and I'm sure that I just overlooked all this information in your articles. Thank you very much for your time.

  Sincerly,

  Tony

• All-In Revealed Hand Dispute
  Question: In a recent spirited game of Texas Holdem a situation came into play that needs your professional ruling to put it to rest. Myself and two others are down to the river, I myself need a club on the river to make a flush, knowing I have the best hand since I have the ace of clubs down and there is not a pair on the board, I am prepared to call all in if a club comes up. The river card is turned and by now you know where this is going a BIG BEAUTIFUL NINE OF CLUBS is revealed, upon seeing this vision of lovliness I call all in, following my call player B pauses and says how much, at that point I begin to count my chips, then player B says you better have a hundred thinking that is enough to cover my all in bet, at this point I turn my cards over revealing what I perceived to be the winning hand ACE HIGH FLUSH. Following this all hell breaks out because player C had not had a chance to call the all in because my hand had been revealed. What took place next will be talked about for generations to come MF this and MF that, your cards are dead because betting had not been completed and took away any chances for a side pot between players B & C who have a history of betting big in these situations. I was short stacked when I called all in so there would have been a side pot between the HIGH ROLLERS.
• AQ versus JJ
  Question: Hi,

  I really enjoy your site and hopefully you can clear up a disagreement in our poker group. Group size - 8 to 10 typically. I say that a pair of jacks is a better starting hand than A/Q. He says that A/Q has a higher win percentage than the pair of jacks - who's correct? Nine people started hand only two saw flow - A/Q and JJ.

  Looking forward to your response and thanks,

  Bill

• Online Tournament Intro
  Question: I have just started playing (3 months) 1st in NL and then in Limit. I play online with William Hill here in the UK at the £1/2 tables and i am doing OK. The reason i changed to the Limit tables was because i tended to win a lot of NL games but when i lost, i lost big time, wiping out all my gains.

  My question:

  I would like to progress to a tournament, but there is little information around explaining how to join, how much time is needed (i can only play in the evenings and at weekends) and what is at stake (is it just the buy-in or is more money required to play each round). Could you please reply or add to your site the procedures for taking part in a tournament online and what type of tournament a beginner shoud be looking at entering.

  Regards

  Abdul

• Not Saying "Call" Before Revealing
  Question: The following scenerio happened to a friend at a home game (NL Texas Holdem) and we didn't know what the "offical" ruling would be on something like this:
• Sick Of Second Place
  Question: I've recently began playing in a no-limit texas hold'em home game with five friends. Four of the last five games I've made it to heads-up only to finish in second place. This has been very frustrating and I have tried different strategies both before and during heads-up play. Any general guidelines for cinching the win? Also, should strategies for a six-person table be different?

  Thanks,

  Brian

• Raising AK From The Small Blind
  Question: I've been playing hold'em for about a year. I ran into a funny situation the other day that got me thinking and I was wondering what you thought.

  I was playing 3/6 hold'em on-line and had AKo in the SB. There were 3 limpers, and I raised - the BB and the limpers all called.

• Howard Lederers DVD - Starting Hand Card
  Question: I recently bought Howard Lederers no limit texas holdem poker dvd and inside it gives you a strategy card. On the card it says that when someone opens a hand to your right you should fold all hands not in group A or B, unless you are in the blinds. The only hands that are in group A and B are AA, KK, AKs, QQ, AK, JJ, TT. So he is saying that unless you have one of these hands and someone opens the pot then you should fold unless your in the blinds. Wouldnt playing this way make you a huge rock and probably the easiest person to read at the table? Just wanted to know your thoughts about it. Thanks.
• AJs Hand Analysis
  Question: 1) Ok here are the details to my 'bad beat' and please tell me how wrong this was. The table was loose semi-aggressive.

  Third level of play at 50-100 blinds. Hero has 2550 in chips the enemy has about 4000 in chips. I am UTG + 1 (early position) with my AJs I raise 400. All fold to BUTTON who re-raises me 600 bucks.

  After some thought I call

  Flop comes A J x

  I go all in for 1550. He calls immediately with AKx

  Turn is Q

  River is T

  I lose to Broadway.

  Should I have re-raised or just got out of the hand. Also was my flop play correct or not?

• Blinds For Heads Up Tourney
  Question: We have been playing heads up tournaments with a friend of mine for a few months because initially we wanted to find out who's the best player, but now (after 10 games) it seems we have different opinions how the blind structure should develop. We decided to play 15 games including 7 Stud, Texas and Omaha. The only limit game is 7 Stud (sometimes PL). Texas is NL and Omaha PL.
• Minimum Bet Size In No Limit Holdem
  Question: I am going to be hosting a holdem tournament and i have a question about how much the bet has to be after the flop. Example-- if the blinds are 25/50 and everyone calls the big blind then the flop happens and then the betting starts is there a minimum bet that a person has to start with? Thank YOu
• Ranking Of Suite In Texas Holdem
  Question:We recently played and were in a dilemma on who was correct. We had 3 players who had a 10 in their pocket card and the community gave them all the same straight with the one card from their pocket hand. Some argued to use the 6th card (from the pocket) and take the highest, while others said the pot was to be split. A question was brought up about using the highest ranking suit on the 10. Are ranking of suits ever used in Texas Hold'em?
• Final Table Tournament Strategy
  Question: First I would just like to say that your site is great and has helped me a lot, so thank-you.

  My question is concerning $5-$30 buy-in tournaments on the internet. I have done fairly well in these tournaments but have been running into problems lately when the table gets down to four people and i'm middle of the road or small stack. I have found that even a loose game becomes very very tight as soon as their are only four players because the top three are in the money.

  From playing and reading on your site, i realize that with this many people at the table, you have to play face cards a little stronger than normal. My problem is that I seem to get pulled into a lot of all-in draws and finishing fourth is really frustrating when a draw at this point seems to be a crap shot at best (unless you get blessed with a high pair or something).

  I have also tried playing very tight but when you are not high stack, you tend to get blinded out or forced to bid on something (small stack) because some players will just wait you out. I have found some success with tight play waiting for other players to become impatient but I have found this will only work when the big stack is willing to push the action. How do you play these type of scenarios?

• Five Aces
  Question: Ok there has been an on going arguement at the pokersite i belong to as to whether it is possible to have 5 aces because of cards being shared, now the guy that posted the message said it was in skalansky's book, i have not read the book and was wondering if you could shed some light on this as to whether its a theoretical thing or if he is just pulling our legs i'll include a link below.
• Folding Good Hands Early In Tourneys
  Question: Hi, recently, I have played a lot of multi table NL tourneys. I rather get bumped out at a fairly bad place or make it to the final 5. Mostly, the reason gets me out is because ALL-Ins, when I get high pockets or hands like AKs, I get excited preflop, don¡¯t get me wrong, I can muck these hands when I feel that my opponents have me beat. However, pre-flop¡­ I would NEVER dump them no matter what happens, and most of the times if there were ALL-Ins, I would call them down and end up losing AA to KK or KQ and other second class hands which gets out of the tourney right there. I tried folding them, then found out in regrets that if I didn¡¯t fold my QQ I would have won big! The last tourney I had, about 5 minute into the game, one person went ALL-IN, I immediately called him down, in the 1v1 ALL-in, I lost my KK again to an AJ.
• Ace Rag Suited In No Limit Holdem
  Question: First off, thank you for being the most informative site on practical Hold'em advice. I play in $5 NL table at Tigergaming.net and have a question about playing Ace rag suited. My theory is that if I can get in with that hand A2s for the cost of the big blind all the time I should. Now I know you may tell me to play it from the right position with the right opponents etc. But if it only cost the big blind (and I will never go any higher) do you think that is a good investment long term?

  Jesse

• Show One Show All Rule
  Question: When I started playing about 6 months ago, your advice helped me out--I've become DECENT at best, even playing at a satelite tourney for a WPT seat (FUN!).

  We also host losts of home games for beginners (mixed with some very very good players). One beginner kept raising insane amounts, leaving everyone to fold. When it came to someone who had a decent hand and spent their time thinking...thinking...thinking...trying to read him, etc..., they would fold. He would show THEM his hand, but no one else

• Who Has High Flush
  Question: I actually have two questions here. Say that there are 4 diamonds on the board and there are only 2 people in. One of the diamonds is the Ace. The other two players both have flushes (not straight flushes or anything), so is it a split pot or do you go by the higher diamond in the persons starting 2 cards?
• Mini World Series Of Poker Tourney Strategy
  Question: The guy running the weekly NLHE tourney had a neat idea to have a WSOP format. He scheduled the same variety of games and different buy-in structures and limits just like the big boys, albeit on a smaller scale. If anyone is thinking about doing this, my advice is to do it. It's been exciting learning a new game every week!
• What Are Normal Swings
  Question: I have learnt to play texas-holdem from your site about 2 month ago. I deposited 25$ on paradise poker and built from there to 600$ playing mainly NL (2$, 10$ and now 25$). What is worrying me is my daily swings. I started yesterday with 450 go to 650 and today dropped to 550... I play about 400 hands a day two tables NL 25$. Are these normal swings ? or I play too wild ?

  Ok another question.. do you have any plans writing about other forms of poker ? omaha maybe ?

  Best regards !

  Piotr

• Annoucing Your Hand At Showdown
  Question: My question is hardly worthy of posting on the your site, it pretains more to card room/casino Etiquette then hold'em, it's kind of ridiculous, but when in doubt ask some one who may know - here it goes:

  In the movie Mavrick, in the big game at the end, James Coburn says something to the effect of "I only have two pair, Aces and Aces". Sooner or later you're gong to get 4-of-a-kind, I can't wait to use the joke (I like the shock factor). Can this have any negative effects such as a ruling that you only have 2 pair since you called it as that?

  Thanks again for the site and goodluck in your games (I mean skill),

  Michael

• Inside Straight Hand, Comments On
  Question: Playing online 5/10 dollar table. 9 players. I am on the dealer button with a 4/6 unsuited. 1st position raises to 50. Gets 5 callers. Action to me, I think the pot is looking nice and if I can draw the straight or hit some miracle flop I could have a big pay day. I call. Both blinds call. Family pot, 9 players. Pot size 450. Flop comes 5 8 10 rainbow. 1st/2nd player check. Original raiser bets 100. 5 callers. Action comes to me, inside straight draw pot size 1050. Pot odds and hand odds are about equal 1/10. I call. Both 1st/2nd call. Turn 7. Draw has hit, I am ecstatic. 1st/2nd player check. Original better goes all in to the tune of 700. One caller, 4 folds. Action to me I have about 1200 left in chips. I put the original better on a set, pocket pair was the preflop raise. It set on the flop. He milked it. The straight possibilities scared him and he wanted the hand to end. The caller I wasn't quite sure of. Could have two pair, could have a straight. My straight was the low end, but the only two hands that could beat me were J/9 and 6/9. I take my chances and go all in, trying to get 1st/2nd position to fold. Two hearts on the board, I want to chase out any crazy runner runner flush. 1st position calls, 2nd position folds. The river is the third heart, a K. I am not to worried about the flush, but I am all in so all I can do is hope. The good news was that it didn't fill in the possible straights. A side pot occurs between the caller and 1st position.
• Multiple Side Pots
  Question: This involves the infamous (and always confusing) 'side pot' dilemma. I held my first home game last weekend, and my worst fear was realized : four people in, two of them all-in, which meant 1 main pot, and two side pots. A good deal of arguing ensued, and I'm not sure we handled it correctly. Your answer to a previously posted question ("6/25/04 - Who Wins The Side Pot Money") helped some, but I'm still confused. Let's say, prior to fifth street:
• Dealing Error
  Question: I was dealing in a cash NL game and I made a mistake. After the flop, the player acting first bet and he had a caller. One other person was in the hand but he had his cards hidden behind his hand while he was thinking and I forgot he was still in the hand. I flipped over the turn card before he acted. Fortunately, he shrugged and said "I was going to call anyway," and the hand resumed. Being a friendly game, that was the end of it and the card didn't seem to impact anyone's hand but I wonder what the official rules say when something like this happens.
• Using All-In Raises In Tourneys
  Question: Twice a week, about 13 of us play in a $20 buy in tourney at my house. The competition is a mixed bag, with about 4-5 good players, and the rest are OK but nothing special. I usually end up in the final 3 or 4 every time as do the other good players.

  One strategy I just began to use was a constant all-in strategy. I only use this when the blinds are fairly high (50-100 and up). Basically, if I知 in late position or occasionally in middle position, and there are a few limpers in, I will go all in with any pair (including 2-2, 3-3, and 4-4), and also AK, AQ, AJ. I do this because no one has shown strength and most of the time no one will call if I have a decent chip stack. I will pick up the blinds most of the time, and occasionally I will get a caller which is fine by me since most of the time I will be a favorite or in a coin flip situation.

• Big Blind Twice In A Row
  Question: I had an issue in a pot-limit tournament on ***** ***** that I would appreciate your opinion on. My chip stack was approximately 3 ½ times the big blind. There were 6 people at my table 4 people joined while a hand was in progress. I was the big blind during this hand, was raised and folded. The very next hand the button moved to where a player had just joined and I was in the big blind again. I was raised and folded. The next hand I was the small blind which put me all in. I lost and finished 24th when 20th place paid. I took the issue up with their customer support and requested a refund. They denied my request saying that although I was at a disadvantage this time that there would be times when I would have an advantage. I do not believe this to be a valid argument. I would like to know if you agree or disagree with me. If you agree, do you have any suggestions on any recourse I might have.

  Thanks in advance Don

• Why Is 72 The Worst Hand
  Question: I know that 72 off is widely considered the worst hand in holdem, but could you tell me why? It seems to me and my tiny brain that 92 off would be worse, seeing as though with 72 you could still make a straight (as unlikely as it is) while with 92 you're on a wing and a prayer.
• Raising More In Loose No Limit Games
  Question: In the low stakes NL tables online, the players are very loose; it's not uncommon for six or seven people to see a flop and even after a 4xBB raise, three or four people will stick around. The best way to play, I've found, is to play extra loose pre-flop and super tight post-flop and make the most out of position.

  My question is whether I should change my strategy when it comes to the money I am betting. For example, a starting hand in a normal game that would be a fold I might try and limp with in the loose games, however I don't know whether I should similarly upgrade other starting hands. By using the same logic, if I get a marginal hand I would limp with on a normal table, I should raise at the loose table; a big hand I would normally raise with, I would come in with a huge raise.

  I can see the logic in this - if I'm going to be loose, I should be loose consistently - but then I think - they're still the same cards, still with the same chance percentages to get beat. So the best thing is to see every flop as cheaply as possible except for the really huge hands - Aces, Kings, Queens, Slick - where I bet extra big to get people to fold crap.

  Which strategy makes the most sense?

  Brian O'Neill

• Saying "Raise" In Holdem
  Question:

  Two players in heads-up action. Blind are at 400 & 800. Player A is the small blind. Player B is the big blind. Player A calls the big blind and also says "raise." Before Player A says how much he is raising, Player B says All-In and Player A folds. What happens next? Is Player A required to put in a raise and if so, how much?

  Thanks in advance for the info...

  John

• Slow Playing Big Hands In No Limit Holdem
  Question: Was playing a small SNG online, when I got dealt pocket 5s. Everybody folded round to me, I called, the next player folded, the small blind called, followed by the big blind checking.
• Drawing To Turn Or River Odds
  Question: My OLD brain can't understand the 6th paragraph. "For figuring out odds for a draw that can hit on either the turn or the river (keyword either), you need to do something a little more complicated -- you figure out what the odds are of not hitting it and the subtracting that number by 1. Since 5 cards give us our hand, there must be 42 that don't. Then on the river if we haven't hit there must be 41 cards that don't make our hand.

  42/47 * 41/46

  This gives us .795, now subtract that from 1 to get the percentage of 20%.

  *****Flop to River % = 1 - [ ((47 - Outs) / 47) * ((46 - Outs) / 46) ]."

  Would you please explain in more detail the calculation? I would really appreciate it.

  Thanks so much. Gary.

• Suited Connectors And How To Play Them
  Question: 1) You mention suited connectors throughout these pages and how you have to know what to do with them. Could you talk about the 'when', 'where' and 'how' of playing them?

  2) I play in a locally organized tourney situation that has a low buy-in ($30), but then plays No-Limit. Often 3 or 4 people will stay in and chase to the river with off-suit middle cards or inside straight draws. Even with a high pair in the hole, in order to better my odds or 'make them pay to chase', I'd have to put in up to 1/3 of my chips, and I am hesitant to do that. I really have no idea how to play smartly in these types of games. Help!

  Looking forward to you answers, Phil

• Full House Definition
  Question:Hi. I have a question concerning the "full house" hand. I play poker with my friends sometimes and they say you can have a full house when you have a three of a kind and there is a pair on the board. Is this a full house? I need clarification.
• Raise Before Cards Are Dealt
  Question: Hello,

  In a no limit holdem game, can the person who is posting the big blind raise before cards are even dealt? In a regular game I play in, some of the guys that are just have a few chips left over what the big blind post is will just put all of their chips in before cards are dealt. I didnt think they could do so because they, as the big blind are forced to place a specific bet until called or otherwise.

  thanks

• All-Ins Against Unthinking Opponents
  Question: The Game: A home game tournament $20 buy-in, 1 re-buy. Start with 20,000 chips blinds start at 100/200. Blinds raise every 20 minutes. Roughly 24 people in the game (3 tables of 8). Pay top 5.

  I make it to the final table where there are 9 of us. This group of people are below average players. Kind of mix. None of them figure out mathematical odds. They know what good starting hands are and they play their gut a lot. Most like to see flops in Ax and any 2 paint cards. Most have been playing the game for a few years now. I usually get respect as I am a tight aggressive player.

• Typical Rake Amount
  Question: 1st question:

  I was just in a home cash game, $1/$2 No Limit Hold'em. I raised $25. Player 2 went all-in w/ $32. Player 3 limpped in and just called. When it got to me, I tried to reraise and go all in w/ $220. I was told that I could only call Player 2's all-in at $32 total. I knew I had player 3 dominated. He flopped a cheap 2 pair. My KK was no good. Is this normal in a home or even casino game?

• Heads Up Blinds
  Question: When you are down to the last two players, who is the big blind and who is the small blind? Thanks.
• Calling All-in With A Draw
  Question: Hi I've enjoyed your site a lot and I've a question regarding how i played last night in a 4 person in house game.

  It was no limit holdem and I was doing pretty good, getting some good hands and bluff here and thereand it was down to me and one person. I was basically the chip leader, but then i started making more bluffs, like i would bluff high when i only have pocket 3 or J high, and so forth and so the tide started to turn and it even out eventually. Then he made a pretty big bet and I was losing by around 4 stacks (16 stacks of 10 chips total, i have 5) and then i played 2 more hands and then I forgot what happen but i think i basically won a big hand against him and he was down to 5 stacks.

• AK And AQ Missing Flop In No Limit
  Question: Wrote to you before on this but didn't get a response ( know your busy ).

  Its regarding playing AK or AQ in No limit if you miss on the flop. Assuming you raise pre-flop is it the correct move long term to bet a pot sized bet after the flop if it is checked to you as the other players will assume you have a high PP. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't .what works best for you .

  Great site btw

  David omahony

• Wilson Poker Software
  

  Question: Do you have an opinion on Wilson Poker Software?

  Thanks.

• Realistic Poker Goals
  Question:I have set myself a goal - like you suggested in one of your articles- and the first step towards it is to play my 500 up to 2k in two months. To be honest I have a bunch of questions but I don't want to consume to much of your time so I'll just ask two.
• ESPN Tilt Show Error
  Question: I'm one of the hundreds of thousand "new" poker fanatics and just when I think I'm beginning to understand the rules of the game, ESPN's new series, TILT, throws me a curve ball.

  In their fictional game last week, a father/son end up as adversaries in this particular hand. The father has Jack/trey and the son Jack/deuce. The flop is Jack-ten-eight. (I could be wrong on the ten and eight, but they were not significant to the hand) the turn was another insignificant or meaningless card, a five I think and the river was also not important to the hand. Nobody paired on the turn or river. Isn't the ultimate outcome of this hand a tie? Both have a pair of Jacks with ten, eight, five high and shouldn't they split the pot? However, in this instance, the show gave the father the winning hand because his trey was higher than the son's deuce. . . . . ? I know there was no flush or straight involved in the final outcome. It all came to bear on the father having the higher hole card with his Jack - the trey, as opposed to his son holding only a deuce with his Jack. Is this correct? I don't think so.

  R. E. Worsham

• Pot Odds Tips
  Question: I have enjoyed many of your articles and have learned many useful tips to improve my game. I am mostly a beginner who play for small amounts with other couples. I have played on the computer for the last six months and lost on a regular basis until I started reading your sites. Now I will usually break even in the sit and goes.
• Going To Vegas For First Time
  Question: Once again I started playing poker about a year ago, typically 15-20 hours a week online. I do appreciate the time you take, it has been very helpful. I'm going to Vegas soon for my first time and am eager to play NL Holdem (tournament play). I've done a lot of research on what casino's offer and will probably stay around the $40.00 - $100.00 buy-in. Any thoughts or concerns someone new in Vegas should expect playing Holdem?

  Thanks again,

  Matt

• Short Stack Theory
  Question: You're short-stacked in a tournament and you have to make a move soon before you are blinded into inconsequence. Some will go with any paint. But the problem is that unless you've got an inconsequential amount (where doubling up would be like spitting in the ocean), there's a good chance anyone who calls you will have you dominated. An A9 might look great, but there's a good chance your caller will have a better Ace. Even a great hand like KQ is at best only about 45% to win against the weakest of Aces.
• Playing A Bad Hand Because Of A Feeling
  Question:I just first wanted to say thanks, your poker site (well your site and Doyle Brunson's book, but mostly your site) has made me go from coming in last in my friends home tournaments to actually winning them and winning online, and i've only been playing for a month. You have great material on this site.

  Alright, Once in a while, meaning maybe two or three times per tournament, if im comfortable with my chip stack, preflop I will call a smal bet with a trash hand, or a nice size bet with a mediocre hand. I do this because i get a feeling when i look at my cards that i am going to hit something on the flop. It's just this weird feeling and i can't ignore it. So i call and here comes the flop. I'd say atleast half of the time i hit top pair, two pair, a set, or even the nuts. Well, when i do hit something and take the pot sometimes the other people get upset and make fun of me for playing that hand to begin with. They dont want to hear me say, " I had a feeling." So my question is, is this bad poker? and also do you or any other good poker players you know do this or anything similar to this?

  Thanks

  J Austin

• Dealer Button Placement
  Question: Hello, I have been playing holdem for about six months. Prior to that friends and I have typically played various poker games for enjoyment. Don't get me wrong we are still very competitive. Since we began playing holdem the group and I have fallen in love with the game. We usually play house tournaments with approximately eighteen or twenty people.

  One issue has continually come up during the games. I still have not read a clear cut answer to this question. So I will try with you.

• Tourney Hand Evaluation
  Question: HI!

  First of all, I think your website is great and has really improved my game with all the knowledge you have provided. That's why I want you to evaluate something for me if you can!

  My friend and I got into a pretty HUGE argument over this (we haven't spoken a while) and I'd like an expert opinion.

• Raising Rule For No Limit Holdem
  Question: There was an incident in a game where the blinds were 1600/3200. The 3200 blind was called by three people. The last person went all in with 4800. The next player wanted to call and put in 1600; he was already in for the original 3200 bet. The argument was that he had to put in 3200 because he had to cover the big blind and then pull out 1600 for a side pot and if the next player wanted to go with him he did the same and they had a side pot. The player who wanted to call the all in bet said that no, he only had to call the 1600 and then if he wanted to raise that, then he would have to raise 3200. Who was correct in this situation?

  JMW

• Online Poker Room Probabilities
  Question: Hi

  I must tell you that your site is "Terrific."

  I have read each article over and over and have studied them meticulously highlighting each specific points that you make. They bring a much clearer picture of what Texas Holdem is all about and they make reading the speciality books that much easier because your articles break down the plays into a simple readable plan that one can study and test.

• Heads Up Against Aggressive Players
  Question: At a large table, I read that you fight very aggressive players with tight conservative play waiting for a very strong hand. However, when you are one on one, that approach doesn't seem practical. When you are one on one would you fight aggressive players with more aggression?

  DJZ

• Winning At No Limit Despite Being A Bad Reader
  Question: Instinct seems to be more important in NL than the cards or even position. I think that you can study Mike Caro and try and pick up some tells and I know that you can look at someone you play with a lot and see the patterns and tendencies of their game. That is all about logic, however, not an uncanny ability to look into the souls of your opponents. (Yes, that's overly dramatic, but many poker deities claim this and Doyle Brunson writes about it in his book.)

  Of course a lot of times I find myself sitting at tables with new people or even worse, playing online where you're very rarely seeing the same person twice and you can't see them in person at all.

  My question is two-fold:

  One - Can instinct be learned? Can you, either through exercises or simply through playing a lot, learn how to get a "feel" for your opponents - even those who are pixels on a screen or someone you never met before sitting in the next seat?

• Mucking Heads Up All-In
  Question: A player (Player A) was all in for $300 of a $5000 pot. The only other player (player B) left in the hand mucked his cards (thinking no one else was in after he made the original bet of $4000 or so) when it came to him. The player (Player A) with the $300 in the pot said he should win the whole pot, since Player B no longer has cards. I said Player A could only win his stake in the pot, and that Player B was basically "playing against himself" for the bigger side pot since he was originally was in and everyone folded against him. He was mucking against himself. What's the call?

  Frank

• Losing In No Limit With Top Pair
  Question: Hi,

  As with most other comments I've seen posted on this site, I'd like to throw in my appreciation for your website and the advice you provide. I check your site daily hoping for another interesting read.

  Now for my question. I play a lot of sit-and-goes online, but I'm pretty sure this question is applicable to almost all situations where you join a game with "strangers".

• Opinions On Tourneys
  Question: hello, i'm looking for a bit of advice/suggestions as well as other players opinions on tournament play. i conisder myself an above average player. i recently played three touneys only to go out on ridiculous calls. 1st game- i end up all-in with AA against AK who reraised first bettor who had Q 10 off. of course I call and Q 10 (off suit) calls! and makes quad 10's. 2nd game- i make a 500 chip raise holding KK into a guy who was playing every hand and getting very lucky with marginal cards. he calls with 7 10 suited and gets 7 10. of course the flop looked safe and i got eaten. now his call left him with only about 200 chips. unreal. 3rd game- holding J 10 clubs and flop top two pair. all diamonds. I bet big hoping to cut off any draw. One caller and turn is Q diamonds. He bets into my and I lay it down. He had the 4 of diamonds!! I was visibly sickened and he could not understand why that was a bad call. Went out 4 hands later with AK suited(all-in) and J 10 off calls me only to catch a J to win the hand. the whole thing has made me look at my game and i really don't have a clear cut plan. everyone is playing hold em these days. there are so many new players who make bad calls that i think it has made it tough on the better player. these last few tournaments i played in had many poor players. now....it's easy to recognize these players. but taking them down can be a huge frustration. why? they are likely to play more hands and they have no respect for a raise. it almost made me think raising had no value in these games. They tend to just "call" which leaves you guessing what they have. Now....i thought about the different ways to play in these situations. It's hard to wait for the nuts because you just don't get them often. being aggressive pre-flop hardly cut out players. playing passively made it hard to get a chip lead going. I figured I need to start loosening up and playing some rags. I decided not to get aggressive with AK, AA, etc. unless I improved on the flop. I check-raised alot when I was sure these guys had nothing. Well...the next tourney i played in i got 3rd out of 48 players. I did change things up which was hard for me. It just seems to me that with all the different skill levels sitting in on these games, it has diminished the skill factor somewhat. it seems luck (which we all need from time to time) is much more involved now. man....i sure miss those days of buying pots and check raising with nothing to take a nice pot. the game (at least tournaments) is not the same for me anymore. any opinions? thanks, Dan
• Moving Up In Limits
  Question: Hi, and thanks for answering my previous questions. My question is regarding when it's time to move up in no limit holdem. I play $10 sit n' goes and have won the previous 5 of 6 and took 2nd in the one I didn't win. Prior to this I had been winning this $10 sng fairly consistently. Is it time to move up in the limits and if so, by how much? You may have previously addressed questions similar to this and if you have feel free to disregard it.
• Limit Side Games
  Question: Hi, I have been playing Texas Hold＊em for about 4 months now. I usually win sit n go satellites and usually take 2nd-5th place in larger tourneys from 20-50 people. However I am keep getting crushed in limit side games. Can you tell me some tips and differences of to do and not to do in limit tourneys and side games?

  Generally, I play all pairs and all A 每 x and cards like KQ in 10 handed side games. Is it too much? Often times, when I see my opponents win pots with 9 5o for awhile I started to play and even raise pre-flop with hands like K 9o. Am I been too impatient? Should I have sit back and still stick to the old hands?

  Thank You for your time!

  Xavier

• Doyle Brunson's Super System
  Question: All of my friends have read the SuperSystem book by Doyle Brunson. What is the best strategy for beating they style of hold'em play that this book teaches? thanks.

  Josh

• Ace Is Both High And Low?
  Question: Q-CAN THE ACE BE USED TO GET A STRAIGHT-A-2-3-4-5.LOOKING THROUGH CARD RANKINGS AND RULES, DID NOT SEE THIS LISTED ANYWHERE.

  THIS IS ALLOWABLE IN GIN, AND A FRIEND OF MINE INSIST IT CAN BE USED IN TEXAS-HOLDEM.

  I SAY YOU CAN NOT USE THIS STRAIGHT.

  WOULD LIKE EXPLANATION EITHER WAY.

  THANKS, MIKE

• Being Raised On The Turn
  Question:At times, when I have a top pair, especially with a solid kicker, I place substantial bets out there, large enough that if someone calls then I know they are to be respected. My strategy for this is that I am skeptical that my one pair will not be strong enough to the river to hold up (Even if I believe I have the best hand at the moment), therefore I try and win the pot right there.

  Is this strategy flawed?

  You wrote:

  Losing Your Stack With One Pair

  This tip will save you some money. It is pretty rare that someone will make a substantial raise against you on the turn or river and not have one pair beat. You'll find some crazy players that do that but they will be easy to spot. Everyone else will have one pair beat.

• Being Check Raised When Playing Aggressively
  Question:

  I have run into some problems in tournament play recently. I used to play very tight, and play the few hands I played very aggresive.. my experience with this strategy is that you need to get good cards in the later stages where the blinds are high, or you will be eaten by the blinds... I now play much more loose, and still agressive.. playing posision and chips more than my cards.. this mean that if everyone folds to me and I am dealer I raise.. if they check to me after the flop I bet... if they call I normally bet again after the turn if an overcard fall.. somethimes I just let go if I feel Im beaten.. but if I have strong draws I lead rather than call.. this way they often don't realize it if I get the flush or straight.. and I can take all their chips.. (which is my goal) Im not very nice when I get make the nut :) .. and suprisingly (probably not) people call me out with weaker hands than they would normally do... using this strategy I have won!! two tournaments... which is great by my standard...but there is one big problem using this strategy though.. for me at least.. check raise..

• No Limit Holdem Etiquette
  Question:

  (1)

  Could you please explain the betting etiquette for No Limit Holdem, what pisses off players in casinos with betting, and what the rules are with string betting?

• Losing To Flushes - Hand Analysis
  Question:I would really appreaciate if you could comment on two hands that i played yesterday (2/4).

  In both cases i lost to flushes hitting on the river. Should they be played differently??

  In the first hand i had AA. I raise and get 3 callers. the flop is [2s 8s 9d]. I bet and the next player raises. Because he has done that before a few times as a semi-bluff i think he is on a flush or straight draw or maybe a A9. the turn is 3c, so i bet again and he raises again and i call. The river is 6s, and i call his bet and his hand is indeed a flush [Ks 9s]. I think his play was correct since he had top pair as well, and maybe i should have raised on the flop to scare him a bit, but the fact is that he would not fold anyway. So what do you do?

• Courage In Marginal Situations
  Question: For the most part, I do very well in home tournaments. We have events that will average between 10 and 25 players consistently. I am usually a favorite at the table (or so I'm told) and people usually come out gunning for me. I have been to a casino now and again. The first time I went, I took $80 and returned home with $153. Yesterday, I went with $100 and came home with nothing. All right, I understand that happens. Some times you win and sometimes you lose.
• No Limit Tourney Hand Analysis
  Question: First off, thank you for your site. I set up my own 12 person tourney (actually, two in one night setup) and it went great. Even better, using the knowledge from your site, I won both times! (a tidy $270 haul)

  Next, I play in a regular poker game once a month. That was converted to a No Limit Texas Hold'em tourney. (some of the same people, but only started with 6)

  I wanted to ask your advice on a couple of hands that were crucial to me NOT winning this time.

• Short Stacks And All-in
  Question: I also have enjoyed your site. I have been playing many no limit home tournaments.

  One question about being short stacked. I was under the impression that were you short stacked and had to go all in, that you could only win the amount of chips you had left, times the number of opponents in the pot.

  Yet it seems to me I have seen different on televised tournaments.

  Let's assume the blinds are $500 / $1000. You are playing three handed. Maybe you just lost a hand for most of your chips and are down to $300 and you are now the small blind. The dealer calls $1000, you are all in for $300 and the big blind calls $1000. Are you now limited to winning only $900 (your $300 plus $300 each from the dealer and big blind) OR are you entitled to $2300 (your $300 plus the $1000 from each of the other preflop bettors) OR, lastly, are you maybe only entitled to $1600 (your $300, the $1000 from the big blind since that is a forced bet, and $300 from the dealer, since that wasn't a forced bet?

  Appreciate it.

  Andy

• Really Loose Limit Holdem Games
  Question: First off i would like to say that i love your website. I have learner alot over the past few months.

  I play holdem about 3 times a week. Usually at a friends house with a bunch of kids from school. We usually play NL holdem (a buy-in) I usually do fairly well, only loosing about 25% of the time. I have been to a card club recently playing 2/4 limit. I have played that about 5 times in the card rooms. One thing i can't seem to do is win. I think my play is fairly decent, it is just very hard to change my style to suit all these bad players. Last time i was there I held pocket Jacks. So I raised preflop. The kid next to me re-raises. everyone folded except 1 other who called and me. (so there are 3 ppl in the pot) flop comes 662. Round of betting. turn was a 10. river was a 5. I had top pair. Thought it was good b/c there were 2 raises pre flop. I turn over my jacks, kid to the left of me who re-raised preflop turned over poket Kings (Not bad) and the other guy turns over 62 off suit. He floped trips. He called 2 raises pre flop with 62 off. That stuff happend all day. There was not a hand he didnt play, or call it seemed like. If someone checked he would always bet (Alot of the time not having anything)

• What Is A $2/4 Game?
  Question: I'm trying to learn the game before I try playing it, so please take this question as one that will clear up a confusing point.

  In the last section of your "No Limit Hold'em Versus Limit Hold'em" page, you state that "A $2/4 no limit game is much larger then a $2/4 limit one." What is a $2/4 no limit game? The name states that there is no limit so why the $2/4? I think I know what you're saying in the section, but this makes me wonder if I've misunderstood something regarding limits.

• Tourney Style Of Play
  Question: My question is in regards to the way I play sit n go tourneys. I usually play $10, 10 man sngs. I'd say I can place in these tourneys about 60% of the time and have a fairly decent profit since I started playing online. I play an aggressive style, try to push people around and steal some pots. This strategy seems to work fairly well at the level I play at. My problem is that when I don't get an early chip lead or someone else is the aggressor, I fall behind in chips. When this happens I usually just tighten up my game and can sometimes grind it out and work a chip lead back up. Is this the proper approach if I can't get an early chip lead or should I adjust my style and not rely so much on an early chip lead? Any suggestions would be great.

  Thanks,

  Ben

• Positional Raiser
  Question: Anyway, as for my question. I've been playing poker for about 1 year. I play a lot of no-limit home games typically $100 buy in 8-10 man single table games. I almost always place in the top 3 using much of the strategy you give on your site. However recently we have started playing with a very solid player who finishes top 2 (usually 1st) every time. The main part of his strategy that I have problems with is that he will not allow anyone to limp in to see the flop. I love limping in with suited connectors, low pocket pairs, even suited cards with a high (A or K) kicker. I know that if I miss the flop I can muck with no real damage done, however if I hit I can make someone pay big. However almost every time I or someone else tries to limp in he will raise an amount that I just can't justify calling preflop with the hands I mentioned. This turns me into a very tight player because he just keep stealing my limp in's and soon enough I get blinded out waiting for good cards. I've tried raising with low pockets etc but then I find if I get called and don't flop anything strong I end up mucking after the flop thinking that if others at the table call my raise they surely have me beat.
• Scary Flops
  Question: Hi, I often found myself having dilemmas in situation like having big pairs or 2 pairs when there are lots of actions going on and the board is 1 or 2 less card to a straight or flush. I usually fold here, (always thought someone have it), then found out that I would＊ve won the pot 每 the most aggressive person or the winner doesn＊t even have anything close to a straight or flush, just pairs or over pairs. Although he/she kept betting and raising as other players who has also pairs reraises or calls having no hesitation, just as if there isn＊t a possible flush or straight hand at all.
• Tight Game Woes
  Question: Dear Sir,

  I have been playing holdem at Empire Poker for about a month for say, 3 hours per day. My intention is to make an income from my play if at all possible. I have read Sklansky's book as well as your own rather excellent site. I feel that my knowlege is above that of a beginner but my results aren't showing this. I promise that this is not one of those "the other guys play so badly that I can't win" type stories!!

• Overplaying Hands
  Question: I'm still a beginning poker player. Texas Hold'em is my game of choice, and I tend to play home games mostly (no-limit tournaments if possible). Having a weekly game with predominantly the same players presents some issues. Playing against the same people regularly, you tend to learn a bit more about the way they play than you would just watching 15 min at an online table, or sitting down to a game in a casino.
• Not Being Aggressive
  Question: Hello,

  The following four hands come up the other day, while playing 2/4 limit, and they really puzzled me. I think these situations come up a lot and learning how to deal with them is the basis for moving to a higher level. I hope you can read through them and give me your insight.

• Short Buy Strategy For No Limit
  Question: Thanks again for the site - I especially found the "Am I a Rock" section to be quite good...After I started having a drink or 2 at the table, the whole game seemed to get a whole lot easier, and much more fun :) Anyway, Question: I have a friend who plays online poker, the $25, $50 or $100 NL tables - His strategy is to get on a table, buy in for about 1/2 the buy in ($14 on a $25 table, $21 on a $50 table etc.) and then win 1 hand and leave immediately...He likes this strategy because when he has a good draw, he just goes all in, or when he has top pair, he just goes all in, w/out having too much money at stake - If he doubles up, he will just leave and go to another table...He has been reasonably succesful with it - 1 thing he seems to notice is that people will call him a LOT, merely cause it usually doesn't cost them much to call him out..and there is something about seeing someone with a short stack, and thinking they are an idiot (he isn't, he's actually a pretty solid player)...What do you think of a strategy like this? He feels that he avoids a lot of bad beats, since he only has a certain amount of money at the table, and when he has a good hand he gets paid off usually since nobody seems to believe him - The one problem I see is that he could get REALLY paid off if he had more money to put in. And he doesn't get any kind of a read on anyone at the table, since he's at a table for like 15 min's tops -

  Thanks,

  Paul

• Evaluating Flush Hands
  Question: I was recently playing the game with some friends. After the dealer laid down the river card, the five cards were a flush with the highest card being an Ace.

  There were two players left at the table betting their poker hands. One of the betters had a card in her hand with the same suit as on the table. The other player did not -- he was saying they both won since it was a flush with the highest card on the table and that it didn't matter what they had in their hands. The other players watching said the girl with the same suit card won the whole pot since she had a card in her poker hand of the same suit as the flush.

  Who was right?

• Showing Hand Too Early 2
  Question: in re: Showing Hand Too Early 2/2/05

  If I understand you correctly, Dave P, and "everyone said that was considered a muck" means ya'll ganged up on this poor s.o.b and screwed him out of this pot after, as the host pointed out, he very well may have already screwed himself out of the rest of Player B's chips/money, I hope I never get invited to a game at your friends house. Anyone who has played home games has probably seen this king of boorish behaviour. Maybe he's the "new guy". Maybe he just beat some loud mouth rabble rouser out of a big pot two hands earlier. Suddenly a game of poker turns into a game of dog-pile-on-the-rabbit and a mistake like thinking the betting is capped and showing your nut hand can cost you the biggest pot of the night. If you haven't already guessed, yes, this happened to me. Obviously, my intention wasn't to muck the nut hand after betting all the way to the river. And that's what this is, a question of, INTENTION. If Player A never said, "I fold" or physically surrendered his cards, his INTENTION is obviously to PLAY the hand. The simplest and FAIREST remedy is to put Player A all-in to that point. You would think second best hand, especially in a close top two pair vs. full house hand type hand, would just breathe a sigh of relief and fold what could have been a disaster, but the mob is a strange monster.

  I say, if ya'll are friends, "everyone" should chip in and buy Player A a case of beer or something. Bad Karma, man. Bad Karma.

• Adjusting Play Based On Different Points In Game
  Question: Hi,

  I have a question regarding how to modify your playing style at different points in the game. My friends and I play about once a week for around a year now and usually we play with 6 to 10 at a table. We begin with 20 dollar buy in and $.5/$1 blinds. What I have found is that during games when I win a big pot towards the start of the game, I tend to keep making money for the rest of the night, where as most games where I become short stacked within the first half an hour or so I am likely to get my pockets emptied. I would think then, that the correct strategy would be to play only premium hands at the start of the game, then loosen up as my stacks build up. However, I could also see this technique backfiring if you don't get those premium hands and then find yourself shortstacked during the middle of the game. So my question is, should one modify their playing style and hand selection according to the timeline of the game, and if so, how should one do this? Thanks a lot, your site has been a lot of help.

  -Josh

• Showing Hand To Early
  Question: We had a conflict of opinions the other night at our weekly no-limit holdem game at a friends house. One hand came down to two guys. Guy A was chasing a flush with clubs in the pocket and two on the table before the river. Guy B was pocket-committed with a pair of Q's. After the river revealed a club to give guy A his flush (having a winning hand over guy B), guy A immediatley showed his cards (it was in fact his turn) without betting or checking first. One of the guys said he mucked it while I knew he had forgotten to bet and thought it was time to show cards. He admitted he had forgotten but everyone said that was considered a muck, even though no one in their right mind would muck at that point. If neither individual went all-in, would would be the most advisable judgement at that point?

  Appreciate your help. ~Dave P.

• All In From The Big Blind
  Question:

  This is my 3rd try to get an answer to these questions; I am playing in a game next week.

  My questions are about all-in.

• Chip Colors For Tourney
  Question:

  My question involves the basic setup of a no-limit texas holdem tournament for approximately 10 players.

  Every tourmanent we either make all the chips the same value or have five separate values for each chip color. Having different values in this setup seems to confuse people because there are so many different values, but we only have 300 chips and making each chip worth the same value makes the tournament go too fast. We have tried keeping the blinds at 1-2 for an extended period of time, but we still find ourselves down to 4 or 5 people in a half hour. Having the different values seemed to give people more time to get settled and enabled us to comfortably raise the blinds every twenty minutes. The ideal finishing time is normally 4 hours after we began.

  Is it better to have two different chip values or just continue to keep all the chips the same value.

• Playing Pocket Pairs
  Question: Pocket Pairs

  Great site. My question is about pocket pairs. Specifically, pocket 10s and below. Generally, with strong pocket pairs, it is better to raise because you want to play them against fewer players. However, is the better strategy for lower pocket pairs to also raise them, or try to limp in and hit a set? Also, how would you play them from early, middle, and late position?

  -Nick R.

• 42rule And KTs
  Question: some guy told me about a 4/2 rule for assesing odds on hands...can you explain it in enlish for me? and the other question is a basic one, say you have a KsTs....all call and you have one guy raise....(fake money i know they say is note the same as real money) so in real money how strong are these hands when you got like 5-8players?
• Betting Out Of Turn
  Question: What happens when another player bets out of turn? What is the rule or, what should the rule be?
• Turn Cards Face Up Before Showdown
  Question:Hello.

  my name is Henrik, and I have just started playing texas holdem, and have seen a lot of hours on the european open.I have therfor 2 question.

  1: When you look at dome of the players on tv, sometimes the bet on the turn and the river, but sometimes they put their two cards face up after the flop.

  Why don`t they just show their cards after the showdown every time?

• Playing For Real Money
  Question: hi, i am a limit hold'em play money player, i have read many of your articles, and they really got me to thinking and little by little, I improved from mostly your articles. When i started planning to playing hold'em, my first goal was to win money( didn't even know the rule of the game). later on, when i knew how to play, i began intrested in the game too, but i have been playing fake money for awihle now, and don't think that i am doing my best, and the game is rather boring. i DO like the game, but when there is nothing at stake, it is just not that chanllenging, even though i like the game, but the losing really doesn't make me think about what i did wrong that much or keeping an eye on the situation or opponents, especially the fact that when you losing your "money", the next time you come in to your account, it is refilled, also when play fake money, people don't really try that hard, they also don't care about losing which sometimes make a whole table boring causing people coming in and out. therefore, i am planning to start playing real money( was trying to use fake to improve alot but...), what is your opinion? another thing is that sometimes some people on a table keep doing all in EVERY hand, or keep raising in limit game which actually works on people, I am not really effected by them when it is 1 v1, but when there are more then 4 people on the table, these people's style really bugs me. I try to raise, he raise back, other people know he is always like that, they just calls, make the whole game messed up. what should i do with them? And are there similar people like that in real money facilities, if so what do i do then? any advise would be great, especially your opinion about playing real money. thank you Mike
• Rules For Revealing Hand
  Question: I previously submitted this question around 12/26, but it has not been answered. Is there anywhere else I can get an answer if you cannot help?
• Other Players Cards And Draw Odds
  Question:Hello,

  I'm still a beginner to texas hold'em, and I'm definitely enjoying and learning from your site. I have a question about the odds on a flush. It seems that drawing for a flush fails for me more than I would have expected. It occured to me that I should consider the possibility that the other players or burn cards are of my suit.

• Playing At Six Handed Tables
  Question:Hi,

  I play 2/4$ split limit, online, sixseated table most of the time and i wonder if you have any advise how to play these tables.

  I think I am what you call a weak tight player. I am often a little scared of what the other guys (or girls have). Do you have any advise of how to be tight aggressiv instead?

  Thanks

  Best Regards

  Dan

• Hand Reading Skills In Holdem
  Question: Hi, I have been playing Texas Hold¡¯em for a short time. A few weeks ago, I found your site; I benefited greatly from here. (Nice site, GREAT TEACHER!) Here is where I learned I am not suppose to bluff that much, and some basic strategies, also I learned that not only am I suppose to play my own cards, I have to keep an eye on the other¡¯s actions as well for assuming their hands. During the last few weeks, I kept trying to improve my hand reading skill when I found out ¡°IT IS NOT EASY!¡± Often from then to now I gets frustrated for unable to read other players¡¯ hands, (especially going into aggressive games, where often more than 2 people raise at once for seeing a flop or turn) I really felt as having no idea of what¡¯s going on.

  So my question is, what can beginners do to improve their hand reading skills?

• Cutting Cards In Poker
  Question: Do you have to offer someone to cut the cards in a home game or tournament?

  Thanks.

  Joel T. Staniec

• Cutting Cards In Poker
  Question: Do you have to offer someone to cut the cards in a home game or tournament?

  Thanks.

  Joel T. Staniec

• Betting Post Flop After Missing
  Question: Two questions.

  First, I am relatively new to the game (No Limit) and try to play tight/aggressive and follow the great guidelines you set forth. (along with similar advice from the poker books)

  One mistake I think I make is putting too much value in position. I play much more aggressively when I have position. This works pretty well pre-flop, but after the flop, I think I carry it too far. (assuming I miss the flop) Let's say I'm holding a decent two over cards, but did not hit on the flop. If the table is passive (checks or small bets), should I bet? I get hurt in this situation by betting post-flop, then being tempted again on 4th and 5th. Advice?

  Second, I'm having my first home game with 11 others this weekend. One friend doesn't like the rule on not having to show your hand if you can't beat an already declared hand. I understand your logic for it (and prefer it since online is that way), but how many casinos play it one way versus the other? (all callers must show hands after the river)

  Thanks!

  Rick

• Lively Opponents
  Question: I don't mean to sound like a square but I find the home game I play in has some disturbing features . The decibel level can get quite high usually composed of cackling and loud laughter . Here's what really drives me crazy talk like "I'm gonna take you down", "I'm gonna kick your ass this hand" and other silly phrases. I like the casinos better because for the most part nobody knows each other so there is little conversation and noise . I realize in a home game guys want to "blow off steam" . I this guess causes the testosterone to run wild . Any opinions ? Thanks !!!
• Taking A Break From Table In Cardroom
  Question: This might sound like a dumb question but when you are playing in a live poker room and need to use the "facilities" or want to get some of the free grub what do you do. Do you leave your chips on the table, take them with you what?? Also, what happens if one of the blinds passes you buy while you are gone? Do you need to ante up again? I am sure they won't let people keep leaving the table when the blind is almost to them

  Jon

• Taking A Break From Table In Cardroom
  Question: This might sound like a dumb question but when you are playing in a live poker room and need to use the "facilities" or want to get some of the free grub what do you do. Do you leave your chips on the table, take them with you what?? Also, what happens if one of the blinds passes you buy while you are gone? Do you need to ante up again? I am sure they won't let people keep leaving the table when the blind is almost to them

  Jon

• Limit Holdem, How Many Times Can You Raise
  Question: I have a question about how many times you can raise in limit hold em. Let say it's a $4/$8 game and after the turn I bet $8 and the next guy raises and everyone else folds, can I re-raise? and if so how many times? I guess a second part to that question is can everyone raise so I raise $8 the next guy raises $8 then the next guy raises $8 etc... or is there a limit?
• 9 Hand Vs 10 Hand Tables
  Question: I have a question about dealing 9 handed vs. 10 handed and have been chomping at the bit to make our house a 9 handed room. We are currently a 10 handed room and am trying to explain to my boss the amount of hands per hour will increase, and that means more coin for the box, Besides the size of the tables "too small" for 10 handed, the players are convenced that the more the better, So now I am trying to explain it to our players as well.

  I' am arguing that the stgength of the hands hold better, So I ask , Is it safe to say that the hands strengths become stronger or does that matter, also the hands per hour, I m guessing will be about 2-3 more per down every half hour. if there is any thing you can add it would help me out a ton!

  Thank You, Brian...

• Not Being Able To Reraise
  Question: I have a situation I was wondering if you could help me understand the rules and let me know what's right or wrong. I was playing No Limit Texas Holdem at PokerStars and I was in a situation that the program would not allow me to raise. I believe I should have been allowed to raise. Blinds $100/$200. I was small blind with QT of hearts. Two people called $200, I called $100 and the BB checked (leaving him $435 left in chips). The flop was Kc 9c Jh giving me the straight. I bet $400, the BB raised all in to $435. The other two people called the $435. When the bet came back to me, the software only allowed me to call the $35 and did not allow me to raise. The other two people were not all in.

  Now I am argueing that I should have been allowed to re-raise the $35. Do you know what's right or wrong?

  PS. I love your site and your articles.

  -J.J. Willis

• Aggression With A Draw
  Question: The flop comes and you've got a lot of potential but nothing yet. Like a strong flush draw or an open-ended straight draw, or even both. Something where you have a lot of outs to bring you a hand you feel will win a showdown.

  I feel most comfortable checking this kind of thing, happy to get a free card to make my hand, and I consider the pot odds if I am bet into and have to decide on calling.

• AA vs KK
  Question: Something like this always seems to happen to me. I'd been playing for an hour and gotten up to around $50.00 from my original $25 by in at a $25 NL Online Table. I've been playing OL for around 6 months and, thanks to your site, I feel like I'm playing better and starting to 'get' this game.
• AA vs KK
  Question: Something like this always seems to happen to me. I'd been playing for an hour and gotten up to around $50.00 from my original $25 by in at a $25 NL Online Table. I've been playing OL for around 6 months and, thanks to your site, I feel like I'm playing better and starting to 'get' this game.
• Exposed Turn Card Correction
  Question: First let me say that your site is full of GREATinformation. I am a casino poker dealer and casual player and as such I am always looking for information to improve both my dealing and playing. I found a question about an exposed turn card and thought I would tell you how we handle it in our poker room. (Little River Casino Resort, Manistee, Michigan)
• Playing Really Bad Against Limit Holdem Players
  Question: Followin up the question posted on 1/17/05-Playing Against Really Bad No Limit Players i would like to ask how would you playing against such players in Limit Texas Holdem. I usually play at $2/4 Although i like playing in tables were people call to much with marginal hands because of the fact that if i get a nice flop i can expect to win big, but in reality what happens is a lot of the time when i flop big, that might be the pot that everyone will folds or checks
• Playing Against Really Bad No Limit Players
  Question: I'm not great at poker but I am learning. Then I play the $.05/$.10 tables online and decide that I am a God.

  Two true examples that just happened (warning - you will be pained when you read these):

• Randomness Of Poker Sites
  Question: I am a new poker player that started about two months ago. I play No limit and limit poker exclusively. Prior to two months ago I had no experience with poker, but had enjoyed gambling in its various forms. The poker adventure began with constant invites to play in friendly games with a few different groups of buddies. Online poker and this website were my tools of choice for quickly getting up to speed on basic poker concepts, rules, feel and strategies. To this end it has worked very well, and would like to say that I win quite regularly in my friends' home games. This leads me to my two questions:
• Randomness Of Poker Sites
  Question: I am a new poker player that started about two months ago. I play No limit and limit poker exclusively. Prior to two months ago I had no experience with poker, but had enjoyed gambling in its various forms. The poker adventure began with constant invites to play in friendly games with a few different groups of buddies. Online poker and this website were my tools of choice for quickly getting up to speed on basic poker concepts, rules, feel and strategies. To this end it has worked very well, and would like to say that I win quite regularly in my friends' home games. This leads me to my two questions:
• Holdem Bankrolls
  Question: Thank you for the response on the last question I had, however I have another. I consider myself to be an above average poker player, however that is based on playing home tournaments and consistently in the money. Therefore take that with a grain of salt. However this spring I am considering making a real push to see just what I can do at the casino. I have had some problems however on line. Right now, I deposit $20 or $30 on line to play with and gain experience. I am prone to phantom swings in my bank roll. For example, I have taken $30 and with a couple of weeks turned it into well over $400. Then again I lost it awfully fast as well. This happens to a lesser degree constantly. I'll take $20 and turn it into $100 in a week and then lose it in a week. My feelings are that I am putting too high a percentage of my entire bankroll in play at a given time. If I have $400, I'll place half of it in play. It turns into an all or nothing type of venture for me. That being said, my question is two fold:
• Folding Side Pot, Still In For Main Pot?
  Question: Please solve on ongoing dispute I have with a friend over a specific situation regarding side pots during our No Limit Texas Hold 'em tournaments. We have read your answers to similar questions but have not found the exact situation that we need clarifying. I will set up the situation for you. A case of Heineken depends on your answer. Thank you in advance.
• Folding Side Pot, Still In For Main Pot?
  Question: Please solve on ongoing dispute I have with a friend over a specific situation regarding side pots during our No Limit Texas Hold 'em tournaments. We have read your answers to similar questions but have not found the exact situation that we need clarifying. I will set up the situation for you. A case of Heineken depends on your answer. Thank you in advance.
• Bluffing And Semi-Bluffing Tips In Limit Holdem
  Question: I have been playing limit hold'em for almost 2 months now, and I have read alot of articles teaching how to be trick, deceptive or such. I read many articles about bluffing from your site to some of others, just like lot of other new player, the idea of bluffing fasantes me, and I wanted to use them as efficient and frequent as possible, therefore, I used alot of semi-bluffs(since bluff doesn't work on lots of situations mostly because I suck), i tried to use semi-bluff whenever i see a open-ended draws or a flush draw, but most time people knew it is a semi-bluff and they just calls, but when I have the draw and not using the bluff, everybody checks, then i win with a little money.my question is that how often should i use the semi-bluff?And if you can, please me some 1 or 2 examples that would perfect to use them?

  any teaching instruction would be much helpful to me.

  Thank You

• What Type Of Player Am I?
  Question: When I play poker, I occasionally look at the stats provided by the site I happen to be playing on. There are times when I bet/raise the same amount of time I call. However, most often I bet/raise more often then I call, many times I bet/raise nearly twice as much as when I call. I play about 20% of my starting hands, although sometimes it is higher, between 20% and 30%. When I feel I have the best hand on the board, I always go after it and try to win it right there, not willing to allow someone to draw out on me without paying for it. I believe I am an aggressive player, although it is probably more accurate for someone else to determine that. Granted, you have never seen me play, however what do you think based on the information I provided you? By the way, you have a great site. I check it every day. I love the FAQ's and use the 4/2 Rule for calculating odds all of the time. Thanks for all of your time on the site.

  Don Zanelotti

• Leaving When You Are Ahead In Poker
  Question: This is related to limit holdem (casinos over here do not offer no limit game).I would like to hear your opinion about when is time to leave the table if you winning? In my case, if I'm 80-100% of my starting bankrol ahead, I am out of the game - take a few hours of rest and back to the tables. It works realy well for me, but ill manered comments I'm constantly complimented by other players make me wonder why is wrong to take 2-3 moderate wininings per day instead playing all day (most of them play until ruin principle takes care about their bankrols.) Just to mention that I do not lose my whole bankroll often - in 2004 it happened only 3 times. I do, howevwer losing part (usualy 1/3-1/2) of my playing bankroll like once in 6 or 7 games.
• Heads Up Play Against A Rock
  Question: Hi,

  I have a question about heads up play. I was playing in a $10 buy 8 man tournament the other night. It was down to 3 handed and I was second in chips. The chip leader busted the other player and had about a 2 to 1 chip lead over me going into heads up play, which I dont consider to be a huge advantage considering if I doubled up once or won a big pot I would be the chip leader. When I play heads up I like to open up my game alot and I will play almost any two cards (aside from complete rags), so my strategy is usually to be calling and raising with marginal hands trying to get some action. I find that my heads up strategy suits me very well and I usually win more than I lose in these situations, except this time my opponent was a complete rock, and I mean really tight. Any raise preflop he would fold without a good hand and he wouldnt call bets or raises on the flop without mid to top pair. I found it very frustrating to play against this type of player and I began calling r aises knowing that I had the worst hand just to try and get lucky on the flop and bust him. After a while of my stack dwindling away mostly due to blinds and a minor dry spell, I had A9c and went all in, he called with jacks and won when no ace hit. I know that towards the end of the match I went on complete tilt after not being able to get any action. I tried limping with Kings and other big hands only to have him fold the instant I bet or raised. It was very frustrating and I was wondering if you could reccommend any good strategies for playing against super tight players in heads up situations like this one. Thanks.

• When A Side Pot Is Created
  Question/Comment: I have 2 questions about sides pots

  1) when should we start to create sides pots ??? is it at the end of the bettin' round which means before goin' to the flop, the turn OR as soon as we have someone all-in ???

• How Many Cards Are Burned In Holdem
  Question/Comment: i am wondering how many cards are burned before the flop in texas holdem.

  Thank you,

  John Michael Croft

• Compounding Errors In Holdem
  Question/Comment: Hi

  I was in a friendly 10$ tourney yesterday and I (think) i was playing pretty darn well. I was aggressive, yet patient. I raised when it was time to raise, i had a very good feeling about the other players and got to bully them a little.A few hours later, I was the chip leader and everyone was cautious when i was in the game. I had one opponent with about 1/2 my stack and the 2 other players were left with very very small stacks.

• When To Lay Hands Down
  Question/Comment: I have a question for you.

  You have loads of great advice on here for how to play certain hands; when to be aggressive, when to limp, when to call. I've used a lot of your advice to good effect, however I'm still just playing break-even poker at micro-limits. I believe my biggest problems are getting into hands I have no business being in and betting with overcards when the board isn't helping me at all. That said, I was wondering if you could devote an article to something that a lot of us hate to do: When to lay them down.

• What Determines The Number Of Side Pots
  Question/Comment: hi,

  I've just started to play with some friends the problem, and i think the main one is the side pot thing. i read some examples, and there's no example with 2 side pots, if you could give one with 4 players instead of 3 it will be really appreciated...

  1) what determine the number of sides pots ???

  2) a simple question also...if on a 8 players tourney, there's 2 ALL-IN'S does it mean we'll have 2 side pots ???

  thx a lot

• Required To Show Losing Hand?
  Question/Comment: Hi! I was recently in a No Limit Tournament put on by some local people. They had no real "rules" for the tournament, just one of the guys deciding at the time how things were going to go. At my table was a guy who was really drunk and happened to be picking on one of the girls at the table. These two ended up in a hand together with quite a bit of money in the pot. On the river the lady bet and the guy called her. He showed his cards first and she mucked. He got really mad because she didnt show her cards even though she lost the hand. The question is: Do you have to show your cards when you are called or can you muck your cards anytime? Is there a "rule" for this or is it basically up to the tournament sponsers to have their own rules?

  Thanks for the answer, Darcey

• Determining Best Hand (by best 5 cards)
  Question/Comment: Do you only look at 5 cards to determine the best hand, or do you sometimes leave those 5 cards, and look at what else could be made, to determine best hand/winner in a "tie" situation?
• Beating The Loose Aggressive Player
  Question/Comment: Hi,

  I have been playing Texas Hold 'Em a little over a year with my younger brother. We have weekly short-handed (only 4 player) tournaments in which I normally do well. My brother and I are tight players, but aggressive mostly once in a pot. However, at the table there is a player who has won the last few times in a row. He is loose-aggressive at times, but mostly just a calling station. I would not bluff against him in a pot or do anything out of the ordinary, knowing that he could have anything and if he did, he call it down even on a draw. So repeatedly I find myself checking on the flop when I missed my hand, and then the other player bets big. I either fold or catch him bluffing. Then he catches his needed cards, and I end up paying him off. Because there are only four players, I cannot wait for the nuts since I will lose from the blinds. Even when I feel I have the best hand against the player, I play cautiously and try to figure out whether or not he is drawing or has a smaller pair or even nothing. Is this the right way to play against this player? Or this a hole in a my own game? Thank you for your time.

• Tracking Opponents Play, Tips For
  Question/Comment: Hi.

  I've been playing no-limit hold-em for about a month, in on-line tournaments. I've looked at a couple of books and a few websites, and they all talk about assessing the style of play of your opponents.

  I try to be observant, and do pick up certain bits of information which I've used to my advantage. For instance when I've caught somebody bluffing for a good pot, or bullied them out of the blinds a few times it sticks in my mind. I find in on-line games, most of the pots are won without any of the hole cards being turned, and I don't seem to learn much about them, from the way they bet the hand without knowing what cards they had.

  I tried keeping a written record during games of the number of flops the other players see, pre-flop raises and any bluffs or slow plays I picked up on. I'm not sure it helped a great deal.

  What kind of moves by an opponent would you consider the most significant, and what sort of information should I be recording (either mentally or written) to best help me classify a players style.

  Any advice would be appreciated.

  Thanks, Steve.

• Tracking Opponents Play, Tips For
  Question/Comment: Hi.

  I've been playing no-limit hold-em for about a month, in on-line tournaments. I've looked at a couple of books and a few websites, and they all talk about assessing the style of play of your opponents.

  I try to be observant, and do pick up certain bits of information which I've used to my advantage. For instance when I've caught somebody bluffing for a good pot, or bullied them out of the blinds a few times it sticks in my mind. I find in on-line games, most of the pots are won without any of the hole cards being turned, and I don't seem to learn much about them, from the way they bet the hand without knowing what cards they had.

  I tried keeping a written record during games of the number of flops the other players see, pre-flop raises and any bluffs or slow plays I picked up on. I'm not sure it helped a great deal.

  What kind of moves by an opponent would you consider the most significant, and what sort of information should I be recording (either mentally or written) to best help me classify a players style.

  Any advice would be appreciated.

  Thanks, Steve.

• Tracking Opponents Play, Tips For
  Question/Comment: Hi.

  I've been playing no-limit hold-em for about a month, in on-line tournaments. I've looked at a couple of books and a few websites, and they all talk about assessing the style of play of your opponents.

  I try to be observant, and do pick up certain bits of information which I've used to my advantage. For instance when I've caught somebody bluffing for a good pot, or bullied them out of the blinds a few times it sticks in my mind. I find in on-line games, most of the pots are won without any of the hole cards being turned, and I don't seem to learn much about them, from the way they bet the hand without knowing what cards they had.

  I tried keeping a written record during games of the number of flops the other players see, pre-flop raises and any bluffs or slow plays I picked up on. I'm not sure it helped a great deal.

  What kind of moves by an opponent would you consider the most significant, and what sort of information should I be recording (either mentally or written) to best help me classify a players style.

  Any advice would be appreciated.

  Thanks, Steve.

• Going All-In Heads Up With An Ace
  Question/Comment: I'm a pretty experienced cash game holdem player and was invited to play at friends house last night. It was a 14 person NL tourney with mostly average players, and maybe one or two really good players. I was dominating the field the entire night by being aggressive and winning pots I had no business winning with the cards I was holding. I get to heads up with a guy who was one of the average players. I had an advantage on him in chips by almost 2-1 and blinds were at 500-1000. I was dealt A-8 suited in the small blind. Instead of just putting in a raise, I went all in with the hopes of stealing his blind but I didn't mind a call because I felt that I probably had the best hand. He called with 910 of diamonds. Flop brought 2 diamonds, turn was a blank, and of course the river gave him his flush which gave him a nice chip lead and eventually the win.
• Forgot To Burn A Card
  Question/Comment: Im not sure if Im writing to the right person, but I have a question about the rules for holdem.

  I was playing a tournament style poker game with my brother and a few other. It came down to me and him one on one. He went all in after the turn card and I called. Now here's the discrepancy. I was dealing and I accidentally forgot to burn a card. I quickly realized my mistake so I burned it and threw down the next card. I won with the card after the burn, but he would have won if the other card had stayed. Now what should happen? Do I win or does my brother get the pile for my accidental mistake? I'd really appreciate if you could clarify this problem.

  Thank you

  Andrew Wilson

• Seven Times Shuffling A Deck
  Question/Comment: My question has to do with shuffling the deck. I have heard people say that it takes seven shuffles to completely randomize a deck and, usually, people shuffle at least three times between hands. I was thinking, though, that in Hold'em, players are not grouping cards in any particular order to make hands as they would, say, in five-card stud. Is there any real need to do a lot of shuffling between hands, then? It would seem that one or two shuffles would do just find. What do you think?
• Raising Rules
  Question/Comment: I have 2 technical questions.

  If there were four players, say they were playing any round (possibly the first), and the first bet $10, then the second raised to $20, and the third called $20, and the fourth player (dealer) called $20, could it then be reraised by the second player after the first has called the $20, possbily allowing play to continue round the table 3 times until round ended finally with a cap on the third raise, or does raising have to stop after play has reached the dealer?

• Playing Really Tight
  Question/Comment: I am very glad to have found your website. I will try to brief as possible. I have started seriously playing Texas holdem for the about past year. I am not a big reader, so I didn't read every book in Texas holdem. But watched lots in ESPN. Anyways started palying online few month ago, started as an average player in "online standards". But after few weeks, I finally found what I though was the method for the best consistent odds in any gambling game I know of!. Play extremelly tight. And It felt like a huge discovery to me :) .
• Selling A Piece Of Your Action
  Question/Comment: I've played in some tournaments, but in general have always paid my own way and never anything particularly large. I recently received an offer to help pay for a WSOP entry in exchange for a cut of the winnings. I have heard of players selling "shares" of themselves to raise money for tournaments (in fact, I believe I read that both Moneymaker and Raymer did it.) Do you have any guidance for how best to do this? Do you know how players generally work it?

  Thanks in advance, Matt

• Should I Start Playing With Real Money?
  Question/Comment: I am 21 years old and have been playing poker now for about 1 year. I enjoy playing with my friends (about 9 playing at one time). We play tournaments where the buy-in is about 10 dollars and the winner takes everything but 10 dollars for the guy who's house we are at. Over the past 6 months, I am down 20 dollars. I also play online with play money at full tilt poker. I consider myself very good at online buy-in play, but of course, its only play money. full tilt poker gives you 1000 dollars to start off with. It usually takes me about 2 hours to make this 10 thousand, but when i advance in the table stakes from 25/50 to 100/200, I start to lose money and often find myself losing the 10 thousand rather quickly. I think that this is because i am a loose player who often trys to bet high amounts to force people out. I am certainly not the tight type. My question is: Should I start playing real money online and if so, how much money should I play with?

  Thank you very much

  Matt Matera

• Check Raising Allowed?
  Question/Comment: Hi,

  I got a rule question for you, and this one has really been bothering me. I'd be playing no-limit hold 'em with a few of my friends and during the bet, one of my friends would check, the person next to him would raise, and then it would get back to him and he would re-raise them. I never seen anyone do this before until I started playing with him and then I argued with him over the fact that once you check and someone puts in a bet, you can only call that bet and you cannot re-raise cause you already checked. I am right or wrong? I looked everywhere online, at official game rule guides, but I couldn't find an answer to my "check and then re-raise" question.

  Appreciate it if you could help me out.

  Regards,

  Adam

• Learning The Value Of Aggression
  Question/Comment: Good evening,

  Just wanted to say "thanks" for some great, no-nonsense articles and especially for sharing your mistakes...I was beginning to think that good poker players never made mistakes and that they were born that way (at least they would have you think that while they are taking your money)

• Playing Against Unskilled Players
  Question/Comment: I would consider myself an average player and pretty much play whenever I get the chance. Which is actually very often. I read anything I can get my hands on and like you said do not dwell on following these books in doing everything they say. I recently have come across a problem in my game and have not been able to come up with an answer to my problem. I'm not even sure there is a real answer to this question. How do you play against unskillful players? Ignorant players that watch to much WSOP, think that anything can come up and that odds are B.S. For example in a game i was in last week. It was just a friendly game $10 buy in, but nevertheless I wanted to win. I knew I was playing with people that never play and really have very little concept of the game. Anyway I have KQs and I'm on the small blind. A player in early position raised, no callers and the button reraised, so I called and the initial raiser folded. So it's myself and the button. The flop comes KQ4, so I obviously like the flop. I make a small bet and he raises me, so i push him all in. Risky because he did reraise preflop and he did reraise when the flop hit. Anyway I had a pretty good sense that I had the best hand and I did. We show our cards and this guy has bottom pair with an Ace kicker. He makes another 4 on the turn and I lose the hand. I think a terrible play on his part, but even worse than that he says it was a great play and that he's a good player and i feel like everytime I play with these guys the same thing happens to me. I always say eventually the odds will catch up with them, it seems like it just never does. Any suggestions on playing in this type of game.
• Dealer Exposes River Card
  Question/Comment: Here's a rules question for you. We were playing texas hold'em at a house game and were player with a permanant dealer. There was a hand that was down to 2 players (player A who was 1st after the button and player B who then followed player A). Both players are in before the flop. The flop....player A checks, player B bets, player A calls. The Turn...player A checks....the dealer accidentally flips over the river card.....then player B bets, and player A calls. We were wondering what we were actually supposed to do with that river card? Do we continue to use the original river or do we use that one as a burn card and go on to the next one. The thing is, the original river actually helped one of the players.

  Todd

• Playing Well In Holdem Ring Games
  Question: My question/comment is that ever since I started playing hold-em in the low limits I would lose quite frequently. This fortunately has stopped and I am winning regularly now. I have recently discovered that I do very well in ring games with 6 people or less at the table. I can really rock the table but I really can't determine why. I usually play very aggressively and call almost every blind unless I get real rags like 7,2 but I have even won with that before. If I am in a ring game with 9-10 people I dont do as well. This goes for tournaments also. My question is: Is there anything I can do to improve my long game? I like being agressive but I'm really not sure how to apply it in a larger game. I know theres more money in the bigger games and it would really make me a more well rounded player if I could accomplish this.

  Thanks in advance.

  Dave G.

• Suit Matter In Holdem?
  Question: ok, i know the following questions are utterly basic (i.e. stupid) but i couldnt really find a definate answer on the site or in the Q&A section.

  so:

  1. when comparing or ranking cards, does suit matter or just the number? that is to say, would AhKhQhJh10h beat AcKcQcJc10c? or say, a Kh high card over a Ks high card?

  2. i've only ever played ante games where everyone just "puts in" before cards are dealt. so i was wondering, with blind games, does this mean the following player after the blinds can look at their first 2 cards, see if there any good and fold before they've even spent a cent (is that the general point of the blind structure?). so, hypothetically (i know you wouldnt) you could have a game where everybody folded and only the blinds money were in the pot?

  thanks.

• Small Stack Play In Tourneys
  Question: I play poker as a hobby and play mostly online tournament. I'm a tight player and doesnt get involved if I doesn't have good hands ak, aq pocket pairs etc.. that said.. play looser in the early stages. when the blinds are small and many callers,try to see cheap flops, especially with suited connectors and small pocket pairs. But as the blinds increase I tighten up (as most players do) Is this a good strategy? I get a lot of in-the-money finishes (several final tables) but rarely top 3. My stacks are simply too small when I get to the final stages, and I often find my self foldining just about everything in the end to wait people out, to get more prize money, since I know I would be called if I go all in, by at least a couple of players. So how should I play as the blinds go up... ??

  Also would it be a good play to raise with a medium pocket pair, let say with a pair of sevens or just limp in and try to hit a set?? knowing that if you raise you have the option of everyone folding and collect the blinds,or if you are called they will have you on a premium hand like ak ad..etc what do you think???

• No Limit Holdem Advice
  Question: Hi im a 21yr old student from australia, sydney. I started off playing no-limit at home games with friends and usually do well. I have read everything on your site and many others and feel i have a good understanding of poker.
• All-In Advice With AA
  Question: Just a quick question that´s been on my mind, If you hold pocket Aces, and someone goes all-in pre-flop, is it always justified or recommended to call? Likewise, if you´re sure someone will call your all-in, should you always go for it?
• Pick Your Poison
  Question: When playing online, the cards are seen as they are dealt. Since I can see the first card come up, I can "root" for a suitable second card. Let's pretend that the first card you get is a 6 of Clubs. Not the greatest card. However, I can see situations where you would play and sometimes even raise with any of the following:
• No Limit Players Who Slow Play
  Question: In no limit holdem, how do you play against players under betting their pocket cards ? Is it appropriate to limp in and watch their flop and post flop betting ? It seems bluffing may not work . I don't want to only raise when I have the nuts. I need a strategy to get them to fold . Any comments ?
• Getting Trapped In No Limit Holdem
  Question: The other day, I had a hand that made me a nice bit of money (well, four bucks, not bad at the .10/.25 no limit tables), but it raised a question I was hoping you could help me with.

  I was in the big blind with 10 9 suited, three or four people called and no one raised before the flop, so I just called to see if I could catch something on the flop. Turns out the flop came 10, 9, 9. So with my nines full, I figure I'm sitting pretty. I'm not worried about straight or flush draws and don't want to scare off other people in the pot (which is now only around 50 cents). So I check.

• Hand Grouping Tables Validity 2
  Question:You seem to be saying that the hand grouping statistics are only valid at the beginning of hand, before the flop and before anyone has bet. They were probably calculated in a simulated game scenario where no one bets and no none folds up to the river. If poker were this simple, there would be neither challenge nor any real passion for the game. Tell me if you agree or disagree with the following:

  >> Right, that is a good start. Starting hand selection is only part of how to play winning poker. You can't play winning poker without good hand selection but it isn't enough alone to guarantee success.

• Hand Grouping Tables Validity
  Question: I was looking at your page on the poker hands and I have a few questions:
• Dealer Turns Over Cards
  Question: I have noticed in some games the remaining players' cards are turned over and revealed by the dealer after the flop while in others the cards remain hidden until after the final betting round on the river. I am confused as to why the cards may be turned over before the final bets. Is there a particular circumstance that requires this or just a house rule? I haven't seen anything in the texas holdem rules.

  Thanks,

  Bruce

• Dealer Turns Over Cards
  Question: I have noticed in some games the remaining players' cards are turned over and revealed by the dealer after the flop while in others the cards remain hidden until after the final betting round on the river. I am confused as to why the cards may be turned over before the final bets. Is there a particular circumstance that requires this or just a house rule? I haven't seen anything in the texas holdem rules.

  Thanks,

  Bruce

• Poker League
  Question: Thought I would share this idea with your viewers. I host many tournaments and play a lot at casinos and online. Recently my wife started playing and we were trying to come up with a social event that we could both partake in related to hold'em. The problem with the tournaments I hold is that these are usually 4+ table events and I hardly see my wife throughout the night at one of these.
• Going All-In With Flush Draw
  Question: I was in a $2.00 online tournament that started with about 300 people. I had about $4800 in chips and the average was $5000. We were down to 60 players and it paid the top 30. There were 9 players at my table somewhat tight 2/3 maybe 4 players on occasion a hand. I was dealt A J diamonds. Blinds were 320/640 and I was small blind. Only one player called before me and I raised to 1200. Both big blind and other caller called. Big blind had about $5000 after the call and other caller had $3300. The flop came Kd Qc 4d. I went all in with my $3600 and they both called. I had a nuts flush draw or top straight draw. Big blind had a K 7 not suited other caller had a Q 9 not suited. The Kings held up and knocked both of us out of the tourney. Did I make the right play at this point in the game? Did either of them make the correct play? Thanks, Doug
• Dealing Cards, Who To Start With
  Question: At the beginning of a new hand, after the Blinds have been posted, does the dealer start dealing the "hole cards" with the person to the left of the dealer or the person to the left of the big blind?
• No Limit Holdem Reraising
  Question:I understand the topic of "check raises". My question has to deal with reraises. I'm the first one to act and I make a bid of $100. The person to my left throws out $500. Can I only see him with a bet of $400, or can I reraise him whatever I want. Furthermore, can reraises keep going until one person goes all in? I appreciate your help.
• Quick Odds Calculation Method
  Question: I have been hosting a lot of home tournaments with 40-50 players in the tourney. Buy-in is around $50, so we were getting some average to good players in there. I have made it to the final table and in the money in more than 95% of those, but recently I started just having some friends over to play in small 10-12 people $20 buy-in tournaments. We have couples come out and whoever (most are TV watchers of the game). I have been busted out of those games so fast it is not even funny. Problem is that I am not adjusting my game to the table. I have been so use to playing good players, where my situational bluffs work, that I did not stop and think "is this bluff really going to work or is this loose drunk opponent going to call anyway". Anyway, I read your section on "home game play" and I am anxious to apply some of those techniques. First and foremost "have fun", play a little looser as to get more action and keep the game enjoyable, and reduce or eliminate the bluffing.
• Playing Against A Preflop Raiser
  Question: Hi,

  I have been playing a lot recently and here is a situation which comes up a lot and I can tell would make me a lot more money if I knew how to play it properly. There is a preflop raise and I play after the raiser with either AK or a mid pair. In this situation, I call (although this could be wrong) and then run into problems unless I hit my set/pair. Usually what happens is that the raiser bets the pot on the flop. Assuming that there were no cards above, say, a 10 and I didn't hit a set, then what do I do? If he has a pair, he is way ahead. If he doesn't, I am way ahead. Am I just supposed to guess if he has an overpair or not? These are usually quite big pots, especially after he bets the pot, and therefore it could be quite good to have some read on whether or not he has an overpair. The problem, however, is that I have seen people bet the pot on the flop after a raise probably 90% of the time (playing .10/.25 on UB) so I don't see how I can use that as an indicator of an overpair. Thanks for the help!

• AA vs AQ Odds
  Question: Can you tell me the odds of winning in heads up play if both players are all in pre-flop and one has A,A and the other has A, Q unsuited.

  Thanks

• Popularity Of Poker
  Question: I really like your website, it has helped me lose money slower. I had one question, but now I have two. First, in your odds / probabilities section, it says that the odds of a pair pre-flop are 6%, but a little further down it says the odds of AA or KK preflop are .9%. Why is there a difference? Also, I was wondering if you had any opinion on why there has been such an increase in the popularity of this game. Do you think the movie Rounders had much to do with it? Or could it be the way the events are presented on TV - ie card cams, explanations, showing viewers the odds? I think I'm more hooked on watching the big games on TV than actually playing. Thanks again.

  Jay Brown

  Edmonton, Canada

• Poker, Taxes and Legal Issues
  Question: Hi,

  I'm relatively new to poker and have started by spending a good deal of time studying strategy and practicing in poker rooms that offer free play. I want to start playing online for real money but the one thing that's been sticking in the back of my mind is the law. I don't want make a little bit of change only to have someone show up at my door with an arrest warrant after I declare the winnings on my tax return. I know that sounds a bit paranoid, but I do live in Alabama, and frankly, if something like that happened around here it would be no surprise to me. How do I make sure that I can play online poker for real money and still be certain that I won't have the law on my back?

  Thanks,

  Charles S.

• Having Hard Time In Home Tourneys
  Question: H E L P ! ! !

  I am doing poorly in neighbor's home game .

• Odds In Relation To Number Of Players
  Question: I understand the odd's on seeing a hand may be similar in different games, but are they the same for example in Draw vs. Hold 'em? We saw a royal last night, last damn hand of the game, and we had 5 players. Is there a better or worse chance to see a royal flush on the table with more or less players? Sense would say, the more players, the more chances to see a royal, because more cards are in play. Our mathematically inclined friends said it makes no difference how many players, ten or two, the odd's of seeing a royal flush are the same. I just can't see it. And, would that affect other hands like flushes and straights as well?

  Can you straighten me out?

  Dan

• Starting Hand Selection Late Position
  Question: Hi there. I had a question for you regarding starting hand selection. I know that there is a big difference in starting hand selection from full tables to short-handed tables. What I'm wondering is if you change your mindset as far as the quality of your hand pre-flop when several have folded before you.
• Tournament Strategy
  Question: Hi,

  I have started playing tournaments lately and with the tips on this site have been doing pretty well....

  I play 10 player tournaments for about £10-20 entry fee and seem to either get into the last 3 (paid positions) or bum out in about 7th place.

  I feel confident that I know how to play when I'm in the last 4 or 5 people and start to become a little more aggressive and loosen up as I understand that you are more likely to have the best hand with slighly weaker hands and this generally helps me to win some money.

• Showing Uncalled Hands
  Question: I never voluntarily show my pocket card after a hand (online) because I don't like my opponents knowing how I played a particular hand. I figure the less information the rest of the table has about me the better. Most people seem to play that way.
• Who Gets Second Place
  Question: Who finishes in 2nd place?
• Heads Up Odds Races
  Question: I recently had an argument with a player online. He went all-in with Queens and had two callers who created a side-pot. I had AJ. I don't know what the other guy had because he folded soon afterwards. I wound up getting running Aces on the turn and river to win the hand. He immediately started complaining how lucky I was.
• Mechanical No Limit Player
  Question: I seem to come across this more and more online in no limit ring games. I've been playing at one of the usual large sites. I play $100 no-limit ($100 max buy-in) where the blinds are $1/$2.

  I should note that in this example, the table was a 6 max $100NL table.

  Last night, I sat down at a table where a player, I'll call him 'PlayerX', already had a stack of about $200, so he had already doubled up. What I will describe I'm seeing more and more of, especially at ring games online. Short of just leaving the table, I'm not sure how to play this kind of online player.

• No Limit Holdem Raise Question
  Question: Hello,

  I have a procedural question regarding no limit holdem as I am new to the game. After everyone has been dealt their 2 cards down, if the individual to the left of the big blind raises, are both the big and small blinds obligated to add to the pot ( the raise amount ) if they want to see the flop or do they get to see the flop just because they have been forced to bet?

  Thank You S.R.R

• Odds 2/4 Shortcut Question
  Question: My question is how accurate is the 4/2 rule.

  Suppose you are at a full table with 9 other players. 20 cards are dealt, 1 is burned and the flop 3 is dealt. You have A K the flop is K 9 2. You have 5 out ( A,A, A K K) According to the 4/2 rule this would be a possibility of 20% (4 x 5) for the turn and 10% (2 x 5) for the river if I understand correctly. Don't you have to somehow take in consideration that 24 cards were initially dealt? I would think the 4/2 rule would not be entirely accurate.

  Thanks

  Pat

• Why Use Blinds
  Question: Hi,

  I have been holding a weekly NL Tournament for about 8-9 people for a couple of months now. We play with antes that go up gradually as the tournament goes on but have never seen the advantages of having blinds.

  Is there some reason that playing with blinds improves the game.

  Cheers

• People Making Comments During Hand
  Question: Playing a $30 ring game and in my final hand I'm dealt Q/10 suited so I call the blind after about three people stay in. Flop comes K/K/10. First position checks and so do the other two so I raise $5 to see who wants to play. The first guy calls and says "I got the King" while half laughing.
• Pot Odds In Tourneys
  Question: Hi,

  I have a question about pot odds in a tourney. I played a friendly tourney yesterday and after I mucked my straight flush draw on the river based on pot odds and saw the card i needed and started asking myself if pot odds were really that important in a tourney. Since you're not winning money unless you end up in the final table or in the first 3 or whatever, is it that important ?

  I understand that in ring games, pot odds are important in the long run if you want to play with probabilities and make them play in your advantage.

  What is your opinion on that ?

  Thanks Jeff

  p.s. just a quick bad beat story. I lost AAA to a guy who called my all-in (with less chips that I) with a straight draw on the river. He needed a 9 and guess what happened? A 9 on the river. For the first time, he hardly admitted he was lucky.

• Pot Odds In Tourneys
  Question: Hi,

  I have a question about pot odds in a tourney. I played a friendly tourney yesterday and after I mucked my straight flush draw on the river based on pot odds and saw the card i needed and started asking myself if pot odds were really that important in a tourney. Since you're not winning money unless you end up in the final table or in the first 3 or whatever, is it that important ?

  I understand that in ring games, pot odds are important in the long run if you want to play with probabilities and make them play in your advantage.

  What is your opinion on that ?

  Thanks Jeff

  p.s. just a quick bad beat story. I lost AAA to a guy who called my all-in (with less chips that I) with a straight draw on the river. He needed a 9 and guess what happened? A 9 on the river. For the first time, he hardly admitted he was lucky.

• Good Aggression Or Lucky Fold
  Question: I was playing in a tournament with a bunch of people whom I am gradually getting to know. I was doing pretty well - wasn't the chip leader yet, but I was close and a couple of folks had already been eliminated.
• Player Who Always Checks
  Question: Hi,

  I recently posted a question about a poker buddy that always checks no matter what he has. Actually, he sometimes checks, sometimes bets, sometimes raises no matter what he has. He can check pocket aces, raise 72o, whatever. This makes it impossible to figure out what he has.

  How does someone play against this kind of strategy ?

  Thanks!

  Jeff

• Heads Up Texas Holdem
  Question: My friends and I have been playing ring games mostly for several months now, but recently started doing small tournaments. Whenever I play in one of these tournaments, the same thing happens every time: everyone except gets eliminated except me and one other guy, and then I get nailed.

  I'm pretty good at games that start with four or more players (I learned how to play from your site, mostly), but I have trouble heads-up. I think I play too tightly heads-up, as I fold a lot more than it seems I should. How should I generally adjust my play from a multi-handed game to a heads-up game? Is there a revised starting hands table for heads-up play?

  Thanks,

  Mike

  New Orleans, LA

• Dealer Shows Turn Card Out Of Turn
  Question: I have got a question I hope you might be able to help with. We have a weekly home game of No-Limit Hold'em without a house dealer.

  The problem came up last Thursday when it was down to four of us left and three people in the current hand. The flop came up A-4-K and both small and big blind checked and then it was raised on the button...... but before the small and big blind could act the dealer (the fourth player out of the current hand) dealt the turn card, another Ace - it was late/early in the morning and he'd smoked too much.

• What is trapping
  Question: Great site, have learned lots from it.

  Could you explain what exactly trapping is when betting and what one is trying to accomplish from it.

• Overcards vs Underpair
  Question: I saw a question asked previously about pocket pairs against two overcards...which one has the better odds of winning if they go heads up to the river.

  I have not mastered probablities yet and would like to know if someone can give a definitive answer to this. There are a lot of scenarios to consider it would seem or maybe I am reading to much into it.

• Question: Overcoming Tells.
  Hi, thanks for the great site. I had a question regarding my tells. I was playing 1/2 hold'em last night, and ended up on the downside because I can easily be read. If I flop a straight, I turn serious and people instantly know I am holding the nuts.
• Adding Money In Middle Of Hand
  Question: I ran into a heated debate about poker rules last night that was never resolved, so I am hoping you can answer this question better than I was able to. Last night I was playing in a NL texas hold em cash game with eight buddies of mine. I play NL cash games on the internet all the time and I Play the same rules used on Party Poker in my home games. We all bought in with 25 dollars and agreed that chips could be replentished as often as one wants as long as they don't exceed the 25 dollar max. We came down to a situation where a person was bet 10 dollars on the turn when he only had 5 dollars left. Naturally I explained to them the concept of a side pot, because there was other people still in the hand willing to call the bet. The person with only 5 dollars left wanted to buy more chips in the middle of the hand. I tried explaining to him that you can't buy chips in the middle of a hand, because it would give the shortstack an unfair advantage. The advantage being that since we play sidepots, the shortstack would have the option of using the sidepot if he only had a mediocre hand, or buying more chips if he thought he was going to take the pot. He argued that he doesn't have an advantage because even if he buys more chips he's not guaranteed to win. It ended being a pretty heated argument. I know that on Party Poker you can replentish funds in between hands as long as you dont exceed to table max, but you cannot replentish funds in the middle of a hand. It makes sense to me, but I had trouble getting the point across to my buddies. I was wondering if you could explain a little more clearly why in a cash game you can't buy chips in the middle of a hand, so I can better explain this concept to my buddies.

  Great Webpage !

  Thanks Jarrod

• Tourney Advice Based On Holdem Stats
  Question: I'm retired and enjoy learning how to play holdem. My problem is when I play online tournaments I usually finish in the top 20% to 30% but at the end when blinds and ante's go up I run out of money and end up having to go all-in on stupid card's. In the small tournaments I play I might get my entry fee back. Can you tell me by looking at my stats what you think I need to do different to place higher? I check the stats after every tournament and they look like clones. Thank's for any help you can give me.
• Question On Chip Stacking
  Question: I would like to know your feelings on chip stacking. I watched a live play game the other day where all chips were colored out to only 2 different color chips and one player had his larger chips hidden behind the cheaper chips and had a cheaper chip on top of his larger chips making it look like he had only stacks of the cheaper chips. The opponent went all-in against him and lost, but finding out afterwards that they had the same amount of chips. The loser was upset that he hid his chips and said you weren't allowed to do that. Is this in the rule book?
• Question On Chip Stacking
  Question: I would like to know your feelings on chip stacking. I watched a live play game the other day where all chips were colored out to only 2 different color chips and one player had his larger chips hidden behind the cheaper chips and had a cheaper chip on top of his larger chips making it look like he had only stacks of the cheaper chips. The opponent went all-in against him and lost, but finding out afterwards that they had the same amount of chips. The loser was upset that he hid his chips and said you weren't allowed to do that. Is this in the rule book?
• Coin Flips In No Limit
  Question:I have recently started playing no limit and I have questions about going and calling all-in. Maybe I am too risk averse, but I don't like all-ins when it is a coin flip. So, if I know someone has a pair, and I have two overcards, I usually wont call it (unless there is already a big pot). Same thing the other way around. I only like to call when I have AK and they have AQ or when I have 10s and they have A8 or something. So, what I would like to know, is if there are certain clues from either the specific hand, or from the way someone plays as to whether they are likely to have a high pair, mid pair, or two high cards when they go all-in. Also, in which situations would you go all-in? Obviously, AA, KK, QQ, but what about AK, AQ? Thanks for the help.
• Losing At Low Limit Holdem Cont.
  Question: Losing at low limit holdem revisited:

  First, thanks a ton for being such a useful resource. I find your comments/advice very helpful.

  Someone asked a question on 10/26/04 about losing (or barely breaking even) at low limit where no one ever folds. Your advice was to loosen up a bit to adjust for their lack of skill/self control, to play way more hands and think about the post flop rather then preflop odds.

• Transitioning From Online To Real Life Poker
  Question: Dear Webmaster,

  First let me start by congratulating you on creating and maintaining such an informative site. I read articles on it regularly and I am always looking for ways to improve my game. I hope you can find time to answer my question (though this is not the first time I have sent you one).

• Calling To Chop A Pot
  Question: I notice that you have mentioned a few times that betting (or calling) to chop a pot is usually a big no-no, however clearly there must be times when it is not a bad idea, such as when something ridiculous like AAA QQ is on the board and there is quite a bit of money in the pot. could you perhaps give some guidelines on when you might consider it a reasonable bet

  Damian

• Discipline Cont.
  Question: Thanks for the reply but I made an error in my question (and yes I am playing online).
• Passive Players In No Limit Cash Games
  Question: I have been playing on-line now, for real money, for a few months and I've been doing OK. Holding my own, nothing fantastic. I've had some winning sessions and some losing sessions and they seem to be balancing out. Recently, I've noticed a trend of passivity occurring and I'm having trouble beating it.
• Getting Sucked Out On In Limit Holdem
  Question: Hi,

  I have followed your instructions and they proved to be really really good.

  Thanks!!!

• Coloring Up
  Question: I have a question regarding coloring up in a tournament.

  As the blinds increase, the lower denomination chips are no longer needed. So we turn our $1 chips in for $5 chips. However, we always end up with remaining $1 chips.

  For example: 1 player has 2 $1 chips, another player has 2 chips, and a third player has 1 chip.

  It is my understanding that each player is given a card from the deck for each chip they have, and the player with the best hand gets the $5 chip. Correct?

• Discipline
  Question: Hello,

  Thanks for the input on my "Betting Draws in NL Question". I have another, more challenging issue.

  I have moved up to $100NL ($2, $1 blinds) and still hold my own. Winning a little but not losing a lot. My large losses are usually heads up post flop with a slightly better hand winning, however.

• Raising Limit In Limit Holdem
  Question: I'm very new at hold 'em, so I have some simple questions.

  1) About raising.

  Say there are four players on the turn. The 1st to act bets, the 2nd raises, the 3rd raises, the 4th raises, and the 1st raises. Now, can the 2nd (and the rest as well) raise again, or does he have to call (or fold)? In other words, can the players keep raising each other infinitely or not?

• Showing A Bluff
  Question: Hi,

  First, really wonderful site. My question:

  What are your thoughts regarding exposing your cards when a bluff works? Would you want to do this if you plan on playing tighter later on or is this play a little too obvious (for typical low-limit games)?

  Conversely, would you show a big hand if you planned on playing looser later on? Or is it better in general to make people pay to see?

  Thanks for your thoughts.

• Chip Leader Play
  Question: Awesome site, just one question. A problem I seem to be having when I play hold'em is that I am chip leader by a lot, but then somehow it always seems my chips disappear, as was the case in the last tournament I played with my friends. I know the basic rules of what the chip leader should do, like being aggressive and betting a lot. But it seems that everytime I do this, I eventually lose all my chips. I'm not raising with any 2 cards, and I don't think I'm doing anything else really stupid. Also, my friends hate raising the blinds, especially if they're low stack, even if we all agreed before the tourney to raise them every 1/2 hour or so. So I look like a dumbass trying to tell them to raise the blinds over and over, and they refuse to and go "oh, stop complaining, look at you're stack." I guess I'm just wondering if you have any advice how to play when you're the chip leader, and sometimes how to play when the blinds aren't as big of factor as they should be. Thanks.
• Moving Up To 10/20
  Question: I am a fairly successful 3-6 and 4-8 limit holdem player, playing in local cardrooms for many years. I am considering moving up to test the waters at 10-20.

  What sort of bankroll do you recommend? Also, how much would you bring to sit down at the table (minimum buyin is 100 at this table, but 10 small bets is clearly not enough to have at the table).

  Thanks.

• When To Slow Play
  Question: Hi,

  I'll never say it often enough, GREAT SITE!

  I have a question about slow play. With what should a player slow play with? Are two pairs enough to slow play or should you wait for something like Full House?

  Thanks!

  Jeff

• Overcard On Flop
  Question: The following Overcard situation tends to happen to me quite a bit and I am never sure what to do. A representative hand: I have a high pocket pair (Js to Ks) and I raise pre-flop in a $1-$2 no-limit game (or a limit game). I am in early position. I get 2 or 3 callers. The flop is A-6-4. For the sake of this example, let's say its a rainbow.
• Middle Pair, Calling With
  Question: Thanks for posting my previous comment! This time, I have a question that is probably puzzling a lot of people, given what I have seen in online games. When, if ever, should you call with middle pair? I have seen people win with middle pair unimproved, and of course with middle pair that improves to two pair. Is it just a question of outs and pot odds? Because, it seems like people often will bet draws, etc. which can be beaten by middle pair unimproved. Thanks for the help.
• Quads On Flop
  Question: This hand came up last night and we couldn't determine the winner. Two players, heads-up.

  Player A: - Held K,K

  Player B: - Held A, K

  The table after the river: 3, 3, 3, 3, 6

  We reasoned that the pair of K's held by Player A were insignificant because you can only play 5 cards to make a hand. We determined that Player B wins with the Ace.

  Was this the correct assement?

  Thank you,

  Floyd Raines

• How Much To Raise In No Limit
  Question: Hi,

  Before i begin, your site has made me a way better poker player than i was and i have been winning quite a lot since i've read it. wooo hooo!!! :)

  I have read a few things about how to bet. Raising when you have big pockets pairs, check-raising, semi-bluffing, etc. But i haven't found a lot on how MUCH to bet. The reason i'm asking is because I watched the Ultimate Poker Challenge on TV this weekend (which is cool because I was actually there in september and got to watch it live front row!!) and the commentator kept saying that this guy wasn't raising enough.

  So my question is:"How much should one bet?"

  I know my question is vague and there are many situations but i would also like to know about those situations. Like when you have a big pocket pair, or when you are drawing for a straight or flush or when you have a set, etc.

  Thanks in advance!

  Jeff

• Betting Draws In No Limit
  Question: Betting your 4 flush. When to bet and how much?
• Paying Off Hands On The River
  Question: Hi,

  First off, the site is great. I am new to Holdem and it has proven to be very useful to try and improve my game.

  I am interested to hear what your thoughts are in regards to paying to see someone's cards in Low Limit games. For instance, you flop two pair and are on the button, person in front checks, you bet and they call. No difference on turn, again person check calls and we see the river. This time however person in front bets a possible flush, would you in all instances fold or do you pay to call and keep them honest?

• At Showdown Who Shows First
  Question: I am a beginner to texas hold em and play every now and again with a few friends. My question is who shows their hand first when the betting is over. We had been playing that whoever called shows the hand first, but my friend, after a trip to Tunica, now says that it should be whoever is left of the dealer should show first, who is right
• Minimum Raise From Small Blind
  Question:In a no limit game, you are sitting in the small blind and the blinds are $2/$4. When it comes to you, you decide to raise. Since you already have $2 in the pot, I understand that you must bet at least an additional $2 to equal the initial big blind of $4. But, when you raise, must the raise also be a minimum of $4 for a total of $8 or is it ok to raise it $2 to a total of $6.

  I know that anyone else at the table that wanted to raise would have to raise the minimum of the big blind, but are there exceptions for the small blind?

  Thanks

• Honest Online Poker
  Question: How can I be sure that when I play online for real money, that the game is honest?
• No Limit Cash Game Wild Player
  Question: I have a specific question that applies to a general question as well. It has to do with playing against wild players that like action. I was playing in a no limit cash game against some pretty loose players. I knew if I played tight, I would come away ahead. One hand, I had QQ and one of the wild players raised to $7 pre-flop (1-2 blinds). I reraised to $27 total -- pretty standard, and then he reraised me another $20. I figured I had him beat, but I did not go all in because were two of the bigger stacks, and I did not think it was worth the risk (it was possible he was holding AA, KK, or AK... or even if he had something like A10, I could still get busted). I just called the additional $20, and the flop came King, rag, rag. I checked, he went all-in, and I thought for a while, then mucked it. He then showed his hand, just like most bad players do, and it was K9!? I just laughed and went on to the next hand.
• Playing Low Pocket Pairs
  Question:Can you please put up an article on how to play when you're dealt low pairs? Whenever I get dealt them dealt to me, I never know what to do, and always seem to make the worst play possible.

  Thanks,

  Rich Boles

• Missing Flops
  Question:Howdy there,

  I really enjoy your site (I've read ALL the pages). I've been "serious" about poker for about 5 months now. I grew up around poker (my grandfather would have the boys over every Saturday night). I've been playing $25/$50 No Limit Hold'em online. I'm not sure if I'm a good player or not, but I've built my play-money bankroll from $1000 to over $66,000 in the course of a few weeks.

• Player's Appearances
  Question: When playing in a tournament and not knowing anyone, how much of an influence does another player's appearance have on your perception of how they will play? For example, a neatly dressed guy would play tight, as opposed to a "young punk" playing loose with his big ego (or showing off in front of a girlfriend)? Not to make it a psychological profile, but do people play accoridingly to how they look?
• Gus Hansen & Watching The Pros
  Question: Two questions, one a general one and one a specific one:

  I enjoy watching the poker professionals on television and I like to think that watching them play has helped my game. However, I also wonder if the games they play are in such a different stratosphere than the average guy who plays in small-stakes all-in games and tourneys that emulating there decisions and strategies would be counter-productive. What do you think?

• Checking Preflop in the BB With Strong Hand
  Question: I know that pre-flop raising when you have a good hand serves two main purposes: to force out mediocre starting hands that decrease your percentage of winning and to get more money in the pot to win. I also know that there are several hands that almost always mandate a pre-flop raise for those reasons.

  Well, here's a situation that comes up fairly frequently: You're in the big blind. The tables goes around and then the dealer is looking at you to check or bet since everyone either called or folded. You look down and lo and behold, you have a good hand, the kind you would usually raise.

• Analyzing Flop For Possible Hands
  Question:I find the weakest part of my game is analzying the flop( turn and river ) for what possible cards can beat mine. Do you know of any tips, websites or books that help to better analyze this?

  Thanks

  Jon StPete

• THAN - THEN spelling errors all over the site
  Question:

  Hi,

  Thanks for the very helpful site. I just wanted to point out that you're using "then" instead of "than" all over the site. Example: "more than" not "more then" etc. This is somewhat distracting because it's all over. Seems like most of your "then" should be "than". Also, "latter" vs "ladder" -- you have "climbing the latter." Only saw one of these.

  good luck

  <<:-)

• Moving Up In Buy-Ins
  Question: Ive been playing texas holdem with my friends for the past couple of weeks. Ive only played demo money on the internet before, but it seems to have helped me play with real money. Weve only played with 3 or 5 dollar buyins, but ive won every tournament weve played. So far after winning nine tournaments I'm up 80 dollars. Even though my friends are playing extremely poorly, should I try to play in other tournaments with buy ins of 10 dollars. The players will obviously be better in these games and i dont know if I can play my best game.
• Losing Heads Up To Aggression
  Question: I was playing a 10 man tournament and I was the chip leader when it came heads up. I was heads up against a person who seems to play and bet every hand. He kept winning my blinds because I wasn't getting my cards and he became chip leader. Eventually, I beacame so frusturated that I went all in with Jh9h and he called me with A4 off suit. He won with ace high. How should I play differently.
• Mucked Hand Dead Without Touching Muck Pile
  Question: I just made one of the dumbest plays I've ever made last night and felt that it was compounded by an incorrect ruling on the part of the house. I call a bet and am all in on the turn with top pair and a outside straight draw (I have KJ and the board is 10, Q, K, x). The person I am heads up against unfortunately turns over the nuts (AJ) and I hear another player announce at the table that he had folded an ace. As foolish as it was I realease my cards face down as the dealer is turning the final card. I know this is a bonehead move, but it prompted an interesting situation. Of course the river comes one of the 2 remaining Aces in the deck. Instantly I realize what I've done and retrieve my hand from the dealers hand. My hand is face down and the dealer is touching it, but IN NO WAY HAS IT TOUCHED THE MUCK. Immediatly the player that would be splitting the pot with me cries that I mucked my hand and that it is dead. The house man (who was watching the hand) agrees and awards him the pot. The dealer mumbles something about the hand never touching the muck, but the decision stands. I always understood the rule to be that the hand was live as long as no part of it touched the muck. Am I correct to think that the house missed the call on this one, or was the correct call made?

  Thanks in advance,

  Matt

• Playing Cards Out Of Turn
  Question: I have a question about a situation. What happens if someone plays their cards too early in a hand.
• Home Tourney Questions
  Questions/Answers: Hi! Thanks for your site...My eyes are going to fall out of my head--I keep reading and reading for more information!!! :-) My husband and I have just recently become fans (watched TV Hold Em for about 9 months, played online for about 4 months, and have played in 2 home tournaments--NL Holdem (I came in 3rd with some really REALLY experienced players! YAY!).
• Playing Low Cards
  Question: Great Site-

  I play a few games a week at friends/acquaintence's houses. There are occassional pre-flop raises, but not very large ones. My question is this: Is there any logic in pre-flop raising when your hand is 46s or 58s (maybe even offsuit)...my logic being that the only players to call will have decent hands, at least playing a face card. So I'm the only one playing low cards, and if they flop (or no high cards do), I keep playing, if not I lose the raise. Bad gamble?

• What is a check raise?
  Question: Please help! I am new to this game (2 months) and I am Getting my butt KICKED by my sat nite game. I do not understand this move and although your site has by far the most info i have seen, I was hoping you could please explain how this move works! The people I play with are also new to the game and If I can improve this strategy I know I can come back and kick some butt! I am enjoying your site very much ( flatter flatter) and hope you can help!!! thanks a ton. Nicole.
• Suited Connectors In No Limit Holdem
  Question: Hi,

  I'm kinda new to holdem and I have a question about preflop betting. We are playing no limit holdem. I have 8h9h and we start preflop betting. We all have about 100$ each. The player before me raises 40$

  What do I do. Should I call or should I fold. I assume he has something like

  AA or KK.

  My 8h9h gives me plenty of possibilities but is it strong enough to call that much ?

  Thanks!

  Jeff

• Tourney Story
  Question:

  Here's a little story that you can put anywhere on your site that you see fit.

  I was recently invited to sit in on a six player no-limit winner-take-all Texas Holdem tournament. Now, a few years back I made a reasonable supplementary income playing poker in casino's. But that was many moons ago and I have almost no experience in tournament play. So, against my better judgement I went.

• Blind Sizes For Limit Holdem Tournament
  Question: What would you suggest for blind/limit structure for a limit holdem tournament with a $50 buy in = $1,000 in chips? It being a five hour tournament raised every hour with a group of ten people that are not really big bettors but are not cheap.Last tournament was
• Having To Call Hands
  Question1: Say you have a 5 8 and the flop comes down A 5 6 the turn comes K and the river is a six

  you call and you oppent calls Pair of Aces

  you call a pair of fives and Sixes

  Is he required to call it correctly in order to win the pot

• More Bankroll Talk
  Question: Hello,

  You've answered a few people's questions about bankrolls for limit holdem, but I don't think you've addressed the issue for no limit. Elsewhere, you've said that a 2/4 NL game is bigger than a 2/4 limit game, for example, so I assume that you'd also need a bigger bankroll to that NL game. So what size bankroll do you suggest, relative to the big blind? Also, do bankrolls increase proportionately as the size of the game increases? That is, is the bankroll for a 2/4 game going to be almost exactly twice as large as the bankroll of a 1/2 game?

  Thanks

• A Push In Texas Holdem?
  Question: I was in vegas recently playing in a low-limit game and encountered a situation i was unfamiliar with. Everyone folded to me in the small blind and the big blind turned to me and asked me something. Since I had a playable hand I was already limping in. What he was asking, to my understanding, was if we wanted to take our blinds back and play the next hand. Since i had already called, the dealer said it was too late. I was not aware that kind of play was allowed in holdem. Have you ever heard of anything like this and why would the big blind offer this because it would be obvious that he did not have a strong hand if I chose not to take his offer? thanks for your time.
• Calling On The River
  Question: A recent article in Casino Player Magazine stated the following regarding tournament play: "If you just call somebody on the river rather than raising them, you hurt all other players in the tournament. It's not ethical poker, so don't do it". Could you elaborate? I see this done all the time.
• Lucky Player Winning Everytime
  Question: i play with my friends quite often and one person usuially wins. Althought he does bluff some pots and gets people to fold he is probably the luckiest person i know. When he's in a hand in someone and he happens to ride it all the way to the river calling any bet, he manages to get a gunshot straight or a pair. Whenever anyone is in a pot with him and we turn over a pair each, i'll have a king kicker and he'll have an ace. That sort of situation happens a lot. In another instance its a 3 handed game, i go all in with QhJh. He calls and flips a 8h7h. The flop is a Q Q 6. The turn comes and its a 9. On the river comes a 10, giving him a straight to win the hand. the situation was extremely luck because the other player folded a 9 10 off suit. It seems that every time we play someone ends up in a similar situation and he comes out on top. I realize that luckyness is not everything in the game, in fact its a small part, but when he gets either a pocket pair or suited picture cards almost every hand, what can i do about it. please help, thanks
• questions/one-player-playing-for-another
  Question:THE OTHER NIGHT IN A NO LIMIT GAME ONE SPOUSE GOT SICK DURING THE NIGHT AND WANTED HER HUSBAND TO PLAY FOR HER HE WAS AREADY OUT WHAT ARE THE RULES ON THAT ,ANY GUIDE LINES ON THAT .THANKS FOR THE HELP.

  DAN

• Natural Hand In Holdem
  Question: Is this a there such a thing as a Natural hand where:

  Player 1: A, 5

  Player 2: A, 10 Commmunity Cards: 2, 3, 4, 5, 9

  Does player 1 win with a natural straight because he/she has two cards involded in the straight making it the natural hand? Ive seen this rule played in internet play and other places.

  Thanks!

• Comparing Full Houses Error
  Question: Hi,

  On the page "Texas Hold'em Poker Hand Rankings", You have written that "To determine if one full house higher ranked then another, first look at the three cards of the same kind. The one that is larger wins. If they both are the same then you'll have to compare the two cards." The case where both are the same can not happen since that would require six cards of the same kind and that is two too many...

  Best regards

  Bo Strömberg

• AA Raise or Slow Play?
  Question: With AA I always raise before the flop but I reacently read a book where they say you should slow play in order to get as many people in as possible. My experience is that if more then five player call before the flop I ussually need the set to come out a winner. Thats why I keep on raising before the flop.

  What's your oppinion?

• Middle Pair Low Limit Games
  Question: I often seem to get into trouble when I flop middle pair in a low limit game. Say 10 players, pot unraised pre flop, 4 or 5 see flop. With an overcard, from an early position, or if its checked around to me in a late position, I often bet, hoping people will fold or raise. Often I get 2 or 3 callers and I still don't really know where I am. I can't assume they're drawing as often they have top pair, weak kicker.

  Can you give me any advice on how to play middle pair.

  Many thanks.

  David Williamson from Ayr, Scotland.

• Luck: Mucked Cards and Calling Stations
  Question: I think there is a close corollary to your comment about the calling station players which you should mention. The same way calling stations are bad players, but they will get lucky and win sometimes, I think you should mention that when you play correctly and muck bad hands, you will also have gotten lucky sometimes. Occasionally, you will correctly fold 22 and find 22 on the flop, etc. This also should not bother anyone. Just a word of encouragement could help some people. Also, great web site. Thanks a million!
• Starting Point For Beginner Holdem Player
  Question: Hi,

  I've recently started playing hold'em with some college buddy's of mine and I'm tired of losing my money! I decided that there had to be some way of playing better so I began researching on internet and found tons of material and ideas for how to improve my game. My problem is that I am a full-time student and have a full-time job so the time I have left for playing hold'em is limited.

• Three Way Action With All-Ins
  Question: In a game with three way action the smallest stack goes all in followed by the a call from a player with a larger stack and the third player also calls and has the middle stack. The two largest stacks have the exact same hand and split the pot obviously but how are the chips divied up?

  Thank you

  Collin Belnap

• AA Getting Carried Away?
  Question: Hello,

  I´m new to this game, playing only online and low limit. I have a question about a hand I recently lost. Does this make sense?

• Bank Roll For Moving Up To 1/2
  Question: Hello,

  First off I like to say your site is excellent. I just started playing Texas Holdem online for real money. I have read a few books and this weekend I will be reading the super system to improve my play. I am playing the .50/1.00 limit hold em's. I was wondering if it's possible to make decent money doing this. I am up 90 dollars over the past week(10 hours play time).

  My bank roll is around 150.00. When should I make the plunge to 1.00/2.00 games?

  Thanks

• Comparing Two Flushes
  Question: Hi:

  First I want to tell you I enjoy your website a lot, lots of really good information and tips to play better, so thank you. I was wondering if you can help me answer a question: see some of my friends and I were playing texas holdem, the community cards show: 2d, 5d, 7d, 10d, and Kd so there is actually a flush of diamons in the community cards, now the other players don't have a better hand than the one showing in the community cards except for one player that has an 8 of diamonds, now my question is can that player use his 8 of diamonds to make a higher flush by removing the 2 of diamonds from the community cards and win the hand or does it have to be a tie?

  Again Thank you very much for your help and for taking the time to read this e-mail.

• All Players Go All-in, Who Gets Second and Third?
  Question: Question - Four players are left in a tournament that pays the top three places. Player A has 10,000 chips, Player B has 8,000 chips, Player C has 5,000 chips and Player D has 2,000 chips. All four players go All In. Player A wins and the game is over. Which players finishes 2nd and 3rd?

  PMC

• Poker Taxes
  Question: I am relatively new to gambling and I was wondering if/how winnings are taxed in poker tournaments. I know Raymer won $5 mill in the WSOP, but does he have to pay taxes on his winnings? What about online winnings? Sorry if these are stupid questions or if you are not the correct person to ask. Thanks, I have learned a great deal from your site.
• KQ in Tourney
  Question: I was in a no limit tournament with a $35 buy in which got everyone $1500 worth of chips. Early in the tournament ($25/$50 blinds) I was two seats removed from the button (late position as there were 11 players at the table). I had Kh-Qh and four players limped in. I raised to $300. Big blind and one of the limpers called. The flop was ragged with a Jh, 7d, 4c. It was checked to me and I bet another $300. The big blind then went all in (check raise). I called based on two overcards, a backdoor flush and backdoor straight draw and lost to a AK offsuit when neither of us improved. The hit I took left me short stacked and I didn't survive long. How should I have changed my play or was I just the victim of bad luck?
• Eligible For Main Pot
  Question: This is a great site. Thanks! Here is my question, I went all in in tournament style play. There were two players with me and all matched. Next round a player bet to get a side pot. Player number 3 didn't necessarily want to go in but was interested in staying in for my "all in". My question is if player #3 went out was he still eligible for the main pot?

  Thanks

  Brandi

• How Much Is A Rack?
  Question: Hello there, I was reading one of your articles about being loose and tight. I read something about a $4/8 rack. Since I am sorta new, I was wondering what one of those was. I saw you won 1000 with 12 racks and just couldn't add it up. I looked up the question page and didn't read any articles about it. Maybe I skimmed over it and maybe it was there. If you could please tell me what a rack is I'd appreciate it. Thanks.
• Bad Beat Or Bad Play
  Question: I have been playing holdem online for about 3 months now, and I have read plenty of literature. I would say that about 90% of my time has been spent in mult table no limit tournaments.
• A Batch Of Questions
  Question: Thanks for a great resource site! Ran into a few questions during our first ever Texas Hold'em Tournament last night. - We had 2 blinds. Once down to two players, both pay the blind and action continues?
• Moving in with KK
  Question: Last night i was playing a tourniment with my friends and i got dealt pocket kings. I was in last position and only one person called the blinds, so i move all in. The one person in the hand is an aggressive player and has already knocked out a few other people, so he has 4 times the amount of chips i have. My friend calls the bet and he has A7s. The cards come out and he ends up with an ace high flush. Was i making a mistake moving all in with pocket kings, was he just calling becuse he had 4 times the amout of chips i had, or was that a good play by him. Please help for next time. Your site is great and i have learned a lot,

  thanks

• Not Having Enough Chips For The Blinds
  Question: IN A NO LIMIT GAME IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH CHIPS FOR THE BIG OR SMALL BLIND CAN YOU PLAY THE NEXT HAND.

  DAN

• Second and Third Place Go All-in At Same Time
  Question: Just got done playing a home game, where payouts go to 1st 2nd and 3rd. My question is
• Showing Cards Before Acting -- Talking In Hand
  Question: I have a question on a heads up play. An other player went all in on with only the river card left to show. I had the A-10 straight and a draw to the Q high flush. There was a flush possible on the board, but I thought he was bluffing. I flopped my cards over and said I was still thinking about calling his bet (he had more chips). During that time, the other players gave opinions (not solicited). I finally called all in and won (he had 2 pair). He through his cards and all his chips in and left in a hurry. We have had people throw cards up before (earlier games) without comment. Was I wrong or did I fold by doing that. the others at the table thought I did nothing wrong, but I would like an expert opinion.
• Burning Cards
  Question: I played this game a few days ago for the first time and won everything...but not sure that they were dealing correct. I watched the Las Vegas games and could've sworn that the dealer BURNS 3 cards before the flop...Can you send me correct information on HOW MANY cards the dealer BURNS through the game and when??? Now I've got a bet going with one of the people I played against...Sure hope I'm right!

  Thank you!!

  Brenda Geier

• Ace High Flushes
  Question: BTW:

  A couple of times you've mentioned that you don't understand why the best pocket card wins an ace-high flush …

  It's just math … the total value of the cards wins. This doesn't come up in most other winning comparison, but since flushes can be any value, the highest valued hand wins. Same calculation as if player one had Ad, Kc, 9s, 4d, 3d and player 2 had Ah, Kh, 8s, 4s, 3c … player 1 wins with the higher value cards because the 9 beats the 8 (assuming these aren't community cards).

  At least that's my understanding, but you know way more about poker than I do.

  H.

• Slow Playing Two Pair
  Question: Like all your other fans, all I can say is great site.

  Playing very-low-limit holdem with a group of co-workers the other night. It was late and we were down to five hands. For about four or five hands in a row, any raise at all would induce folds all around. I was up about $40 or $50 on the evening but wanted to pull in some more cash.

• Dealing With Tilt And Swings
  Question:

  I have written an article before, that was kindly posted on your web site 'new hold'em players story' 08/10/04 by the 'laughing cowboy'. Thanks for that!

  Anyway, I have a few thoughts and a question I would like to share with you and your readers.

• One Kicker Or Two?
  Question:

  Great site it has answered so many of my questions. Here is one for you that I did not know how to play.

• Dealer Awarding Pot To Wrong Player
  Question: I was playing in a cardroom when the table got to heads up and both hand were turned face up on the table, the dealer called the hand wrong and grabed the card to the real winning hand and mucked them, the player left with cards was sent the pot. The floor person was playing in the game and said wait and grabed the mucked cards from the muck and turned them back up and gave the pot to the real winning hand. What should have happen in this situation we have a disagreement as to who should have got the pot.

  Thank you

• NL Tourney Blinded To Death
  Question: I'd like to think that I'm an above-average player, I've done pretty well and hold a monthly poker game - as well as get invited to a few local games. The biggest one has the biggest cash prize obviously but the house rules are a bit different than normal - blinds raise every 20 minutes, until the final table, then they raise every 10 minutes (they swear it makes it more interesting). The problem I'm falling into is I'm a tight player and when the blinds move like that, I get pushed into an uncomfortable zone - especially if I'm lower on chips.

  What's your recommendation when blinds raise to a significant amount in no-limit hold'em? Should you start bluffing - and what types of hands should you consider when the blind is a 3rd/quarter of your chips.

• Acting First Ever Advantage?
  Question: It appears to me while watching hold 'em on TV that there are certain situations where acting first (and betting) can take a pot. Of course, as just a viewer I know everyone's cards, as a player I would not have that knowledge. Are there any times when a player can use first position to his or her advantge?

  Thanks for the great site,

  John

• Burn Card After Every Betting Round?
  Question: Hi, thanks so much for your website!

  I just have one question...

  I noticed that you mention that there is a burn card after before the flop but the person that submitted their hourse tourney rules mentions that there is a burn card after every bettnig round. Which is standard? And what's the purpose of a burn card?

  thanks much

  Greg

• Breaking Out Of A Slump
  Question: I have been playing T.H. about 5days a week online for about 6mo, and following strict patience and sound strategy have managed to make a pretty substantial profit. Lately my winnings have been cut and my losses are getting much worse. After analyzing my play I found that perhaps I'm playing too many SNG tournies, and possibly get more loose from lack of good cards. Aside from playing my normal hand selection, what advice can you give me for breaking out of this slump? Also speaking of SNG's I have gone from finishing ITM usually 1 or 2 out of 3, to maybe one out of 5, but finishing 4th or 5th consistently. I dont think I've changed my play in these, but rather tend to get blinded to nothing without good cards. To clarify I dont sit for monster hands, I try to see about 20% flop ratio if possible.

  Thanks for any advice,

  J.S.
• Playing Rags
  Question: Hi,

  First thanks for your website, I've learned quite a lot.

  I have a question about playing rags preflop with a lot of opponents.

• Mucking QQ ON The River
  Question: Great site!

  I thought I'd share a valuable lesson I learned while playing at a local card room, 3/6 limit & full table. Usually 4-5 players in for the flop. I had struck up some small talk with a couple of other players. Both reasonably skilled players. One of them (who shall now be called "Slick") went out of his way to give the rest of us his playing philosophy (Super System) & educational background (education with statistics minor). Not a passive player, played strong hands aggressively. He stuck with his system (cards adding to 20, pkt prs, suited connectors and half-in on the blinds). Then "IT" happened. Slick is on the button, I'm three behind and "Jr" (who never met two cards he wouldn't raise, is short-stacked and is close to tilt) is in the BB. UTG folds, two players call and it comes to me. I've got QdQs. I raise. Next two fold. Slick calls. SB folds. "Jr" makes it 3 bets. Next two fold. I call, Slick calls. Three of us in. $34 in the pot Flop 6d7h9s

• What Is Low Limit Poker
  Question: Hello, I am very confused about what exactly low limit holdem is. Is it a part of Fixed limit holdem or No limit holdem, or both. i used to think it was low limit vs. no limit, implying that there was a limit in the amount u can bet but then i began to think it was a .25/.50 or $ 1/2 structure in a no limit game. is that correct? is it possilbe ot have a low limit game in fixed limits? Hope i didnt confuese you and thanks in advance. By the way this is by far one of the most helpfull websites you can find on the net.

  - Evan

• Percentages For Hand Strengths
  Question: what is the percentage of hands won by the following -100 hands (most of the time)
• Crappy Players At Low Limit Tourneys
  Question: I just recently started playing online limit holdem. I play low limit tournaments b/w $5-$10 buy-in. One thing I've noticed is how many people call terrible pre-flop hands (10-5 off-suited, Q-2 off-suited, etc...) and continue to call bets and raises. I would think this kind of loose play wouldn't be beneficial, but someone always catches something on the turn or the river. I know in the long run if people continually play like this it's going to catch up to them, but it seems like there are so many loose players online that you're always playing against one and someone is going to chase and catch. Would playing NL holdem tournaments weed out these types of hands/players so you can actually protect your hand or will I find this type of play until I play higher limits or no matter what I do?

  You're opinion would be greatly appreciated. Keep up the good work.

• Playing Against A Bettor
  Question: hello, i viewed your site for the first time tonight, after losing a few games to two of my friends. ( i searched on yahoo for texas hold em strategy discipline, and this was the first result. i havent even looked at any other sites since i feel that this is such a great one.)
• AA Hand Story
  Question: Hello,

  I´m new to this game, playing only online and low limit. I have a question about a hand I recently lost. Does this make sense?

• Optimal Pot Sizes For Online Tables
  Question: Another question for you: Here is the scenario... I have just started playing the micro (.5/$1) tables on-line. With this particular client, as others I am sure, before you choose a table to sit at the browser will show a listing of the table name/number, with the number of players and the average pot amount. The highest average pot tables with the most amount of people always seem to be listed first. While I understand why you would want to look for a table with the most amount of people, what is the benefit of high average pot sizes (i.e. $12 versus $8 for a .5/$1 table)? I have been led to believe that the optimum low limit holdem table to play at should be a loose passive one. Would this not result in the average pot sizes being middle of the road compared to an aggressive table with high pot sizes? Or am I looking at this all wrong? Thanks for your help and your continued additions to your wonderful site.

  ~Jason

• Poker Charity Event
  Question: Hello,

  First of all, you have an impressive website and I thank you for it!

  As for my question, with seemingly every cable channel on TV having Texas Hold 'Em tournaments - celebrity showdowns, World Series of this, championship of that; I think the Discovery Channel has a show teaching chimps how to play - poker has become a trendy game to play, not unlike Bridge in the '60s and Trivial Pursuit in the '80s.

• Randomness Of Online Poker Sites
  Question: I have started playing on-line within the last couple of months after years of friendly neighborhood games. I'm convinced that the "random" deals on the site I'm playing produce ridiculous flops, turns, and river combos that I would rarely see in a live brick & mortar card game. The site insists that their deals are "as random as current technology allows" and have yielded "favorable results" when tested against a live deck. Is there a consensus among experienced casino and/or tournament players about the validity of accepted poker probabilities vs. on-line play?

  Thanks,

  Jim

  Sevierville, TN

• Program For Calculating Side Pots
  Question: hi

  i'm a hungarian guy who's learning english in london and interested about poker. i've been playing about for two months. do you know any computer programme or web site where i can practise the main pot-side pot thing. i think i know it but when i'm playing one of the players definetely knows it better and doing it quickly. if you do you can send ma the details?

  thanks Laszlo Kohegyi
• Lead Inserts In Chips
  Question: I saw a question posted on your site about 11.5 gram chips having a lead insert. Well i do have a set of these, in fact i have 2. I love them. I was j/w the bad side to the lead insert. Thanx.
• Odds Calculations With Regards To Other Hands
  Question: I was trying to figure out how to calculate odds and i pretty much understand except for one part. How do you consider your outs when your playing with 3 other people. If you are dealt pocket jacks , you may have trouble calculating because it is possible somebody else may have your jack. When you are calculating during a game, how do you get past this possibility?
• Kickers - Best Five Cards Win
  Question: Webmaster,

  This hand came up last night at my house and we argued about who wins for at least an hour and still feel we didn't get it right. Hopefully you could answer this.

  OK 2 players left player A has K 2 don't worry about the suits because that never came into question player B has K 9 the 5 community cards are A K J 10 5

  My question is who wins the pot and why?

  Thanks

  Carlos

• Check Raise Ethics Cont...
  Question: I found the earlier question on this very interesting. You answer was correct of course, but I thought I'd give a bit of 'historical' perspective. Giving away my age, but even though I'm new to online poker I learned the game as a kid some 50 years ago. In my home, a weekend home game of 5-7 players was fairly common. Most of the players were middle-aged or older (so we're talking about folks born roughly 100 years ago +/-), and many were immigrants though long in this country. The games were always draw or 5 or 7 stud, and hi-low was popular. Don't even know if holdem had been invented back then. I watched games, fascinated, as far back as I can remember and was allowed (occasionally) to join in about when I became a teen-ager.
• Heads Up Showing Losing Cards
  Question: Like a lot of other people I thank you for the great site, I've learned a lot quite quickly thanks to you. I recently held a small Holdem tourney and at one point two players went heads-up (no all in). Player 1 raised, player 2 re-raised and Player 1 immediately called and showed his hand. Player 2 acknowledged the loss but didn't show her hand. Player 1 threw a fit and said that he had paid to see her cards by calling her re-raise and everyone looked to me for the call because I was host. I said that in a heads=up where no-one went all in only the caller was required to show their cards. Was I correct?

  Thanks Again for the great site and the time taken to answer my question.

  Gregory

  Vashon Is., WA.

• How Do Blinds Work?
  Question: Question on Blinds:

  Say you are playing a 10/20 game. The person in the small pays how much? 5? Is it half of the smaller number?

  The big blind pays 10? Equal to whatever the small number/firsst number is?

  Cards are then dealt.

  First person "under the gun" has to call for at least 10? or is it 20?

  What does the 2nd number stand for?

  Thanks

  Matt

• A Few Tells
  Question: Hey i was searching the web to find sites that would help me play poker better and i found your site and i learned so stuff that i didnt know before. Well anyway here is my question:

  what are some physical tells of a person that you would notice at a poker table that someone is bluffing or has a strong hand?

  And Also: who are you are you a pro at poker or just a person that goes to tablerooms and casinos alot like me.

• New Holdem Player Story
  Question: Hi Webmaster Just thought I'd drop u a line. Firstly, your site is the best around by miles! It's user friendly, informative and very useful. I've been playing no-limit hold'em for 15 days as of writing this! The only other card games I've ever played are bridge, black jack and whist (all for money) so am quite used to gambling and the stresses etc. I also play chess, to a high standard. Oh, and I am from the UK.
• Poker Site Recommendation For New Player
  Question: I have been playing poker for almost a year and i feel like i am ready to play in some real money internet websites. From reading your site, which is great might i add, i see that you play a good amount of internet poker. What sites do you recommend to play in. i ask this because i have heard things about nonsecure sites and people being able to steal credit card numbers and the like. Being far from any casinos i am very anxious to start and was looking for a good website to play in. Also, which sites have players that have done poker research or players you would label "experirnced" players. I have found in my home games and on play money tables i play extremly bad to people with little knowledge in poker. Thanks in advance and keep up the great site.

  Evan

• Order Of Betting After Flop
  Question: What is the order of betting after the Flop? Is it the first person to the left of the dealer or the first person to the left of the big blind?
• Clarification On Two Pair Vs Two Pair
  Question: Hey, first of all, great poker site.

  Now, I am not fully sure on when kickers come into play. I know for things such as straights, flushes, and full houses, there are no kickers since those hands are already 5 cards, but other than that I'm not 100% sure.

  Pairs, 2 pairs, 3 of a kind, 4 of a kind, when are kickers used? I thought I understood completely, but then I read an old question on your site which confused me....

• Further Book Suggestions
  Question: I've bought some books through your website. Do want to thank you for your suggestion and great website. I've read: Winning Low Limit Hold'em (Lee Jones), Hold'em Excellence (Lou Krieger), The Theory of Poker (David Sklansky).
• AA and KK Play In Tourney Vs Cash Game
  Question: I'm sure you get plenty of questions about AA and KK...but here's one more.

  The game is No Limit Hold'em. I usually play in 10 person tournaments live (friends), and low limit cash games on line.

  My question is: Do you play AA and KK differntly in cash games vs. tourni style?

• Home Game Side Betting Ban
  Question: I'm hosting a first time game for up to 8 players with a dealer (a great guy for doing so) and to keep it simple, can I declare no side bets or is that taboo? Great site BTW, I'm trying to read the whole site and using it as a guideline for my group.

  "Competitive golf is played mainly on a five-and-a-half-inch course, the space between your ears." -Bobby Jones

• Enter Tourney Late / No Limit Min. Bet
  Question: This is a very informative site, thank you. I have two questions. First: At a home game of holdem(buy-in, winner take all) is it possible to allow someone to enter into game late .....even if you are allowing additional buy-ins.

  Second: In "no-limit" TH, if you bet more than min. does that become new min bet. If so can you explain in what situation that could be.

• Chopping Pots Between All-in Players
  Question: Hello.

  I know you've had this question asked many times, but I couldn't really seem to find the answer because all of the situations described have been the reverse.

• WSOP Chip Leader Always Calls Smaller Stack
  Question: Ok, I'm pretty much a brand new player, and have learned to play just by watching a couple episodes of the WSOP. It always seems like when the player with a greater amount of chips calls a player with a lesser amount all in, that player calls and puts in all their chips. Do they have to, or do I just never see them fold?
• How Much To Bet In NL
  Question: Dear sir:

  I read an article in Card Player Mag. several months ago about, what percentage of your stack to bet in different situations and different stages of it. I have heard players say" that was to large of a bet drawing at a flush/top pair ect" Could go over that?

  V/R Tom B

• Losing At Low Limit Holdem
  Question: I'm wondering how you can play $.05/$.1 (cheap, yes, i'll move up a little after I get use to it) limit games online at Pacific Poker and win money. The players are so loose there it amazes me, but I'm a pretty tight player. I always raise with a good hand but they always call, and I always seem to get bad beated on the river. Are they somehow cheating, maybe the people at Pacific Poker. I'm barely breaking even, but I know I could rake in a lot more considering the poor competition. Am I the one at fault? If you can give me advice, I'd greatly appreciate it.

  -Mike

• Revealing Cards Before Showdown
  Question: In No Limit Holdem, after one is has gone all-in, is it ever advantageous to reveal your hand?
• Raising All-in With Less Then Min Bet
  Question: I have a question on betting:

  We have seen the flop. Player A has $20, Player B has $8, Player C has $20

  Player A first to act bets $5, player B raises all-in $8.

  Question is, as this is technically a raise (which would normally be a minimum of $10), is the bet to Player C $8 or $10???

  Mike.

• Check Raise And 3 Bet Definitions
  Question: Hello K,

  Thanks again for all your insight an knowledge.

  The following is straight from one of your articles (Texas Hold'em Raising

  - Information/Slow Someone Down).

  "Or you may want to check raise them and see if they three bet you."

  Can you please give me an example of this. Have only been playing for 2 months. Still have a mental block on what exactly a "check raise" is and what are the 3 bets.

  Thanks in advance for your help,

  Charles

• Watching Other Players
  Question: Hi there

  Congratulations on such a great site - an excellent poker resource.

  -------------

• Required To Show Both Cards At Showdown?
  Question: Can you only show one card at the showdown if you think that is all you need to win or do you have to show both cards at the same time?

  An example who be like if I have a full house, but only flip over one card showing that I have three of a kind instead of showing that I have a full house. Do I have to show the full house or do I only have to show the three of a kind if it will win the hand for me?

• Betting AK unimproved to the river
  Question: AT FULL TABLE 20/40 LIMIT I HAD FOLLOWING SITUATION.

  I WAS ON FIRST POSITION WITH AKs .I REISED .I HAD 2 CALLERS BEHIND ME. FLOP WAS 10 4 9.I BET AGAIN PLAYER BEHIND ME FOLDED ANOTHER ONE CALLED.TURN WAS 4 AND I BET AGAIN HOPPING TO TAKE POT RIGTH THERE. UNFORTUNATELY HE CALLED.RIVER WAS J AND I BET AGAIN. HE CALLED AND SHOW PAIR OF 2.I WAS PLAYING AGRESIVE TRYING TO GET THAT PLAYER TO FOLD.SHOULD I PLAYED DIFFERENTLY????

  THANK YOU

  BRIAN

• Raking Home Games
  Question: If you are holding the games at your house with your equip. is it wrong to take $5. off the top to help pay for things. can you give me your take on the house taking a small fee.
• Milk A Set In A Tourney?
  Question: First off, I'd like to compliment you on your site. Along with the help of your site and experience, my game is really improving. Anyways, my question deals with heads up play. I just recently made it to the final two players in a tournament and I had pocket 8's. I matched an 8 on the flop so I was sitting pretty with 3 of a kind, but there was a possible straight draw. I slow played figuring my oppenent wouldn't catch anything. Bad move on my part. He caught the straight and won. In this situation, do I milk the pot and get the most I can out of my opponent or do I raise high so he folds? I'm guessing the chances of there being a straight draw along with my 3 of a kind happening often are fairly slim. Would it be wise to milk the pot with 3 of a kind when there's no straight draw and bet strong when there is a straight draw?

  Thanks for your time

• Early Tourney Testing/Draws In No Limit...
  Question: first question how often do you play against world class talent? monthly or wekkly or not really just wondering
• What Is A Rake
  Question: what is rake in holdem and how does it work
• Creative Play At Upper Limits
  Question: I STEADY PLAY AT ATLANTIC CITY IN UPPER LIMIT RING GAMES. I DID GREAT UNTILL I START BEING CREATIVE.THERE ARE SO MANY WEIRD PEOPLE THAT COME IN AND OUT OF GAME THAT IS ALMOST IMPOSIBLE TO DEVELOP ADAPTIVNES TO PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT OF REALITY AND IT SEEMS THAT THEY THINK ENY CARDS CAN WIN. QUESTION. LETS SAY YOU PLAY IN INVIROMENT LIKE THIS WHERE YOU WOULD HAWE TO DEVELOP MONEY MAKING STRATEGY THAT MAY NOT BE EXCITING AND CREATIVE BUT IT WOULD BE REWARDING ON LONG RUN AND IT WOULD CREATE STABE CONTINUOUS STRATEGY THAT WILL BE PROFITABLE IN SMALL INCREMENTS. BRIAN
• Announcing Hand At Showdown?
  Question: In poker do cards always play themselves and specifically in Texas hold'em do cards play themselves or is it up to the player to determine what there best 5 card hand is?

  Thanks for your help!

  MB

• WPT Commentator Location
  Question: Excellent site and has sorted out some queries we've had in home games.

  I have got a couple of questions which hopefully you might have the answers for......

  1) When it goes to heads up in Texas Hold'em am I right in thinking that the small blind is now on the button as opposed to the left? If so, do you know why this is?

  2) In the TV WPT final table screenings, the two commentators are in the same room as the table and don't seem to have any sort of divide or sound-proofing - how the hell do the players not hear them? This one has been bugging me!!!!

  Thanks for your help.

  Alex.

• Odds With Regard To Folded Cards
  Question: Here's my question:

  I don't want to beat an old horse to death, but this just bugs the hell out of me;

  When I see the writers like sklansky talking about "odds" and "implied odds"

• Proper Holdem Dealing
  Question:

  1st question - Could you please explain the proper dealing of all dealt and discarded cards. In watching various hold'em shows, I've notice the dealer doesn't deal every card out. Cards are taken off the top of the deck and set aside. Could you please run through a scenario of how all cards should be dealt? Also, what is the proper card etiquette, if any, involving cutting cards?

  2nd question - Given the situation where two players are holding Q4 and Q6, with QQ467 on the table, does the pair come into play? Is this similar to your answer regarding the Ace high flush (AKJ94) on the table, when one person has a matching 6 and the other a matching 2, but the matching 6 wins?

  Thanks for your answers.

  Tim

• Ace Counting As High And Low
  Question: Ok me and sum of my friends got into an argument over this one. One of my friends had a King and an Ace and on the flop ther was a 1 2 and 3. He says that counts as a straight because it loops and I say that it doesnt. Which is it?

  Thanks

• Fairness and The Best Five Card Rule
  Question: Hi,

  I've just recently started getting into the nuiances of poker, particularly texas hold-um and during one of our games we ran into a debate.

  The hypothetical situation we have been arguing overs was the community cards making a winning hand like a straight 10JQKA in the community cards with player 1 with an Ace and whatever card vs player 2 who has 5 and 7

• Pot Limit Set of Tens and The WSOP
  Question: I've recently been playing $25 PL online. I got tired of the single tabel tournament grind. Well....I have done very well playing two table, pretty tight, taking a few bad beats but having fun. Just wanted your opinion on a hand I lost. 5 players in and I have $64 (largest stack). I get 10 10. I raise to pot amount($2.75) and four call. Flop comes 10d Qc Kc. Player bets into me $2. I raise to $5. My worries are the straight and flush draws of couse. Player after me raises to $10 and the next two players go all in for their remaining money which was about $15. Now the oringinal better goes all in for $25. I know I'm beat but with a board pair or the 10 I know I have it. This has turned into a $110 pot and If I raise it would be even more as I know the others would call. A raise is out of the question in my book and I have my mouse pointer in the fold button. I decided with the pot odds I have to call. I don't get the boat and no club shows. The guy after me was wired with AJ. Did I make the right play or should I have layed it down.?The good news is I get AA on next hand and the guy who won the huge pot has KK. We re-raise till I'm all in for $28. He doesn't catch and I recoup some loss. I left after that hand. Blood pressure was getting too high....hahaha.
• Expected Value
  Question: HELLO! I AM WRITING THIS EMAIL TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR RESPONSE ON A PREVIOUS EMAIL THAT I HAD WRITTEN INQUIRING ABOUT POKER TELLS (PREFLOP.) ALSO, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT "EXPECTED VALUE." I HAVE FOUND MANY SITES THAT MENTION IT YET NONE THAT EXPLAIN IT THOROUGHLY OR HOW IT IS USED. COULD YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN:
• Pot Odds Equations
  Question: Thank you for your quick and detailed reply. The poker community is thankful to have someone like you who is willing to take time out of his busy schedule to answer questions from beginners like myself. I would like to add a suggestion to your future article pertaining to the subject of Hold em or Fold em, Calculating Pot Odds; while you seem to be a word problem solver, I am more of an equation solver (ie. you like the "bobby has two cents and jane has three", where as I do better with the simplified "2+3=5"). In light of your response, I believe I have figured out the mathematical equivalent to your examples of figuring out pot odds:
• Being Aggressive Versus Passive
  Question: Hi,

  I've been playing Holdem for about 12 months, mainly online. In live games i think i can pick out what kind of players are at my table whether they are weak, aggressive/loose... etc, When i play, i play pretty tight. But i was very surprised to once hear someone call me a tight/passive player, i have heard it alot since.

• Everyone goes all-in, who gets second place
  Question: Here is the situation:

  Three players are left in the game.

  Two players go all in and the third player calls.

  The third player wins the hand. Which eliminates the other two players.

  What determines second place?

• NL All-in Fest
  Question: Hi,

  Great site...lots of good info.

  Got a question:

  What to do during NL: Holdem tournament play when its an all in fest, right from the beginning to the latter stages. I do well when I get to see the flop, but when you leave it up to chance, its just that. If I wait them out and play tight, I become so far behind in chips I have to go all in or get bullied by the big stacks. If I play the all in game its just a matter of chance, sometime I make it, and sometimes I don't. What is your suggestion on how to handle this?

  Thanks,

  John

• NL Strategy
  Question: Dear webmaster,

  The other night after suffering a series of losses on William Hill Poker (an english poker room) I decided to read some articles. I have been playing poker for some time now, ive read a few books, and after a bit of searching on google I came across your site.

• KQ in $20/40
  Question: YOUR SITE IS GREAT.I THINK YOUR INFORMATIONS ARE WERY REALISTIC BACKEDED WITH YEARS OF EXPIRIENCE. QUESTION. IN 20/40 LIMIT GAME WITH FULL TABLE HOW WOULD YOU PLAY KQ IN FRONT MIDDLE AND LATE POSITION?

  LETS ASSUME FLOP DOESNOT IMPROVE THOSE CARDS.ARE THOSE CARDS PLEYABLE AFTER FLOP AND IF THEY ARE HOW REFERING TO MENTIONED POSSITIONS?

• No Limit Bluffing
  Question: I've been playing poker for many years now at casinos and with friends and family and have always been a good player(based on money made, and what others tell me). I have a very good grasp of odds and general game play, but after reading your article on playing no-limit holdem, I realized I probably played too much with my head(odds,good starting cards,etc) and not enough with my instincts. I have made some adjustments and want to show you two situations I have recently been in.
• Showing Cards Heads Up
  Question: To Whom This May Concern,

  First of all I am a tenderfoot in the game of Texas Hold'em and to the game of poker in general. The home games I was playing in focused on the gimmick games which provided fun but took no skill what so ever. About a year ago I started studying and playing Hold'em. Now my question, I was on a three -six table at the Nugget casino in Sparks Nevada. The dealer joined the game on his break. I was on the button holding A,5 suited. I raised the blind and had three callers, one of which was this dealer guy, who was seated to my right. Flop came J, 5, 2 rainbow with no cards of my suited pocket. The table checked to me, I bet, all three called. The turn brought a 7. The table checked to me again, I bet, two folded and the dealer guy called. The river brought a 3. Now it gets interesting, Dealer guy bets, I raise representing a pair of Jacks …

• All-In Type Player
  Question: I am a frequent internet player and I have come up against an interesting player. I usually play the .10 - .25 no-limit ring game with a $25 buy-in. A certain player that I see quite frequently plays an "all-in" or nothing game. He waits patiently for good cards and goes all in regardless of the amount of money he has at the table. I sit waiting for AA to call the bet because I have seen many people get burned by him. Unfortunately, any time I have got the Aces he never has a hand. How would you handle this type of player?

  Thanks

• Online Multi-Table Tourneys
  Question:I have been playing the odd multi table tournament recently and I have some questions for you.
• Talking While Hand In Play
  Question:In a game of holdem, three 8's were on the board. Two guys were still in the hand. One of the guys bet big trying to bluff that he had the other 8.

  The problem was, one of the players who folded let it be known that he already folded the other 8. The guy who made the big bluff didn't know that and lost big.

  I don't know if it was accidental or not but what is the rule about this?

  Thanks

• Asking To See Folded Hands
  Question:I now see you had already answered my previous question on one of your prior FAQ postings. However, I stumbled across this site. They say that you only have to show your hand to someone that has called or raised:
• Not Having Enough Money For Blinds
  Question: In spread games, is it possible to be the big blind, but not having enough money to put it up? For example, You have $500, but the big blind is $1000. Are you forced to leave the table, since you cannot buy-in? If you are forced to leave, do you keep your $500? Maybe, you are all-in?
• No Limit Betting Amounts
  Question: I've started to hold a home No limt game, which goes down quite well and we all enjoy it. However, every now and then a problem rears its ugly head, that no one seems to be able to solve (because of our joint inexperience with the game). We have a system of raising blinds every 15 minutes. This keeps the game time to around 1 - 1.5 Hours. Which is ideal. This means we can have 3 or 4 tournaments in a session, and nobody is out for too long.
• Mike Caro's Book Of Tells
  Question 1: Seth sucks and his suck is a shining example of what not to do. Why, pray tell, did you remove this hideous fool from your Q&A, so that others may not repeat his unbelievably stupid mistake?

  Question 2: I've memorized Caro's Book of Poker Tells, and I know that you aren't affiliated with it. How reliable is that thing?

  Thank you,

  Mike

  New Orleans, LA

• Over Thinking The Pot
  Question: Thanks for the site. Very informative.

  I'm a very inexperienced player. I've been playing all kinds of poker games since I was a kid, mostly nickel and dime fun games and whatnot. Recently I've been playing more on-line and a weekly game with 6-9 players. I'm trying to learn more about Texas Holdem but it seems the more I learn, the more I over-analyze the situation. I consistantly assume my opponent has a better hand and analyze their betting stragey accordingly. I think this is hindering me from calling out some bluffs and properly analyzing my opponents betting and playing strategies. Is this a good analyzing method to start from? Or should I start over? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

  Thanks,

  Paranoind Player #9

• Pocket Nines
  Question: Hello,

  I just want to vent, and also to get your input on my assessment on my bad play.

• When to holdem, when to foldem
  Question: First off, I'd like to thank you for such an informative and comprehensive site for the beginner in Texas Holdem. Like so many others, I have seen the media frenzy on the game and have since become addicted to not only watching, but playing it. Your site has probably been the most valuable of all other sources of information for me.
• UB Algorithm Cont...
  Question: Hi great and merciful webmaster,

  I read with interest the question regarding Ultimate Bet's Algorithm and I'd like to make a couple of points, if you don't mind.

• Online poker players opinions
  I just answered a couple questions from people who had issues with some online sites where they play cards. I'm curious to see what everyone's opinions are.
• Final 3-4 Players
  Question: I regularly play in No Limit Texas Hold'em Tournaments with friends. We usually have about 8 people and are low stakes with just a 5 dollar buy in. I feel i am a decent player and have read a number of poker books, and i do win more than my share of times. But one thing i realized is that i really have no clue how to play once it gets down to 3-4 players. I was wondering if u have adjusted starting hand rankings for fewer players or could give me some idea how many hands become playable in this situation. Thanks for the help!
• Blind Structure For No Limit Tourney Home Game
  Question: Hello:

  Your opinion and expertise, please, as to what the BIG and SMALL blind structure might be for No Limit Hold'Em home games.

  The buy-ins are $5 for $500 in chips; $10 for $1,000 in chips; $15 for $1,500 in chips; $20 for $2,000 in chips; $25 for $2,500 in chips. We might also have occasional games of $50 for $5,000 or $100 for $10,000 in chips..

  Also, please advise as to what the ante might be for these games.

  These are friendly games - players have various levels of playing experience.

  Your site is Great! Thanks for some very valuable info.

  Warm regards,

  Big Time Bill

• Very Loose Low Limit Games
  Question: Our local $1-2 limit game is rather loose with most everyone calling on anything. Callers range from 6-10 with an 8 avg on most all hands. Occasionly a pair will stand up but it seems that I am getting beat by trips or better regularly. Please advise what the probility of each type of hand is from straight flush (100%) on down to A or other single card high and how does this vary by # of players calling pre-flop? David Bennett- Ft. Myers,FL
• Folding Winners
  Question: I need help getting to that next level and when I mean "Next Level" I mean winning. I am a decent player who is learning how to play. I usually make to the payout level or the Final two people, but I just can't seal the deal. Like last night in my weekly game. I am in the final two again we started with 10 players. I am heads up against a buddy and I am getting decent card and I am trying to be aggressive. First bad hand is I have a straight on the river with 3 hearts and a spade. Now he did not bet on the flop he only called me and he keeps checking his card so I think he is only on a flush draw. So I put a huge bet out there about half of my chips ($2400.00), it would cost him a considerable amount of his chips as well. Of course he calls and he hits his flush. Later I hit a straight (10-9-8-7-6) again on the flop. This time I am all in ($3000) he calls with A8 and turn and river come 2-J, meaning we chop the pot, another opportunity wasted. Last hand, I have J7s(hearts) he has K2o Flop is J-7h-2h, I go all in. He calls with nothing. He hits one of two Kings on the river. Game Over.
• Do you have to use both cards in holdem?
  Question: in texas holdem do you have to use the two cards that are given to you, or can you use just one of them.
• Ace high flushes
  Question: If two players hold pocket clubs and the ACE of CLUBS falls in the cimmunity cards, that means that flush is an ace high flush, but will it be shared by both players no matter if one player has the king.

  Exaplin to me the rules considering a flush when the ACE of that suit is on the table?

• Position Question
  Question: Position question....

  I have seen lots of info saying it is "better" to be on the button or in late position, & also that you should play "Tight" early & loose late. It would seem that playing loose early is better, & I often see that on "TV" tournaments.

  It seems that often the only way to win some hands in early position is to play loose, bet big & scare the other guys out of the pot. If I'm holding J8, & the Flop comes AQ8 or even Q 10 7, It seems the only way to take the pot is to place a big bet. This will often fold those not on an Ace.

  If one were to play tight in early position, it seems the button/late would place the big bet & I would fold..... Your Thoughts??

• All-in Questions
  Question: 4 players are in for the flop

  one with the least amount of money goes all in

  the 3 others all call

  question....Does the player who went all in have to reveal his cards after he is through betting or at the end of the game when the others are through betting?

  question 2.... If the person who went all in has the best hand do the additonal bets go back to whomever made them or does the second best hand get to win the bets beyond the amount that he has put in?

• Rock Vs Weak Tight
  Question: Yo,

  I was just reading over the Basic Texas Holdem Strategy article, and I can't seem to figure out what the difference between a Weak-Tight player and a Rock is. They look pretty similar. Thanks!

  Mike

  New Orleans, LA

• Definition of Wired Pairs
  Question: Dear Sirs:

  Last night, the "host" of a poker game on TV, keep saying that this or that player had "wired pairs"

  It seemed to be on any pair, 2's, 5's, 9's etc.

  I cannot find this term. Does it have a special meaning?

  Thank you.

  Thomas Bower

• Home Tourney Blind Structure
  Question: I have recently been playing in a tournament with usually 8-10 players. We've been starting at about 10 and ending as late as 5 in the morning. We start with probably 600-700 chips. Our blinds have been 5-10 until we get 4 or 5 people left. How should we do blinds as far as number and should we ante and blind to speed up play? Also with 16 people and the same number of chips what's good for blinds and combining to one table? With all of these questions though I would like to maintain everyone having a good time and not being out within minutes.

  Thank you,

  Blake

• Best Five Cards - Three Pair
  Question: I have a question regarding the rule of "the best five card" hand. Is there such a rule as the highest five cards. I'll try to illustrate it with an example…I hope I get it right.
• Two Pair - Kickers Matter
  Question: I had two pair 9h9s and 7d7c my friend had 9h9c and 7d7h. The 5 cards on the board were 9h7dQs3d6c. So my friend and I had a tie which we then solved by going to our kicker. He had a Jd and I had a 10h. So we assumed he won the pot. But another friend said he did not win because the our kickers did not matter since neither of them were higher than the Qs. My friend said we split the pot. Is that right?
• Playing JJ In A Tourney
  Question: Thank you for the comments to my last question. Your website is a great source of information for me.
• Hand Analysis
  Question: Hi there,

  I really enjoy your site. I've been playing on-line for a short while, playing $2/4 trying to develop a tight, aggressive style based on a lot of the writings on your site, as well as some of the references you've provided. I had a series of hands yesterday that I'd like to share with you, both for your advice as to how I played as well as just to vent a little bit. Here are the hand histories of three hands that I saw within a half hour of each other. I'm otilt, in Seat 8.

• A5s
  Question: Hi, in your "Basic Texas Hold'Em Strategy" section, you mention that A5s is a pretty good hand for hitting straights and flushes. I was under the impression though that you couldn't use wrap-around straights (A2345) in Hold'Em. Also, if you can use them, is JQKA2 a valid wrap-around straight?
• Patience
  Question: dear Sir,

  I enjoy reading your articles very much and the q&a section as well, I've found it to be a very good source of information and I wish you well with it. My question to you would be this: Are there any tips you can give me for being patient during a tournament or even in reg ring play, because If Ive learned one thing patience is something you need a lot of, and sometimes I just dont have it. Looking forward to hearing any and all response you have to this question.

  Sincerely,

  Roderick.

• Rebuy Questions
  Question: Great site, lots of good info.

  I am playing my first multi table no limit tourney next week. It's an $80 buy in with unlimited $50 re buys for the first 90 minutes and a $50 add on at 90 minutes. There are 4 qualifying sessions of around 250 people, and the top 25 from each session advance to the finals. The blinds go up every 15 minutes, which is pretty fast, so my questions are these:

• Home Tourney Time Frame
  Question: Great site, love to read the question and answers section. I run a home game at my house once a month. 50$ buy in with one $25 rebuy, I get 16 to 21 people everytime and like they say if you have it they will come. You start out with 3500 in Tourney chips and the blind structure is 25-50, 50-75, 50-100, 75-125, 75-150, 100-200, 2-3 all the way to 1000 and then 1000-2000 and so on. the blinds are 15 min and depending on how it's going I sometime drop it to 10 minute in later rounds. Obviously it's a long tournament but I want people do get some value for there money. Currently it's been lasting about 7 hours and I'm trying to shave about an hour off. It starts at 5pm and runs till about midnight. I've had 3 tournaments thus far and I keep tweaking it a little each time, so it's almost dialed in. When people leave they always have a great time so I guess it's a success. If you have any Ideas for my tournament please feel free to say so. I figured I would share with you the way I run my home game.

  Thanks Sean

• AK vs 88
  Question: I just had a question for you...some friends and I were playing last night and I wagered against one of my friendsin this dispute. I held pocket 8's and went all in. There were four people in the hand...(before the flop)..my buddy called me with Ace King Offsuit. I exclaimed that i had made a good choice because as long as nobody had pockets I would immediately have over a fifty percent chance of beating them. Whether it be 51 or whatever. (as you a see often on TV when they show the percentage they will win the hand next to it). My freind disagreed and said the Ace King was favored in our game. I am right correct? Thanks.
• Ultimate Bet Algorithm
  Question:First, I want to thank you for your site. It's very imformative and from an old-time poker player, it's taught an old dog a few new tricks. I've been playing poker on and off for about 35 years. Never in hi limit pots and for many years, I didn't shuffle a deck of cards. Recently, I've started playing texas holdem online, generally in the freerolls at Ultimatebet.com. Most of the freerolls have 800 or more players and I've come in in the top 10 many times and won a couple. I think I'm ready to move on to the $ tables although, I've never really had a trusting feeling playing against computer generated cards. Here's an observation I've made while playing at UB. I've recently been tracking this and it's scary to think I may have found something out about their algorithm. If I have an open end straight on the flop the turn is either one card AWAY from completing my straight OR it pairs a card of the flop. Example, I have 9/10 and the flop is 8/J/3 the turn will be 6, K or pair the 8, J or 3. When tracking these open ends straights, this happened 81 of 100 hands!! The river sometimes follows this trend if the turn paired a flopped card and will be one from completing my straight. I've talked to a mathematician who plays at UB and he is now watching for the same thing. This is quite a strange phenomenon and I'd like your input on the subject. Can one feel safe playing at the online poker sites? I know there are several blacklists of online casinos available but as of yet, haven't read much on them.

  Again, thanks for your site and your time.

• Wild Games
  Question: HI

  FROM YOUR ANSWERS AND READING ARTICLES FROM YOUR EXPIRIENCE I CAN SEE THAT WE HAWE COMPARABLE PATH IN POKER.IT IS HARD WORK AND PEOPLE NEED TO HAWE MENTAL ABILITY TO LOOK AT THINGS FROM DIFFERENT ASPECTS BUT I CAN SAY TABLE EXPIRIENCE AT DIFFERENT SITUATIONS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT.AS BUSSINES OWNER IN WERY TECHNICAL FIELD I LEARN EWERY DAY .I FOUND TEXAS HOLDEM MENTALY COMPARABLE WITH WHAT I DO AND I DO GET BETTER EWERY TIME I PLAY AND I LEARN AND I SAY IF I CAT LEARN AND FEEL CHALANGE I KNOW EWERYTHING AND I AM LONG WAY FROM IT.

• Comparing Full Houses
  Question: In a hand of Texas Hold Em the other night the following situation came up:
• Are Some Poker Sites Rigged?
  Question:

  I was reading another on-line poker advice column and one of the statements the writer made was that "some" on-line poker sites use BOTS (i have no idea what this means, except I understood it to mean the site wasn't random) - It did not list any of them, but said if we played on any of them we would "know they were fixed" - I know poker is a game of tough beats, and bad players getting lucky, but I have had days where no matter how I seem to play, the other guy catches the only card to save them, or I will miss what seems like 20 draws (when i've read that i have a 1/4 chance to hit on a flush or open ender straight) - I've also been on the other end when i've caught the only card in the deck that could have helped me...But these things don't seem random - At least, they don't happen as often in real card rooms (for me) as i've seen on-line - (my favorite is how a bad player seems to catch the only thing in the deck that will save his all in just 1 last time...He tends to lose it eventually, but they seem to get lucky a couple times before they go broke)

  I guess my question is, how do you know if a site you are playing on-line is legitimate? And do you know what BOTS are? (My thought was Buying Out Too Soon - like cashing out your chips that you are ahead - I've noticed my "bad" online days seem to be after I cash out some profits...This could be totally random, but I wanted to ask -

• Not Raising Because of Rake
  Question: I was in a no limit game online. I am heads up and by the river, there is an A high straight on the table. There aren't three card to a flush, so the nuts are on the table. My opponent checks. I go all in. He calls and we split the pot. He sends me a message asking why I did that telling me it just increases the rake so the casino ends up making more and we make less from the pot. The reason I did it was just in case my opponent didn't realize that it was a split pot since it was a low limit game. What would you do and is it true that the casino gets a larger rake?
• Poker Tells
  Question:HELLO! I HAVE BEEN PERUSING MANY WEBSITES DEALING WITH "TEXAS HOLD'EM" POKER, BUT HAVE FOUND YOURS TO BE THE "TOP DOG." ALTHOUGH I HAVE FOUND THIS TO BE TRUE, I HAVE YET TO FIND MUCH INFORMATION ABOUT TELLS THAT OCCUR BEFORE THE FIRST THREE COMMUNITY CARDS HAVE BEEN DEALT. I HAVE READ THAT THE TIME SPENT PEEKING AT POCKET CARDS CAN BE A TELL, HOWEVER I HAVE HEARD BOTH WAYS; THAT IS, PEEKING FOR A LONGER THAN NORMAL TIME MOST LIKELY SIGNIFIES POOR CARDS TRYING TO ACT STRONG, AND THAT IT IS A SUBCONCIOUS REACTION TO VALUABLE CARDS. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY INFORMATION THAT YOU COULD POSSIBLY GIVE ME ON PRE-FLOP AND/OR ANY POKER TELLS. I THANK THEE AND HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!
• What does Kx mean?
  Question:I enjoy your site!

  In your "Basic Texas Hold'em Strategy page 5 what is the meaning of X as in X9,s-X5s, XX, AX,QX ?

• Definition of early,middle, late position
  Question: Please define early, mid and late position Vs the number of players.
• All-in player revealing cards
  Question: My question is to whether a player who has already went all-in before the end of the hand and is waiting for the remaining players involved in the side pot to finish betting can flip over his cards.An example of this is that Player 1 has $20 Player 2 has $30 and Player 3 has $5. If at the beginning of the hand before the flop if player 3 goes all in and player 1 and 2 call. Because player 3 is now not involved in any betting action and is waiting for the betting to end can he reveal his cards.
• Tournament buy-in definition
  Question: I am a new player. Can you explain buy-in for a tournament with an example. What does $30 + 5 (etc) mean?
• Three of a Kind - Breaking Tie
  Question: I was at a family reunion last weekend and was playing Texas Holdem with some of the guys and a hand was dealt where another player and myself both had three sevens. My second card which I was dealt was a king the other players second card was a jack. No other community card was higher than my king and I felt I WON the pot outright but some of the other players said that I had to split the pot because it was a tie, which I did. Who was right?
• Addition To Small Pocket Pair Strategy
  Question: Just wanted to add something to the Small Pocket Pairs question posted on 22/06.

  In fixed limit games, depending on position I would call provided there's been no raise (especially if it's quite a tight game). Then if I hit on the flop I would call them down, if not it's check/fold time.

  In pot limit I would be careful not to overestimate what I have, and not get committed

  In no limit I would only ever play if there were plenty of other callers pre-flop.

  Does this seem a sensible approach??

  ML.

• Who Wins The Side Pot Money
  Question: Great site by the way

  My question is about side pots:

• Beating Pocket Aces
  Question: We all know the feeling when you go all-in pre-flop only for someone to call and turn over bullets. I have seen them beaten, but very rarely. I am interested to find out what the probability is of overturning them, but I get confused because of all the permutations. Please could you calculate the odds for the following scenarios:
• Comfortable Bankroll
  Question: ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU

  YOUR SITE IS GREAT

  YOUR OPINION

  I CAME TO CONCLUSION THAT EWEN BEFORE PLAYING I NEED TO COME UP WITH FIRM DECISION HOW WHEN IS TIME TO LEAVE AND IT SHOWS THAT IS ONE OF HARD DECISIONS TO MAKE UNLESS IS LOGICLY PREPLANED IN YOUR OPINION

• Short Handed Strategy
  Question: Thank you for the information you've written on your site. I was wondering if you had any information about the strategy used when playing short handed. Most of what you read is for full tables of 9 people. But what happens when there are 3 or 4 players, or just heads up? Has anyone come up with statistics for which cards are best to play then? It would seem to me that going for straights and flushes would be less profitable in such situations for example. Are there any books on this subject that you know of?

  Also, I have looked all over for a hand held pocket poker game that you could play holdem on but havn't found any. Do you know where I can buy one?

  --Thanks

• Chance Of Overcards Hitting
  Question: dear poker master,

  i've been thinking a lot about this situation as it pertains to tourneys. what are the odds for the overcards hitting again? and how do you figure them out before the flop. i know that there is a 6 out of 47 and 6 out of 46 percent chance of hitting on the turn and river but how do you calculate for all three cards of the flrop?

  thanks

  andrew

• All-In Preflop With AA
  Question: I was recently playing in a home game with some new guys. I was dealt pocket AA's and raised just about $3. The next guy re-raised me $10. So I went all in with about $80. He called with pocket QQ's. Now I know AA's get cracked alot, but I felt pretty safe. Anyhow the flop came Ks,9h,4h. The turn was 6h. Finally the river was a 2 of hearts. He had made a flush because one Queen was a heart. I took my loss well because I actually expected to lose if he called. My questions are did I make the right call going all in and what are the odds of him beating me.
• No Limit 99 Against A Maniac
  Question: Please could you give me some advice on how I played this. Although I won, I still feel uncomfortable as I only went for the bet through intuition. Online poker, No-Limit, blinds $0.5/$1. I have just joined the table, so no idea how the others play.
• Using Info From People Acting Out Of Turn
  Question: I was in a game and I was first to bet after a flop. The person to the left of me checked the bet out of turn. The next person then bet. I watched to this point knowing they had played out of turn. At this point it was discovered that they bet out of turn. I watched them bet out of turn and used the info to decide my hand. I was told by someone at the table that I am forced to fold if I do this. Who is right? Aren't I allowed to take advantage of anothers common mistake?
• Splitting Uneven Pots
  Question: If there is an odd number of chips in the pot, and the pot is split (say, 105 due to the small blind folding or something), who gets the extra 5 and why? In our home game, we just throw the extra in the next pot, but I was wondering what the correct way to play it is.

  Thanks for the info.

  Greg

• WPT Final Table Chip Count
  Question: I was recently lookig at the WPT site and it had the listing for the final table at one of its touranments.

  It gave the starting chip count for the players, and each had a different amount sometimes one player would have double the chips of another.

  I understood tournaments to work as follows:

  You pay your entance fee and get a set amount of chips the same as any other player. And so any winnign player at a table would have the same number of chips to finnish as any other.

  How do these sometimes large differences come about and is it fair that some players at a final table have such a lage advantage in starting chips.

  Thanks for all the information your site provides; highly useful.

  Mike

• Revealing Cards Before Acting
  Question: I play weekly with some friends and recently we had an argument about a move a player made. Heres the situation, my friend and I were the only two players still in the hand and I said I was all-in. After sitting there quietly thinking for about a minute, he tosses over his cards revealing what he has. When I noticed this I immediately thought that meant he folded and I turned my cards over and started collecting the chips...he glanced at my hand quickly and nonchallantly called my all-in. He said it didn't matter if he threw his cards over or not cause he's just thinking whether to call it. But I took this gesture meaning that he folded. We immediately started arguing whether his gesture meant he folded and the pot was mine or I made a bad move by throwing my cards over. We played out the hand just to see who would of won it and he did.
• Forget Your Folded Hands
  Once you've folded, ignorance is probably bliss.Forgetting what you held is a very good idea, as it may very well prevent a tilt.

  Example: I was playing with a few friends the other night. I'm on the button. There's a lot of action going around the table before I'm up: a bet and two raises, and everyone who stayed in looked confident. When the action came around to me, I finally looked at my hole and there's two-seven offsuit staring me in the face. Since I have a working brain, I promptly folded.

• Playing With Aggressive Players
  Question: i hawe preaty good idea how to pl;ay texas holdem. thru discipline and rigth strategy i menage to be overall winner most of the time.basicly there is situation where i lose my ballance and few times i left with big loss.i am talking about limit game 60/120 or 75/150. last time i played on table against wery agresive people. i was doing ok untill i got tired and frustrated. they were winning pots on almost nothing and when i stayed in it seems ewery time they got better than me. no metter what i had and i always played high cards someone was beating me.it was wery expensive and depresing nigth. basicly what i am saing table full of agresive players trows me of ballance i just cant hawe run of cards with them. i like to be agreive myself with good cards but it seems if i do they are covering or beating me.i definitely need to develop winning strategy .i am getting idea to dont raise preflop with high cards just wait and go alone with their raises and then show winner on the end.it seems they want to control game just as i do sometime. maybe i hawe to be wery conservative wait and win few pots on good cards.that may create certain image and then they will start being so agresive.in 75/100 game to call them is exencive way to go.
• Small Pocket Pairs
  Question: Your website is a great source of information. Thank you.

  I have just recently started playing Texas Holdem and the playing of small pocket pairs intrigues me a little.

• Tourney Player To Cash Games
  Question: Wonderful site!

  I've been playing No-Limit Hold'em for about 1 year. 2 months ago I started playing on-line, $10-$20 sit and go tourni's. Although I have been profitable, it is a very difficult way to consistently win money. When you factor in the number of hours I've played it is not very profitable at all.

• Two Pair With Ace Kicker
  Question: Me and my uncle were playing Texas hold'em, and a tie occurred. there was two pairs on the board, three's and 8's. I bet a rather large sum, and my uncle called it. When we turned over our hands, we both had aces to make two pairs, aces high. However, he had a king as the next highest card, and I had a 10. He said that he wins the pot, because his 6th card was the highest. I said that the 6th card was irrelevant, and that we should split the pot. Who is correct in this situation?
• Split Pots On Full Houses
  Question:hi, last night when i was playing texas holdem

  Friend A had 6 of (Clubs) J of (Spades) and

  Friend B had 6 of (Hearts) 9 of (Diamonds)

  The Community was 6(Spades)A(Heats)A(Clubs)A(Diamonds)2(Hearts)

• Comparing Full Houses
  Question: Your site has great information. I have a question about Texas Hold'em. For example if the community cards comes out to be A-A-A-J-K and you have 4-4 and your friend has 5-5. Would we split the pot because we both made full house or would the person that has 5-5 win? Your answer is greatly appreciated. If you could forward the answer to fillipho@hotmail.com that will be appreciated as well.

  Poker Fan

• Defending Against Draws
  Question: In a recent online $50 no-limit tourney, I found myself dealt KdQd. the blinds were 100/200 at the time. I had 1800 chips. The BB was the table leader with 8000. There was one caller up to me. I rasied to 400. the SB folds. The BB calls, everyone else folded. The flop came Kh2d4h. I bet 600. I am quickly called by the BB. the turn is 4d. I now have 2 pair with a flush draw. I am a bit concerned by the 600 call. Here is where my question is. How do you advise playing a situation when you think you have the best hand and the other guy is on a draw. In my case I went all in. I was called. the BB the river was not a diamond. The BB showed a Jc4s. He takes the pot. I find myself in this situation at times. I don't want the guy to get cheap cards because hey may be on a draw, but if I bet too big and he has a made hand, I end up with a big loss. Any Advice for this type of situation.
• Exposing Cards Before Betting
  Question: I was playing a no limit heads up game, and the other player was dealing. After the river was dealt I went all in. The other player did not call, did not say anything, did not touch his chips at all, but turned his cards over. He feels he wins all the money, but I think at best he only wins the same amount from me that he has in the pot, and the rest of my all in bet returns to me. Could you please resolve this argument.

  Thank you,

  John P.

• Comparing Flushes
  Question:

  No limit Texas Hold'em

  Board cards are Ad-7d-5d-4d-2d

  Player one hole cards are Qd-6s

  Player teo hole cards are Jd-9h

  Is this pot split because both players have an Ace high flush, or does the player with the Qd win because it is higher than the Jd?

  It seems logical the Qd would win but we have different opinions.

  Thanks

  G Hobby

• Posting When Changing Tables In Tourney
  Question:

  NL tourney....When you are moved from one table to another, I understand that you cannot play small blind or play when you sit in on the button.

  However, how does it work after you sit out hand on the small blind and then deal moves to player on your left. Do you get dealt in or do you have to sit out another hand? Our tourneys do not make you pay the big blind when you are moved to another table.

  Thanks for your great site....

• Odds Of Improving Pocket Pairs
  Question: My question this time is about the odds of improving pocket cards. I have had a look at the table you provided under the heading 'Hand odds and probabilities' but it seems a little confusing, probably because of the poker terminology. I am basically interested in the odds of improving pocket hands. So, for example, if I am dealt a pocket pair I would like to know the odds of improving this by the flop, turn and river for all possible combinations. e.g.
• Check Raise Strategy
  Question: Dear Poker Wiseman

  i've recently been thinking a lot about how to maximize pot size but i find myself getting burned (losing with trips to a runner runner straight) regardless i just played a hand where i kicked myself for not doing what i think would have gotten me more money here is what i think i should have done under the circumstances

• Maniac's Synergy In Limit Holdem
  Question: I've noticed that multiple aggressive players have a synergy effect on each other. This really only applies in limit games.
• Pot Limit Strategy
  Question: Hello again!

  I am still using your excellent site to glean as much info as I can about holdem poker. My question relates to Pot Limit (which I play on line for play money) and Low Limit (which I play with my friends for a very small buy in fee) and the differences between them and strategies to employ.

• Missing AK on the flop
  Question: Thanks. I am getting addicted to your website. Here is an interesting situation I just had yesterday which shows the value of a post-flop raise.

  I have AK offsuit in relatively early position and raise it preflop. There are no raises and 4 stay for the flop. The flop is rags, 10-9-3 rainbow. Obviously, I have no hand but the board is not scary so likely the best hand out there is pair of tens. Unfortunately, someone could have flopped a set as always or have a possible straight draw. I know that I have 6 outs, which means I have a 25% chance to get top pair top kicker by the river. But what I do not know is whether or not top pair top kicker is going to win this hand. We all know poker is a game of incomplete information. There is a bet in front of me. Now I have 3 choices, call, raise or fold. Folding is by no means the worst play here, since I only have a 25% chance to win this hand and it is unlikely to be a grand pot anyway with only 4 in the flop ($2 table). I can call, but then I only get additional information about people's hand if somebody else raises. So I raised. The other 2 guys folded and the opener calls my bet. Now I am heads up with the following information:

• Suggested Bankroll
  Question: Thanks for all of the great info and site. had a real quick question. i know i have seen this before but i can't seem to find it. I have been playing at the $1/2 level since Jan and have learned a ton. I have experienced the bad and good runs. I have figured out how to adjust my playing styles accordingly and have been building a bankroll. I would like to make the jump to the $3/6 level soon so i can start to see a decent profit for my efforts. I play this in the B&M when I get a chance on vac so I know what it is like. what size bankroll would you suggest that would be sufficient for the long run. I don't want to make the jump too soon hit that bad run and drain my roll. I think I have read before that it should be something like 200X the big bet. thanks for the help and maintenance of this site.
• A couple tournament hands
  Question: I was wondering if you could look at two recent hands from a tournament and tell me what you think of how I played them. You can post them to the site if you want. In the first one, I was the shortest stack in the tourney at 45,000 chips. And the second one I think is really good example of semi-bluffing (which I learned from your site!) and how to trap/check-raise.
• Pocket Ducks Winning A Huge Pot
  Question: You may wish to share this with your readership. If you don't, well, that's ok too!

  I play pot limit holdem, online. The blinds are $0.5/$1 and the bets are $1/$2.

  I was looking at a 10 seat table that had two seats spare, so I joined. Another person sat in the remaining seat so the table was full. We both posted our penalty blinds along with the naturals.

• Playing Jacks Preflop - Cont...
  Question: thanks a lot for your reply.

  about the pocket jacks, would you say in a ring game it is a decent pre flop all in, with one small raise in front of you? because i feel that the hand should pay out somewhat, and taking it down before the flop is one way (as well as a good way to show that your playing style varies). as well since you are statistical favorite over big slick, its not a bad hand to go all in with right (if we assume no one else has pocket ace, queen or king)?

• Playing Pocket 9s
  Question: I just read today the comments you had on pocket Queens and jacks. I agree they are tough to play, but I think an even tougher hand to play (at least for me) is pocket 9s. In fact, I have seen a few recently and have become convinced that this hand is overrated at low limit games. It is certainly a great hand in heads up play, but not in low limit. Nevertheless, I routinely see it ranked as a top 20 and often top 15 starting hand. Why?
• Another Online Poker Article
  Question: No question on this one... I just read an article on another poker site and wanted to post here but I didn't want to include it in the main article section.
• Sit And Go Tourney Strategy
  Question: Thanks for all the free poker info.

  I'll get to the question.

  Right now I am struggling with 5 dollar sit and go tourneys on Pokerstars. I used to play the NL but I found that there are so many maniacs that I end up waiting for cards and get blinded to death. I switched to limit after having some success but recently have been on a slide. I find when I lose one, I often get right back in one, and lose again. Do you ever do anything to interrupt a skid that gets you back on track? I feel the only way for these to be profitable is if I can place consistently (more than 60 %) so I want to be able to lose one but still be able to stay focused for another.

  Any suggestions would be appreciated.

  thanks

  Andrew

• What does "kill" mean?
  Question: Hi,

  I enjoy reading everything you have posted.

  My question deals with the "Kill" term! I noticed some Holdem Tournaments use this term and I was wondering what it means?

  Thanks,

  Chris

• Comparing the same hand
  Question: Your four people playing and two fold so two remain when at the end of the hand they show their cards to each other they have the same hand with only one of their cards and their second one is not apart of it do you to determine who wins se who has the higher second card.

  THank you very much.

  You have a great site, much good luck in the future.

• Straight On The Board
  Question: I know the best 5 cards is the winning hand, but does this also apply on straights? If the board flops a straight and no one has the high end in their hand, do all active players split the pot? This occurred recently and there was a debate as to whether the highest hole card takes it? I believe it's a split pot but then the argument came 'what if the flop was 2 pairs and an ace, would the ace be the fifth card if no one had anything, or would we go to the highest hole card?

  thanks.

• Mucking The Winner
  Question: Hi, I was playing in a home game with a couple guys and this one guy, micheal had an Ace with two aces on the board, and the other guy, collin, had pocket jacks with a jack on the board. When connor saw michael had the ace, he said, "I knew you had the ace", and he put up his cards. So Michael had 3 aces, and connor had a full house jacks full of aces but he never realized this till the michael took the chips and put them in his pile. Neither person realized this until the next cards had been dealt. Should michael give connor the money or should he keep it because connor made the mistake. I would really appreciate it ifyou could give me an answer about this because I think that since connor never realized the mistake, he should be punished and win all cards are up, the hand is finished.
• Playing Jacks Preflop
  Question: dear benevolent webmaster

  i do NOT know how to play pocket Jacks.

  any suggestions for preflop strategy?

  agh

  thanks again

  andrew

• Understanding All-In
  Question: I must be thick, because I cannot seem to get my head round the 'All ins'! I have read some of the answers on this site as well as reading other articles and it just seems to be gobbledygook, especially multiple all ins! Who is elligible for which pot and how do you determine who wins what?

  Could you please keep it simple as I have to understand how this works so that I can stop any arguments when I have my mates round. Perhaps you could give me an example where there are four players, who go all in on the same betting round and walk me through how you determine who wins what & why. TIA.

• Flush Tie
  Question: I was wondering about flushes. Say for example I am holding 9d 3h, and my opponent is holding 3d 9h, and showing is Ad Kd Qd Jd 3s, would we split the pot or would it go to me, holding the 9d?
• Live Straddle
  Question: Great site. I played low limit hold'em in a card room for the first time a couple of weeks ago (The Mirage in Vegas). One guy kept "straddling the bet", which seemed basically to be a blind raise by the person immediately to the left of the Big Blind. Can you please explain what "straddling the bet" is, and why would someone want to do it?
• Right To See Folded Hands?
  Question: In my group of friends we've had some heated arguements about seeing folded hands about 6 people say you can and the other say you can't, so can you or cant you??
• Suited Connectors In No Limit
  Question: First of all thanks for your no-limit article. I got as much info from it as I got from Sklansky's $30 book. (If I had enough money to play in the $100-$200 limit games he constantly referred to I would not be trying to study poker)
• How Many Decks Used?
  Question: How many decks are used at a table?

  Is there a standard?

  Does it depend on the number of people at a table.

  WPT and WSOP on TV I see they use one deck.

  Thanks for your help.

• Minimum Buy-in and High Hand of the Hour
  Question: Hello, my name is dylan. I have benn playing the game for 4 months now, although all of that time was concentrated on no limit home games (im new to the actual casino play. Today i was at a 2/4 game and i barely had enough just to buy in. About 1-2 hrs go by and i get dealt 83os (in late position) for some reason i fealt like playing that hand but i didnt because players at the table were known to raise pre-flop frequently. Well long stry short the flop came and i woulda hit top pair, the turn and the river were also 8's. So there was my 4 of a kind that i missed out on. The only thing that really made me mad was that the highest hand of the day gets payed out $1000, and there were only 20 mins left on that day with 4 3's in the lead! Did i make the right call? Should i not buy-in with the minimum anymore? I also missed a full house the hand after that.
• Names Of Poker Hands
  Question: What hand is a Boat???

  What are pocket cards called like aces are pocket rockets and kings are cowboys, do u kno the rest of the names??

• All-in For Less Then Big Blind
  Question: If someone who is supposed to post a blind busts out on the previous hand, what difficulties could arise by just moving the blinds to the next person? If you just move the BB to the next person in line, and put everything behind it like it's supposed to be, it seems to me that all you have to do is occasionally not have a small blind that round - that being when the small blind would have been the person who busted out, or when it would cause someone who just posted a small blind to post it again - or put the button at an empty seat.

  I'm trying to iron out any complications before they happen, so if you can think of an example where this wouldn't work, and a suggestion on how to fix it, I'd really like to hear about it.

  Thanks for the great site.

• Ranking Two Pair
  Question:If i have a ace two and my opponent has a queen king who wins and why?
• Why is the last card called the river?
  Question: Why is the last card called "the river"?
• Funding Online Poker Room Accounts
  Question: Thanks for your recommendations. I have an account at an online site.What is the best/easiest way to get money to them to play with real money? My credit card will not authorize for internet gambling.

  Thanks Again!

• Betting Round Questions
  Question: The only thing left now is the options each player has during the betting rounds.

  If everyone 'calls' the flop happens and the betting starts again. Do the bets start from the previous round's level? IS this tru for all betting rounds?

• Big Blind Position Heads Up
  Question: Great Site, helps out a bunch. In heads up play, does the big blind shift to the person without the button?? I have noticed online that when it comes down to heads up, all of a sudden the 'dealer' doesn't post the big blind, he posts the little blind. When does this shift occur?
• Playing Two Pair
  Question: Great site, learning more every day. My biggest fault is getting burnt with 2 pair, so my question is how the hell do you play it? Assume you get dealt 2 pair on the flop, there's not much point in slow playing as people could pick up sets, straights, much more that can beat you. So how would you bet?

  Thanks.

• Forced To Fold By Raise
  Question: In a no limit, anti game

  player 1 - has $10.00 bets $5.00

  player 2- sees the $5.00

  player 3- sees the $5.00 and raises $30.00.

  does this force player -1 to fold? or does he go all in with the $5.00 remaining and a side pot created?

• Antes In Tournaments
  Question: I have been searching for this answer for a while. What percentage of tournaments play with an ante? I know the WPT uses ante's, does the WSOP use them? I'm not referring to the big/small blinds as ante's, I'm referring to an amount that everyone puts in the pot in addition to the blinds. Is this a rare thing or is this pretty standard among top tournaments? Are ante's used only in tournaments? Will I find them at a regular table? Thanks for your help, love your site.
• Tournament Schedule In CA
  Question: we live in califronia and have recently started playing holdem. by the way, your website has been invaluable .

  i remember when i used to be into blackjack there were some sites that informed you of tournaments and locations to play. it would also mention locations to regularly play and what denominations, rules, etc

• Betting Terms For Texas Holdem
  Question: The site is great and full of useful information. However, I am a bit of a novice and I need your help!. Could you please explain the betting side of the game as it seems slightly confusing to me. Basically I would like to know what each term means and when to use it. TIA
• All-Ins, Side Pots and Forfeiting Both By Folding?
  Question: I know this is probably redundant but I haven't seen the explanation for the this exact scenario.
• Getting no good hands all night (cold cards)
  Question: Hi. Tonight i played a game where I just didnt get any good cards at all....NONE. What would you suggest doing if this happened? Would trying to bluff everything help? Would preflop raising help? What would a good strategy be in this situation?
• Beating A Maniac
  Question:I play in a regular no-limit game which includes 2 maniacs. We track our games and by every metric one of these maniacs has the best numbers on every dimension. The other one would too if he didn't get drunk and tired and give his money away when he felt like leaving during the last game. The rest of us try to play pretty tight and don't play hands that are commonly understood to be weak. However, another thing that keeps us from playing hands is the constant calling/raising/reraising of said maniacs. I suspect that we should be challenging them more but from my perspective these guys have an unnatural ability to draw golden hands after calling with crap. I would think that their calling tendency would backfire when met with strong hands but for whatever reason they seem to come out about even in heads-up play. What's the best way to overcome the maniac?
• Heads Up Blind Structure
  Question:In a head to head game how do the blinds work? Is the non-dealer the small blind and the dealer the big blind?
• Sklanskys Hand Rankings For No Limit
  Question: I've read Sklanskys book and have studied his tables and others similiar. I was wondering how my use of these tables would change if I'm in a no-limit game compared to a limit game. Sklansky made reference to it in his book, but did not elaborate. Would I play tighter or looser in a no-limit game?
• Blinds When Someone Busts Out
  Question: Thanks for the site. It's great! My question is about "the blinds".

  How do we assign the small/big blinds when the person(s) scheduled to be the next blinds busts on the prior hand?

  Ex. In the current hand, the small blind busts and is out of the game. The deal goes to the person who paid the big blind, who no longer sits in a "small blind" position. Who puts up the small/big blinds?

  This issue gets more complex with less people left at the table. In a recent game with 4 people left, the big blind busted putting me in the small blind position for the next hand (the big blind position skipped me). My fellow players concluded that I should put up both blinds, in addition to the current big blind position ( 2 big and 1 small blind in the pot). Is this the correct way to handle this?

  Thanks Steve

• Blinds When Someone Busts Out - p2
  Question: A great site! Very informative. In your explanation regarding movement of the blinds when a player busts out, the procedure forthe big blind going out is to have a small blind on the button followed by two big blinds in the next hand, then a small blind on the button with a normal smalland big blind on the hand after that. In the first hand after the bust out, doesn't this cause the player getting the button to have to post two small blinds in a row?

  The new dealer was the small blind on the hand that the big blind busted out, right?

  Thanks,

  John

• Short Handed Play Compared To Regular
  Question: Thank you so much for the quick reply. Your site has just a wealth. I have only been studying poker since January, and am just starting to make money. My next question is about how my play should change at a short handed table, like at the end of a tourney. I know to loosen my play, but I think I end up becoming too aggressive. My success is hit a miss. Don't worry, I don't plan to wear you out with questions.
• Recommendations For Poker Books
  Question: One more thing. I was wondering what you would recommend for study materials, such as books, DVDs and such. thanks
• Everyone All-in, Who Gets Second Place
  Question: We had an odd occurrence in our weekly (friends) holdem tourney.

  Player 1 was on the short stack, player 2 had a decent amount of chips, and player 3 had the bulk of the chips.

  All 3 players went all in. Player 3 had the best hand and won the game. The question was, who took second place? We went by the final hand ranking, but someone said it would be whoever had the second largest chip count before the last hand. Could you tell me how this would work out? Thanks

• Best Online Texas Holdem Sites
  Question: Who are the best online Texas Holdem sites.

  1 safest

  2 honest

  3 fair

  4 percentage of rakes are fair.

  Who would you recommend for first time players?
• What does mucking a hand mean?
  Question: is to muck a hand not to show your cards when you know you lost.thanks
• Showing Cards After the Hand
  Question: What are your thoughts on showing other players your cards if they all fold or if you don't have to show them according to the rules.

  Some players I've talked to say that anytime you show your cards when you don't have to you give the players information that can hurt you.

  Other players say that if you play tight in the beginning and show those good cards even when you don't have to, you get it in the other player's heads that you only play premium hands. That gives you the ability to bluff more effectively later in the game.

• Showing Cards After the Hand
  Question: What are your thoughts on showing other players your cards if they all fold or if you don't have to show them according to the rules.

  Some players I've talked to say that anytime you show your cards when you don't have to you give the players information that can hurt you.

  Other players say that if you play tight in the beginning and show those good cards even when you don't have to, you get it in the other player's heads that you only play premium hands. That gives you the ability to bluff more effectively later in the game.

• Showing Hand To Other Player Disqualifies?
  Question: While playing a game of texas holdem recently, a situation came up during play which caused controversy.
• Sit And Go Tournament Strategy
  

  What is a Sit and Go tournament?

  Question: What is the best advice you can give for winning sit and go tournaments online?

• Modified Hand Groupings
  Question: I recently picked up hold'em and decided the knowing the second table on Texas Holdem hand groupings would help me bring my game up a notch, so I set about memorizing the various groups. However I found the order the hands appear in to be almost completely random, and it made my quest to learn these hands difficult. So, I have re-ordered the hands within each group following the system of pair, suited hands (ranked from highest to lowest), unsuited hands (also ranked highest to lowest), in order to make it easier to remember. Here are the modified tables. Feel free to post or not post these as you please, no credit required.
• When To Draw Based On Odds
  Question: I don't know when I'm supposed to draw? Say I have a four flush on the flop and someone bets big should I call fold or raise?
• General No Limit Holdem Tips
  Question: Ive been playin 2 months now, no limit texas holdem with my friends. What are some tips for winning more money?
• Starting Hands In Holdem
  

  Question: how do I know when to play the right starting hand in nl holdem?

• Playing Lots of Hands In No Limit?
  Question: hey do you think this is a good method to improving your reads and all around poker skills. every monday night i play in a dorm floor no limit holdem game where usually about two tables of 8 are playing where the blinds are only .10 and .20 and most people buy in for only 10 bucks, but EVERYONE rebuys and on a good night i can win 70-80 dollars, which isnt bad for this low blind limit. so im thinking the next time i play im gonna play alot of hands blind as long as i have position and sense weakness from the players, and continue to play it blind till they put me to the test. any comments?
• Record Keeping
  Question: whats an easy and effective way to go about keeping records of my play, and what statistics should i keep?
• Big Blind And Small Blind Options?
  Question: I am hoping you can clarify 2 texas holdem rules for me. In a $3/5 limit game, small blind puts in $1 and big blind puts in $3. The person to the left of the big blind: 1) Has to bet? or can he check?
• Fast Tourney Strategy - Tourney Profitable?
  Question: how do you play tournys where they are meant to get over qucikly and the blinds raise every 15 mins or quicker, menaing how much do you bluff on average chase your draws and how loose are your starting standards thanks?
• Weight of Poker Tournament Chips?
  Question: In the Holdem tournaments do you know what the weight of the chips they use are?
• What is a poker pro?
  Question: What are the qualifications of someone being recognized as a Poker Pro? I have been playing online for awhile now and I am withdrawing about a grand a week. I play at a few sites but I have a favorite two that I play. It seems to me that when I play online, throw the book out, anything goes. Then, when I go into the B&M, I have to play another way. I just cant believe how wide open online poker is......Its great. I love your site. Keep up the great work. Shawn
• Unseen cards and figuring odds...
  Question: I was reviewing your site and as i was sifting through the different sections a thought came to me that i cant figure out. when establishing the odds of getting a card on fourth street and then on fifth street you base that on the remaining deck i.e., 47 then 46. This is fairly simple arithmetic. But here is my problem???? If there are nine other players each with two pocket cards does not the probability of catching `your trips/four of a kind, straight, flush etc., become conditional on your need card(s) not sitting in another pocket???. How does one figure out the true statistical probabilities associated with these `conditional' events???? Hope you can help. Thanks.
• Raising from big blind if everyone calls...
  Question: thanks for putting up such a great - and greatly needed - site. my question is about the big blind and raising. in a no limit holdem tourney, can the big blind raise if everyone else only calls the big blind? for example, can the big blind go "all in" when the bet comes back to him with no one else raising the big blind?
• Raising from big blind if everyone calls...
  Question: thanks for putting up such a great - and greatly needed - site. my question is about the big blind and raising. in a no limit holdem tourney, can the big blind raise if everyone else only calls the big blind? for example, can the big blind go "all in" when the bet comes back to him with no one else raising the big blind?
• All-In Player: Do I have to call the side pot to keep my hand live?
  Question: You have the best site on the web for Texas Holdem. Easy to navigate, best information, and most resources. Thanks in advance for answering my question!

  Bill

• Why Check
  Question: When and why would you Check?
• Poker Questions - Three handed play in a tournament
  Question: I've been reading through your site, and find it very informative, especially for someone like me, who is fairly new to the game.

  I was recently playing in a one-table tourney online, and was down to the final three. One of the players was tight…I was playing a bit looser as I was the short stack…the third guy thought he was a tight aggressive player, as you put it.

• Calling for two pair...
  Question: ok well this always happens to me.... say i have K7 unsuited and the flop comes out A - 7- 4... i always wind up calling that and it comes back to haunt me and i lose the hand... should i call with a hand like that or no and if so why? and should i call a pre flop bet with suited connectors?
• Local Tourney Strategy...
  Question:I am a frequent visitor to your site and it has helped me a lot. I have been playing low-limit, both play money and real money tournaments with an occasional play in $.02/.04 games. Farily new at this but holding my own. The question I have is that I have entered a local tournament, never played no-limit before and would like to know how you would approach this game:
• Playing Hand Groupings...
  Question:You presented a modified (w.r.t. the Sklansky list) set of hand groupings. How do you recommend that these are played from various positions? Thanks again for your time; your site is quite useful....I hope. I have not played Texas Holdem for real money yet.
• Check And Call Definitions...
  Question: Hi your site has everything anyone needs to know about Texas Hold'em but there are still two questions I have. I watch the world series of poker on TV and hear the players "check" what does that mean. My second question is what do you do when someone calls.
• 12 People At One Table...
  Question: I'm planning a home tourn. and was shooting for 10 players. As it turns out I will have 12. I don't want more than 1 table. Is there any reason(other than the fact u never see it) that I can't seat 12 at one table.
• Check-Raise Unethical?
  Question: The guys I play with NEVER allow you to raise if you've checked but I'm having trouble finding anywhere on the net that says that is actually the proper way to play. Most sites seem to allow check-raising as one strategy. What's the "official" word on that?
• Counterfeited Hand
  Question: I am holding a 6 K. Someone else is holding AA. After the cards are flopped the table reads: 10 9 8 7 6 . Who wins?
• Ploys to get free cards...
  Question: do you have any good way or good ideas when your in early position heads up or against two opponents to say check or how you hit the table indicating you have a pretty strong hand which in turn makes them check behind you so then you can see one or maybe even two free cards. when in the hand you dont really have much but you want to see the cards but if they bet big your gonna have to fold?
• I know the odds now, so what?...
  Question: Thanks for the quick reply. However, I was wondering more about what these %'s tell me about staying in a hand. If we use a 4 to the flush after the flop scenario, I have a 36% chance to make my hand. If we go purely by the math, the odds tell me to go away because my chances aren't greater than 50%. Should most (if not all) my plays only be when I have a greater than 50% chance to make my hand? If not, what is the play? Semi-bluff, raise, call or fold? What should the pot amount be for me to stay in? That's where I'm having the trouble. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
• 4/2 Rule for calculating odds...
  Question: Just got turned onto your site and let me just say, it's great! I heard about a "shortcut" to figuring out poker odds that I really like; the 4 - 2 rule. It says to take the number of outs you have before the turn and simply multiply it by 4 to determine your success rate. Do the same thing before the river but multiply it by 2. Are there any "shortcuts" that use this same methodology to figuring out whether I should stay in the hand? If so, what are they? If not, should I conform and just use the normal way of calculating odds? Please help. Thanks. Brandon W. Howe
• AQs in no limit tourney and playing against a maniac...
  Question:alright first question relates to playing no limit tournys or sit and gos either or. lets say you start with 800 chips and blinds are 15/30. and like early in the tourny like 3rd hand you see AQs and you riase it up to 60 and get a few callers but not the blinds. i kno wthese other callers are not good players and will call on poor hands. now lets say the flop comes Qxx rainbow and i bet about 60-90 in early position and then someone behind me goes all in. do i call this or cause i mean they will go all in with nothing alot of times or do i give away the 120-150 chips i have put in and lay down the high pair??? another thing about maniac type play on the money tables, do i go play the maniac and take more money with the risk of losing money i have tried waitin them out for an hour or so and have never got a soilid hand to stick in with after the flop to catch him so i end up paying 3 bets or more with a solid starting hand to see nothin and have to fold to the maniac. get back at me whenever you can.
• AQs in no limit tourney and playing against a maniac...
  Question:alright first question relates to playing no limit tournys or sit and gos either or. lets say you start with 800 chips and blinds are 15/30. and like early in the tourny like 3rd hand you see AQs and you riase it up to 60 and get a few callers but not the blinds. i kno wthese other callers are not good players and will call on poor hands. now lets say the flop comes Qxx rainbow and i bet about 60-90 in early position and then someone behind me goes all in. do i call this or cause i mean they will go all in with nothing alot of times or do i give away the 120-150 chips i have put in and lay down the high pair??? another thing about maniac type play on the money tables, do i go play the maniac and take more money with the risk of losing money i have tried waitin them out for an hour or so and have never got a soilid hand to stick in with after the flop to catch him so i end up paying 3 bets or more with a solid starting hand to see nothin and have to fold to the maniac. get back at me whenever you can.
• Losing With Two Pair...
  Question: lately---prolly about 5 times in a row now i have been burned when i have flopped two pair on the board, i have played it diff in most all occasions i have flopped bottom two pair with no ace and no suits and tried to slowplay i have flopped top two pair with open draws out there so i bet, i have been gettin chased down. how do you go about playing two pair if its a rainbow flop and you are in front or middle position, please give me your advice TY josh
• Six Card Straights Better Then Five Cards?
  Question:First Id like to say great job on the site! It covers all the angles needed to get a good understanding of the game. My question is on straights. I was playing a game where I had 89TJQK, and my opponent had 9TJQK. Shold the pot be split? Does the fact that my straight was one card longer matter? Not knowing, we split the pot. Thanks for your time, and once again great job on the site! Jason P.
• Side Pots And Having To Call...
  Question:If a players calls the main pot but does not want to play in a side pot, is he still able to play for the main pot or is he eliminated from both pots?
• Tourney Blinds and Flush Ties...
  Question:I have a couple of questions, but first let me tell you that you have a great site here.

  First, I am holding a tourney with 16 guys, a 250 buy in having 2 tables of 8 playing at the same time. Now I have heard a ton of ways to handle the blinds. Should it be started off at 2/4. Then raised every hour? Now the raising amounts would be in $2 amounts...right?

• Poker Stats and Recommended Hand Grouping Percentages...
  Question:Just ran across your website and wanted to let you know that I found it to have some really great information. Good job! I wanted to ask if you possibly had a general catalog of all the hands, which listed hands a player would absolutely fold - hands that a player would fold most of the time - hands that you would always bet, but not necessarily raise - and hands you would always bet and raise. I assume you always raise group 1 hands, but I wasn't sure about what a player should do with the other groups. Should you play hands in groups 6 & 7?
• Breaking Ties For Flushes...
  Question: thanks for a great web site. here is my question. last night we were playing texas holdem and the five cards that were turned wereall hearts for a flush on the board. the first player had a queen of hearts and a 2 of diamonds. the top two cards in the flush that was on the board were a ace and king. the second player had no hearts in his hold cards. who wins the hand
• Heads Up Play...
  Question: Hi i have a question on heads up. first question can you make a grouping of what cards to play and can you explain a little about being in the small blind and the big blind in heads up or even 3 players. raising and rerasing etc. thanks alot!
• Uncle Sam Getting His Share...
  Question: First off I would like to thank you for a great site and the updates. It has become very resourceful. My question is an accounting question and I don't know if you would be able to answer such. I have been playing poker on the internet for a little while now and have been doing well so far. I hope at the end of the month to make my first withdrawal. I have a tax question since it is getting to be that time of the year. First off do you have to claim winnings to the IRS since it is offshore? If so how much do you have to win in a year before you have to claim? If I withdrawal under a certain amount each time do I have to report it to the IRS? For example in Vegas if you hit a slot machine for under a certain amount you do not have to fill out IRS paperwork. If over a certain amount you have to claim it on your federal taxes. So my thought was to have them cut me checks under that limit each time i make a withdrawal. How do you claim your winnings? For example is this considered "other source of income" or "a gaming win"? Don't know if you know anything about internet sites or are going to just refer me to H&R Block. Any advice would help. Thanks again.
• How to calculate poker odds...
  

  Question:

  I read your article and I'll be working those suggestions this week in my first ever NL tournament. I was wondering if you could help out with another item. I see all these hand odds/probablities charts and have found brief summeries on how to calculate poker odds, for example the chance of getting an ace with your first card would be 1 in 52 or 52:1.

• Winning No Limit Tournaments...
  Question: Where can I get information on how to play (and win) in no limit Texas Hold'em tournaments.
• All-Ins And Side Pots...
  Question:I have a somewhat important question,"to me"that i know you can anwser.comparing main pots and side pots in "all ins".ok lets say player 1 goes all in with $50, player 2 matches the all in , player 3 maches the all in, player 4 folds so player 3 wants to raise a side pot with player 2, does player 2 have to match the side pot or fold.
• Calling For A Straight Draw...
  Question: Lets say I start the hand in last position with Js and 10c.After everybody calls and I call the flop comes Ah Qh 9s.Now I have an open ended straight draw.Lets say out of five people who call pre -flop there are only two left after the flop.One guy raises the other calls.I figure up my odds versus the pot odds and decide to stay in and call.The turn comes 4h.Now here comes the tricky part for me.The same guy raises the other re-raises.Im thinking the other two guys probably have an ace thinking they'll win with top pair or trips.If this is the case I can probably win if I draw the straight on the river.However,there's three hearts on the board and if either one of them has pocket hearts I will lose anyway.According to your probabilities chart there is a 1:4 chance of being dealt suited cards although I'm assuming the odds of being dealt suited hearts are 1:16.With two or three people left on board the odds that at least one of them has pocket hearts may be better than 1:16.Im going to assume in this example that the odds are 1:4.I figure with my open ended straight draw I have eight outs with about 1:6 odds of hitting it.Now my question arriving from all of this is this:How can I factor my opponents 1:4 odds of having a flush and beating me anyway, and my 1:6 odds of hitting the straight combined with the pot odds to determine whether or not I should call or fold?I'm sorry If I have racked your brain a little bit but I'm just curious if you can factor the odds of your opponent having any particular hand with the odds of you getting what you want to determine how to play your hand.Thank you very much!
• Tourney Structure...
  Question: I ran a NL tournament (single table 10 players) a few weeks ago. It went well and everyone wants to do it again soon. My question is blind structure and starting amounts. We played 3 consecutive (not concurrent) tournaments and I wanted each to last about 90 minutes. We started with $600 a piece and had a blind structure of:
• Win or lose based on luck or skill/Knowing if you are playing well...
  Question: Thanks for a fantastic site. I've been watching Holdem on cable for a while now (I live in the UK) and your site has helped me take the plunge into playing for real (well as real as on-line poker for the smallest bets I can find $1/$2 is!).
• Splitting Pot/Best Hand Questions...
  Question:1. I need to know when making up the best hand - do you have to use at least one card from the two that you are holding in your hand?

  2. If the best 5 cards are on the table-would you simply split the pot?

  Example: 2 pair on the table, 5 pair low and an Ace. In one hand is a 3 and 4 - the other a 2 and a 3. Would the hand with the 4 win?

  We have been looking for an answer to these 2 questions.......thanks!

• High Card Question...
  Question:I came across a situation that hasn't occurred for me before... On the last hand of the night, the two of us that were left both ended up with nothing except for the same high card. So, if you both have Kings or something, do you then split the pot or do you start looking at the next highest card (and so one)? The other guy wins one way or the other, but there's a difference of whether he finished with all my chips or not ;).Thanks! Chris
• No Limit Blind questions...
  Question: Hi, enjoyed your site. I'm new to Texas Hold'em, but enjoy watching the game on the Net as well as TV. The only thing I can't figure out in no-limit T.H. is, when, why and for how much do the small and big blinds go up? This happens all the time on TV and they never explain why. Does the same hold true for limit TH as well? Thanks for you time, Greg.
• Blind questions...
  Question: Love your Web Site - thanks. However, I am just learning and would like some more info on how the betting goes especially the purpose of the big and small blinds and how they bet. Thank you. Bob
• Who Wins When no one has Anything...
  Question: Great website! My question is for at-home playing: the remaining two players held cards that had no significance with the community cards. For example, the community cards were 2c,4h,6c,Qd,9s. Player 1 held 7s,Ad. Player 2 held 3c,10d. How is the money then distributed? Is there even a winner? How does that work? Thanks!
• Comparing straights and no limit all-ins...
  Question: I was playing some texas hold 'em with some friends and we ran into a few questions:

  1. If the community cards are dealt a straight, 5-6-7-8-9 and one player has a 5-A and the other has an 8-Q who wins and why?

• Ranking two straights...
  Question: Great website! A quick question: how do you rank two straights and, in particular, two low-end straights when one has an Ace used as a "one" and the other does not, such as A2345 versus 23456? In other words, is the Ace always the high card, or does it depend on how it is used? This came up in a recent game...thanks! -Rick
• Ranking two straights...
  Question: Great website! A quick question: how do you rank two straights and, in particular, two low-end straights when one has an Ace used as a "one" and the other does not, such as A2345 versus 23456? In other words, is the Ace always the high card, or does it depend on how it is used? This came up in a recent game...thanks! -Rick
• Blinds Movements When Someone Busts Out...
  Question: Love the web site ! My friends and I have been playing holdem at home games in a tournament format. We just started to play the blinds. One situation that came up (which caused an argument) was when someone goes broke when they are in the big blind and also when they are in the small blind. If the big blind goes broke does the next hand just get played with a person on the button and just a big blind ? Or does someone get the benefit of a blind passing over them ? On the same note if the small blind goes broke, on the next hand does the button stay on the same person as the previous hand and the blinds move forward as they normally would ? Or does the button move to the person who was previously the big blind and he/she gets the benefit of missing out on paying the small blind this round.

  I hope I made sense explaining this, as it would resolve this ongoing argument me and my friends have on the subject. Thanks very much

  Don

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