What does luck have to do with it?

Yesterday while I was playing a sit and go online my wife asked if she could play the next game. I said sure. She has watched me win (and lose) but has never played herself. She got into a 9 player sit and go against some very loose players who started knocking each other other right away. She played only good starting hands and took a few pots against these wild players and eventually found herself heads up against another player who was also a tight player but had won a few big pots, enough to have my wife outstacked by about 4 to 1.

The other player was a bit chatty online and talked about poker being "all about luck". I laughed and wanted to show my wife that luck is a part of the game but playing the player will win more often. I had been watching this players actions and noticed that he rarely raised before the flop unless he had an ace. I told my wife to raise every hand before the flop and see what he does.

The blinds were getting pretty big so I knew that grabbing a few of them in a row would change the chip equation. She raised and he would fold. In some cases he would call the raise and if the flop didn't have an ace I told her to fire away again with a raise and he would fold. She was raising with some bad hands but they guy would still fold.

It didn't take too long to even out the chips, in fact my wife had a slight chip lead when she was dealt KS -10S. She raised and the guy called so we knew he had an ACE. The flop was AS - 6S - 9S. Having the nut flash and figuring the guy had a pair of aces I told my with to raise again. The guy fired back with an all-in bet and my wife called taking the pot and winning the sit and go.

Sure she was lucky to get the KS / 10S preflop and then having the nut flush draw ... but it wasn't luck that got her the chip lead. He probably thought it was just luck that my wife won .... he was outplayed.

Gary


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Real Poker Tells by Rory Monahan

I'd like to share with you the REAL poker tells that take place in Texas Holdem.

I'm not talking about when your opponent scratches is eyebrow... or when he shuffles his chips... or when he chews his gum aggressively.

I'm talking about BETTING PATTERNS.

It's been my experience that approximately 80% of the betting action at a poker table fits within
PREDICTABLE and RELIABLE patterns.

Here's what I mean:

The other day I was playing at a $2-5 no limit cash game with my buddies. I focused all of my
energies just on keeping track of PRE-FLOP RAISES and POST-FLOP BETS.

Here are some examples of the patterns I discovered...

First off, this older guy named Elroy would throw out the occasional pre-flop raise. By the end of the night, it was almost TOO EASY to figure out what he was holding... just based on his bets.

His first pre-flop raise was $15. The hand played out and he turned over 10-9 suited.

Later he made it $40 pre-flop to play. Again, I as fortunate to see his hand... this time it was
pocket Queens.

Later he made it $25 pre-flop to play. That one ended up being pocket Kings.

And he made it $15 to play on the button again later... with an A-4 of diamonds.

As the night progressed, I "cracked the code" to Elroy's betting patterns. When he had a monster like K-K or A-A, he'd bet $25 pre-flop. It was a bet that usually gets one or two callers.

If he had pocket 10s, Jacks, or Queens, he bet $40-$50 pre-flop. This makes sense. He didn't want to see a flop with these hands... he just wanted to steal the blinds. Or if he saw the flop, he
only wanted one caller.

And his $10-$15 raises were simply "pot builders" when he had hidden hands or something decent... like K-Q, 10-9, or A-4.

Of course... it was NOT just Elroy that fell into these predictable patterns...

Another guy at the table, let's call him Jeff, ould throw out a $10 bet on the flop every time
he was on a draw.

Of the fourteen times he bet $10 on the flop, I saw his hand turned over eight times (it was an
8-hour game). AND EVERY SINGLE TIME HE SHOWED, he was on some type of draw... whether it was for the flush or straight.

So of course, every time the "make" card came out of the deck, I knew Jeff had the goods... and I folded my hand.

I even busted him once when he tried to BLUFF his busted draw on the river and I won a major pot because of this read.

The last great example from the night was with my buddy Jack. He made several $40 pre-flop raises with early positioning. He'd normally get a caller or two for the flop.

AFTER the flop, it was always obvious if he had hit or missed his hand.

Let's say the flop came out:

Q-9-7

All different suits.

If Jack came out firing $80 after his $40 pre-flop raise, he had the goods. This is when he was
holding a monster like King or Aces and wasn't scared of anything on the board.

But let's say he threw out a $40 bet... which was the same as his pre-flop raise. That means he was holding a hand like Jacks, Tens, or A-K.

He was scared of the flop but still wanted to throw out a bet to represent the board and try to
win the pot.

It was a simple pattern. Plain to see.

But the sad thing was, no one else at the table read into these patterns...

If I were in the hand with Jack when he followed his $40 pre-flop raise with a $40 post-flop bet,
I would go back over the top of him. I got to do this a few times... and each time I won a lot of
money.

Overall for the night, I walked out of that poker room a BIG WINNER. And the primary reason was because I tracked betting patterns and took the time to get a read on my opponents.

OK, so let's talk about how to immediately apply this new information for your next poker game.

There are THREE MAIN PATTERNS you want to pay attention to:

1. Pre-flop raises

Watch carefully when someone raises before the flop. PAY ATTENTION TO THEIR POSITIONING. A common pattern is that a lot of players will raise from the button no matter what they have... and this can be "free chips" for you when you've got a read.

Often times the HUGE pre-flop raises aren't the ones to be scared of. Like in my example earlier, Elroy bet $25 with monsters and $40 or more with pocket 10s, Jacks, or Queens.

Find out what someone does when they pick up low pocket pairs, suited connectors, and two high cards.

2. Post-flop bets

The next pattern is what a player does AFTER the flop. How much does he bet?

You'll discover players who "represent the flop" consistently with the same bet size over and over again.

You'll also discover other players who check-raise every time they have a big hand.

And so on...

3. Post-flop bets AFTER pre-flop raises

This is important. This is perhaps the EASIEST pattern to pick up.

After someone raises before the flop, watch what they do AFTER the flop (this works best when they have early positioning).

A lot of your opponents will "back down" from their pre-flop raises if they didn't catch
anything on the flop.

This is because they're afraid of losing too many chips on this one single hand...

If they DID catch something great, they'll show it with a huge bet on the flop. The pot is big
enough to take down now, so they won't be afraid of everyone folding.

And last but not least, watch out for post-flop bets that are SMALLER than the pre-flop raises...
or that equal the MINIMUM bet allowed.

Sometimes this is a MONSTER in disguise... someone who's INVITING you to go back over the top of him. Be careful.

OK, so those are the three main patterns to look for. The next step is to remember that a lot of
this "betting behavior" is COMPLETELY UNCONSCIOUS.

In fact, you want to SEEK OUT players who seem to get into their "zone" and make bets unconsciously.

When you find a player like this, it's like taking candy from a baby. Seriously.

You DON'T want to try to "figure out" an opponent who's always CONSCIOUSLY trying to think of ways to change their betting patterns... that will just give you a headache and waste your time.

When tracking bets, categorize them by RANGES.

Most players don't bet the IDENTICAL amounts again and again and again... but they bet the IDENTICAL RANGES over and over.

For instance, Elroy bet between $40 and $50 when he was holding a medium pocket pair. He bet between $10 and $15 for his "pot builder" hands like suited connectors.

OK, so now that you know the POWER behind betting behavior and patterns, you must realize these THREE crucial things:

1. MIX UP YOUR BETTING.

Don't fall into betting patterns yourself. Watch your bets closely and track your OWN bets to make sure you aren't getting into predictable patterns.

2. WATCH WHEN A PLAYER'S CARDS ARE TURNED OVER.

The only way to successfully discover betting patterns is by watching when someone WINS the hand and turns over his cards.

When this occurs, immediately review the hand in your mind and the player's bets pre-flop and
post-flop.

3. DON'T TELL ANYONE YOU'RE TRACKING THEIR BETS.

If you tell your opponents (who may be your friends) that you're tracking bets, you've just
shot yourself in the foot.

Because now THEY will start paying attention to their bets and will mix them up accordingly.

If you're tracking bets with a pen and pad, tell everyone the notes are for something else... don't
reveal your true intentions.

This concept of betting behavior is EXTREMELY POWERFUL. If you use it, you'll win a lot of
money. Period.

When you first start off, the actual TRACKING will be challenging in real-life games. If you're
playing ONLINE, tracking will be easy.

But don't get discouraged. The great (and amazing) thing is, a lot of players fall into the
SAME BASIC patterns. You'll even start categorizing PLAYERS THEMSELVES... not only their
bet sizes.

Your game will jump to a WHOLE NEW LEVEL.

Betting behavior is the ULTIMATE "poker tell", because it offers the fastest and easiest way to
put your opponent on a hand.

If you'd like to take this skill to the "mastery" level, then it's time you invested in my course,
"Texas Holdem Secrets".

I'll teach you step-by-step the in-depth strategies and techniques that will transform you
into a POKER GENIUS.

And you'll be able to read your opponents almost as if you were a PSYCHIC. You'll know what
someone will bet BEFORE they even reach for their chips...

You'll INSTANTLY know what a player is holding when they bet after the flop...

You'll know EXACTLY when to bluff, when to bet, and when to fold...

Honestly, it will almost seem TOO EASY to win ridiculous sums of money at the poker tables.

If you're ready for THIS kind of mastery, then just click this link NOW to get your private copy
of my course. You won't regret it.

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A Dangerous Mistake That Will Cost You Money

Here is a DANGEROUS MISTAKE that I'd say about 97% of people make when playing Texas Holdem:

THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO PROPERLY PLAY IN FIRST POSITION BEFORE THE FLOP.

This is the player immediately to the left of the big blind. It's the first person to act as soon as the cards are dealt.

This position is nicknamed "under the gun".

And with good reason, too.

Because this is THE the most DANGEROUS and COSTLY position at the table.

Here's why:

1. When you're under the gun, you are FIRST to act BEFORE the flop... and one of the first to act AFTER the flop.

This means you DON'T EVEN GET A CHANCE to get a read on the other players before you must make your decisions about betting...

2. The other players can check-raise you, trap you, and get a READ on YOU much more easily when you're in this position at the table...

3. You are more likely to get bluffed, pushed around, out drawn, and BEAT when you're in this position.

Let's examine WHY this table position is so terrible... and what proven strategies you can use to play under the gun PROPERLY, so that you don't lose any more money because of it.

Here's an example...

Let's say you're under the gun at an 8-man table.

You get your cards and look down at an A,10 off-suit. You decide to limp in, and you call the big blind (50).

The action goes around the table to the other players. The man on the button (Drew) decides to RAISE and make it 300 total to play.

You're not sure if this is a position raise, or if he really does have a solid hand.

With all the chips already in the pot... plus the 50 you already put in from your own stack, you decide to call with your A,10.

There's one other caller, and both the big blind and small blind players fold.

The flop comes out:

A,3,6 - all different suits.

You've hit top pair. Congratulations.

What sucks is that you're FIRST to act, and you know that Drew is probably going to raise you no matter what you do...

But you don't have a read on Drew or the other player. If Drew raises, you have to call, right? I mean, you hit top pair in a raised pot.

So let's say you throw out a "feeler bet", just to see where you're at.

Drew calls, and the other guy folds.

Hmmmm... so now you wonder if Drew is SLOW-PLAYING a big hand or if he's just going to bluff at this.

The turn comes. It's an 8.

You check... and now Drew bets 1000.

What now?

You're "pot committed" and you still have top-pair, so you decide to call.

Now the river comes, you check again, and Drew goes all-in for 3000 more.

You've already got about 1500 in the pot. You're getting over 2:1 on your money, and you're really not sure if Drew's bluffing or not. So you call...

And sure enough, Drew throws over his Big Slick (A,K), and rakes in the pot.

Ouch.

And the REASON you lost that big pot wasn't just the cards... it was your POSITIONING.

If you're under the gun and you hit top pair on the flop, you're just ASKING for trouble...

Because it's very difficult to get an accurate read on your opponents when you're first to act.

I mean... let's just look at the many ways you can LOSE your money when playing under the gun:

- If you call the blinds, but then the pot gets raised before the flop and you fold. (You've lost your blinds.)

- If you call the blinds (and maybe a pre-flop raise) and the flop is no help to you. You check, and there's a big bet by another player and you are forced to fold.

- If you bet after the flop but get raised and are forced to fold.

- If you have a good hand but someone else has a MONSTER and slow-plays you. (It's much easier for someone to slow-play you when you're first to act.)

- And more...

Now multiply all of these LOSSES by the number of times you will be under the gun every single time you play cards.

The result is a TON of lost chips...

But I do have good news:

IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY.

You don't have to lose money every time you're first to act before the flop...

You just have to know EXACTLY WHICH HANDS TO PLAY and HOW TO PLAY THEM.

Let's take a look...

In our example above, the biggest mistake made was playing A,10 in the first place.

Since under the gun positioning is so dangerous, you shouldn't play anything except PREMIUM HANDS.

The rule is this: TIGHTEN UP YOUR GAME.

Only play these exact hands:

AK, AQ, KQ, and pairs.

The only other hand you may want to play is suited connectors, but that just depends on your style... Personally, I don't like to play them here.

OK, now let's look at HOW to play the starting hands. There are basically two groups:

Group 1: AA, KK, QQ, and AK.

Group 2: AQ, KQ, and all other pairs.

Got it?

Now stick with me here, because this is VERY SIMPLE to understand and will save you a lot of money at the Holdem table.

When you're under the gun, you should always CALL THE BLINDS (LIMP-IN) when you get any hand in Group 2.

That means if you get any pair between 2's and Jacks... or AQ or KQ... you should CALL.

Period.

The goal is to hit something good on the flop. If someone makes a reasonable raise before the flop, you can feel comfortable calling it with one of
these hands.

I love playing small pocket pairs, because if you spike your card on the flop (giving you a three of a kind or a "set"), your opponents will usually never see it coming.

Now let's talk about Group 1 hands. The monsters:

AA, KK, QQ, AK

The way you play these depends on whether the table you're at is LOOSE or TIGHT.

Here's the rule:

If you're at a LOOSE table (where a lot of pre-flop raises occur), you should LIMP-IN (call) with your monster.

If you're at a TIGHT table (where not many pre-flop raises occur), you should RAISE the pot before the flop.

Here's why...

If the table is LOOSE, and you limp-in before the flop, the pot will most likely get RAISED and the action will come BACK to you.

This is good. It means more money in the pot for your monster hand.

But if you make a big bet, there's a good chance you will NOT get raised. Because you're first to act and everyone will know you probably have a good hand.

If you limp-in and the pot gets raised, you should probably make a RE-RAISE. Always try to get as much money in the pot whenever possible with your monster hand...

But you DON'T want more than 1-2 callers, because that would increase the odds of catching a bad beat.

Now if the table is TIGHT, you want to make a RAISE before the flop. You don't want a bunch of players to all limp-in and see a cheap flop...

Instead, you want to narrow down the field to 1-2 players and get some money in the middle before the flop. Period.

Playing first position before the flop is just plain tricky...

You're first to act pre-flop, in early position after the flop, you can't get as good of a read on your opponents, and you're at risk to getting slow-played.

So just remember, the next time you're under the gun, follow these three simple rules:

1. Only play premium hands: pairs, AK, AQ, or KQ.

2. With AA, KK, QQ, and AK, you should RAISE at a tight table and LIMP-IN at a loose table.

3. With the other starting hands you should just LIMP-IN.

Play by these easy rules and you'll stop losing money and start MAKING money from this very dangerous position.

And you'll have a MAJOR ADVANTAGE over everyone else at the table who DOESN'T know this strategy.

Which brings me to my next point...

You should always try to have MORE POKER KNOWLEDGE than the other guys at the table... because if you do, you've literally "stacked the deck" in your favor.

But if other guys you're up against know MORE about the game than YOU, you're going to be in DEEP TROUBLE...

Because poker is a SKILL game... and it is very complex. If you want to learn how to play and WIN, you've got to know the strategies and techniques of the pros.

I can show you everything you need to know... in an easy, step-by-step way that will INSTANTLY take your poker skills (and profits) to the next level.

Just click here right now to get started:

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New Poker / Casino Strategies

I have added the following strategy guides for your information:


Black Jack Strategies
Caribbean Stud Poker
Let It Ride Strategies
Omaha Poker Strategies
Texas Hold em Strategies
Texas Holdem Strategies
Pai Gow Strategies
Bacarrat Strategies
Roulette Strategies
Craps Strategies
Poker Strategies
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Sit and Go" Strategy - Part I by Guy Downs

Here we'll look at some of the basic concepts involved in proper Sit and Go tournament play. In the next installment of this two-part series we'll explore some additional ideas that should help to improve your results.

One nice thing about Sit and Go's-and, for that matter, all tournament play-is the fact that a player can usually expect strong results after only having mastered a couple critical ideas. Here we'll look at three of those concepts, and explore how they should inform your play.

Concept 1-Don't 'gamble' early on the tourney.

What we mean by this is that you shouldn't go all in, or commit the majority of your chips, on those hands where you believe you only enjoy a marginal edge. This is because the best thing that can happen if you win is that you double up, while the worst thing that can happen is that you bust out. If you bust out, you've lost your buy-in. But if you double up, you haven't guaranteed yourself of doubling your money (i.e., coming in third).

Consider this- we each put twenty bucks in the pot, and we agree to flip a coin for the full forty bucks. In a case like this we'll both expect to break even over time, since half the time I'll lose, and half the time I'll double my money. Make sense? Of course it does. But now let's extend this logic to a Sit and Go. For example, let's say it's the second hand of the tournament and you have 7c 7d. It's folded to you, you raise to $50, and now the next guy goes all in. All fold to you. Now, because of some quirk in the software, your opponent's cards are exposed and you see he has the As Ks. Even though you're a mathematical favorite to win the hand, you're only favored by a few percentage points. Thus, you're basically in a 'coin flip' situation. Which means you should fold, even though you know you're a favorite. Why? Because if you lose you're guaranteed of losing your buy in, but if you win and double up you're not guaranteed of doubling your money since you could still bust out before you finish third. Thus, even though you'll win about half the time, you're not getting 'even money' or better on your bet, which makes calling here a -EV play.

Situations like this come up all the time in these tourneys, and you'll be doing yourself a huge favor if you learn to spot them. Another example would be flopping top pair with a good-but-not-great kicker (e.g., holding AJ on an A96 flop, or JT on a T75 flop) when an opponent who has at least almost as many chips as you moves all in. As long as you still have most of your original chips left in front of you it's usually a good idea to get away from these hands and look for a better spot for your money.

Concept 2-So long as you have a decent sized stack, and the blinds haven't yet escalated, don't be afraid to take flops with some marginal hands-especially in late position.

One problem that winning limit players have in the tourneys is that they don't take enough flops when the pot hasn't been raised. In a normal ring game you wouldn't limp in on the button with a hand like A7o, or Q6s or 74s, even if only a couple players have yet entered the pot. But in a no limit Sit and Go's these types of hands are usually worth taking a flyer on if you're in the cut off or on the button. The reason for this can be seen in the fact that you're getting huge implied odds before the flop-which means you can get away from your hand if you miss the flop, but can often double through if you hit the flop hard. With a hand like 6h 3h, you're only paying ten or fifteen bucks to see the flop. But if you get all the flop (by flopping two pair, a straight, or trips) you can frequently bust one of your opponents. Another bonus is that if everyone misses the flop you can often steal it with a small bet (by which we mean a bet that's sized at about ½ to ¾ of the pot). To borrow from Vince Lombardi-'in limit poker the button is everything; in no-limit it's the only thing'. Position is so important in no limit that you can take flops with all kinds of wacky hands on the button provided that it doesn't cost you much (relative to your stack size) to call.

Concept 3- Get aggressive in the middle stages of the tournament.

As the tournament progresses the size of the blinds begins to become significant. This means that it becomes essential to take some risks, since you simply can't wait around for the nuts. So long as your stack is at least moderately sized, you should be making more than your share of blind-steal attempts, even with hands that wouldn't appear to warrant it. Of course you can't try this if someone else has already limped in, but so long as everyone has already folded you shouldn't be afraid to take a shot at the blinds with some fairly weak hands (for example, hands like J8s, or 97s, or K9o). When the tournament gets into the middle and late stages, most players make the mistake of folding too much in the blinds. When the tournament gets into the late stages this phenomenon no longer exists, since you're usually down to four handed (or less) and everyone is 'on the lookout' for blind steals. But in the middle stages most players are still entertaining dreams of sneaking into the money, which means they don't want to lock horns with crappy hands. Obviously you'll have to pattern you blind-steal play after your opponents-if they're loose cannons, for example, you can often just wait around and break them once you catch a real hand. But the typical Sit and Go player starts getting real risk averse after about five orbits or so, which allows you to help yourself to their blinds.

Courtesy http://www.netbettor.com

Pot Odds – Your Secret Poker Weapon

Pot odds is one of the most neglected aspects of Texas Holdem poker, especially by the beginner and intermediate player. Some poker beginners have heard the term and a few even have a basic concept of what pot odds are, but very few of these players know how to put them to good use in a poker game.

However knowing how to calculate and use pot odds is one of the crucial weapons that serious poker players have in their armory, one that most definitely separates them from the amateur.

Poker pot odds are often associated with complex mathematical calculations and the less serious player can feel overwhelmed at the prospect of tackling such a subject, but don’t fret, do you really think that to be a serious poker player you need to be a genius at mathematics? Do you think all the poker pros are?

Well of course the answer is that they are most definitely not all geniuses, but what they do have is a method of calculating the odds quickly and easily to see if they are in their favor in any given situation.

So let’s look at a simple, basic way of calculating the odds, remember it needs to be quick and easy so that it can be worked out quickly and accurately in the heat and pressure of a poker game.

Poker pot odds can be broken down to this simple one liner:

“If the odds of you getting the card you need to make your hand are less than the pot odds, you should bet.”

There are two sides to this equation which I will try and explain, “odds of you getting the card you need” and “pot odds.” Firstly “odds of you getting the card you need”, this one is fairly easy to understand. It’s best explained using the example of a flush or straight draw, so we’ll use a straight draw to illustrate it.

You’re in a Texas Holdem game and your pocket cards are Q T, the flop is J 4 9. In order to make a straight you need to get either a King or 8 on the turn or river so you have eight possible cards that can make your hand, four Kings and four 8s. These are known as your “out” cards.

You’ve seen five cards out of the deck, your own two pocket cards and the three flop cards. That means there’s 47 cards you haven’t seen. So the odds of you getting the card you need are:

Cards that won’t help you : Cards that will help you

Out of the 47 remaining cards, eight of them will help you and 35 won’t, so the “odds of you getting the card you need” are 35:8 or 4.375:1.

Now for the pot odds.

The basic formula is:

The size of the pot : Amount you need to put into the pot.

So if the pot is sitting at $100 and you need to bet $20 to call, your pot odds are 100:20 or 5:1.

In this case the pot odds (5:1) are bigger than the odds of you getting the card you need (4.375:1) so you should call the bet. This is known as getting "value" for your bet. If you are doing these sums quickly you can think of 35:8 as being about four and a half to one, it’s good enough for a quick calculation.

This is a simplification of pot odds and there are other considerations like – will the players after you in the round of betting add to the pot? This would make your bet an even better proposition as it would increase the pot odds but it is of course an unknown factor.

Understand pot odds and you will take your game forward to the next stage and prepare yourself for the poker big league.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Article by Ian McIntosh of Love Texas Holdem. Check out the site for all the latest information on Texas Holdem tournaments and Online Poker Freerolls.

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Binion's Poker Classic

Binion's: The birthplace of the World Series of Poker will return to international poker competition in the fall of 2006 with a new tournament, "Binion’s Poker Classic." At a news conference, Binion’s General Manager Brian Eby and Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman announced that the Binion’s Poker Classic will be a major tournament for the world’s top players. Specific details -- such as the number of events and entries, buy-ins, and cash prizes -- will be announced by August 1. For more information about the tournament, visit Binions Poker Classic.

Ghost Car

This is a car advertisement from somewhere. When they finished filming the ad, the people who made it noticed something moving along the side of the car, like a ghostly white mist. The ad was never put on TV because the unexplained ghostly phenomenon frightened the production team out of their wits. Watch it and about halfway look and you will see the white mist crossing in front of the car then following it along the road . . . spooky!

http://www.windsorpoker.com/ghost_car_ad.mp4


Gary

Joe Hachem wins WSOP's main event

Joe Hachem is the winner of this years World Series of Poker $10,000 buy in. He takes home $7,5 million dollars.

The final hand:

Joseph Hachem - has about $38,000,000 in chips
Steve Dannenmann - has about $18,000,000 in chips.

Dannenmann has the button, raises to $700,000.
Hachem calls.

The Flop

The flop is 6h-5d-4d.
Hachem checks.
Dannenmann bets $700,000.
Hachem raises to $1,700,000.
Dannenmann calls.

The Turn

The turn card is As.
Hachem bets $2,000,000.
Dannenmann raises to $5,000,000.
Hachem reraises all in.
Dannenmann immediately calls.
Hachem has 7c-3s (seven-high straight).
Dannenman has Ad-3c (top pair).

Dannenmann needs to catch a seven on the river to split the pot.

The River

The river card is the 4c!

Joseph Hachem from Melbourne, Australia. This is Hachem's first WSOP event.

2005 World Series of Poker by the numbers

Grabbed this info from the World Series Of Poker's website:

Total number of registered entrants: 5,661
Total number of official entrants: 5,619
Players expected to begin on Day 1(a): 1,895
Players who took their seats: 1,870
Online qualifiers refused admittance because they were underage: 10
Registered players buy-in money got lost somewhere in transit: 13
Online qualifiers who died before the big event: 2
Press credentials issued: 540

2005 World Series of Poker

The official number of people to enter the World Series of Poker's main event, the $10,000 No Limit Hold'em was 5, 619 players.

The winner of this years WSOP will win a whopping $7,500,000.

Actually second place is no too bad either at $4,250,000

4 Tips to Improve Your Online Poker Game by Laura Bastowe

Online Poker has increased in popularity exponentially over the past few years. More and more people are jumping into the poker game and some are making good money playing poker online. You too can win and be the next Texas Hold ‘Em champion. There are a few tips that can help anyone play better poker, and win more money.

1. Don’t play too many hands!
Some poker players dive in and have 4 hands going at once. Not only does this make it more difficult to focus on each opponent at several tables, but it also causes many to lose money a lot faster. Generally stick with one hand in the beginning and move up slowly. Once you are proficient enough, two hands is a good idea because it can help you win more money. Focus on higher value hands in the beginning to maximize earnings.

2. Watch your opponents.
The best poker players are the most alert to their opponents. Watch your opponents betting habits. If they are someone who likes to bluff, you won’t be tempted to fold when they place a high bet. However, some players only bet high when they have a strong hand. If you recognize this, you know to fold and save your money. Poker is a constant learning process. The more you know about your opponents, the easier it will be for you top predict what kind of hand they have, and you can play accordingly. Some of the best time to study your opponents is when you arte not in the hand. If you folded early, take the time to study your opponents.

3. Use betting to gain information about your opponents.
Betting is a very useful tool when used correctly. Some bet high to see if opponents will stay in. Re-raises also accomplish this same end. “Checking” is also a good technique. If you check, and your opponent bets, he or she may have a better hand than you. At the same time, if you notice your opponent checking, you might think that he or she has a bad hand.

4. Bluff sparingly and be unpredictable.
The best poker players use the bluffing technique very sparingly. Some players simply bluff without any thought to the consequences. The worst thing a player can do is establish himself or herself as a bluffer. It is best to bluff when you know, or have a credible supposition that your bluff won’t be challenged by anyone. In this same sense, it is a good idea to be unpredictable. Any player that gets into habits will undoubtedly have difficulty making money.

Online Poker can be fun and profitable for anyone. However, if you follow these few tips, it might be more profitable for you than others. Poker is an ongoing process. You can always improve, so never hesitate to read a book on poker and increase your knowledge and skill. Poker is a game of perception and awareness. The best players not only understand the game of poker, but they understand all of their opponents and know techniques.

About the Author
Laura Bastowe is an avid poker player and writes about online poker frequently.

Watch the 2005 WSOP on TV

The 2005 World Series of Poker and WSOP Circuit Tournaments will be televised Tuesdays on ESPN beginning July 19, 2005. Please check your local listings for more details.

For up to the minute news on the 2005 WSOP go to the official blog:
World Series of Poker official Blog

World Series of Poker: A Retrospective

I love surfing the Internet. Every now and then while surfing I come across a site I have to bookmark to that I can revisit often.

I just found this site: World Series of Poker: A Retrospective and excited with all the info on the history of the World Series of Poker.

Some of the highlights of this site are:

• A brief summary of the legendary Binion's Horseshow Casino
• Benny Binion, the famous gambler, in his own words
• Summaries of the World Series Of Poker tournaments from past media guides
• Selected photographs from the Binion's Collection
• Excerpts from writings about the World Series Of Poker

This is a site you will add to your bookmarks!
World Series of Poker: A Retrospective

Here is Wanda standing out front of Binion's Casino (original home of the World Series of Poker) I couldn't find picture of me standing outside this casino .... I will make sure Wanda takes a picture of my mug out front of Binion's this year.

I did a search of some of the most popular articles on Jack Binion, Ted Binion, the Binion Murder Trial (fasinating) and ofcourse Binion's Casino. You can view the links to these artcles here.

Gary

Top Professional Poker Players - Daniel Negreanu

Daniel Negreanu From Canada.

He is one of the most agressive players I have ever seen. Fearless and has a keen sense to read other player's tells. Although he agressive play does earn him an early exit from tournaments at times his poker play is the reason he finishes near the top.

He now lives in Las Vegas and can been seen playing at Wynn Casino playing high stakes poker games.

You can read much more about Daniel Negreanu here

STACKED with Daniel Negreanu

How To Calculate Pot Odds - Rory Monahan

You DON'T need to be a "math genius" to understand poker odds...

Not at all.

In fact, you can be TERRIBLE at math and still be able to use "odds" to your advantage at the no-limit Holdem tables.

There are TWO main things you need to learn right away:

1. The concept of OUTS
2. The concept of POT SIZE

These are easy. Let's start with the first.

Outs" refers to the number of cards in the deck that will complete (or "make") your hand.

For instance... if you have Ace-King and the board reads Q-J-4, you need a ten to make your straight.

Since there are four tens in the deck, you have FOUR OUTS.

Or... let's say you're holding Q-J and the board reads K-10-5. That means you have an open-ended straight draw-- either the Ace or the nine will complete your straight.

Since there are four nines and four Aces in the deck, you have EIGHT OUTS.

Let's do one more. Let's say you've got 8-7 of clubs and the board reads 2c-Ad-Kc-3s. That means there are two clubs on the board and two in your hand. If one more club hits on the river, you'll have a flush.

There are a total of thirteen clubs in the deck (thirteen of each suit times four suits equals fifty-two cards).

But that DOESN'T mean you have thirteen outs,because you're already using four of the clubs.

Instead, you have NINE OUTS (thirteen minus four). If any of those nine cards hits on the river, you'll have a flush.

OK... so that's how you calculate OUTS. We'll do some more in-depth examples in a minute, but first let's talk about POT SIZE.

Pot size is how much money is in the pot. Pretty simple, right?

There are three main parts to pot size:

1. How much money is already in the middle
2. How much is bet in the current round of betting
3. How much WILL be bet in the current round

Let me explain.

Let's say four players call the big blind of $4 in a game. That means there's $16 in the middle.

The flop comes out. You're on the button, which means you're LAST to act. Player 1 bets $10 into the pot. Player 2 calls, and Player 3 folds. Now it's your turn. What's the current pot size?

The answer is $36. There's the $16 that was in the middle first, then $20 more from Players 1 and 2.

The $16 is the first part, the $20 is the second part, and there is no third part since you were last to act.

Let's take another look. Let's say you were SECOND TO ACT, instead of on the button.

Four players call the big blind of $4, which means there's $16 in the pot. Player 1 bets $10, and now you must make a decision. What's the pot size?

Well, it's $16 + $10 + UNKNOWN.

Why "unknown"?

The reason is you DON'T KNOW if the two players BEHIND you are going to call, raise, or fold. So you really don't KNOW the exact pot size.

This is a fundamental reason why math doesn't solve all your problems in poker. You must use your INSTINCTS to "guess" and "infer".

In this case, you would try to guess whether or not the other two players would call or fold (or raise) and make your decision then. This is also another reason why POSITIONING in a hand is so important.

One more thing about pot size before we move on...

A lot of players don't know whether to count THEIR OWN MONEY in the actual pot size.

The answer is you count your own money that's ALREADY THERE from before. In the example, your big blind of $4 is already in the pot... so you DO use it to calculate the pot size.

Once your money is in the middle, it isn't yours any more. Period.

But you would NOT include your $10 in the pot size, because you haven't put it in yet. You're THINKING about putting it in.

Make sense?

Let's say you called the $10 bet from Player 1 and the other players all folded. The turn card comes and Player 1 bets $20. What's the pot size?

Well, it's $16 from pre-flop, $20 after the flop, and now $20 after the turn.

You DO count your $10 after the flop because now it IS already in the middle.

OK... so what does OUTS and POT SIZE have to do with ODDS?

The answer is EVERYTHING.

Now that you know these two basics, you're ready to start calculating "complicated" poker odds.
To calculate odds, you need four pieces of information:

1. Number of outs
2. Number of "unknown" cards in the deck
3. Pot size
4. Current bet amount

We talked about the outs and pot size. The other two are very straightforward.

The number of "unknown" cards in the deck simply means how many cards you DON'T KNOW. Before the flop, there are 50 cards you don't know. You only know the two in your hand.

After the flop, there are 47 cards you don't know. You know the two in your hand and the three on the board and that's it.

After the turn there are 46 cards you don't know.

Like I said, this is simple stuff.

And the CURRENT BET AMOUNT is just... well, the current bet amount. It's how much you must put in the pot to "call".

OK, let's review.

Let's say you get dealt J-10 offsuit. You call the big blind of $6 and so does one other player. The small blind folds. The player in the big blind checks. That means the POT SIZE is $21 ($6 + $6 + $6 + $3).

The flop comes out Q-2-9. You've got an open-ended straight draw. Either a King or an eight will make your straight. Since there are four Kings and four eights in the deck, you've got EIGHT OUTS.

There are 47 unknown CARDS in the deck (52 cards minus the five that you see).

You're second to act. The first player bets $12. That means $12 is the CURRENT BET AMOUNT.

The POT SIZE is $21 + $12 + UNKNOWN. The unknown is what the player after you does...

So there you have it... those are the four pieces of information you need. The only thing you don't know for SURE is the pot size in this example.

Sometimes you'll know the pot size exactly (like when you have good positioning). Other times you'll just have to estimate.

OK, let's do some odds.

THE WAY TO CALCULATE ODDS IS TO COMPARE THE ODDS OF MAKING YOUR HAND TO THE ODDS OF THE POT.

Here's the exact "formula":

(Unknown Cards - Outs) : Outs

VERSUS

Pot Size : Current Bet Amount

If the first comparison is smaller than the second one, that's good. It means that "pot odds justify a call" (or raise).

For instance, if you have 12 outs and there are 47 unknown cards, that means you have ABOUT a 25% chance of "making" your hand.

The odds against you are 35:12, or about 3:1.

Remember... when you see two numbers like X:X, the first number is the chance of one thing happening against the chance of the second thing happening. You'll miss your hand three times and make it once. That's 1/4 or 25% or 3:1.

Now let's say the pot size is $50 and the current bet amount is $10. That means the odds would be $50:$10, or 5:1.

It's easiest to look at in the X:X format and not use percentages.

OK, so here's what you've got for this example:

Outs = 12
Unknown Cards = 47
Current Bet Amount = 10
Pot Size = 50

There are 35 cards that WON'T HELP YOU (47 - 12).

So the odds are 35:12 for the cards.

And for the pot it's 50:10. You don't add your $10 to the first number. Just use the current pot size.

35:12 is about 3:1.
50:10 equals 5:1.

The entire point of calculating odds is to make a good decision. To make a decision of whether or not to call a $10 bet here, you would compare the 3:1 versus 5:1.

The odds here are IN YOUR FAVOR.

If this scenario played out four times, here's how it would look STATISTICALLY:

- You lose $10.
- You lose $10.
- You win $50.
- You lose $10.

You lose three times and win once (3:1). When you add your losses it equals $30 but your wins are $50, giving you a $20 profit.

If the scenario happened eight times you'd win twice and lose six times. That means you'd lose $60 and win $100... for a $40 profit.

For real life poker situations, the key is to calculate whether or not you can "justify" staying in the hand.

Let's say you have A-8 and the flop comes out:

K-10-4

Someone bets $10 and the pot size is $20. What should you do?

Well, you don't have anything but an Ace high. If the Ace comes on the turn, you'd have top pair. So let's ASSUME that your top pair would be the winning hand.

That means there are three cards in the deck that can help you (the other three Aces). And there are exactly 47 unknown cards in the deck.

So we have our numbers:

Outs = 3
Unknown Cards = 47
Current Bet Amount = 10
Pot Size = 20

Using our formula...

(47 - 3) : 3

VERSUS...

20 : 10

So the numbers come out 44:3 (about 15:1) versus 2:1. Should you call?

Of course not.

You're only getting 2:1 for your money but your chances of winning the hand are very slim.

If the hand played out 16 times you would win ONCE. So you'd lose $150 (15 X $10) and win $20, for a total loss of $130.

You're always striving for good odds on your money and good odds on your hand.

Good odds on your hand means the X:X number is as SMALL AS POSSIBLE... because you want lots of outs. You don't want there to be only one or two cards in the deck that can help you. You want fractions like 47:12, 46:10, 46:8, and so on.

Good odds on your money means the X:X number is BIG. You want 10:1, 5:1, 12:1, and so on.

OK, I'm going to give one more example. See if you're smart enough to figure this out on your own (you may need to use a scratch piece of paper)...

You're second to act pre-flop and look down to see Kc-Jc. You limp-in by calling the $4 big blind.
Three other players call. The small blind (who put in $2) folds.

The player in the big blind decides to RAISE the pot to $8. You call. Two of the other three players call... but one folds.

So now there are four players total in the hand... the guy in the big blind, you, and the two other callers. (Still with me here?)

The flop comes out:

Ac-4s-8c

What a great flop for you. You've got the nut flush draw.

The player in the big blind is first to act. He checks. You check also (which I would NOT recommend doing here, by the way).

The next player bets $16. The next one calls. The guy who made the original pre-flop raise folds.
So now the action is on to you.

What is the...

Number of outs?
Number of unknown cards?
Current bet amount?
Pot size?

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY...

Should you call?

See if you can figure it out before I give you the answer.

...

...

..

...

OK, so the answer is this:

Yes, you should call.

The pot size is $70. The current bet amount is $16. The number of outs is 9. And the number of unknown cards is 47.

The pot size was the hardest thing to figure out. Remember... the small blind folded his $2. Another player folded their $4. So there was $6 in the middle, plus $32 with the four callers. So $38 before the flop.

Then there were two players in for $16 after the flop, which equals $32. $38 + $32 = $70. Luckily, there weren't any other players left to act after you in this exact round of betting.

The number of outs is simple. Thirteen clubs in the deck minus the four you already see equals nine. And the number of unknown cards is 52 minus the five you see... which equals 47.

Plugging those numbers into our handy "formula" gives us:

(47-9):9 Versus 70:16

That's equal to 38:9 versus 70:16

Now you might be wondering, "How the hell am I supposed to know what 70 divided by 16 is or 38 divided by 9? It's not like I'll have a calculator handy at the table!"

True.

But you don't have to know the EXACT numbers. All you need to know is if the second one is bigger than the first. And that's pretty easy.

When I do it, here's what goes on in my head:

"38 over 9 is about the same as 36 over 9, which equals 4. That means 38 over 9 is 4 and 2/9ths.

70 over 16 is closest to 64 over 16, which also equals 4. That means 70 over 16 is 4 and 6/16ths.

Now I just have to compare 2/9 to 6/16. 2/9 is like 2/10, which equals .2. 6/16 is kind of like 6/18, which is .33. So the second one is bigger."

And that means the call IS justified.

Now let me clarify something...

In this example the two numbers are VERY close (4.22 versus 4.375). Usually they WON'T be that close. Usually they'll be something like 3.3 versus 8.2 or 2.5 versus 4.1.

That means in MOST cases you won't have to do all that fraction stuff. OR, even if you DO have those fractions, you won't need to calculate it. You'll probably just consider it "about even" and make your decision based on other factors.

All right... so that's basically how you calculate pot odds. Of course, there's more.

You also want to know IMPLIED ODDS. Implied odds aren't as math-related. Implied odds basically pertain to hands where you can "bust" or "surprise" your opponents.

In the last example, you were on the nut flush draw, because you had the King of clubs and the Ace of clubs was on the board.

If your opponent was ALSO on the flush draw and he had the QUEEN of clubs, this would be very good for you...

Because if another club hit on the turn, you and your opponent would both have flushes. But yours would be higher.

In this case, your opponent would likely go "all-in" and you would win a TON of chips.

So even though the "odds" on your money are 4.375:1, they're actually higher because of the "implied odds" of your NUT flush draw.

Besides implied odds, you'll also have to think about the "unknown" pot size, as we discussed. Many times you just won't KNOW the exact pot size, and will be forced to guess.

Also... you must be careful to consider what your OPPONENTS are holding...

Let's say you're holding As-5h and the board reads: 8h-Qh-2h

You have the flush draw. And the odds of "making" it are good. But that doesn't mean you want to calculate the nine other hearts in the deck as your "outs".

Why?

Because all your opponents need to BEAT you is a heart higher than a FIVE. And someone most likely has it.

The point is, when you calculate OUTS, you want to calculate outs based on making the WINNING HAND.

And obviously there's no way to know for sure what the winning hand will be... unless you've got the nuts.

So as you can see... there are a LOT of different factors to take into consideration.

Calculating pot odds is a useful technique for the right situations. Over the long term, it can become very handy and will help you make sound, logical decisions at the poker table.

And fortunately, after practicing pot odds for a few games, most of the numbers will become "instinctual" very quickly.

But it's just a tool. One of MANY that you should store in your Holdem "toolbox".

In the same way that you can't build a house with just a HAMMER, you can't base your entire game on ODDS or math.

My innovative Texas Hold 'Em Poker Secrets course will give you the "picks and shovels" you need to start building your poker game... brick by brick.

We'll build a solid foundation of skills and strategies, and then go through step-by-step examples so that it becomes "second nature" for you.

You'll get the "fast track" to successfully building your bankroll, playing in higher stakes games, and making your living in the poker world.

To get started at dominating the poker tables, just click here:

Texas Hold 'Em Poker Secrets