Felt Stars

WSOP-Circuit Atlantic City: Canada's Samuel Chartier Wins

2009-03-15T18:05:00.000-07:00

Canadian bests field of 207 at WSOP Circuit-Atlantic City

You may not recongnize the names of the nine survivors at the World Series of Poker Circuit Main Event at Caesars Atlantic City, but that doesn't mean the field was weak. With one WSOP bracelet winner, the 2008 UltimateBet Aruba Poker Classic champion and more than half a dozen WSOP final tables among them, these nine competitors made up an extremely solid field. When the dust finally settled 8 hours later on the final table, Canadian Samuel Chartier Defeated fellow Canadian John Nixon to claim the gold championship ring, the WSOP Main Event entry package, and the $322,944 top prize.

While Alex Bolotin took the chip lead into the final table, it was Frank Vizza who stormed out of the gate early to grab the top spot onAlex Bolotin took the chip lead into the final table, but Frank Vizza who stormed out of the gate early grabbed the top spot on the leader board and add a couple of notches to his gunbelt along the way. His first victim was David Zeitlin, who busted in ninth place for $20,184. After Vizza raised from the cutoff, Zeitlin moved all in over the top with (6-Spades)(6-Clubs) from the big blind. Vizza snap-called with (A-Spades)(A-Hearts), and the board ran out (K-Spades)(Q-Clubs)(Q-Hearts)(9-Diamonds)(A-Diamonds) to send Zeitlin packing early.

Day 1 chip leader Chris Klodnicki was the next player to make a stand against Vizza's aggression, and again it was a battle of the pocket pairs. After raising with no opposition for several hands in a row, Vizza found an opponent when Klodnicki shoved back into him with pocket jacks. Vizza once again had the goods, and snap-called with pocket kings. The board missed both players, and Vizza's kings held up as Klodnicki picked up $30,276 for eighth place.

After that early flurry of big confrontations, play slowed significantly as the competitors were content to pick their spots. Jason Young picked his spot in a hand against eventual champion Samuel Chartier when he raised preflop with (J-Clubs)(J-Spades). Chartier was the lone caller, and he then moved all in on the (8-Clubs)(4-Clubs)(3-Hearts) flop. Young quickly called with his overpair, as Chartier showed (K-Clubs)(Q-Clubs) for overcards and the flush draw. The (7-Clubs) peeled off right away on the turn, and Young was drawing dead. As the meaningless (5-Hearts) hit the river, Young headed to the cage to collect his seventh-place money ($40,368).

Matt Brady was eliminated in sixth place ($50,460) by Chartier, but it was Frank Vizza who did the damage. Vizza three-bet John Nixon from the button, and Brady moved all in over the top from the big blind. Nixon decided discretion was the better part of valor, and Vizza made the easy call with (K-Clubs)(K-Diamonds). Brady's (10-Spades)(10-Diamonds) needed help, but none came on the (A-Spades)(J-Diamonds)(4-Spades)(3-Hearts)(4-Clubs) board. After doubling up Vizza, Brady's stack was on life support. Just a couple of hands later, Chartier pulled the plug when he called Brady's all-in with (3-Hearts)(3-Spades). Brady's (8-Hearts)(8-Clubs) looked good on the (A-Spades)(J-Hearts)(K-Spades) flop, but the (10-Spades) turn gave Chartier more outs to work with. The prescient Brady said, "You got the spade," as he looked at Chartier's hand, and as if called for, the (2-Spades) landed on the river to give Chartier the four-flush and show Brady the exit.

Alex Bolotin came into the final table as the big stack, but never really got his game on track in the final day of the event. In his last hand, he open-shoved with (K-Hearts)(3-Clubs), and big stack Frank Vizza was the lone caller, showing (A-Spades)(Q-Hearts). Bolotin fell further behind on the (Q-Spades)(6-Hearts)(8-Hearts) flop. He picked up a pair on the turn when the (3-Diamonds) fell, giving him a few outs to work with. The (10-Hearts) river wasn't one of them, and Bolotin was done in fifth place ($60,552).

Michael Michnik exited in fourth ($70,644) in a rough hand against Samuel Chartier. After raising preflop with (A-Spades)(J-Clubs), Michnik moved all in over the top of Chartier's three-bet. Chartier quickly called, and showed (A-Clubs)(J-Spades) for the same hand. Chartier was free rolling after the (5-Spades)(6-Clubs)(8-Clubs) flop, and the (Q-Clubs) turn put Michnik in danger of elimination. As the (9-Clubs) landed on the river to give Chartier the flush, Michnik could only look on in disgust, then shake his opponents' hands as he headed to the exit.

There was no elimination in the biggest pot of the night, but it set the stage for the eventual winner of the gold ring. With blinds at 16,000/32,000 and a 4,000 ante, Frank Vizza raised preflop to 100,000. Samuel Chartier re-raised to 246,000, and Vizza called. The flop came down (8-Hearts)(5-Clubs)(6-Spades), and Chartier led out for 200,000. Vizza sat for a moment before raising to 700,000. After a couple minutes' consideration, Chartier moved all in over the top. This prompted Vizza to go deep in the tank, contemplating every possible outcome of the hand. Finally after more than five minutes in thought, Vizza folded, giving up his chip lead to Chartier just before the dinner break.

Things went no better for Vizza after dinner, as he quickly doubled up John Nixon on the second hand back from break. With just a fraction of his former stack, Vizza then called a preflop raise from John Nixon a few hands later to put his tournament life on the line. Vizza held a slight lead on the flop, as his (A-Hearts)(2-Spades) led Nixon's (K-Spades)(J-Diamonds) on the (8-Spades)(4-Clubs)(Q-Hearts) board. The (9-Spades) on the turn gave Nixon more outs, and the (J-Spades) on the river gave him the pair to send Vizza to the rail in third place ($90,828).

After their collective decimation of Frank Vizza's stack, Samuel Chartier and John Nixon settled in for heads-up play with Chartier holding the chip lead. It only took a few hands to decide the title, with Nixon unable to overcome Chartier's lead. In the final hand, Nixon raised preflop from the button, then moved all in over the top of Chartier's re-raise. Chartier quickly called and showed (A-Hearts)(J-Clubs), dominating Nixon's (A-Diamonds)(10-Spades). Chartier took a commanding lead on the (A-Spades)(J-Diamonds)(5-Hearts) flop, making two pair to Nixon's one. The (5-Diamonds) on the turn gave additional outs to chop, but the (10-Clubs) on the river was no help for Nixon, who earned $177,619 for his runner-up performance.

Samuel Chartier trumped a field of 207 opponents to claim his $322,944 top prize, plus an entry into the WSOP Main Event and the gold Circuit Championship ring. He bested a field that included some of the biggest names in poker, and prevailed over a tough final table to do it.

Private Tourney on Poker Stars

2009-03-01T19:27:00.000-08:00

Hey Poker fans!!!!!! We have set up a private tourney just for fans on the poker fan page on Facebook and readers of the felt stars blog. It's set for March 15th and its only a 5 dollar buy in so its nice and cheap to play. With over 70000 fans on the fan page we should be able to get a decent field going. If you have any friends who want to play in the tourney send them here for the password. Here are the details:

Tournament location: online at pokerstars <---go to pokerstars site to download the software if you don't have an account with Pokerstars
Tournament name: FBOOK POKER FANS
Tournament ID#: 144728789
Tournament date: March 15th
Tournament time: 17:00EST
Entry fee: $5 + .50

And here's the important part the PASSWORD IS: feltstars

Flush draws-the right way to play them.

2009-02-22T19:23:00.001-08:00

Strategies for flush draws with a three-suited flop are much different than with a two suited flop. Strategies for two-suited flops can vary depending on other qualities of the flop. For example, the flop could also have a pair or connected cards. Flush draws raise in value when you add other elements to your hand such as straight draws, pairs, or overcards.
Let’s take a look at odds. Flush draws are just about 2 to 1 against improving by the river, but this could improve depending on the pair and straight possibilities of your hand. Add a gut-shot straight draw or an over-card and you are approximately 1.2 to 1 against improving. An open-ended straight and flush draw is .9 to 1. Add overcards to any of these and you have even better odds. As you can see, at worst, you are 2 to 1 against improving. This is even better when you add other elements to your hand.

Two-Suited

Let’s look first at flush draws when the flop is two-suited. When the flop is two suited, you are almost always getting sufficient odds to draw to the flush with these few exceptions:
• You are heads up in a small pot and don’t have a pair, and you are convinced your opponent has a pair higher than your two cards.
• There is a pair on the flop and a decent chance an opponent holds three of a kind. With a pair on the flop, it is much easier for someone to spike a full house to beat your flush; however, you can still draw out sometimes depending on the action and size of the pot.
• The action is so strong on the flop that your small flush draw could be drawing dead to a better flush draw. Be careful in getting into a betting war with a drawing hand that could be runner-up. The worse case scenario is when someone has a set and the other player has a nut flush draw with a top pair. These two players could be raising a lot and you would be stuck in the middle doing nothing but giving away your money. Play your draws, but be prepared to back off when the action gets too heavy on the flop. Flush draws are very strong. Even with the exceptions listed above, there may be times when drawing to the flush is still OK. For example, if the pot is large with several opponents, sometimes you can draw to the nut flush when there is a pair on the flop. Let’s look first at draws when there are three or more players in the hand. In these cases, you usually prefer to keep as many players in the hand as possible to help improve your odds: therefore, you should normally check when acting first, especially when there is a preflop raiser. You do not want to bet and then get raised immediately behind you, causing the other players to fold. If you were the preflop raiser, go ahead and bet out as usual. If some-one bets into you and there are still opponents to act behind you, normally just call to allow the other players to come in cheaply.

There is one exception in trying to keep as many opponents in the hand as possible with your flush draws. This occurs when there is a large pot and you have other elements to your hand that could help you win the pot. For example, if you have an ace overcard with a weak kicker and you believe a raise could get an opponent to fold a hand like Ax, you might raise to give yourself a better chance at winning a large pot. Generally, deciding whether to drive out players or keep them in the hand is a function of the size of the pot and how strong your secondary draws are.
If there are already several callers, raising is an option. Raising increases the size of the pot when you are getting good pot odds on the bet. If you are in late position, you also might be able to get a free card on the turn. Check-raising is an option when there are several callers in the hand, but you must act first on the turn thereby eliminating your chance at a free card. Check-raising in these situations is much better when you have other strong elements to your hand, such as a pair, two overcards, or a straight draw.

Against one or two opponents (and sometimes even three), it is possible to win the pot on a semi-bluff. Whenever you feel there is a chance to win the pot outright by betting or raising, you should usually do so. Advanced Concept; Whenever you have a strong drawing hand, you should bet or raise if you feel you have a decent chance to win the pot outright, especially against one or two opponents. Semi-bluffs with flush draws are very strong plays. You could win the pot immediately, and if you don’t, you still have a good chance at winning the pot on your draw; therefore, if you act first against one or two opponents, usually bet out if you feel you have some chance that your opponents will fold. Otherwise, usually it is better to just check and call. If someone bets and you feel there is some chance he is bluffing, semi-bluff raising can be correct. If you act last and no one has bet, you should almost always bet out. If both players have already bet, you must decide whether to raise or just call. Raising is an option if you could receive a free card. Otherwise, only raise when youhave other elements to your hand.

There are times when reraising with flush draws is correct. For example, a hand like Q♦ J♦ with a flop of T♣ 9♦ 5♦ gives you a super strong hand. You have a good flush draw for nine outs, an open-ended straight draw for an additional six outs, and finally a queen or jack may also give you the winner for an additional six outs. You will hit a straight or flush 54% of the time and an overcard an additional 24% of the time! Heads up you should almost always reraise with hands such as these.
Against several opponents, always reraise unless you prefer to just call rather than drive out opponents who might have to pay two bets. With small pots, you prefer there to be several opponents with some trashy hands in the pot, keep them hoping!

Changing gears-Definition and practice

2009-02-01T16:30:00.000-08:00

Playing well in marginal situations is how we make our money at shorthand NL poker. Unlike full ring were our hand selection dictates that we will be in less marginal situations, good intelligent play with 6 or less players at the table requires: a wide opening range in position, a wide 3-bet range, and an understanding that your opponents are in the same situation. The past articles I have written up to this point have covered dealing with specific marginal situations whether its 3-betting light, dealing with continuation bet playback, or even making a timely double barrel/big bluff. While it’s important to talk about each of these concepts individually, each of these concepts has to be put together into a total game plan or approach. This is not to say that we don’t need to constantly adjust against our opponents but that solid aggressive poker is how we make our money and a similar methodology is required against all opponents.

Playing a well rounded poker game is similar to being a good football team. Good football teams are aggressive, they balance the run and pass, and they don’t make big mistakes. However, often a situation will occur where one team "matches up well" with another. For example, the Atlanta Falcons base their offense on running the ball with their running back and Michael Vick even in situations where he could be passing. The problem with this approach is defenses defend against quarterback and running back runs in the same fashion. They place more defenders "in the box" have 1-2 of them specifically spy the quarterback. However, on a running play these defenders are already in position even if they are spying on the quarterback! Although this is a massive simplification of the back and forth play calling that takes place in football games it helps us understand a huge leak that many players have playing poker.

You can’t be the team that calls too many offensive plays that are weak to the same defensive configuration. For example, if you’re an aggressive preflop player and open a lot of hands in position and are overly aggressive after the flop you will lose out on a lot of money. Why? Your opponents are starting the hand in a better situation; they will hit the flop much more often and are playing hands that don’t even need to hit flops a higher percentage of the time then you. In order to adjust you have to let go of post flop pots in certain situations that you normally would make a bluff because you are more likely to be called down. Your aggression hits a wall because they are using a similar strategy to deal with your aggression before and after the flop. If you are a player who 3-bets constantly, opponents will not give you credit and often make big plays on innocuous boards after the flop. Again your aggression style before and after the flop are similar.

In order to force your opponents to make difficult decisions and attempt to limit the ones you yourself have to make you need to mix up your game and understand your table image. I personally have two distinct preflop styles that I switch between whenever I believe my table image calls for it. The first is a 3-betting TAG, while in this style I don’t open many hands but I never cold call before the flop unless there is multi-way action and I create a lot of 3-bet pots. The other is a cold calling LAG, where I open lots of pots; try to outplay my opponent after the flop but almost never 3-bet preflop and only then with good hands. The reason for switching between these play styles is simple they are a different kind of offense and require a different mindset and defense to defend against. When you are aggressive with 3-bets preflop players respond with post flop plays in reraised pots and light 4-bets (occasionally). Now imagine if I had just switched styles so I am only 3-betting with good hands, often opponents will be making huge mistakes postflop because they believe my preflop range is wide, even though I have just tightened it. On the other hand if an opponent has not seen how I play in a cold called pot they aren’t going to respond well to post flop aggression even if its from a good hand. While players may attack a LAGish style with their own preflop aggression (lots of 3-bets), immediately when I switch back to a tight style they get into a lot of trouble preflop because I am only opening a higher quality of hands.

Now this may seem like mombojumbo. And I think to a lot of my readers it will be. Most players don’t mix up their game so consciously or modify how they play in such a strict fashion. However, I find that running two totally different offenses ends up confusing opponents and often having them give me a wider range in situations where it isn’t profitable for them to do so. Instead of focusing on "switching gears" as a simple way to tighten up after you have made a bunch of raises in hands that didn’t get shown down I believe you need to modify your entire game in order to take advantage of the changes in your image. It’s not as simple as "I just won a lot of pots recently so now I can fold, get a good hand and get paid" each poker hand is an individual situation and they often require a different approach to maximize their EV. What I’m trying to say here is instead of allowing yourself to fall in with the rhythm of the game you purposely break out of the mold and play creativity. Bluffs often fail because we make them at the wrong times, because we are attempting to make a bluff that follows game rhythm. My answer to that is instead of making plays based on whether or not our image will allow it, we instead purposely change the way we play in a non rhythmic fashion.

Our job is to put our opponents in spots where they can’t run the same defense, where they can’t merely playback because it’s their time to win the pot. Although it’s important to give post flop respect where it’s due, not allowing what is obvious playback to be successful is key to your success.

Trouble hands in texas hold em

2008-11-25T01:35:00.000-08:00

Just as there are many hands in Texas Holdem that will win you a lot of money, there are a number of deceptive hands that may lead you into believing that they are profitable when in real fact they will often lose you decent sums of money from your bankroll. The sooner that you learn about the hands that are costing you dearly, the sooner you can start saving yourself from losing money. This article will address the most common hands that novices play with and highlight the reasons as to why they can be dangerous hands to play.

The ‘any two suited cards’ is a very popular hand that all varieties of beginners like to play. A flush is a pretty strong hand in the game of Holdem, and so if you manage to make one there is good chance that you will win a nice bit of money with it. Therefore many new players to the game will be prepared to enter pots with any two cards as long as they are suited just in an attempt to catch a flush at some point during the hand. There are two reasons as to why playing any two suited cards is dangerous.

Firstly, it is not that much more likely that you will make a flush just because your cards are suited. The probability of making a flush in Holdem is pretty low, and so it does not justify calling bet and raises in an attempt to catch one on the flop. On top of this, amateur players will often continue to call bets and raises with bad pot odds to make a flush on future streets, which just adds to the problem of playing such hands. The second reason is that you can catch half a hand like second pair on the flop, and end up losing money to another player that has formed a better pair than you. So by playing random suited cards you are setting yourself up for two great opportunities to leak money, so don’t do it.

Another type of hand that always manages to cause the beginner poker players a problem is the low connecting cards. These are almost identical to the problems caused by any two suited cards and can help players to lose money over the long run. It is not too likely that you will form a straight every time you enter a pot with connecting cards like 5c 6h, so don’t enter the pot under the false pretences that you will. You will simply be losing more money in the long run, as well as losing money in pots where you catch half a hand and your opponent catches a stronger one. So save yourself some money and fold before the flop.

One final hand that amateur players get overly attached to is a rag ace. Rag aces are simply aces that are accompanied by a low ranking holecard below a Ten. The problem that these hands cause is that players find it difficult to let the hand go after they pair their ace, and so they will often end up losing a lot of (if not all) of their stack to a player that also makes a pair of aces but with a better kicker. The best way to play these types of hands is to exercise a little self-discipline and fold them before the flop. It is unlikely that you will win a big pot with them, but it is likely that you will lose a big one. Save yourself a bit of money by folding and catch out the other amateur players the next time when you hold a stronger ace than them.

Poker lovers united

2008-11-17T17:02:00.000-08:00

An important initiative has started up and I think it is important for all of the true fans of poker to be made aware of it. It is poker lovers united.

Poker lovers united is an online petition to address the unfairly high charges levied by online poker sites around the world. All of the online poker websites charge in the region of 5% for each and every poker hand/pot/rake, which results in substantial charges for the players over an evening of poker. Most of these charges are levied without clearly informing the players.

With enough people on board for this petition, we can put pressure on the legislative authorities to enforce a fairer policy within their legislations, which in turn will ensure that none of the online poker websites can charge their users the rates they charge currently.

We will gather more strength by involving the local and regional consumer protection organisations in this movement.

I encourage all my readers to go to the site and get on board. Fill out the petition and stay informed. POKER needs your support.

Bluffing in Online Poker

2008-11-03T17:38:00.000-08:00

Bluffing is poker’s magic elixir. It’s the sleight of hand where high art and drama reside. It’s the place where myths are made. After all, what’s a western movie without a poker scene with one player trying to bluff another out of a big pot? To those who do not play poker or who have only a nodding acquaintance with it, bluffing is where those folks focus most of their attention when they think about the game.

What is Bluffing, Anyway ?
Ask most poker players to define bluffing and they’ll tell you about betting a weak hand with the hope of driving other players out of the pot. After all, without bluffing, poker would be a boring game. Bets would be made and the best hand would w\n. Always. The cards figure to break even in the long run; without the possibility that someone is bluffing, then each player would have the same expectation - and when all was said and done, no one would win any money.

But some players win most of the time and some players lose most of the time. And it’s often bluffing - or more precisely the possibility that one’s adversary might be bluffing - that goes a long way toward separating the winners from the losers. Bluffing, after all, is merely a form of deception - and deception is an essential component in winning poker. After all. if your omonents always knew what cards you had they’d be tough to beat. Deception is the art of kkeping others off balance.

Different Kinds Of Bluffs

Bluffing comes in several forms -the reason for bluffing frequently depends on the cards you hold, what you think your opponents have in their hands, and what you think they believe you have. Betting - or raising - with a helpless hand. With this technique, you have a weak hand but act as if it’s a strong one. The maneuver is
reversible, too: You can act weak when holding an extremely powerful hand in order to lure opponents into a trap. Betting or raising on the inexpensive betting rounds. You use this bluff in order to get a free card later on in the hand -when the cost of bets double. Betting with a semi-b1uf.C Noted poker theorist David Sklansky, who coined the term, defines the semi-bluff as " . . . a bet with a hand which, if called, does not figure to be the best hand at the moment but has a
reasonable chance of outdrawing those hands that initially called it." With a semi-bluff, as opposed to a bluff with a helpless hand, a player has two ways to win:
His opponent might think the bluffer has the hand he’s representing and release his own hand. If the opponent calls, the bluffer might catch the card he needs and
beat his opponent that way.

Keep ‘em guessing
We have no easy answer about players who bluff some, but not all of the time. Opponents who bluff some of the time are better poker players than those found at either end of the bluffing spectrum. Better players, of course, can keep you guessing aboot whether or not they are bluffing. And when you’re forced to guess, you will be wrong some of the time. That’s just the way it is. Of course, you might be able to pick up a tell (a revealing gesture) and know when your opponent is bluffing, but that’s not too likely in most cases. The sad truth is that players who keep you guessing are going to give you much more trouble than predictable opponents.
In most low-limit games, players bluff much too often. After all, when you play fixed-limit poker, all it costs is one additional bet to see someone’s hand. And the pots are usually big enough, relative to the size of a bet, to make calling the right decision. Here’s an example: Suppose the pot contains $90, and your opponent makes a $10 bet. That pot now contains $100, and the cost of your call is only $10. Even if you figure your opponent to be bluffing only one time in ten, you
should call. By calling, the laws of probability suggest that you’d lose a $10 bet nine times, for a loss of $90. Although you’d win only once, that pot would be worth $100. After ten such occurrences, you’d show a net profit of $10. As a result, you could say that regardless of the outcome of any particular hand, each call was worth one dollar to you.

The threat of bluffing
The threat of a bluff is just as important as a bluff itself. A good player - one who bluffs neither too often nor too infrequently, and seems to do so under
the right conditions - has something else going for her too. It’s the threat of a bluff. Does she have the goods or is she bluffing? How can you tell? If you can’t, how do you know what to do when she bets? These answers don’t come easily, and even topnotch players are not going to have a terrific batting average in most cases. As a result, the threat of a bluff combined with the bluff itself, is designed to help a player win some pots that she would otherwise lose and to win more money in pots where she actually has the best hand. After all, if you have the best hand and come out betting, your opponent won’t always know whether you’re bluffing or not. If there’s a lot of money in the pot, she’ll probably call. That’s the less costly error. After all, if she were to throw the winning hand away and relinquish a big pot, that’s a much more costly faux pas than calling one additional bet. Bluffing and the threat of bluffing go hand in hand. A bluff can enable a player to win a pot she figured to lose if the hands were shown down. The threat of a bluff enables a player with a good hand to win more money than she would if her opponent knew she never bluffed.

The Bluffing Paradox
A successful poker player has to adopt a middle-ground strategy. This means that sometimes you’ll be called when you bluffed and lose that bet. Other
times you will release the best hand because an opponent successfully bluffed you out of the pot. Neither scenario is enjoyable. Just remember that making errors is inevitable when you deal with incomplete information. One can call too often or not enough. One can bluff too often or not at all. And the only way to eliminate errors at one extreme is to commit them at the other. Very cautious players, who never call unless certain of winning, avoid calling with a lesser hand, but often relinquish a pot they would have won.
Players who call all the time win just about every pot they can possibly win, but find themselves holding the short straw far too often when the hands are shown down. The paradox is that good players make both kinds of errors some of the time to avoid being a predictable player at either end of the bluffing-calling spectrum. After all, there’s a relationship between risk and reward. If you are never caught bluffing, you are either the best bluffer in the history of poker or you are not bluffing often enough. If you are caught almost every time you bluff, you’re bluffing much too frequently. If you call all the time, you will never lose a pot you could have won, and if you seldom call, your opponents will learn that they can win by betting and driving you off the pot unless you have a very strong hand. Bluffing, after all, is much like mom’s advice: "All things in moderation."

Not All Bluffs Are Created Equal
If the hands were to be shown down, you know you couldn’t possibly win. So you bet. "Nothing ventured," you think to yourself, "nothing gained." If someone
calls your bluff, you lose a bet you would have saved had you checked. But checking, of course, is tantamount to relinquishing your opportunity to
win the pot. If you bet, there’s always the chance that both your opponents will fold. If someone doesn’t call you, then you win the entire pot. Suppose that pot contains $100 and the cost to bet is $10. Your bluff doesn’t have to succeed all of the time - or even most of the time - for it to be a good decision.
If bluffing fails nine times and succeeds only once, you will still be a winner in the long run. You’ll have lost an extra $10 nine times, or $90, but you will win
$100 on one occasion, for a net win of $10. That net figure may not be a spectacular profit, perhaps, but enough to prove that bluffs have to succeed only
every now and then to be worthwhile.

Bluffing with more cards to come
When you bluff with more cards to come, you usually have two ways to win. The bluff might succeed on its own merits, causing an opponent to lay down
the best hand. In addition, you might catch the card you need on a succeeding round and actually make the winning hand. Imagine that you’re playing Hold’em and you raised before the flop with KvQv, and two other players call. Suppose the flop is 5 4 6 ~ 4If~ y.ou come out betting on the flop, you have any number of ways to win this pot. Your opponents could fold, and you’d win right there. But even if one or both call, you certainly shouldn’t mind. After all, any of the nine hearts in the deck can complete your flush.

Bluffing Strategies
Bluffing is tricky business. You never know for sure if you’ll be called or if you’ll be able to steal a pot out from under your opponent’s nose. The next time
you’re inclined to perform larceny at the poker table, keep these tips in mind:

-Be aware of how many players you’ll have to bluff your way through. While one or even two players can be bluffed, don’t think about trying to
bluff more than two opponents unless you really have strong reasons to believe you’ll succeed.

-Understand that a bluff doesn’t have to work to make it the correct decision. After all, you’re usually just risking one bet to win an entire pot
full of bets. Bluffing has to work only some of the time to be the right choice. And even when you’re caught, a bluff can be successful if it causes opponents to call when you are betting a strong hand.

-Avoid bluffing players who are either experts or brain dead. Instead, aim your bluffs at good opponents. Poor players will usually call " . . . to keep you honest," while experts are more likely to see through your chicanery.

-Don’t bluff for the sake of bluffing. Some players will bluff just to "advertise." There’s no need to do that. Bluff if you believe you have a reasonable chance to succeed. You’ll get plenty of advertising value because some of your bluffs will be picked off regardless of how well you assess your chances for success.

-Never bluff a hopeless hand when there are more cards to come. Instead, think about semi-bluffing, which allows you to win the pot two ways: Your opponents may fold, or you might hit your draw.

-Take the opportunity to bluff if all of your opponents check on the previous betting round. It’s even better if they’ve all checked on an expensive betting round. But your chances are diminished if any newly exposed cards appear to have helped one of your opponents.

- Imply specific hands. Bluffs that seem to represent specific hands, such if as flush or a straight, have a much better chance to-succeed than bets
that appear to come out of the blue.

- Zero in on weak players. It’s much easier to bluff players who have shown weakness by checking, than to bluff those who have shown strength by betting on the preceding round.

-Strive for a tight, aggressive image by playing the kinds of starting hands recommended in this book. This kind of image has a much better chance of running a successful bluff than a player with a loose image. If you are seen as selective, tight, and aggressive, your opponents will not suspect a bluff when you bet. When you have a license to steal, use it.

-Attempt a bluff occasionally when all the cards are out and you have nothing, but don’t overdo it. But if you have enough to beat a draw, save that additional bet and try to win in a showdown.

Mathematics of Poker | An introduction to Probability, Outs and Odds

2008-10-25T19:07:00.000-07:00

Applying pot and win odds at the poker table is essential to making good poker decisions. Some experienced players can do this simply by their excellent feel and judgment for the

game, but most of us need to rely on mathematics to help guide us with close decisions. Players who understand how to apply odds in a poker game will have a significant advantage over most of their opponents, Let’s look at an example to demonstrate how to apply odds to make good poker decisions. You are playing in a $1-$2 game and are seated on the button. You hold K♥ T♥ and the board shows 9♥ 2♣ 4♦ A♥. An opponent bets $2 for a total pot of

$10. To simplify the example, we assume your opponent is betting a pair of aces

but will fold if another heart comes on the river. Should you call to try and improve

to a flush?

We will show later that the odds against improving to a flush are 4 to 1. In other

words, you will improve to a flush once every five tries. If you played this hand five times, you should expect to lose $2 four times and win $10; once for a total profit of $2; therefore, calling has a positive expectation. What if the pot is only $7? In this case, you would expect to lose $2.00 four times and win $7 once for a loss of $1, so you should fold. To better understand this process, we begin the chapter with some definitions and

then discuss how to calculate various odds and probabilities for the most typical situations in Hold’em. The actual calculation however is not as important as how you apply odds to make better decisions, so we will discuss this process in detail.

Definitions

Odds and probabilities are two ways to express the same thing. Probability tells you how many times an event will happen. For example, you will I dealt a pocket pair once every 17 hands or 5.88% of the time. Odds tell you how many times an event will not happen. For example, the odds are 16 to 1 against being dealt a pocket pair.

Pot odds are the relationship between the current pot to the current bet. For example, if the pot is $100 and you must bet $10, the pot odds are 10 to implied pot odds is the relationship between the current pot and the bets you expect to win, to the current bet. Let’s look at an example of implied pot odds. You are playing in a $1-$2 same and your lone opponent bets out $2 on the turn. There is $10 in the pot, so your pot odds are 5 to 1; however, if you improve your hand on the river, you expect to earn at least one more bet from your opponent. You are risking $2 on the turn to win a total of $12, the $10 in the current pot plus your opponent’s $2 bet on the river; therefore, your implied odds are 6 to 1. If you expect that your opponent will bet out on the river and call a raise should you improve, you would earn two more bets, so your implied odds would be 7 to 1.

An out is an important concept when discussing probability and odds. An out is a

card that improves your hand. For example, when you hold two hearts and there are two hearts on the board, you need one more heart for a flush. There are nine remaining hearts or "outs" to improve your hand. If you have A♥ T♥ and you think another ace would also win the hand, you now have 12 outs: the nine hearts and the three remaining aces.

An out is counterfeited when a card that improves your hand gives an opponent an

even better hand. One of the most common mistakes made by many players is

assuming that they will win when a particular card improves their hand; however, it does you no good to draw to a hand that will only lose. For example, you could be hoping for a flush card only to lose to a higher flush or maybe even a full house. You could hit an overcard, a card higher than any card on the board, only to lose to two pair, three of a kind, a straight, or a flush.

When applying odds, you should discount an out whenever there is a chance that you could improve but still lose the hand. Once you know the number of discounted outs that can win the hand, you can calculate the odds against improving to the winning hand to determine your best strategy. How much you discount an out is dependent on how many players you are against and you read on your opponents’ possible holdings given the betting sequences in the hand. For example, you have three outs to an overcard ace and feel that you might win

about 2/3 of the time against a lone opponent if you hit the ace; therefore, you would discount your three outs to two outs. However, against two opponents you might feel you will only win about 1/3 of the time, so you discount your three outs to one out. If you are against three or more opponents, you might feel that even with another ace, there is a high chance that you will not be able to win the pot. In this case, you should disregard the outs to the ace since you are drawing dead. Drawing dead is when you cannot improve to the winning hand. This occurs when your opponents counterfeit all of your outs or already have a hand better than the one you are drawing to. For example, you might be drawing dead to two overcards if an opponent already has three of a kind, two pair, or your outs would give your

opponent an even better hand. We will go through several examples to look at how you should determine the number of discounted outs you have in a hand based on the probability that your outs are counterfeited or that you are drawing dead. First let’s look a how to

calculate odds.

Calculating Odds

To determine the odds against improving your hand on the next card, compare the total number of cards that will not help you to the number of cards or "outs" that will. For example, you hold 7♥ 6♥ with a flop of A♣ T♥ 5♥. On the flop there are 47 unseen cards. Out of these 47, there are nine hearts remaining that will improve your hand to a flush and 38 cards that won’t; therefore, the odds against improving to a flush are 4.2 to 1 (38/9). An open-ended straight draw has eight outs, which is 4.9 to 1 against improving (39/8). An inside straight draw, a.k.a. gut-shot draw, has four outs, which is 10.75 to 1 (43/4). If you don’t improve on the turn and want to know the odds that the river can will improve your hand, the odds will improve just slightly as one more care has been seen. There are only 46 unseen cards on the turn; therefore, a flush draw is now 4.1 to 1 (37/9), which is just slightly better than the 4.2 to 1 odds you had when drawing on the flop.

To determine the probability of improving on the next card, simply divide your outs by the total number of cards left in the deck. For example, the probability of improving to a flush on the next card is 19% (9/47). You will improve to an openended straight 17% of the time (8/47), and a gut-shot straight 8.5% of the time (4/47). I prefer to know the odds are 11 to 1 rather than the probability is 8.5%, because it is easier to compare to the pot odds you are receiving. Sometimes on the flop, you want to know the probability that either the turn or the

river card will improve your hand with two cards to come. These calculations are slightly more complicated. The best way is to multiply the probability of missing on the turn by the probability of missing on the river. For example, for a flush draw you would multiply 38/47 by 37/46, which equals 1406/2162 or .6503; therefore, 65% of the time you will not improve and 35% of the lime you will. [To convert this to odds, invert the percentage and subtract 1 to get 1/.35 -1 = 1.9 to 1 against improving. This section looked briefly at how to calculate simple odds and probabilities; however, calculating odds in your head during a poker game can be quite cumbersome. In reality, all you need to do is memorize the following chart.

Determining the Number of Discounted Outs

When calculating odds, you need to use the number of discounted outs that will help you win the hand. As discussed before, it does you no good to improve your hand only to lose to a better hand. Let’s look at some examples to see better how you determine the number of discounted outs. You have K♦ Q♣ and the board is J♦ T♣ 5♥ 2. You have eight strong outs to the nut straight with any ace or 9 and six weak outs to the king or queen. The six outs to the king or queen are weak since your opponent could ahead;

To have two pair or a set or is counterfeiting your outs. In this example, a king would give you a pair but might also give an opponent a straight, two pair, or a pair with a better kicker. Note all the hands you would lose to if a king comes: KK, JJ, TT, 55, 22, AK, AQ. KJ, KT, K5, K2, Q9, JT, J5, J2, T5, and T2. If a queen comes, you would lose to QQ, JJ, TT, 55, 22, AK, AQ, K9, QJ, QT, Q5, Q2, JT, J5, J2, T5, T2, and 98. How much you should discount your weak outs often depends on how many opponents you are against. In the example above, you have six weak outs. Against a lone opponent, if you feel that 50% of the time a king or queen will help you win, you should discount the six weak outs to three. In this case, you would play the hand as if you had an equivalent of 11 outs to win the hand, the three discounted outs and the eight strong outs to the nut straight. If you are against two opponents, you might estimate that a king or queen would win only once every six times; therefore, you would play as if you had nine outs, eight nut outs to the straight plus the one discounted out. Against three opponents, you should probably disregard the weak outs since it is unlikely a king or queen will win. In this case, you would play only if you draw to your eight nut outs is justified. Let’s look at some more examples. You have A♣ T♥ and the flop is K♦ T♣ 5♠. You have two strong to the ten, unless an opponent holds KT or T5. Another ace would give you two pair, but your out is counterfeited if an opponent holds AA, AK, or QJ, so you should discount the out to the ace. All your outs should be discounted slightly for the possibility that an opponent holds a set. Depending on the number of opponents and the betting sequences, you should play this hand as if you had between two and four outs. You have A♣ 9♥ and the flop is J♦ 9♦ 4♣ with several callers on the flop. You probably are against a flush draw, so the A♦ is counterfeited. You could also lose to another ace if someone has AA or AJ. Always account for the possibility of a set.

Advanced Concept: Whenever the flop is two-suited, you should discount a suited out against a lone opponent and probably disregard the out against several opponents for the risk that one of them holds a flush draw. A common mistake made by many players is drawing to weak hands when flush draws are likely. As a general rule, most draws are not profitable with a two-suited flop arid several callers in the hand. The only exception to this is when the pot is

exceptionally large. This is a key concept since you will be playing with a two- or three-suited flop about 60% of the time! This concept is discussed further in the flop chapters. For now, simply understand that you need to discount or disregard your outs based on the likelihood that they are counterfeited. Another consideration when determining your outs on the flop is the possibility that you could improve on the turn only to see an opponent improve to an even better hand on the river. Advanced Concept: When drawing on the flop, you should discount your outs a little, and maybe a lot, for the probability that your opponents could draw to an even better hand on the river. There are very few hands that are a lock to win on the turn. Nut flushes can lose to a full house if the board pairs on the river. The nut straight can lose to a flush on the river. Your two pair could lose to an opponent hitting a set. When the flop is twosuited, these types of situations occur often since there are a lot of river cards that could hurt your hand.

Most players complain about their bad luck when they improve on the turn to lose

on the river. Good players recognize that these types of situations occur a lot and

include this possibility in their decision-making process. Borderline draws on the

flop should often be folded for the possibility that you will lose on the river.

Now that we know how to determine the number of discounted outs and calculate

the odds against improving to the best hand, we can look at how to apply odds at

the poker table.

Application of Odds

The basic steps in applying odds at the poker table are as follows:

1. Determine the number of discounted outs.

2. Calculate the pot odds. This is the size of the pot in relation to the bet.

3. Calculate the implied pot odds. This is the current pot plus the bets you

expect to win in relation to the current bet.

4. Compare the implied pot odds to the odds against improving your hand

5. Determine your best strategy.

Let’s look at a few examples to show how to apply these steps. A middle player calls and you raise from the cutoff with K♣ Q♥ in a $10-$20 game. The big blind calls and three players see the flop of T♣ 7♦ 5♠. The big blind, a tight

rock who never bluffs, bets out and the middle player folds. What should you do? • Determine the number of discounted outs. We assume your opponent has at least a pair since he never bluffs; therefore, you need a king or queen to

improve, which is six outs. You would be drawing dead against TT, 77, or 55, unless you hit a runner-runner straight. Other likely holdings of your opponent include AT, KT, QT. and JT. In this case, a king or queen would

not help against either KT or QT. It is doubtful that your opponent would call a raise preflop with K7, K5, Q7, Q5, T7, 75, or T5: therefore, you only need to discount your outs for the probability that your opponent holds KT, QT, TT,

77, or 55. One other consideration is what could happen if you hit the king or queen on the turn. Your opponent could possibly win on the river by hitting two pair or better. You should discount your outs a little more for this possibility. To determine how much you should discount your outs, it is helpful to evaluate the probable hands of your opponent. Probable hands that you could beat if you improve include JJ, AT, A7, A5, JTs, and 99. Discounting

outs is always a matter of judgment, but you might expect to win this hand 50% of the time when you improve, considering the possibility that your opponent might have a set, KT, QT, or improve on the river. Therefore, you should discount your six outs and play as if you had three outs.

• Calculate the pot odds. The total pot at this point is $75 (three players paid $20 to see the flop + $5 small blind + $10 bet on flop by the big blind): therefore, your pot odds are 7.5 to 1 for a $10 her.

• Calculate the implied pot odds. Do you expect to win more bets when the king or queen comes? You should win bets 50% of the time when you improve, but you will lose more bets the other 50% when your opponent has a better hand. A simplified assumption would be that all future bets break even.

• Compare the implied pot odds to the odds against improving your hand. In this case, we look at the pot odds since the implied odds are the same. The pot odds of 7.5 to 1 are compared to the odds against improving with three outs of 15 to 1 (see out chart).

• Determine your best strategy. The odds against improving are 15 to 1; therefore, we should fold since the pot odds are only offering 7.5 to 1. Let’s discuss this hand a little further to show the importance of discounting outs. Many players draw to overcards on the flop hoping to pair up, and this example shows that this often is a big mistake. If we played our hand thinking we have six outs to the king or queen, our odds are 7 to 1 against improving. This compares favorably to the 7.5 to 1 pot odds; therefore, we would call expecting to make a

small profit. However, this assumes we would always win when the king or queen comes. As we discussed before, our opponent could very well have KT, QT, TT, 77, 55 or beat us on the river. Some players also justify calling by saying that they have implied odds of winning

more bets should they improve. This is true if your hand wins, although sometimes

you won’t even collect more bets when your opponent folds on the turn to a bet or

raise. The problem is that sometimes you will lose additional bets. If your king or

queen comes on the turn, you will probably raise and then be faced with a reraise, if

your opponent has a set or two pair. Let’s look at another example of $10-$20. An early and middle position player call. You call on the button with A♣ 5♣. The small blind calls and five players see the flop of K♣ 9♣ 4♦. The small blind bets and the big blind folds. A strong player in early position raises. The middle position player folds. What should you do?

• Determine the number of discounted outs. The early position player most likely has a pair of kings and might have 99. The small blind most likely has a pair of kings, K9, 99, 44, or possibly a flush draw. You have nine outs to the nut flush and three ours to the ace. If one of your opponents has a set or two pair, you could hit your flush and possibly lose to a full house; therefore, a small discount I needed. An estimate might be to discount your flush draw from nine outs to eight outs. Your three outs to the ace need to be discounted since you would lose to AA, KK, 99, 44, AK, A9, A4, K9, K4, 94, and for the possibility that someone hits a better hand on the river. Again, (his is a matter of judgment, but you might estimate that a pair of aces would win about 33% of the time; therefore, you could discount your three outs to one out. As a result, I would play the hand as if J had nine discounted outs.

• Calculate the pot odds. The total pot at this point is $80 (five players paid $10 to see the flop + $10 bet on flop by the small blind + $20 raise by the early position player). You face a bet of $20, so your pot odds are 4 to 1.

• Calculate the implied pot odds. If you hit the flush on the turn or river, you can expect to gain some extra bets, especially if one of the players has a set. Since there are two opponents in this hand, you might expect to gain at least one big bet on the turn and one big bet on the river for a total of $120 ($80 +$20 + $20). Your implied odds are 6 to 1 faced with a $20 bet. Note: A big bet is the amount of a bet on the turn and river, compared to small bets on the first two rounds of betting.

• Compare the implied pot odds to the odds against improving your hand. Nine outs are 4 to 1 against improving, which are equal to the pot odds of 4 to 1; however, your odds compare favorably to the implied pot odds of 6 to 1.

• Determine your best strategy. Calling is profitable. Raising is a consideration to try to buy a free card (see "Deceptive Tactics" chapter). Let’s look at one more example of $10-$20. You raise in early position with J♥ J♠. Two middle players, the button, small blind, and big blind all call for a total of six players. The flop is T♣ 8♦ 8♥. It is checked to you, and you bet. One middle player, the button, and small blind call. Four players see the turn card of Q♦. The small

blind checks and you bet. The middle position player raises and everybody folds to you. There is $220 in the pot. What do you do?

• Determine the number of discounted outs. Assuming the middle player is not a tricky opponent, your opponent has at least a pair of queens with a band like AQ or KQ. He might also have TT, 88, or A8. QQ is unlikely since he probably would have reraised preflop. Q8, J9, and T8 are unlikely since he probably would have folded to a raise before the flop. You have four outs 10 a straight and two outs to a full house. Your two outs to the full house are

strong since the only two hands that would beat you are QQ and 88. Your four outs to the straight are relatively strong unless your opponent has QQ, TT, 88, or 98, QQ and 88 are unlikely, but TT is a decent possibility. Only a weak player would call a raise preflop with 98s. One other small possibility is that your opponent has QJ, in which case you would split the pot if a 9 comes. Therefore, I would only discount your six outs by one out to account

for QQ, TT, 88, and QJ, and play the hand as if you had five outs.

• Calculate the pot odds. The total pot is $220 and the bet is $20, so your pot

odds are 11 to 1.

• Calculate the implied pot odds. You should expect to earn another bet on the river if you improve. You might lose two bets on the river if you come out betting with the straight and lose to a full house. You might estimate that you would win $15 on average when improving; therefore, the implied odds are $235/20, which are 11.75 to 1.

• Compare the implied pot odds to the odds against improving your hand. 11.75 to 1 implied pot odds compares favorably to the 8 to 1 odds against improving with five outs.

• Determine your best strategy. Given the large pot, calling is correct. Let’s change the scenario in the above example to look at the effect of a large pot. Let’s assume you raise preflop as before and the middle position player calls, but now everyone else folds. The flop and turn are the same, and he raises once again when the Q♦ comes. You do not believe your opponent is bluffing. With only $135 in the pot and the $15 you expect to earn on average should you improve, your implied pot odds are now only 7.5 to 1. This is less than the 8 to 1 odds against improving, so you should fold.

Understanding Implied Odds in No Limit Hold’em

2008-10-20T12:07:00.000-07:00

Although poker is considered a game of skill due to the fact that superior players tend to win over the long term, there is an element of gambling involved. In any game with elements of gambling, odds are paramount. Casinos design their games so that the odds favor them. Similarly, successful poker players manipulate game situations so that the odds are on their side. Get a good look at all our featured online poker calculators

Understanding Pot Odds

Pot odds are the odds the pot is laying you to win the hand. If there is $40 in the pot and you must call $10 to continue, you are being offered pot odds of 40 to 10, or 4 to 1. How is this relevant? It means you need to win that pot at least one time out of five to break even. The one time you win the $40 will balance out the four times that you called $10 and lost. Of course, to be a winning player, you want to consistently get yourself into situations where the odds of you winning the hand are better than the pot odds. These calculations are pretty straightforward and there is even poker software on the market that can help you analyzing pot odds.

Understanding Implied Odds

Implied odds represent the pot odds with additional speculative money added to the pot based on the likelihood of winning future bets on later streets. For example, you play Texas hold em and has As 5s on a board of 8c 9s 3s. There is $100 in the pot and your opponent bets $50. You are being offered odds of $50 to win $150, or 3 to 1. Your odds of hitting the flush on the next card are 4 to 1 against. Mathematically, this would make it correct to fold. However, if you believe your opponent will call off more than $50 on the turn and river if you make your flush and bet, it would be correct to call.

Implied Odds Pitfalls

The problem with implied odds is that they are speculative. You must be very honest with yourself when deciding whether or not your opponent will pay off your flush. This determination should be based on your observation of the opponent over time and your analysis of the situation. You need to also consider the size of his stack. He might not even have enough left to pay you off in the amount you need. You can be more confident in your implied odds if there are multiple players still in the hand, since this gives you more players who may be willing to put money in the pot with a flush out against them. Also in online Texas holdem, players are usually more wiling to pay you off compared with live games.

You can be much more confident in your implied odds with a straight draw than a flush draw, since a straight draw is much better disguised. On a board of As Ts 3c 6s it is brutally obvious that someone who suddenly bets may have a flush draw. On the other hand, if the board is Qs Ts 3c Ac and the same player bets, it is much harder to put them on K J for the straight. They could just as easily be betting a paired ace or be semi-bluffing with a flush draw.

The Article forms a good introduction in the meaning of pot odds and implied odds but for more expert players it’s pretty uselss as it’s basic poker odds stuff. Nevertheless, I did get the powerful calculator Calculatem Pro through this page and Im still happy for it. I mean, Im pretty smart but lazy as well and I can count all my odds myself but just dont have the time or energy to do it. Now Calculatem Pro does it for me and I can say it has brought me lot’s of winnings and prevented me from making an awful lot of mistakes as well!
Jannes Hansson
Götenborg, Sweden

Inducing Blufs - Playing Mentality Poker

2008-10-17T16:12:00.000-07:00

When you are making a bet it is always important to understand the purpose of the bet and how your opponent will see it. Each bet, check, or raise you make needs to have a purpose and as you play it is important to define that purpose for each hand you play. Often the biggest mistakes in poker are made when we take medium strength hands too far. We inflate the pot size for our hand and then get into trouble on later streets when our hand becomes 2 nd best or our opponent already had a better hand.

The point of bluff induction is two fold. First we attempt to minimize the pot size with a medium strength hand in order to see a showdown and prevent ourselves from getting all-in with the worst of it or be bluffed off our hand. Second we try to give our opponent some rope and hope he makes a misplay and puts money in the pot with a bluff. Being able to correctly induce bluffs and control the size of the pot are key skills for a no limit player.

Most importantly our goal is force our poker opponents into bad situations and have them make bad bets while protecting ourselves from making similar bad bets. Since each bet we make must have a purpose we need to consider: Am I value betting or bluffing in this spot? Will my opponent call with a worse hand here or am I trying to push him off a better hand? One of the most paramount skills for a no limit player is the ability to make a stark contrast between his bluffs and value bets. The power of bluff induction comes in the middle, often when our hand is only just strong enough to value bet but too good to turn into a bluff. These are situations where we are neither bluffing nor value betting because our hand strength is mediocre. Instead of making a bet that has no meaning we instead choose to check with the intention of calling and allow our opponents to bet worse hands.

Most players don’t use bluff induction enough in their game. Instead they focus too much on their own hand strength. They will often double barrel on Axx or Kxx boards with top pair medium kicker. While this play has its place and is often provides a solid place to bet again on the turn often a higher expected value play will come from checking and allowing your opponent to bet. Consider, your opponent has already called one bet, he has a hand why not let him try to push you off your medium strength hand instead of betting and allowing him to play better. What I mean by this is often when you value bet with mediocre holdings on the turn and river you are allowing your opponents to fold out worse hands and call/raise with better hands. It is situations like this that we look for when we attempt to induce bluffs.

With the increase in post flop playback over the past year in online games bluff induction has become an increasingly important tool. Although being able to make re-bluffs and replay-backs can help you deal with playback as well it is often easier and safer to use bluff induction as your main tool to stop your opponents from making too many bluff flop raises and floats. If you are playing your hands in too straightforward of a fashion you will push your opponents out of the pot when you still have value to extract and allow them to play their hands far too easily.

Bluff induction isn’t just a powerful tool for the reasons I have already mentioned. If we are able to read our opponents hands well and can make good big calls we can use our bigger hands and even our weaker hands to induce bluffs. Instead of betting on the flop with a weak top pair perhaps we check and let our opponents do the betting in the hand for us. Or perhaps we check the flop with a good hand in order to get opponents with weaker hands to call value bets on later streets. No matter the specific situation bluff induction can be a great tool in order to extract value because it leaves your hand values more open ended then continuously value betting. For example, if we choose to value bet our hands over and over we never correctly punish opponents who playback by just calling on earlier streets to attempt to take the pot away later. We don’t punish players who attempt to bluff their missed draws on the river and we just don’t get enough value for our hands.

Online Poker Cheating: Why Collusion Doesn’t Work

2008-10-15T21:57:00.000-07:00

Author:Timmor L. White

Immediately after the first Internet-poker website went virtual, people began to wonder if there might be a way to beat the system through cheating. It didn’t take long for players to realize this fact: While they were playing online poker, they could be speaking on the telephone to another player at the same table, and no one else would be the wiser.

This idea of working with another player was not new to the world of poker. At brick-and-mortar poker establishments, players have been teaming up for as long as there has been gambling. Two players go to a cardroom and sit at the same poker table. They have a predetermined system of signals to communicate with each other about their hands. The theory is that, together, they can better manipulate the betting and, eventually, win a lot of money. This form of cheating is called collusion.

In practice, making collusion profitable is an iffy proposition. It is far more difficult to execute properly than most people imagine. Nonetheless, done skillfully over a long period of time, two colluding poker players can gain an advantage over the rest of the table. For that reason, cardrooms and casinos have policies in place to watch for collusion. Should they spot
evidence of two players working together in this manner, they will promptly ban those players from their establishment.

Online poker is a different story altogether, and you can see why. With online poker, there is no physical poker table where players actually see each other with their own eyeballs. When you play poker online, you could be doing anything. Players can (and do) post probability charts next to their computers, sit at their computers naked, loudly swear and curse and give
tells like crazy. Anything and everything is okay, since players cannot see what other players are doing. There are activities that no player would dream of doing while seated at a game in person, but those same activities can be done easily when playing poker online.

Included in this list of possible activities is talking to other players. At an in-person game, it is not possible to carry on a secret conversation with one of the other players at the table. You cannot discuss your hand and devise joint strategies to defeat your opponents while you are involved in the game. Obviously, if you tried to do this, other players would know what you are doing. But that is not the case online. Online poker seems perfect for such strategies of collusion.

Players collude in online poker games all the time. Often, those players think they are the first people ever to devise such a brilliant scheme. They congratulate themselves on their cleverness. In truth, they are late to the party. It is estimated that as many as one out of every five online poker tables contains at least some players working in collusion in some way. Is this collusion effective? Not really. Most players who try it, do so only for a while, and then give up after they notice they are not generating any more profit than they normally do. Often, the colluding players actually end up earning less than normal. Such players eventually conclude that working in cahoots with another player is more bother than it is worth, at least for them.
So, what are they doing wrong? Why do their efforts at collusion fail to produce a profit? There are four basic reasons why simple collusion does not work for most players:

1) The players do not communicate effectively. In most cases, players do not have a clear system of communication worked out before they get on the phone with each other and start blabbing about their hands. As a result, misunderstandings and mistakes are common.

2) They do not play well. For most players, the added complication of constantly dealing with another person, analyzing his hands and figuring out strategy with him, is too much added mental baggage. These players do not concentrate as well on the things they should be concentrating on during the game. The most common result is that they play too many poor and marginal hands. These players are eager to get in there and start using their new perceived advantage, and as a result, they play too many hands and play them badly.

3) They are only two players strong. Rarely do colluders get more than two people to go in on their scheme at one time, and that is not enough. Three or more players on a multi-way phone conversation is bedlam, and highly ineffective. It can never work to produce results. And two players are not enough to influence a game and its probabilities a sufficient amount to make much difference, especially if there are another four to eight players seated at the same table. Two guys sitting at a table of ten are not likely to accomplish much, no matter how good they are at their little plan.

4) They don’t know what to do. This is the biggest reason why online collusion fails for most players. They sit there on the phone with their buddy, and they just know they have some kind of an advantage over the rest of the table. However, they simply do not know what to do with their newfound power. They do not know how to use it.

If you are one of the millions of online poker players who suddenly get the bright idea to collude with a friend while you play, I offer you this advice: don’t bother. If you persist in putting your little brainstorm to the test, go right ahead, but you will soon find your dreams of poker riches dashed upon the rocks of reality. True, there are ways to cheat at online poker. Many players do so every day. But colluding with a friend is not one of those ways. Talking on the phone with your buddy while playing is a sure path to failure. Just in case you are open to hearing my message, I thought I’d save you the trouble and disappointment of trying this shortsighted scheme.

Timmor L. White is the founder and president of Online Poker Systems and the OPS Group. With a background in Internet technology, he is active in the study and reporting of online-poker playing strategies.