It eventually disappeared, but initially I noticed an interesting pattern in the comments that this week’s “What’s Your Play?” received on Thinking Poker vs. Card Player. The vast majority of the early posters on my website argued for an admittedly tight fold, while the first Card Player responders unanimously … Read full post
Q: My understanding is that I should generally continuation bet a polarized range consisting of both bluffs and strong hands but check medium-strength hands for pot control. Sometimes I have difficulty determining which category my hand falls into. For example, if I raise in middle position, the BB calls, and … Read full post
I concluded last week’s “What’s Your Play?” by saying that, “I should have been more open to taking in new information and re-evaluating my plan,” since I’d just admitted to following through on a big semi-bluff despite obvious shows of strength from my opponent.
I also said that, in the … Read full post
Edit: Effective stacks are $2000. The fact that I didn’t think to include that should tell you something about how relevant I think that is. Thanks to Ian for pointing out the error.
This hand comes from a live $5/$10 NLHE game at the Hollywood Casino in Charleston, West Virginia… Read full post
The next Thinking Poker tournament seminar will focus on Maximizing Value and will be held on Thursday, March 8 from 8-10 PM Eastern (New York) time. Participants will learn when to slowplay, how to build a pot with monster hands, and how to squeeze thin value out of marginal hands. … Read full post
Thanks to everyone who offered opinions on What’s Your Plan? Turned a Big Draw. I’m surprised that so many people zeroed right in on the two most important details of the hand and yet so few came up with what I believe to be the correct play.
Important Details
The … Read full post
Q: Do you have goals in terms of stack size? As a cash player, I’m comfortable with 100bb or so, but in tourneys, I find myself between 10bb and 20bb a lot of the times. Trying to get near 100bb is impossible in the mid game so should I just … Read full post
My home state of Maryland recently built its first casinos, which by law offer slot machines only. That means no table games and no poker.
As much as I dislike using -EV luck-based games as a source of state revenue, this seems like an especially asinine policy. It encourages the … Read full post
This hand occurred about an hour and a half after last week’s WYP hand, against the same opponent. This time I’m the Hero and he’s the Villain. For those too lazy to look it up, here’s how I described him: “middle-aged recreational player, presumably aware that he sticks out … Read full post
As you know, I was the Villain from What’s Your Play? Busted Draw. As many of you deduced, I held KK with a spade. My opponent was kind enough to give up on the river and let me win the pot with a hand that, barring some really blatant … Read full post
This week I’m going to address two related questions posted as follow-ups to last week’s Mailbag.
Q: I regularly play these short stacked tourneys at my local casino. We only start with 6000 in chips, the blinds start at 25/50 but double every 20 minutes except for one level … Read full post
It’s no surprise to that greeting card manufacturers, jewelers, etc. want to create a sense of obligatory gift exchange surrounding both traditional holidays like Christmas and manufactured ones like Mother’s Day. What is surprising to me is how willing consumers are, literally, to buy into what is so obviously a … Read full post
I’m still in the US, which means no online poker, which means I’m still mining the PCA for WYP hands. This is one of those ones where I’m actually the Villain in the hand and we’ll look at it from my opponent’s perspective. So Hero is a middle-aged recreational player, … Read full post
Last week’s trip report from a BDL tournament culminated in a description of the Varsity Finals, in which a brother and sister team from Roxbury narrowly lost the championship debate. I’m pleased to report that they’ve since had an even greater victory at the district championships and will be … Read full post
Q: Level 6 of a Tuesday night weekly tournament held at Parx Casino in Bensalem, PA $100 buy-in, 20 minute levels, 10k starting stacks. Blinds are 300/600 with 50 antes. Hero (Me) is in the cutoff with a stack of 16,050. Everyone in earlier position folds and I find 8s7s. … Read full post
I just published a review of one of the best and most advanced poker books I’ve encountered, the 3rd Edition of Andrew “BalugaWhale” Seidman’s Easy Game. It’s probably too advanced for your average recreational player, but if you want to be a serious competitor at no-limit hold ’em it’s … Read full post
While on the train to the BDL tournament last weekend, I shared a car with a small group of middle-school students and their teacher. One of the boys in the class had found some used scratch-off tickets on the floor and was playing with them. “I’m gonna win $100!” he … Read full post
This is the conclusion of a trip report, the first part of which can be found here, from a high school debate tournament at which I recently volunteered. I founded the Boston Debate League in 2005 to bring competitive extracurricular debate to students at some of the city’s more … Read full post
Today’s question comes from a comment on last week’s “What’s Your Play?” The relevant details are that Hero is in the SB with AQs facing a raise from a loose-passive player in early position and a call from a possible scared money player in late position. It’s early in the … Read full post
The wait is over! I’m flattered by everyone who’s been asking about this. Part 1 of my PCA Trip Report is now appearing in 2+2 Magazine. Part 2 will be in next month’s magazine. Here’s a snippet from one of the more interesting hands I played:
… Read full postSaskatchewan limped UTG again,
Sorry for the recent silence – I was in Boston over the weekend running a debate tournament for the Boston Debate League. I don’t have a WYP for this week, so instead please enjoy this Trip Report which hopefully will provide a behind-the-scenes insight into the world of high school … Read full post
This week’s WYP is a little different, in that I don’t have a strong opinion about what’s best. I was actually hoping some of you smart people could help me out there, in particular with regard to how V2’s question and timing on the turn influences his range. My own, … Read full post
I’ll be leading a small-group seminar on Hand Reading on Wednesday, February 8th at 2PM Eastern (19:00 GMT). The cost is $150/person, which includes a preparatory curriculum introducing a basic hand-reading technique, the two-hour seminar featuring opportunities to practice this method and receive individualized feedback, advanced strategy advice on counteracting … Read full post
I’m sad to say that I won’t be staying on as a member of PokerStars Team Online in 2012. It was a great honor and a great experience to be a member of the team, but so much has changed since I joined the team last year. Now that I’m … Read full post
This is really the second WYP from the PCA, but the first was technically a “What’s Your Plan?”, and I couldn’t think of a catchier name for this one. It takes during Level 2 of the tournament, with blinds of 75/150 and effective stacks of well over 20K (I … Read full post
Thanks to everyone who commented on this week’s “What’s Your Play?” Sorry for the delay in getting results up; I’m currently visiting old friends and a new baby in New York, and the days have been busy.
We’ll start with the results:
PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em, 320 Tournament, 200/400 Blinds … Read full post
Today’s mailbag question comes from a comment on the What’s Your Plan? Flopped Pair and Draw: Results post. It was a good question that I felt warranted a thorough response.
Q: Though honestly I agree with what you wrote I just wonder since “Villain is a young online MTT wizard: … Read full post
Tommy Angelo was at this thought-provoking best with his recent blog post “Old Man Goals“, about mellowing out with age:
… Read full postI only have one objective now when I drive, and that’s to not run into anything. If I decide to slow down or stop when I don’t really
Villain is an unremarkable tournament grinder, probably a modest winner. I don’t know much about him, nor do I know what if anything he thinks of me. This is on PokerStars, so I do have my Team Online avatar which occasionally entices people to do crazy things, though I’ve got … Read full post
Judging from the number of comments, folks found this WYP less compelling than someone. That’s to your credit, because as many commenters advocated, I believe folding the flop is correct. Dangerhorse explains why:
… Read full postI would probably fold although the pot odds are enticing and your hand (a pair and a
I had a bit of a rude surprise when checking out of my room this morning. Apparently my hotel package did not actually include the $1000 non-refundable folio that I thought it did, and on which basis I purchased a $300 massage. At first I thought this was an … Read full post
Q: I’ve been thinking poker again with the exciting DoJ news at the end of last year. I’m sure many have.
While actual regulated play is probably still far off (with the exception of Nevada), I’ve been wondering how best to prepare myself for online poker’s eventual return [to the … Read full post
My PCA package includes a $1000 folio for charging expenses to the room, and unlike the last time I was here, when I pocketed more than $500, it’s not refundable. Because I brought my own food, I found myself this morning with $750 to spend in two days. Wheeeee!… Read full post
During the second half of Day 1 of the PCA, I had a young, apparently very successful high-stakes cash game player on my left. I didn’t recognize his name or screenname, but he talked about playing 10/20 and 25/50 NLHE games on PokerStars and a 50/100 game here at … Read full post
47 1 Rudi Vanheeswijck 34.100
47 2 Sam Greenwood 90.100
47 3 Eric Mizrachi 58.000
47 4 Andrew Brokos 38.500
47 5 Greg Gokey 31.200
47 6 Corey Burbick 50.000
47 7 Micah Smith 141.100
47 8 Maria Panyak 39.700
47 9 Martin Debruhl 61.500
I think this is a … Read full post
Edit: Fixed the suit of card (c) so it doesn’t match what’s in Hero’s hand.
It’s Level 4 of the PCA. Hero is wearing his PokerStars Team Online patch, which in Villain’s eyes probably makes him a cash game grinder with minimal tournament experience. Villain is a young online MTT … Read full post
I took plenty of notes for a full write-up, but for now I’ll just say that we started with 30K and I finished with 38.5K. I think the average is between 50 and 60, and blinds will be 500/1000/100 on Monday, so I’m in OK shape. I had two other … Read full post
It’s a beautiful morning in the Bahamas. Walking around in the morning is a totally different experience, because they are empty except for some grounds crew and a few early risers such as myself. Later today there will be screaming kids and booming speakers, but right now it’s oddly serene.… Read full post
Ballin’: I’m current on my way to the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island in the Bahamas, where I’ll be staying for eight nights and playing in the $10,000 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Main Event.
Anti-Ballin’: I’m bringing a small pantry with me, because it kills me to pay $20 for a … Read full post
I was inundated with requests for reviews over the holidays, so I asked a friend if he’d be interested in taking one of them. Thus, the review for Nathan Williams’ Crushing the Micro-Stakes can be found on Gareth Chantler’s blog. If you read the comments here on Thinking Poker, … Read full post
My latest poker strategy article, Balance, addresses a pet peeve of mine that I see often in the tournament forums:
… Read full postBalance is one of the most misunderstood concepts in tournament poker. Many players believe that playing in a balanced way matters only when dealing with players they encounter on
Huge congratulations to fellow PokerStars Team Online member Shaniac, who started the year off right by final tabling the New Year’s Day Sunday Million. What an insane tournament, where $200 can turn into $84K. And what a great player- Shane is one of the few people who was already an … Read full post
Today is Sunday, but I won’t be playing the Sunday Million, because I’m currently in the United States.
For as long as I’ve had this blog, I’ve started every year with a series of posts about my poker-related goals and resolutions, and I’ve ended every year by assessing the progress … Read full post
To understand this week’s hand, you have to understand the psychology of a certain type of live player. I’m not the most experienced live player myself, but I do think I’m quite good at understanding what and how my opponents think, and I’ve encountered more than a few of … Read full post
Q: If you find time i want your opinion about a hand i played in a EPT side event with a pokerstars pro from Argentina (i don’t remember his name but he won the high roller event last year at EPT London i think)…
With 75/150 blinds and about … Read full post
Earlier this month, I posted about an organization that’s particularly important to me. I want to make clear, though, that whether you give to the Boston Debate League or to a cause that’s important to you, you really should consider giving. Not only can you do a lot of … Read full post
This week’s WYP is based on a hand I witnessed during a rare live cash session at the Hollywood Casino in Charles Town, West Virginia. Rare for me, that is- the Hollywood has a surprisingly large and active poker room.
Hero and Villain are both regulars at the casino but … Read full post
Emily, my girlfriend and esteemed webmistress, was actually the one who thought of and baked this. Eating it was my contribution.
I carved the pumpkin myself though!
One of my primary goals when coaching poker is to help my students think more creatively and situationally, to consider all of their options rather than just doing what they think is “standard”. They learn to find value in places they hadn’t thought to look for it by thinking through … Read full post
Sorry again for the error in my original What’s Your Plan? post. It certainly wasn’t deliberate, but in a weird way it did help to highlight one of the central points of this exercise, which is the significance of Villain’s pre-flop stats and our general read on him.
Most … Read full post
Tri Nguyen just came out with a new book that has more in common with Barry Greenstein’s Ace on the River than with a strategy manual. Here’s the long and short of what I had to say about it:
… Read full postHow I Made My First Million From Poker is all over
Well this is embarrassing. After arguing with several posters who insisted that I didn’t provide any sufficient information about my opponent in this week’s “What’s Your Plan?”, I went to post results and just realized that I actually did leave out an introductory paragraph giving some brief reads on … Read full post
PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em, 320 Tournament, 25/50 Blinds (5 handed) – PokerStars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
SB (t3023)
Hero (BB) (t3978)
UTG (t4344)
MP (t2230)
Button (t1910)
Hero’s M: 53.04
Preflop: Hero is BB with Q♥, K♠
1 fold, MP bets t100, 2 folds, Hero calls … Read full post
Villain had high Attempt to Steal and post-flop aggression. I debated 3-betting, since I’m well ahead of his pre-flop range, but I didn’t want to fold to a 4-bet, and I think getting it in pre is kinda light. It’s probably slightly +EV, but I hate giving away the advantage … Read full post
As part of their 10th anniversary celebration, PokerStars asked their sponsored players for our early memories of playing on the site. You can find out how I got started on PokerStars in my recent piece for the PokerStars blog:
… Read full postPokerStars was the first place that seemed to be in
This week’s WYP didn’t prove too controversial, but it generated some good discussion nonetheless. I must say that I’m a little disappointed more of you weren’t tempted to make the same mistake I did:
PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em, $6.00 BB (6 handed) – PokerStars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
SB ($2845.40)
BB … Read full post
No, I’m not talking about my mixed games dabbling. At least in the United States, December 31st is the deadline for making charitable donations that you can write off against your 2011 income. That means that the government is functionally matching some portion of your donation. What poker player doesn’t … Read full post
I tanked for a bit before calling this pre-flop, because it is a little light given our positions, but the dynamic was right. It wasn’t what I was going for, but when he checked the flop I realized that the tank-call may, in his eyes, increase the likelihood that I’m … Read full post
This hand occurred at a PokerStars deep table, meaning that the maximum buyin is $1500 and there’s an ante ($0.60 I believe) in addition to the blinds. I’ve never seen Villain before, but he seems both very aggressive and very good. He’s 36/21 with 8% 3-bet. I haven’t seen him … Read full post
I don’t play pit games, I don’t go to strip clubs, and I don’t get table service at Las Vegas nightclubs. Whole Foods is my leak.
Last night I was there for the second time in two days. My girlfriend has been cramming for the GRE and just had her … Read full post
I’ve now got three Thinking Poker Tournament Seminars under the belt, and they keep getting better every time. The next seminar will be held at 11AM Eastern time on Monday, December 19. The topic will be Advanced Flop Fundamentals, and it will take one of my most popular … Read full post
Thanks again for all the great comments on this week’s What’s Your Plan?. I was a little worried since the question was more open-ended than usual, but once again we had a lot of really though-provoking contributions. I actually write about this hand in some detail in the new … Read full post
Sorry for the recent lack of posts; it’s been a busy week. I don’t have a lot to say about this one, it’s just a fun hand that I played today:
PokerStars No-Limit Hold’em, $6.00 BB (6 handed) – PokerStars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com
BB ($618)
UTG ($884.80)
Hero (MP) … Read full post
This week I’ve got a slight variation on the usual “What’s Your Play?” Villain is a TAG regular playing 18/17 with an 8% 3-bet over a large sample. He’s a small winner at these stakes but not very tricky or creative, just generally more of a mass multi-tabler than a … Read full post
One nice side benefit of teaching is that forces the teacher to crystallize his own knowledge and learn concepts more thoroughly in the process. In my recent Big Bluffs seminar I talked about how people will usually bet a flush draw on the flop if they have one, which means … Read full post
I’m blown away by the number of responses Monday’s What’s Your Play? post received. It produced some great discussion that was instructive even for me, so a big thanks to all of you who commented. I know I didn’t interact with your comments as much as I usually do, but … Read full post