Weighing Your Options

My latest poker strategy article, now appearing in Two Plus Two Magazine, is called Weighing Your Options. It’s about a rule I try to play by, that helps me to recognize the right times for unconventional plays and avoid timing tells all at once!

Weighing your options, even if

… Read full post

Battle of the Bay, Part 2

Based on how risk-averse everyone seemed to be during the latter half of Day 1, I expected the start of Day 2, with 43 people competing for 40 prizes, to go quite slowly. In fact, we saw four eliminations in three hands, and just like that, the bubble was over.… Read full post

Just Released! The Thinking Poker Diaries Volume 6

cover_7fcd65a2-b494-44c9-ad82-075a3bdad5f6_grandeMy sixth e-book tells the story of my 2011 World Series of Poker Main Event, in which I finished 53rd. Like the other volumes, it features an entertaining trip report from the tournament interspersed with essays discussing strategic concepts that play an important role in each day’s success.

Pick up … Read full post

Mailbag: Suited Gappers

Q: Is there anyway to quantify the difference in value between a 2-gapper (4-7) and connector (4-5)? I understand a 2-gapper can only make a straight two ways and a connector can make it four ways … do you just cut the various probabilities in half?

Personally I don’t … Read full post

Fancy Play Syndrome

My latest poker article, Fancy Play Syndrome, is now appearing in the October 2015 issue of Two Plus Two Magazine. It might be a poor title, because the argument is that many supposedly “fancy” plays are actually a part of fundamentally sound poker strategy:

In a recent $5/$10/$20 session,

… Read full post

Hand of the Week: Big Slick, Pre-Flop

You all did a great job with the comments on the Hand of the Week so far. People have covered the major arguments for 3-betting and for calling, and in fact I think it’s likely that Hero should be indifferent between the two and probably employ a mixed strategy. The … Read full post

Guest Streaming Tomorrow

Technology permitting (I’m a very inexperienced Twitch user) I’m going to be guest streaming on Carlos’ Twitch stream tomorrow (Wednesday September 30). The stream will start at 4PM eastern, and I’ll be playing the Big $162 on PokerStars plus something fun like a PLO8 cash game. You really should be … Read full post

Hand of the Week: Big Slick

This is from the $700 NLHE 1R1A WCOOP event. Blinds are 350/700/85. It’s well after the rebuy period but not particularly close to the bubble. Table is on the tough side, featuring many regs/pros, most notably Eugene Katchalov on my immediate left.

UTG is a regular tournament player. I have … Read full post

What’s Your Play? Pair Plus Draw

Playing $5/$10 NLHE with $3000 effective stacks. Villain 1 is among the better regulars in the game, and, I believe, considers me tough and capable. I started to say that he doesn’t like to fold big hands to me, but he also knows how to avoid stacking off to strong … Read full post

When to Chase

My latest poker strategy article, When to Chase, is now appearing in the September 2015 issue of Two Plus Two Magazine. Here’s a taste:

Though popular, the strategy of checking and calling with a hand that can’t win unless it improves, in the hopes of getting paid off big

… Read full post

Mailbag: Checking For Balance

This is actually a question that was posed on the Tournament Poker Edge forums, so I’m paraphrasing it a bit here. It began with me arguing against checking KQ on a Q72r for “pot control” because there are plenty of run-outs where you can bet three streets for value (more … Read full post

Mailbag: Weak Draw on the Button

Q: I’ve got a hand that came up at Event 3 of the $40k Guarantee $200 buyin Deepstack event at The Bike (no rebuys, no add ons).

This is level 2 (150 – 300) and I ran the starting stack of 15k up to 28k. A player from middle position … Read full post

What’s Your Play? Big Draw, Short Stack

I haven’t done one of these in a while, so here’s a simple little spot to get us thinking again. Playing $5/$10/$20 NLHE. UTG1 is a better-than-average player for the game but definitely on the nitty side. I’ve never played with BB before but he seems a little less straight-forward, … Read full post

Thinking Poker Diaries, Volume 5

Depending on your definition of exciting, you might be interested to hear that my latest book has hit the digital shelves! The fifth volume of The Thinking Poker Diaries chronicles my 87th place finish the 2010 WSOP Main Event. Day by day, it introduces the situations and opponents I encountered … Read full post

Nitcast Meetup Reminder

Nate, Carlos, Andrew, and hopefully some special guests as well will be at the Gold Coast bowling alley from 10AM – Noon on July 6. If you suck at bowling, don’t worry – last year, no one actually played! It’s just a convenient spot near the Rio with plenty of … Read full post

Selling WSOP Main Event Action

I’ve got 20% of myself available for sale in the 2015 World Series of Poker Main Event. I’m looking to sell it in blocks of 5% at 1.4 mark-up, meaning that each block will cost $700. If you’re interested or have questions, please leave a comment here or write me … Read full post

Happy Birthday Carlos! (Monster Stack)

The most exciting news of the day comes to us from Carlos, who reports:

So I bust the PH 200K and at the last minute, a friend from back home hits me up to late reg the Monster. I rush over and get in with 15 mins left in the
… Read full post

WSOP $1500 (No Podcast This Week)

Sorry gang, but will all the poker I’ve been playing, I haven’t been around at our usual recording times, and we don’t have a show for you this week. I will, however, present a few hands from yesterday’s $1500 NLHE event.

My original table was awesome, and I got off … Read full post

WSOP $1K Turbo

Delightful little tournament. As in the Millionaire Maker the day before, I found plenty of good spots in a short amount of time and finished with time left over to play cash.

The table was, perhaps not quite as good as the previous day’s, but pretty spectacular. I made good … Read full post