Thanks to everyone who contributed to the Hand of the Week so far. It seems like everyone recognizes that this hand is too strong to fold. Several commenters assigned ranges to Villain that gave Hero 41% – 47% equity. Even … Read more…
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 … Read more…
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. … Read more…
Hero is UTG+2 with a $2500 stack, and most of the table covers. Action folds to Hero, who opens to $30 with 8s 7s. The hijack, button, and SB call. For discussion of the preflop action, see this post. Flop ($118 in … Read more…
Thanks to everyone who’s participated in the Hand of the Week so far. Today’s post deals with playing top pair on the turn. Hero is UTG+2 with a $2500 stack, and most of the table covers. Action folds to Hero, who opens … Read more…
Hero is UTG+2 with a $2500 stack, and most of the table covers. Action folds to Hero, who opens to $30 with 8s 7s. The hijack, button, and SB call. For discussion of the preflop action, see this post. Flop ($118 in … Read more…
Thanks to everyone who’s participated in the Hand of the Week so far. Today’s post deals with playing top pair on the flop. Hero is UTG+2 with a $2500 stack, and most of the table covers. Action folds to Hero, who opens … Read more…
Hero is UTG+2 with a $2500 stack, and most of the table covers. Action folds to Hero, who opens to $30 with 8s 7s. The hijack, button, and SB call. For discussion of the preflop action, see this post. Flop ($118 in … Read more…
Thanks to everyone who participated in the first installment of this little experiment. The question I left you with, essentially, was about whether a suited connector like 87s should be raised in early position, and if so, why? As I … Read more…
We’re taking this week off from podcasting, but here’s something new I want to try out as an occasional feature on the blog. I’m going to post a hand today and then comment on various aspects of it throughout the week. … Read more…
Thanks to everyone who participated in What’s Your Play? Pair Plus Draw. I was glad to have the opportunity to reflect further on the hand myself and read some comments about it, because in the moment I basically just said … Read more…
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 … Read more…
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 … Read more…
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 … Read more…
Thanks to everyone who commented on What’s Your Play? Big Draw, Short Stack. It got a lot more attention than I expected! Folding is an Opportunity, Not a Cost Props to those of you who mentioned the relevant toy game … Read more…
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 … Read more…
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 … Read more…
Thanks for all the comments on What’s Your Play? Suited Gapper In Position, Deep. The very first comment, from Zach, pretty much nailed it: [E]ven though position is important, and the stacks are deep enough to make 74s less ghastly … Read more…
My latest poker strategy article, What Do Ranges Want?, is now appearing in the Two Plus Two Magazine. And it’s inspired by some of your What’s Your Play? comments: Some of my blog comments highlight this point starkly. When the … Read more…
Sorry but there’s no new podcast this week. The show will return next Monday, April 6, with Matt Savage as the guest. In the meantime, here’s a What’s Your Play? to occupy your mind: The game is $5/$10 with $2500 … Read more…
Q: My question is about a hand from a sunday 109rb tournament. I am already in the money and find 44 on my big Blind (with a 24bb stack). Villain opens in middle position for 2.28 bb with a 38bb … Read more…
Thanks to everyone who commented on this week’s What’s Your Play? Here’s a sample: Ruud says, “Generally I find Villain has the goods when he bombs the river like this.” Pepito agrees, “unless he contemptuously views you as a bad, … Read more…
This is a continuation of What’s Your Play? KJo in the BB. For a discussion of the pre-flop action, please see this post. UTG is a typical splashy recreational player, with lots of limping and calling pre-flop followed by lots … Read more…
Thanks for all the comments on What’s Your Play? KJo in the BB. I think my favorite was Carlos’ remark that, “The goal in this hand is not to go after the fish. It is to go after the shark … Read more…
Game is 9-handed $5/$10 NLHE with deep stacks. UTG is a typical splashy recreational player, with lots of limping and calling pre-flop followed by lots of checking and folding post-flop. He has about $800 in his stack. HJ is the … Read more…
Game is $3/$5, though we’ve been playing intermittently with a $10 straddle (which I actually don’t like because the maximum buy-in is $500 and the weakest players are already having no trouble finding ways to get their stacks so the … Read more…
Thanks for all the comments on What’s Your Play? Big Draw vs Bad LAG. I hope you’ll find the results and analysis more interesting than the typical bad beat post, which if I’m being honest was part of my motivation … Read more…
This is from a $5/$10/$20 NLHE game. Villain has some natural disbelieving/trying to win every pot tendencies that have been exaggerated by positive tilt. He’s got about $10K in front of him (max buy-in is $2500 because this is technically … Read more…
Thanks for all the comments on What’s Your Play? Suited Broadway on the River. I’m going to start by speculating a bit about what GTO strategies might look like on the river considering the (probably non-GTO) ranges with which each … Read more…
I’ve got two new poker strategy articles to share with you. The first is the conclusion of my analysis of the infamous Mark Newhouse bustout hand from the 2014 WSOP Main Event (the first part of the article is here): … Read more…
This is a continuation of a multi-street What’s Your Play? For discussion of the pre-flop action, please see this post. Flop action is here, and turn action is here. You’re at a 9-handed $2/$5 NLHE table with $600 effective stacks. UTG is … Read more…
Thanks to everyone who commented on What’s Your Play? Suited Broadway on the Turn. Pre-flop and on the flop, I argued that Hero had the opportunity, thanks to a bet sizing tell, to get more credit than he deserved on … Read more…
This is a continuation of a multi-street What’s Your Play? For discussion of the pre-flop action, please see this post. Flop action is here. You’re at a 9-handed $2/$5 NLHE table with $600 effective stacks. UTG is very loose, especially pre-flop, … Read more…
Thanks for all the comments on What’s Your Play? Suited Broadway on the Flop. Thanks also to Vookenmeister for pointing out that I forgot to add the big blind to the pot. Not that it makes a huge difference, but … Read more…
This is a continuation of What’s Your Play? that began last week. For discussion of the pre-flop action, please see this post. You’re at a 9-handed $2/$5 NLHE table with $600 effective stacks. UTG is very loose, especially pre-flop, and … Read more…
Thanks for all the comments on What’s Your Play? Suited Broadway Preflop. You all came up with some really diverse suggestions, and some interesting conversation resulted. I do think that changing the game conditions and player profiles (including, as some … Read more…
This is the beginning of a multi-street What’s Your Play? Unlike many of these, it’s not an actual hand I played, but it illustrates some common situations that I think a lot of people get wrong. You’re at a 9-handed … Read more…
I know I’m a little to the party, but for my take on Mark Newhouse’s infamous main event bustout hand, check out the latest issue of Two Plus Two Magazine: “Antonio Esfandiari, who was providing commentary for ESPN while the … Read more…
Nate and I are grateful to those of you who have listened to The Thinking Poker Podcast this year, whether you’re a regular follower, a sporadic listener, or just now discovering the show. I’ve compiled a list of some of … Read more…
Thanks for all the comments on What’s Your Play? Top Pair Facing Turn Donk. Sorry for the delay in getting these results up, I’ve been busy with holiday-related travel. How to Interpret a Donk Bet A donk bet is a … Read more…
As you may remember from his latest appearance on the podcast, Gareth Chantler is now in charge of the Full Tilt Poker Blog. He’s done a bang-up job on the content, including an interview with me and a collaboration with … Read more…
This is from a $5/$10 game at Lucky Chances (yes, I finally got out there last night). Villain seemed to be a typical mid-stakes non-pro regular, which is to say bordering on loose-passive in small pots but tight-passive in larger … Read more…
Now appearing on Tournament Poker Edge is a series of videos I recorded live while playing the World Championship of Online Poker. This is the first live recording I’ve done in years and my first ever for TPE. The bulk … Read more…
My latest poker strategy article, “Lessons From the WSOP Main Event: Marginal Hands in Heads-Up Play“, is now appearing in Two Plus Two Magazine. It’s an analysis of some key hands from the heads up portion of the 2014 WSOP … Read more…
This post is inspired by a question from the Tournament Poker Edge forums. I’m just going to paraphrase it here. Q: In your videos, you very frequently call raises from the big blind with weak hands. You say that with antes … Read more…
This question actually comes from the Tournament Poker Edge forums, but I decided to answer it here as it references the Thinking Poker Premium Podcasts. Q: In episode three, at around the 10 minute mark, you describe how open raise … Read more…
My latest series of poker tournament training videos is now appearing on Tournament Poker Edge. This review of some key hands from a $2000 main event at Maryland Live is a rare chance to see a training video focused on … Read more…
Sorry for the delay on this week’s podcast. We do still have an episode in the works. In the meanwhile, here’s a hand submitted by listener favorite Carlos Welch in which he bluffs frequent commenter Pie Farmer. My comments at … Read more…
If you’ve been mourning the lack of brag posts here since the end of WCOOP, your prayers have been answered. My latest poker strategy article, Reg Wars, is an extended brag about a big bluff from a $10/$25 game: It’s … Read more…
Andrew is still grinding the PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker in Montreal, so he and Nate break down a few hands he played in a PLO eight-or-better event and a 2-7 triple draw event.
Andrew gives us an update from Montreal, where he is grinding theWorld Championship of Online Poker on PokerStars. He is then joined by Nate and guest Ryan Laplante to talk about backing, turbo variance, grinding at a high volume, and more.
This is something I do sometimes. There are often exploitive reasons for it, but I do also think it’s good to be capable of making a flush on the turn when you check back the flop. This hand from the … Read more…
Terrence Chan discusses his long career, from the beginning of the poker book and working at PokerStars to the current state of regulated online poker at the US and his stint with Ultimate Poker. All that plus his mixed martial … Read more…
This was from the first table of the $300 6-handed NLHE shoot-out. Villain is a very successful tournament player but in my opinion not fundamentally solid. Basically he’s learned how to take advantage of a lot of common weaknesses found … Read more…
My latest poker strategy article, The Worst Seat at the Table Should Be the One On Your Right, is now appearing in 2+2 Magazine. It’s about how, simply by playing well and applying pressure with the right kinds of hands … Read more…
Andrew and Nate review a hand from a live $1/$2 cash game before talking with semi-professional poker player, entrepreneur, and DeucesCracked coach Andrew Seidman about a myriad of topics, including his book Easy Game (Andrew’s review here), his travels, his … Read more…
Andrew and Nate skip the strategy this week to get right to a special hour-long interview with Olivier Busquet. Busquet discusses his win in the EPT Barcelona Super High Roller, the economical and personal value of playing in big buy-in … Read more…
I’m really impressed with the comments on What’s Your Play? TPTK Facing Strange Line. More than a few of you have gotten to the heart of a tricky situation in a more succinct way than I’m about to do. In … Read more…
Brian Rast may not have the knack for self-promotion that some of the biggest names in the industry do, but he’s been quietly winning at the highest stakes, in a variety of formats, for years. In this interview, he talks … Read more…
This one comes from a $10-$25 game against a very tough and creative opponent. We’ve played together a few times in Maryland, Las Vegas, and Pittsburgh, and if I recall correctly he once told me that he learned a lot … Read more…
Tony “Bond18” Dunst, host of the World Poker Tour’s Raw Deal, joins the Thinking Poker Podcast to talk about wearing suits, interacting with fans, and treating poker like a job.
You all are really getting the hang of this! I’m impressed by how many of you began your analysis of What’s Your Plan? Good Draw, Lots of Interest with a consideration of what you would do with a set here. … Read more…
Edit: Sorry, typo in the original post. The SB completed pre-flop, he did not fold, which is how he was able to bet the flop. This is from a $5/$10 NLHE live game. Opponents are some combination of intimidated by … Read more…
There’s no Andrew this week, but Gareth Chantler catches Nate up on his “new job” (it’s one all poker players hope for and also one that many struggle with when they’re lucky enough to get it) and his recent travels. … Read more…
My latest poker strategy article, A Wide Range Situation From the Main Event, is now appearing in the August 2014 issue of Two Plus Two Magazine. It references an earlier article I wrote and analyzes the last hand that I … Read more…
I played two big pre-flop pots with KK in Las Vegas cash games, one where I ended up folding and one where I got all in against QQ. A lot of people expressed curiosity about these hands when I first … Read more…