Vincent’s Poker Blog

More of an example of poor poker table etiquette, actually. I was at the table yesterday playing the €10/€20 game – a limit pretty high for no-limit games in Central Europe. Anyway, the game was pretty decent, and there were a couple of €2500+ pots every hour. Good action.

At one point, a pot comes to a showdown, about €1200 in the pot. First player doesn’t show his pair of eights, but announces it. The other guy showed a king to make his pair of kings – and throws the other card in the center of the table. It’s turned face down. All of a sudden, player one turns over his eight, and declares the pot his: “he can’t muck half his hand, once he does that, the pot is mine!”.

The whole table was like: “you’re joking, right?”. But – he wasn’t. Casino manager came in – decided player one was right. Dude took the pot – the other guy lost about 500 in the hand.
I mean – wtf? Is that poker etiquette in most casinos? :s

I’m NOT going to turn this into my own little persional poker blog on which I complain about the bad beats I encounter while playing online poker and live poker in the casinos in the neighborhood — but this one was so sick I just can’t get over it.

Second hand of the night — everyone has their initial buy-in of about $1000 in front of them, and I pick up a couple of aces on the button. I have a raise in front of me, and one caller (under the gun raised 3BB — call middle position) — so I decided to re-raise about 8BB. The initial raiser made an instafold — middle position re-raised me the minimum. The pot was about $250 at that point, so I decided to go for the pot with the rest of my chips.

When the other side of the table started doubting — i put him on a middle pair — nines, tens — a hand I would probably fold if I were him — but playable none the less…

After about two minutes, the guy says: “nah, you don’t have it” — and he calls. I instashow my aces, and he says: “well, I”m on the draw” — and show me Q9 O/S.

Flop comes — A93 rainbow. Great — i’m well-ahead now. The turn makes my full house — another nine. My opponent is dead to the case nine. The river brings… A FRIGGING 9.

YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME. Opponent starts making noise and yells about how great he is — he just KNEW it… Awesome, dude! Anyway — I don’t mind aces being cracked — I do when it’s by a freaking one-outer on the river…

Oh well….

Chances are when playing in a tournament you won’t be dealt many or any premium hands especially when you need them. The chance of being dealt a AA is 220:1, the same for any pocket pair, so for the top five or six starting hands you are looking at odds of 29:1 which are not exactly favorable.

Firstly watch your opponents. Learn to look for those players who will fold at the first sign you might be holding a better hand. If these players call your bluff you may have to give up the ghost.

Limit your bluffs to when there is not much other action. Use your position on the button or small blind to steal the blinds. If it is check/folded round to you this is an opportunity not to miss.

Use your stack to bluff with. Push around smaller stacks by making big raises. Don’t go in with a bluff too often as it will be a little like the boy who cried wolf. At the table your reputation is everything and you want a reputation for playing solid hands to be able to get away with bluffing.

Don’t always make a full bluff. When you bluff sometimes it is wise to have at least a mediocre hand to back you up. Especially if it can turn into a monster. Remember from time to time those two high cards will be enough to take the pot.

Choosing which limit to play is a vital part of managing your bankroll. A Bankroll is a poker player’s means for playing and if you misuse it by playing at the wrong limit you are likely to go bust fast.

Now if you are in fact independently wealthy, the limit you play at will be based upon skill rather than how much you can afford to lose. But even those with a bank balance larger than the GDP of Latvia should take a moment to consider the following.

Choosing the limit you initially play at will be based on your initial Bankroll. This amount is what you are prepared to lose and not your only daughters wedding fund. Based on that you choose a limit depending on the type of poker you will be playing.

When you make some money, and hopefully you will, you may wish to move up a level, but you don’t have to. If you are comfortable at the limit you are playing and you are winning, then stick with what works. If and when you move up keep an eye on whether you are winning. Set yourself an amount you are willing to lose and stick to it. Move back down it you lose to many sessions in a row at your new level.

If you are keeping records of your sessions, and you should be, you will soon be able to see at what limit you are most profitable. Playing within your means should mean that you never have to reload again.

After being dropped from the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in 1997, Chinese Poker lost favour among players. Recently, however, it has found new converts to it’s old ways. Seen largely as a game of luck, Chinese Poker is not often found in Online poker rooms or in card rooms. But it is a game that the Pros love to play in their down time. Phil Ivey allegedly has been known to play it for $2,000 a point just to kill time on airplanes.

The rules of Chinese poker are straightforward. Each player is dealt 13 cards and has to arrange them into two hands of five cards and one of three that’s it, really. The game has huge variance because of the luck factor being substantial in this game,

Though Chinese poker is a game where you really are in the hands of the poker gods with the luck of the draw, there is a skill to setting the hands. There are often multiple decisions to be made. (Do I break up two pair to make a flush? Do I break up my second full house to give myself a pair in front?) Skilled, experienced players will have a better idea what to do in these situations and will also factor in their opponents’ tendencies, creating an edge (albeit a small one) for themselves. In fact anyone who has bothered to read any Chinese poker strategy guides will be at a distinct advantage. So before you decide to play with real money I would suggest practicing with a few buddies. Maybe on an aeroplane, but maybe not for $2000 a point.

The beauty of Seven Card Stud is that the upcard rather than being a hindrance to you can actually make you money if you play this advantage correctly.

If your up cards look weak but you actually have the nut flush then you play to milk the most out of your opponent whilst they are thinking you are the Muppet You can also uses strong upcards to hide what may be a terrible hand. An aggressive raise whilst showing an Ace could make someone fold their trips, not realising you only have a 5 and a 7 in the hole all off suit. Sneaky!

What other players are showing can also be used to your advantage. As you know, there are 13 cards to each suit. You need 5 cards of one suit to make a flush. So, if you’ve got a flush draw, be sure to look at what your opponents are showing. If you’re holding 3 hearts and there’s a total of 6 other hearts on the table, there’s only 4 left in the deck. Do this same thing if you’re trying to complete a straight; there’s only four of each card in the deck that could help you make your straight. You don’t want to bet your money on a slim chance at drawing the only Jack left that may or may not be in the deck.

Seven Card Stud players who take note of all the upcards in play and folded have an advantage; so don’t bury your face in your own cards.

The best starting hands in stud are hands that are going to help you make a straight or better. In Stud even trips are probably not going to win you the game. Like Hold’em you may have to wait for a good starting hand.

So what does make the best starting Hand? Three of a kind starting with (A-A) A and on down. You can look to make a full house or four of a kind.

Next there are the big pairs (AA-TT). Value a hidden pair with a big kicker the most. A hidden pair makes your hand harder to read.

Big suited connectors such as AKQs down to QJTs can help with flushes and straights (or hopefully a straight flush!)

Big suited semi connectors such as AKJs or KQTs can also help you draw for a nut flush or high straight.

Medium Pairs with a high kicker are probably the minimum you would look for in a hand medium trips or full house will be vulnerable as the second best hand.

With these starts as a guide look for hands where the value is hidden as if your hand is perceived a weak you are in a great betting position.

Before you start doing cartwheels because your starting hand is fantastic on last thing to consider is what cards everyone else has. There is no point chasing a hearts flush if you notice that every other person playing hearts in their up cards. If the only cards you need to make your hand stronger are in someone else’s pile then you may need to rethink your hand.

Players new to Seven Card Stud are likely to make mistakes if they are still thinking like Hold’em Players. You can lose big if you adopt a laisser-faire attitude to stud. You need to put the work in to master this variation of poker. So I’ve put together a list of some of the sins of seven card stud.

Impatience
Don’t play too many hands. Be patient grasshopper you will soon have the right hand to play. Playing too man hands will leave you giving away cash to your competition. You will not get away with the any starting card can ideas you have from playing Hold’em.

Inattention
Please please please pay attention to what cards are out. Otherwise you could be drawing for a card that will never come. So also take notice of cards that have been folded for obvious reasons. The most attentive players are the most profitable players.

Over-cautiousness
If you have the best hand or what you think is the best hand, bet. Don’t let other players outdraw you on the river. It is an expensive mistake. Be decisive and control the pot. If you have an excellent draw with many outs, bet. Don’t be pushed on the defensive by weaker hands/draws.

Being a calling station
Why call with a good hand. If you are calling more often than you re betting you are probably a losing player. Also you will get a reputation for being a suck out. And nobody likes a suck out.

Stubbornness
Don’t get glued to a hand because it started off well. It will cost you dear. Try give up those Aces if you look to be losing. It is a hard but important lesson to learn.

Seven Card Stud is a popular game amongst home games of poker. The recent surge of Hold’em has put it in the shadows somewhat. So let’s put it back in the spotlight. Like Hold’em you are trying to make the best 5 card hand from seven cards, the highest hand wins and Ace plays both high and low for straights. Unlike Holdem there are no community cards and it has five betting rounds rather than four.

The rules are as follows:

Each player is dealt 3 cards, 2 faced down and one face up.

Then the player with the lowest face up card starts the betting. If two or more players have the same value card, it is determined by suit value. Suit values from lowest to highest are: clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades. Players to the left then have the option of folding, calling or raising.

A further 3 cards are dealt face up. Each time there is a round of betting however this time it is the person dealt the highest card that starts the betting.

The last card is dealt face down. (So there are a total of three face down and four face up) The betting is started by the person with the highest value cards face up.

You must be very observant to play this variation of poker. Not only must you take note of players betting tendencies but you must also remember the up cards of the players who have folded.