My Thoughts On Slow Playing


When you get a MONSTER hand, you should NOT slow play it.

Here's why:

"Slow playing" means that you don't bet very much, or bet
nothing at all, in hopes that your opponent makes a big bet
or tries to bluff.

For instance, if you got two Aces before the flop and only
called the big blind, you would be "slow playing" your Aces.

Or if you flopped a straight and just "checked", you would
be slow playing your straight.

Make sense?

The problem is, most amateurs will slow play their big
hands... trying to perform the famous check-raise
maneuver... or trying to "trap" their opponents...

But generally speaking, this is NOT a smart strategy... for
two reasons:

1. Because many poker players will see right through you...
and fold the hand as soon as you make your move.

2. Because you won't win as much money when you slow play
big hands versus betting them.

Let's talk about the first reason...

The fact is, slow playing big hands will NOT confuse your
opponents.

On the contrary, it will actually give them a SOLID READ on
you.

Why?

BECAUSE MOST PLAYERS SLOW PLAY MONSTER HANDS.

That's just the way it is.

You may think you're being SLY, but you're really just being
STUPID.

I think it's actually human INSTINCTS to slow play big
hands...

Think about it. When someone gets a big hand, what are they
thinking in their heads?

They SHOULD be thinking... "How can I get the most money
possible out of this pot?"

But what they are REALLY thinking is... "How can I make sure
everyone doesn't fold and this great hand doesn't go to
waste?"

It's the truth.

Especially since it will often take HUNDREDS of hands before
you catch a monster.

And that's the REAL reason why people slow play big hands...

Because they're SCARED TO DEATH that if they make a bet,
everyone will fold.

So the point is, it is NOT unique to slow play a monster...
in fact, it's what MOST card players do. Especially
amateurs.

Now let's look at the second reason why slow playing a big
hand is a bad idea... and that is:

YOU WON'T MAKE AS MUCH MONEY.

The fact is, when you hit a monster, you should bet it. It's
that simple.

Even if you REALLY ARE thinking to yourself, "How can I get
the most money out of this pot?", the answer is to bet it.

Not slow play it.

You'll win more chips and make more money by betting your
big hands... especially when you look at it over a long term
perspective.

Let me show you three reasons why:

1. Usually, one of your opponents will have SOMETHING...
whether it's a bottom pair, wired pair, straight draw...
whatever.

This means that you'll usually get one or more callers for
your monster hand... which is "sure money" going into the
pot that you're about to win...

2. When you slow play big hands, you're opening yourself up
for BAD BEATS. You shouldn't give your opponents the
opportunity to see free cards.

When you let them see free cards, you're just increasing the
odds that someone catches a lucky draw... or the one
"miracle" card that can bust your hand.

Betting your big hand, instead of letting your opponent get
free cards, will narrow down your chances of a bad beat.

3. Your opponents won't see it coming.

Since most players slow play monsters, your opponents will
often put you on a BLUFF when you bet your big hand.

And if they think you're bluffing, they'll try to come back
over the top of you with a raise.

This, of course, gives you yet ANOTHER way to make more
money from your hand...

Now... let me talk about the EXCEPTION to this rule. And
that is when you get a monster that is SO UNBELIEVABLE...
AND you sense complete weakness at the table.

The most common example of this is 4-of-a-kind.

For instance...

Let's say the flop came out 8,8,2 and you've got pocket 8's.
The other two players check to you.

In this case, it will be smart to just check your big hand,
rather than betting.

BUT, you're not really "slow playing" it.

What you're ACTUALLY doing is just letting your opponents
"catch up" to you.

Since you know the 8's couldn't have helped either of your
opponents, you want to make sure a turn card comes out...
and maybe even a river card... in hopes that someone catches
SOMETHING.

If the turn card is a face card, that's good news for you.
Because it means that someone might have made top pair and
will be willing to give you some action in the hand.

But besides that, you should NOT slow play your big hands.

Now let's see a real-life instance where this strategy
helped me make more money at the poker table.

I got dealt AQ. My positioning wasn't good, but it was the
first decent hand I'd seen in awhile, so I raised the pot
to 1,500 in chips.

Only one player called me... the man on the button. This guy
(we'll call him "Mike") is a very good card player. He goes
to the casinos every single night... 7 days a week...
grinding it out and making his living.

He's one of the only players at this table that I generally
avoid going heads-up with, actually.

So anyway... the flop comes out, and it's:

Q-Q-3

I've flopped a set with an Ace kicker.

I'm first to act. So what do I do?

Most players would slow play... but not me. I come out
firing.

I hesitate for like two seconds and then push in 4,000 in
chips.

Mike is thinking there is no possible way I'd bet trips like
that... so he's probably putting me on a high wired pair
(but not Queens).

Plus, he might think I'm just representing my pre-flop raise
with this bet...

So instead of folding, Mike decides to represent the Queens
out there... and act as if HE has the trip queens.

"Make it 10,000", he says aggressively.

Of course, now I've got Mike EXACTLY where I want him...

I call his bet.

The turn card comes... it's a 10.

I check... because I know Mike is going to make a big move
on me.

"Make it 10,000", he says again.

And I call again.

It turns out Mike is sitting on K-10... which means he's got
a pair. This will give him even MORE confidence to try to
buy this pot.

Now that I've called his bets, however, he's probably
thinking I have Kings or Aces. Which means the only way he
can win this pot is to scare me away.

The river hits... and it's a 3. Which gives me the full
house.

I check again, and Mike goes ALL IN with his huge chip
stack... thinking he can bully me out of the hand.

I call... and I take down a MASSIVE pot from the seasoned
rounder.

And it all started because I DIDN'T slow play my trips. Mike
didn't put me on the three Queens and was willing to push
his entire stack into the middle to try to win that pot.

Of course... that won't happen every time you get a big
hand. And trying to confuse your opponent is definitely NOT
the only reason to not slow play your big hands.

The reality is, when you bet your big hands you'll
CONSISTENTLY win more pots and make MORE MONEY playing
poker...

When To Represent The Flop


You're probably familiar with the term "represent the flop".
But do you know what it REALLY means?

And do you know how to PROPERLY represent the flop in order
to win more chips?

Most players think that REPRESENTING THE FLOP just means
betting and acting in a way as if the cards on the board
HELPED your hand...

Although this definition is ACCURATE, it's much too
simplistic to add any benefit to your game.

Representing the flop is in fact a very in-depth strategy
that is CRUCIAL to pro-level Texas Holdem poker...

First, let's look at WHY you should represent the flop:

The primary reason is to find out WHERE YOU'RE AT IN A HAND.

In other words, you want to learn how strong and how weak
the OTHER players at the table are. And the only way to do
this is through BETTING.

If you only check, check, call, call... then you will NEVER
become a good poker player. Never.

You've got to bet... and PRETEND that the community cards
helped you. If someone has a weak hand, they will be forced
to fold.

If someone has a mediocre hand, they will probably fold
too... because you're "representing" that you have something
good.

And if a player has a STRONG or VERY STRONG hand, they will
either call you or raise your bet.

So based on what everyone does, you can find out if you have
a chance at winning the pot, if you can bet other players
out, or if you should just fold. All information you
WOULDN'T have known otherwise.

Frequently representing the flop is an AGGRESSIVE style of
play. If you do it, you'll get a lot of action at the
table... especially after the flop.

For example, if you come out firing after the flop three out
of four hands, your opponents will begin calling your bets
and giving you action... because they KNOW you don't have a
great hand EVERY SINGLE TIME.

This comes in handy when you hit a MONSTER... like when you
flop a set or a flush or something. You don't have to worry
about everyone folding to you.

But even more important than getting lots of action,
representing the flop will help you STEAL a lot of pots over
the course of every card game.

And when YOU control the action and the betting, you'll find
it much easier to steal blinds and pots after the flop.

And trust me, THESE SMALL POTS ADD UP... FAST. If you only
go for the "big pots" in a poker game or tournament, you
won't last long. You've got to stick your neck out there and
go for the SMALLER POTS too...

OK, so representing the flop is a USEFUL and IMPORTANT TOOL
in no-limit Texas Holdem poker.

Now you've got to learn how to represent the flop the RIGHT
WAY...

I have FIVE BASIC RULES when it comes to representing the
flop... each rule gets progressively more complicated as
they go on.

But trust me, if you master these rules, you'll DEFINITELY
be on your way to higher "poker profits" and winnings.

OK, so here they are. These are my FIVE RULES:


RULE #1: When you represent the flop, don't act weak by only
betting the MINIMUM amount... BUT, don't bet so much that it
can burn you.

This is kind of like the "not too hot, not too cold"
principle.

You see... when you represent the flop, you've got to accept
the fact that you will likely NOT get the chips back that
you're betting.

I mean, obviously you want to WIN, don't get me wrong. BUT,
if someone has a great hand and you're representing the flop
WITHOUT a great hand, then there's a good chance you'll have
to fold soon.

So when you make a representation bet, do NOT bet so much
that you'll feel "pot committed".

On the other hand, don't bet too LITTLE. When you bet too
little, your opponents will see right through it. And it
won't be enough to scare the mediocre hands away.

For example... let's say you've got 9-8 suited and the flop
hits K-8-2 and you're first to act. You don't want to CHECK
because you know the guy after you will bet if you do.

So you REPRESENT THE FLOP by throwing out a bet...

If no one has the King, everyone will probably fold to your
bet. Even if someone DOES have the King, they may fold if
they don't have a decent kicker.

The key is you must make sure you BET ENOUGH. If you only
bet the minimum amount here... someone with A-4 might call
the bet, simply because the pot odds are in their favor. And
if the Ace hits on the turn, you're in trouble.

So always be sure to bet BIG ENOUGH to scare out the bad and
mediocre hands, but SMALL ENOUGH to not get in trouble if
you lose the chips.


RULE #2: Whenever possible, represent the flop when you have
OUTS.

This is a strategy most players don't quite "get" until
you've been playing poker for a LONG time.

Here's the thing:

If you represent the flop frequently every single time you
play Texas Holdem, you want the odds to be as much in your
favor as possible.

In the scenario above, for instance, representing the flop
with middle pair is a good move. Because you have some OUTS.
If another 8 hits on the turn or river, you're going to have
three-of-a-kind.

Obviously, hitting the eight is NOT likely (about 8.42%).
But there's STILL A CHANCE, and that's what is important.

Think about it:

Let's say you have just a 5% chance of hitting one of your
OUTS that would cause you to have the best hand at the
table.

Well, if you represent the flop fifty times and get a caller
TWENTY times, that means you'll MAKE your hand (on average)
one time out of these twenty. And when you DO make your
hand, you'll BUST your opponent and win a ton of chips.

Make sense?

This is kind of a MENTAL DISTINCTION that separates the pros
from the wannabes. Pros think about the LONG TERM ODDS of
playing. They don't base their decisions on situational
circumstances alone. They base them on WHAT WORKS OVER THE
LONG TERM.

That's how you develop a CONSISTENT winning career.

Because as you'll see in the next rule, you don't want to
CONTINUE to represent the flop if people stay in the hand
with you... unless you're confident that you can get them to
fold.

But usually, if someone calls or raises, you want to "let
up". Don't risk more chips when someone's got you beat.

So by representing the flop when you have OUTS you'll open
yourself up to the chance of MAKING YOUR HAND on the turn
(or sometimes river).


RULE #3: If you get raised, muck it.

All of these rules are general in nature... especially this
one. Obviously you don't want to ALWAYS FOLD every time
someone makes a raise.

BUT USUALLY, if you represent the flop with a bet and
someone comes back over the top of you, that opponent will
MOST LIKELY have a strong hand (maybe even a monster).

It's not logical to continue to bluff at the pot if you're
up against a surefire winning hand. You'll lose too many
chips that way.

That's the downside of being an aggressive player: You've
got to give up and cut your losses quite often. Discipline
yourself to do it.


RULE #4: Change gears with your betting amounts.

As we discussed earlier, one of the benefits to representing
the flop is that opponents will give you more ACTION during
the game because they'll "catch on" to your aggressive
style.

That does NOT mean, however, that you should become
PREDICTABLE. Being predictable is a recipe for disaster.

And that's why you've got to "change gears" and "mix it up"
with your betting.

For example... in our scenario where you made a bet with
your 9-8 suited (middle pair), let's say your bet was for 50
and then someone RAISED YOU to 200.

Your opponent probably has the King and a good kicker...
maybe even two pair. So you fold your middle pair with a
loss of only 50 chips.

NOW... when you fold, everyone at the table will SEE that
you just made a bet and then folded to a raise. This will
tell them that you were betting WITHOUT a good hand after
the flop.

Now... let's say a few hands later the flop comes out 5-A-Q
and you're second to act and you've got pocket deuces.

Your first opponent checks.

Now, although you know someone at the table probably has you
beat right now, you're not sure if someone has the Ace...
because there weren't any pre-flop raises.

So you REPRESENT THE FLOP (and the Ace) by betting.
(Remember, you also have outs here... if a two comes you'll
make trips.)

The key is to NOT BET 50 again, as you did with your eights
just a few hands ago. If you bet 50 again... or always bet
50 when you represent the flop... your opponents will know
exactly what you're doing and read right through you.

If Blake... who's sitting to your left... is only holding
the Queen, he's going to fold if he thinks you've got the
Ace.

But if he thinks you're just REPRESENTING the flop, he will
call your bet. And you DO NOT want that to happen (because
his Queens are better than your two's).

So instead of betting 50 again, you bet 150 this time. This
way you stay out of any PATTERNS that will give away your
hand... and increase the odds that everyone will put you on
the Ace and fold.


RULE #5: After you get better at representing the flop,
INTENTIONALLY STOP mixing up your bets in order to trap your
opponents.

This is a "tricky" play that works very well against
intermediate poker players.

Here's how it goes:

When you represent the flop and get "caught" in your
semi-bluff, use the event to YOUR ADVANTAGE to bust your
opponents.

Let's use the example from before with the 9-8 suited:

You got middle pair. You bet 50. Your opponent raised. And
then you folded.

Well, let's say you represented the flop AGAIN a few hands
later with a bet of 50. And then you got caught AGAIN when
your opponent raised you... and you were forced to fold.

After watching this happen two or three times, your
opponents will suddenly think they're geniuses and that
they've got you "figured out".

They'll think, "Woa, when he bets 50 on the flop he doesn't
have anything... and all I have to do is raise in order to
scare him away."

And of course, you're doing this ON PURPOSE in order to trap
your opponents.

Let's say a few hands later you get dealt pocket fours. The
flop comes: 4-7-J.

You've flopped trips. Now what?

Well, since you've built a reputation for betting on the
flop no matter what happens, you can feel safe betting and
you'll probably get action.

But what KIND of action are you looking for?

You want to get as many chips into this pot as possible. So
you take advantage of the "trap play" that you've created
and you bet 50... again.

This time, your opponents think they've got you figured out.
They think to themselves, "That flop didn't help him one
bit, he's just up to his old ways."

So your opponent RAISES you.

And that's where you GET REWARDED for the trap you set up.

Now you can either re-raise, or maybe call and hope that
your opponent tries buying the pot again after the turn
card...

It doesn't really matter. Because as long as there aren't
any draws out there, you can feel safe in knowing that
you'll win the hand and a nice pot either way.

It's amazing to me how easily players will fall into this
trap. (Especially with online poker.)

But remember... only use this trap play AFTER you have
mastered the first four rules for representing the flop. And
be sure that you aim the play at intermediate players, as
they'll fall for it the quickest.

There's one last component I want to mention here that
relates to our discussion of representing the flop... and
that's what you should do when you make a PRE-flop raise.

My technique is simple:

If I raised before the flop, I will come out betting AFTER
the flop... no matter what hits.

The reasoning is simple...

For starters, NOT betting after the flop is like waving a
red flag and TELLING your opponents that the flop didn't
help you.

If you represent the flop after your pre-flop raise, your
opponents won't know what to put you on. They'll be more
likely to fold.

And using this strategy over and over and over again pays
off in the long run. Because after awhile your opponents
will catch on...

And this benefits you in three ways:

1. You'll get more action when you catch a BIG hand.

2. Your opponents will fold more frequently to your pre-flop
raises because they know you're going to bet after the flop
as well. This gives you the opportunity to steal more
blinds.

3. Your opponents will be easier to read. When they have a
good hand they won't be afraid of you and they'll come back
over the top with a raise...

This lets you know that they've got you beat and that you
should just minimize your losses and fold.

Learning how to PROPERLY represent the flop is a crucial
aspect of Texas Holdem...

Avoiding Bad Beats When Playing Online


There are two types of bad beats:

BAD BEAT #1...

When you catch a monster hand but lose to a BIGGER monster
hand.

For example, let's say you're holding pocket Aces and the
flop hits A-6-6. That means you've got a full house.

Your opponent goes ALL-IN... and you call. You think your
Aces are the best hand but they're NOT, because your
opponent has pocket sixes, which gives him the
four-of-a-kind.

BAD BEAT #2...

When YOU have the best hand and your opponent has the WORST
hand but your opponent GETS LUCKY and wins the pot.

For example, let's say you have pocket Aces and go all-in.
Your opponent calls with pocket three's.

The flop hits 2-4-5 and the turn card is a 6, giving your
opponent the STRAIGHT and causing you to lose the hand.

Now that's a bad beat.

And let's face it, the SECOND type of bad beat-- the one
where your opponent gets totally LUCKY and outdraws you-- is
the kind of beat that just plain SUCKS. And pisses you off.

In fact, the second type of bad beat is the kind you
REMEMBER the most too. When someone says, "Hey man, how did
your card game go?", the first thing that will come out of
your mouth will be the story of that bad beat.

Am I right?

Now here's what's interesting...

MORE BAD BEATS HAPPEN IN ONLINE POKER THAN IN "REGULAR" LIVE
POKER.

Literally, you'll see more bad beats happen in an online
poker game than you'll see at a local cash game or in a
casino.

If you play both online and offline poker, I'm sure you
agree with this statement.

So what's going on here? Why would it be this way?

There are two popular "theories"...

1. Online poker is rigged.

2. There are more hands per hour, therefore it's an ILLUSION
that there are more bad beats.

My opinion is that BOTH of these theories are WRONG.

Here's why:

First off, I genuinely believe online poker is NOT rigged.
I mean, c'mon... Do you REALLY think these multi-billion
dollar casinos would need to RIG hands?

They make their money from tournament entry fees and
rakes... and trust me, they're making plenty.

OK, so what about the second theory?

Well, I do agree that there are more hands per hour in
online poker than offline poker. There's no disputing that.

But I don't think that's a good enough reason...

Because my belief is that there are MORE bad beats that
happen per X number of hands ONLINE than for offline poker.

For instance, let's say you played 100 hands. And let's say
you caught two really bad beats for every 100 hands at a
casino. That's 2%.

In online poker, you're likely to catch FIVE or even TEN of
those really bad beats per 100 hands. That's 5-10%.

So the fact that you're seeing MORE hands doesn't explain
the HIGHER PERCENTAGE of bad beats.

Still with me?

OK, so now let me give you MY "theory" about this.

It's not really a theory. Just good old simple logic,
actually.

Here it goes:

The reason there are more bad beats in ONLINE poker is
because the very NATURE of online poker leads people to PLAY
DIFFERENTLY.

The CARDS and ODDS are the same.

It's the PLAYERS that aren't the same.

What I mean is that for online poker, a LARGE portion of
players adopt the style of LOOSE-AGGRESSIVE.

Translation? Manic.

They act irrationally... play hands they shouldn't play...
and bet way too aggressively for most given situations.

Why?

Because online poker isn't as "real".

The money isn't as real. I mean, heck... the casinos give
you so much "free" money when you sign up, how COULD it feel
real?

The cards aren't real. The chips aren't real. The table
isn't real. NONE OF THAT STUFF EVEN EXISTS.

All you see when you play online poker are some silly little
animations. And you hear some "clickity-click" sounds of
fake chips.

That's it.

Nothing else.

Period.

And if you LOSE a game, all you have to do is make three or
four mouse clicks and you're INSTANTLY playing another game.

And hell, you can PLAY ten games at once if you want!

You can literally play poker against 100 players AT THE SAME
TIME!

It's a different world, my friend.

Now... let's get back to the bad beats.

The FACT that players are LOOSE-AGGRESSIVE is what leads to
the SITUATIONS where bad beats happen.

Here's why:

1. Players bet their draws more or call large bets with
draws or OK hands (i.e. bottom pair).

2. More players are involved in every pot.

3. The pots are bigger, since players are more aggressive.

When these conditions COMBINE TOGETHER, it creates an
environment where there are a lot of BIG POTS and bad beats.

It's not that the cards are "rigged".

It's that the betting patterns and playing styles are
DIFFERENT than what you're used to.

And when you combine that with the fact that you see more
hands per hour, it inevitably leads to seeing a lot more
"crazy" hands and bad beats than in regular poker.

OK, so now the obvious question becomes...

Is there any way to PREVENT bad beats?

The answer is yes and no.

Ultimately, bad beats will occur NO MATTER WHAT if you're
playing good poker. Because to win at poker, you've got to
be willing to take RISKS.

And most risks have a minimum 20% chance or more of NOT
working out in your favor.

With that being said, there ARE ways to prevent a LARGE
PORTION of the bad beats you'll see online.

Not only can you prevent them, but you can literally turn it
around and make it YOUR ULTIMATE ADVANTAGE.

The key is to "tilt the tables" in your favor and USE the
fact that players are so loose and aggressive to HELP YOU
win more pots.

The way you achieve this is by adopting a SPECIAL playing
style designed SPECIFICALLY for online poker...

My name for this "secret sauce" is this:

TIGHT-AGGRESSIVE SQUARED.

The concept of "tight-aggressive squared" is quite simple...

It starts with the logic that tight-aggressive is the most
effective playing style to use in poker.

Tight-aggressive means TIGHT with hand selection, AGGRESSIVE
with betting.

With online poker, there are more players in every hand.
That means you must play EVEN TIGHTER with your hand
selection.

You should ONLY play monster hands!

Period!

There's absolutely no reason to get involved with "decent"
hands because the odds are against you.

You're bound to run into players who are CHASING or who just
caught an extremely lucky flop.

When you DO get involved with a hand, you must be OVERLY
aggressive. The pot size will be bigger, so you can't lose
many hands or else you'll be out of the game in a hurry.

You must STRIKE... and you must STRIKE HARD.

You must risk ALL OF YOUR CHIPS-- frequently-- in order to
win.

Of course, it's much easier to risk all of your chips when
you have a GREAT HAND than it is otherwise.

You see, the goal is to do two things:

1. Force out all but one, maybe two players for any pot you
get involved with.

2. Have the odds so unbelievably stacked in your favor that
you win far more HUGE pots than you lose.

And when you win lots of big pots, you become chip leader
VERY QUICKLY. And that's how you take control over a poker
table.

The reason you want to force people OUT of the hand is
simple mathematics.

Let's say for instance you get pocket ACES.

Here's what three of your opponents are holding:

Player 1: K-K

Player 2: 10-9 suited

Player 3: Q-10 offsuit

Now, if you went heads-up against any of these hands
ONE-ON-ONE, your odds of winning would be about 80%. They'd
be 85% against Player 3.

BUT...

If you went up against ALL THREE of these opponents in one
single hand, your odds of winning is just 58.5%!

That's just over 50/50 with the absolute BEST starting hand
possible.

Get my point?

So when you GET pocket Aces, you need to FORCE OUT all but
one caller.

You've got to be VERY AGGRESSIVE.

In low stakes Sit and Go's and ring games online, that quite
often means going all-in.

Like I said, you've got to risk ALL your chips.

Now if you go all-in and one of those players makes a CALL,
you'll win four out of five times.

So if you get five big hands a game, you only lose ONCE. Of
course, that one you lose USUALLY won't wipe you out,
because you'll have more chips from the OTHER big hands...

Get my drift?

Literally, if I play low-stakes online Sit and Go's, here is
what my betting pattern looks like:

Fold
Fold
Fold
Fold
Fold
Fold
Limp-in
Fold
Limp-in
Fold
Fold
Fold
All-in
Fold
Fold
Fold
Fold
Fold
Fold
All-In
Fold

And so on...

I'm serious!

THIS IS HOW YOU WIN. It seems kind of "strange" to think
about, but this is it!

Now... when you get down to just a few players in a game,
it's time to bust out the strategies, bluffs, trick plays,
and so on.

BUT WHAT GETS YOU THERE is this TIGHT-AGGRESSIVE SQUARED
style of play.

OK, so now the question becomes...

If all you did was ever FOLD or go ALL-IN, why would anyone
ever CALL your bets?

What a great question.

And we've already gone over the answer...

It's because online poker isn't the same as offline poker.
The people on there are DISTRACTED and often STUPID and VERY
LOOSE.

That's all there is to it.

What Makes No Limit Poker So Exciting


I'd like to share with you some of my thoughts on how, when,
where, and why to go "all-in" against your opponents.

Not only is this move what makes no limit poker so EXCITING,
but this is also the KEY DISTINCTION between limit and no
limit Holdem... and it's why no limit requires more of a
"ballsy" personality.

Contrary to popular belief, the All-In Factor actually adds
MORE SKILL to the game of poker... just not in the sense of
math or odds.

Instead, "all-in" requires the skills of PSYCHOLOGY,
intimidation, and bluffing.

When you learn the right times to go all-in, you'll have a
consistent EDGE over your opponents... and THAT, my friend,
will help you beat the game over and over and over (even
when you don't have good cards).

OK, let's get started.

One of the core principles of poker is that it's always much
easier to BET than it is to CALL.

I mean think about it: You can make a BET without actually
having good cards-- you might be on a bluff... you might be
"representing" the board... you might just have middle
pair... and so on.

But to CALL a bet, you want to have a strong hand. Because
now your OPPONENT is representing good cards. If you don't
have a read on him, then it's going to be harder to CALL his
bet.

I look at it this way: It's much easier to SHOOT a bullet
than to DODGE a bullet (and I'm not talking about Aces).

That's one of the reasons why I like to go with an
aggressive style of play. I win a lot more pots even when I
DON'T have good cards... because my opponents are forced to
fold to me.

Anyway... this idea that it's easier to BET than CALL
couldn't be more true than with ALL-IN BETS.

It is TEN TIMES EASIER to push all your money in the middle
than it is to CALL an all-in bet.

When your opponent goes all-in, he has put you to a decision
for all your chips. Your life in the game/tournament could
be OVER with just this one pot.

In order to call, you must be CONFIDENT that you have him
beat.

But in order to make an all-in bet yourself, you just need
to be confident that your opponent will FOLD... or that you
have him beat.

This gives the person MAKING the all-in bet the advantage
every time.

And that leads to our second main principle, which is this:

If you don't risk chips, you can't win chips.

Period.

Now obviously, your strategy should be to MINIMIZE your risk
and MAXIMIZE your winnings...

But no limit Texas Holdem gives you the unique opportunity
to win big pots with all-in bets, even when you don't have
the best hand.

The All-In Factor is what allows you to BULLY your opponents
and take a DOMINATING position.

One of the best times to go all-in is to STEAL a pot from
your opponent... but when you steal pots, you must be sure
the hand meets these conditions:

1. You want OUTS. If your opponent calls, there should be
cards left in the deck that can help you still win the hand.
Even if the odds are not good, you want outs.

2. You must have a solid read on your opponent. If you're
stealing a pot, you must be confident the other player is
going to fold.

3. You want good positioning. This isn't as important as the
first two conditions, but positioning is what usually allows
you to get a read on your opponents.

Let's look at an example...

Say you've get dealt 8-7 of diamonds while you're on the
button. That means you've got a "hidden hand" with the best
positioning.

Three players limp-in and the action is to you.

You raise the pot to $15... a nice raise in this $1-2 no
limit cash game.

The small and big blinds fold.

But then Brian, who's under the gun, comes back over the top
of you and raises it to $30.

Ouch. You forgot that Brian is a smart player who doesn't
play anything but premium hands while under the gun. He
limped-in, which was the "red flag" that he had something
good.

Anyway, the action goes around and Jared-- the guy to your
right-- ALSO calls the bet of $30.

So it's $15 more to call... and the pot size is already up
to $80. With your positioning and the pot odds, you decide
to call and see a flop.

You don't like the way this hand is going so far, because
now you have $30 invested with just suited-connectors... and
you're putting Brian on a hand like A-K, A-Q, or maybe
something like pocket Jacks. If he had anything better he
would have been more aggressive than simply raising $15.

OK, so the flop comes out:

3s-4s-5s

Wow. Interesting flop. 3-4-5 of spades.

Brian bets $10 into the pot. You know this flop didn't help
him one bit... the only reason he's making this small bet is
because he raised before the flop. You can tell right away
that he doesn't like what he sees on the board.

Jared mucks his hand.

So now the action is to you. There's $90 in the middle.
You've got about $350 more in chips, and Brian has about
$225.

THIS is one of those times to consider going all-in.

You don't have a single spade... and that's not good. But
you do have the gutshot straight draw. There's a 16.47%
chance that a six will hit on the turn or river.

But that's not why you're going all-in. You want to make a
move at this pot because you've VERY confident that Brian is
going to fold.

For all Brian knows, you could have two spades, or the
straight, or a straight draw and flush draw, or even a
straight flush.

The truth is, Brian probably has the best hand right now
with two overcards... he may even have a high spade. But
that won't be enough for him to justify calling an ALL-IN
bet.

Brian's smart... there are simply too many cards out there
that can beat him. So you go all-in and he mucks it...
making you $90 richer.

When stealing a pot like this, be sure it's worth the risk.
The fewer players in the hand, and the more money in the
middle, the better the payoff is to you.

The key is knowing that your opponent is going to fold. If
you're up against someone who's too smart (or too dumb) to
muck it, then you're in trouble.

That's where the OUTS come in.

Let's say Brian looked at you and said, "Well, I know you've
got the flush, but I can't lay this down." And then he
called... flipping over an Ace of hearts and an Ace of
clubs.

Now you're in trouble, of course. But at least you left
yourself some outs... you've got a 16.47% chance of hitting
that six. And you've also got the slight chance that two
more spades come out or the board makes a straight (which
would be a split pot).

And last but not least... if everything goes wrong and you
lose this pot to Brian, you've still got $125 in chips.

Which brings me to my next point... and that is the SIZE OF
YOUR STACK.

Stack size is an extremely important component of the All-In
Factor. Here's what I mean:

First of all, if you're going to play a hand aggressively,
you always know that it COULD lead to all-in bets. That's
why you want to go after players with SHORTER stacks than
you.

If the worst case scenario occurs and you lose an all-in
match, at least you're not out of the game.

This has a secondary benefit, too...

If a player has fewer chips, he'll be easier to "push
around" and "bully". That lowers your risk further.

Of course... this gets more complicated.

You want to be very careful about stealing pots or making
stone cold bluffs against anyone who's "short-stacked".

If you've got $400 in chips and your opponent has $40 in
chips, you wouldn't make the same kind of bluff as you did
against Brian in the example.

A player who's short-stacked is ITCHING to move all his
chips in as soon as he picks up ANY type of hand. So you
can't bluff him out of the pot.

What you CAN do, however, is put the short-stack all-in
BEFORE THE FLOP when you have something decent... therefore
putting him to a decision for all his chips. If he calls, it
will probably be a loose call, and you have a chance at
winning a good pot.

If he folds, you win the blinds. And if he wins, you only
lose 1/10 of your stack.

Let's look at another quick example. Say Brian has $40 in
chips and you've got $400 in chips. You're third to act
before the flop, which isn't very good positioning. Brian's
second to act.

Brian goes all-in with his short stack. You look down to see
pocket Kings. You know you've got him beat. What should you
do?

The answer is NOT to call. Instead, you should ALSO go
all-in. With Kings, you don't want multiple players in the
hand seeing a flop... You just want to take Brian's $40 and
the blinds that are already in there.

You must make a move to scare out the remaining three
players behind you... otherwise there's a good chance you'll
get run down.

Let's say you just CALL, and then Drew also calls with an
A-8 suited.

The flop hits: A-4-J

And now you lost the hand... because Drew caught his top
pair.

But if you had moved all-in before the flop, Drew and
everyone else would have folded. Then it'd just be you and
Brian... as Brian flips over his losing pocket 8's.

That brings up another good point:

Players will make LOOSE CALLS to all-in bets when there's a
chance at eliminating someone from the table.

This is most relevant in tournament play.

You see, eliminating someone from the table means each
player is CLOSER to finishing in the money...

So it's in everyone's BEST INTERESTS to "knock off" the
short stack.

This is something you can use to your advantage when YOU are
playing short-stacked. If you pick up a monster hand, you
can be assured that you'll get lots of action with it... and
if it holds, you might even TRIPLE up (or better).

But that's also a reason why you cannot make an all-in BLUFF
when you're short-stacked. You can't bluff anyone out of a
pot because you don't have enough chips to scare them off.

"All-in" is only intimidating when you have lots of chips.
When you DON'T have lots of chips, your opponents will be
HAPPY you're all-in... because it means you're that much
closer to getting eliminated.

Even if you're NOT short-stacked, this principle is true
when facing players who have a LOT more chips than you.
Let's say you're 4th in chips at a 6-man table... with about
$80 in front of you.

Don't try to bluff at a pot with an "all-in" against the
chip leader, who's got $400. He can afford to make a call
with just a mediocre hand or a draw.

For him, $80 won't hurt his stack much... and the chance of
knocking you out is worth the risk.

So when WOULD BE the right time to go all-in when you're
short-stacked?

The obvious answer is "when you have a hand". But as you
know, you won't always get good cards.

As a general rule, I "make my stand" when I'm getting down
to about ten times the big blind. Lower than that will be
too short-stacked to make bluffs that will scare anyone out
of the pot.

With more than 10x the big blind, I'm usually able to steal
some blinds and get myself back in the game.

If I run into a monster, or get outdrawn, oh well. There's
nothing I can do.

But usually, since I make my stand based on chip stacks,
positioning, and sensing weakness, I WON'T get any callers
to my bold "all-in" and I'll rake in the pot.

This is also one of my fundamental techniques for not
getting "blinded to death"... and for staying in a game even
when I'm NOT catching good cards.

OK, let's review:

The "All-In Factor" is a key technique for no limit Texas
Holdem. Not only does it separate limit from no-limit... but
it also separates the "men from the boys", so to speak.

When you go all-in WITHOUT a monster, be sure you have OUTS.
These will come in handy over the long term.

Don't bluff against someone who's got way more chips than
you... and don't bluff when you're the short-stack at the
table.

If you're getting low on chips, make your all-in move when
you're getting down to about 10x the big blind.

If the short-stacked player at the table goes all-in and
you've got a big hand, don't CALL. Be sure YOU go all-in
too... that way you scare the other players out and decrease
the chances of getting run down.

Remember... it's always easier to BET than CALL, and you can
never win what you don't put into the middle.

The All-In Factor is a strategic maneuver that you can use
to "own" your opponents and win more money at the poker
tables.

Breaking News! New Online Poker Bill in U.S. Senate

New Jersey Democrat Robert Menendez has just introduced
into the U.S. Senate a brand new piece of legislation
designed to legalize and regulate Internet poker.

Link

How To Get A Read On Your Opponents


The BIGGEST MISTAKE you can make while playing no limit
Texas Holdem is to focus too much on your cards...

If you're playing draw, stud, limit, or any other form of
poker, then it's more important to concentrate on
MATHEMATICAL ODDS and PROBABILITIES.

But no limit Holdem is different.

You can be a math WIZARD and know the odds of every possible
scenario in the deck... but it will only get you so far.

Because no limit Holdem is a game of PSYCHOLOGY.

To win, you must learn how to play the PLAYERS, not just the
CARDS.

The reason no limit Holdem is different from other types of
poker is because it's possible to bluff HUGE pots and go
ALL-IN...

And the only thing that separates YOU from your OPPONENT is
just two down-faced cards that are dealt at the beginning of
each hand.

That's it. Just two cards.

The reality is this...

No limit Holdem is PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE, and if you want to
WIN, you've got to learn how to get INSIDE THE HEADS of your
opponents.

You've got to know them better than they know themselves...
and predict their every move.

But how?

There are a lot of strategies and techniques around
identifying "poker tells".

A poker TELL is a habit or mannerism of a player that is a
"giveaway" to the strength or weakness of their hand.

Like a twitch of the nose... a crack in the voice... a shaky
leg... or a rapid pulse...

Tells like these are IMPORTANT.

And you must learn how to spot and take advantage of them.

But there's one tell that's MUCH, MUCH MORE IMPORTANT... and
it has NOTHING to do with body language, voice, or
mannerisms.

In fact, this tell is technically not even classified as a
"tell".

But it WILL give you a read on your opponents.

What am I talking about?

BETTING.

Stay with me here.

BETTING is the KEY to getting a read on your opponents...

It is through BETTING that you find out the strength or
weakness of another player's hand, which is how you WIN in
Texas Holdem...

BETTING is how you get inside your the heads of your
opponents. Especially the ones you've never met or played
against before.

Now, I'm not talking about just ANY kind of betting...

I'm talking about the bets YOUR OPPONENTS make IN RESPONSE
TO THE CONDITIONS AT THE TABLE.

Just ask yourself: How do the pros quickly and consistently
win at ONLINE POKER... where you can't even SEE your
opponents?

That's right... the answer is BETTING.

You've got to watch and STUDY what each player does in
response to the action...

This is true no matter WHERE you play Holdem... whether it's
online, at home, in a casino, or in a tournament.

Now notice how I said IN RESPONSE to the action...

This is the key.

Because you can't get a good read on an opponent every time
they make a bet.

The best time to get a read is when they have to REACT TO
ACTION AT THE TABLE...

When they have to make a DECISION.

Because this is the time when they're NOT in control...

For example, let's say the action is to Don to call a $10
bet...

Does he fold, call, or raise?

Does he hesitate, or immediately make a decision?

If he makes a raise, he's representing a good hand, and
takes control of the action...

If he hesitates and then calls, there's a good chance his
hand is weak...

If he immediately calls, he may have something or be on a
draw...

You get the point.

You can get a read on your opponent when your opponent has
to REACT TO ACTION.

Unfortunately, your opponent won't always HAVE TO react to
action at the table.

In fact, your opponent will often take CONTROL of the action
and force YOU to make a decision.

Which means everyone will get the chance to get a read on
YOU...

And that is NOT what you want.

So how do you counter this?

How do take control of the action AND force your opponent to
a decision?

The answer is this:

FEELER BETS.

Feeler bets are bets made in order to see where you're at in
the hand.

They're named "FEELER bets" because they allow you to feel
out the strength or weakness of your opponents...

And they're a CRUCIAL part of becoming good at Texas Holdem
poker.

Let me demonstrate with an example...

Let's say you're fifth to act in a $1-2 no limit game at a
10-man table.

You've got over $200 in your stack.

You look down at pocket nines.

You're not too excited about your position right here, but
you've been on fire the whole game. The action is on to you
to call the blinds.

This is where you make a FEELER BET... which would be a
pre-flop raise in this situation.

"$10 to play", you say as you splash the pot with ten white
$1 chips.

This feeler bet accomplishes four things:

1. You get to find out who's strong and who's not...

2. You get control of the action at the table...

3. You're not allowing your opponents to get a good read on
you...

4. You're getting a read on your opponents by forcing them
to make a decision...

Okay... so let's say the action around the table continues
as Nathan and Greg-- who are both sitting left of you-- call
your raise.

The next few players muck their hands, and then Cindy, who
is just to your right, jumps into the action and calls.

You really didn't want this much action with your pocket
nines.

But hey, you've built up a nice pot, and you might get lucky
and spike on the flop.

Plus, everyone simply called your pre-flop raise (no one
came back over the top), which is a good sign.

The flop hits:

K-7-4

Not too great of a flop for you, but not that bad either.

You would feel a lot better off without that King on the
board.

Cindy, first to act right now, taps her hand on the table
and checks to you.

This isn't surprising, since you took control before the
flop.

So the action is to you...

This is where most poker players would CHECK.

Big mistake.

Right now, you have absolutely NO WAY of knowing who has the
best hand at the table.

And that is PRECISELY why you must make a feeler bet...

Think about it:

If you CHECK, you're portraying weakness to your three
opponents... letting them know that the flop didn't help
you.

Which gives one of THEM the opportunity to make a bet or try
to buy the pot.

And you still won't know where you stand.

So instead of checking, you throw out a small FEELER BET
that isn't going to get you into much trouble.

This isn't a bluff.

This is just a bet to find out who has a real hand and who
doesn't. And it keeps you in a position to WIN the pot.

"Thirteen dollars", you say as you push in a stack of chips.

Remember, this FEELER BET isn't going to get you into
trouble. You're not going broke if you lose this pot...
because you've got over $200 in your stack of chips.

And this is the ONLY WAY you've got a chance at winning this
hand.

Nathan and Greg both immediately muck their cards.

The action goes to Cindy now, who thinks for a few moments
while peeking at her hand a second time. Finally, she calls
your bet.

Your feeler bet worked well. You got rid of two players...
and you've got a read on Cindy now.

Because she called, you think she might be on a draw or
might have the King without a decent kicker.

The turn card is an Ace.

This is GREAT for you.

It's great because you made that feeler bet...

Because you're confident that Cindy is NOT holding an Ace.
If she had Big Slick, she would've made a pre-flop raise,
rather than simply limping-in and calling your feeler bets.

She checks again.

This is where you can take the pot down with a real bet.

"Forty dollars", you say as you push in a stack of chips.

Cindy folds, of course, and you rake in a nice pot... all of
which was SET UP through your two feeler bets.

If you hadn't made your feeler bets, there's no way you
would've won the hand.

Because you wouldn't have scared out the other players, you
wouldn't have created good positioning for yourself, and you
wouldn't have had a read on Cindy.

This is why I make feeler bets all the time... and why you
should too.

I throw out "feelers" with top pair, second pair, bottom
pair, or draws.

These bets are the only way I know whether I have the best
hand at any particular point in time...

Sure, I get re-raised often. And that's when I fold the hand
and lose the bet I just put in.

BUT THAT'S OKAY.

Because I found out EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED TO KNOW.

If you get re-raised after a feeler bet, then you know you
probably don't have the best hand at the table... so muck
it.

Losing the few dollars you made with your feeler bet is
perfectly fine...

Because it's MUCH BETTER than just CALLING bet after bet
without getting a read on your opponents... and then losing
after all the cards get flipped over.

That's a SUCKER way to lose a pot.

And you'll go broke that way.

Plus, my feeler bets give me CONTROL and create ACTION at
the table...

If a nine had come out at the flop in the example above, I
wouldn't have needed to slow-play it...

And I wouldn't have been worried about having a monster and
not winning any money with it (which happens to a LOT of
amateurs)... because I had already created action with my
FEELER BET.

So the next time you play no limit Texas Holdem, throw out
feeler bets consistently and use them to your advantage.

Nothing too big... just enough to get a read on your
opponents and find out where you're at in each hand.

You'll IMMEDIATELY realize the POWERFUL EFFECT that feeler
bets will add to your game.

Because you'll have HUGE stacks of chips in front of you at
the end of the night...

While EVERYONE ELSE will just be sitting there, with their
jaws wide-open, wondering how in the world YOU BEAT THEM SO
BADLY...

How To Win WITHOUT Great Cards


331 to 1.

Those are the odds AGAINST getting dealt an Ace-King suited
before the flop.

220 to 1.

Those are the odds AGAINST getting pocket Aces before the
flop.

Monster hands like these are GREAT when you catch them...
and you'll definitely have a good shot at raking in a killer
pot.

But the fact is, when you play poker you WON'T catch
monsters very often.

The same is true with wired pairs and suited connectors...

When you hit with one of these hands, your opponents will
usually NEVER see it coming...

And once again, you'll rake in a nice pot.

But how many times do you get hands like these AND hit the
right cards?

Not too often.

ANYONE-- no matter what their skill level-- can win a pot
with a monster.

The SECRET to poker success, my friend, is learning how to
win hands WITHOUT having the "nuts" or great cards.

It's what separates the AVERAGE card players from the poker
LEGENDS.

So how do you play hands that are DECENT, but not GREAT?
Hands like Q-J, J-10, 9-10, Q-10, K-10, K-9, and so on...

If you FOLD every time you see cards like these, you're
playing too tight. Because you're going to see these types
of hands A LOT.

To consistently win at Texas Holdem poker, you've got to
learn how to win with hands that AREN'T great.

But how?

I'll tell you how...

The key is POSITIONING.

That's the magic word.

In Texas Holdem, positioning is EVERYTHING...

You can see a hand in one position and the right play is to
FOLD it...

And then see the SAME EXACT HAND in a different position and
the right play is to make a BET.

For example, let's say you're in an 8-player no limit Holdem
game... where the blinds are $1-2.

You're first to act before the flop (a.k.a. "under the gun")
and look down at your cards:

Q-J offsuit.

What do you do?

Playing the hand shouldn't cross your mind.

Calling with a Q-J offsuit can easily turn into TROUBLE when
first to act.

Because SOMEONE at your 8-man table is probably going to
throw out a pre-flop raise.

Think about it...

How many times does the action go COMPLETELY around the
table before the flop without SOMEONE making a raise?

Not too often.

Even if it's just a small $5 raise... you don't want to pay
$7 with your Q-J offsuit just to see the flop.

After all, even if you HIT top pair, you're STILL going to
be one of the first to act, if not THE first. What then?

Your kicker isn't too strong, and you don't have a read on
the other players.

It's just a bad situation to be in...

Which is why I muck "decent" hands like these when I'm under
the gun or in an early position.

And you should too.

Now let's say you're fourth to act before the flop (sixth
position at the table) and you peek down at a Q-10 offsuit.

You're positioning isn't great, but it's not too bad either.

The action is on you to call the $2 big blind...

What do you do?

Instead of mucking, this is where I'd limp in and call the
blind.

The key is to pay $2... don't raise it. You've got a good
chance at seeing the flop for just $2 and you won't have to
act first after the flop hits.

Even if someone throws out a small pre-flop raise, you can
call and see a cheap flop without getting into too much
trouble.

Now let's say you're on the BUTTON (dealer position) with a
Q-J offsuit. Four of your opponents limp-in and the action
is to you.

What's the play?

This is where I'd make a pre-flop raise. Nothing crazy...
just a small $5 that's not going to get me into trouble.

And I'll do this with any good positioning, not just when
I'm on the button...

Here's why:

First, it gets rid of the "crap" hands at the table...

Anytime you can force the scraps at the table to fold, your
odds of winning the pot increase.

(The reason you don't want them in the hand is in case one
of them gets lucky on the flop.)

Second, I get to see what my opponents do AFTER the flop...
before I have to act.

This is a HUGE advantage. I can get a read on everyone
else's hand... and NO ONE gets a read on mine. Use this
advantage EVERY chance you get.

And third, my bet gives me relative control over the
table... and is likely to result in a free card if I want
one.

Let's say the flop hits: 9-10-2

That gives me an open-ended straight draw with my Q-J.

There's a good chance my opponents will CHECK, because they
anticipate another bet from me.

So I'm in a win-win situation...

I can throw out a semi-bluff bet... or... I can see a free
card by checking.

Getting control over the board also puts me in a position to
buy the pot if I sense weakness at the table.

Which brings me to another point...

Positioning is a fundamental part of Texas Holdem, but you
had better have a good read on your opponents in order to
win the hand.

And you'd better know the right size to make your bets...
and what to do if there's a draw on the board... and how to
bluff if you get into trouble.