Online Poker Secrets» Blinds

Last hand before the break

jen — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 21:01:54 +0000

Here is a GREAT online poker secret that I learned (and use frequently now) from Phil Gordon:

Take a shot at stealing the blinds the last hand before the break, no matter what your position is. Many poker players will fold hands they would normally call with because they are either tired, need to use the bathroom, want to talk about their bad beats etc.

Being the Big Stack

jen — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 22:04:47 +0000

Phil Gordon gives some great online poker secrets in regards to how to play when you are the big stack at the table in a poker tournament:

1. Never limp into a pot
2. If the blinds consist of tight players with average stacks, play almost any hand in position
3. Punish limpers with big raises from position when you think they are weak
4. Call from position more often when an opponent with an average stack enters the pot with a raise
5. Rarely, if ever, confront a short-stacked opponent without a premium poker hand
6. Try to win more hands before the flop

Time out

jen — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 21:55:03 +0000

You dont always know how a poker player will react to what has happened to them at the table. Take a time out when the below circumstances take place to determine how the table has been affected:

1. A player just won a big pot
2. A player just lost a big pot
3. A player at the table just got caught bluffing
4. A player was just eliminated
5. A player is tilting
6. A player has likely changed gears
7. The blinds have been increased

When first in the pot…

jen — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 21:29:13 +0000

There are many reasons for this, which I will outline below: When first in the pot, Raise!

1. Limit the competition
2. Take control of the betting
3. To better define your opponents hands
4. To hide the strength of our hands
5. To win the blinds

Blinds and Negative Expectation

jen — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 17:25:21 +0000

Because you lose out on position, and also because you are forced to have money in the pot, you are generally going to lose money while being in the blinds. Do not invest money in the blinds if you do not have to. Fold your small blind, and accept that losing half the big blind is better than losing more.

The Dreaded Bubble

jen — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 16:24:33 +0000

Its tempting to play weak when the bubble approaches in an online poker tournament. You have played for a while and made it so far, just a bit of a stretch to go until you make back a bit of money.

I think the best question to ask yourself at this point is: Did you play this tournament to win your buy-in back, or to take down first?

We all know the answer to this question, so my question to you is – why bother playing weak to wait and make back your buy-in? The biggest mistake made by less experienced poker players, is to become reserved during the bubble period. This is a point in the tournament where you can take advantage of everyone elses weakness to pick up blinds and build your stack to be in better position once the bubble breaks!

Our best online poker secret for tournaments is most definitely: PLAY THE BUBBLE, DONT LET THE BUBBLE PLAY YOU!

Deep in the tourney: Big Pocket Pairs

jen — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 17:21:37 +0000

You’re playing in a tournament and you get deep with about average chip stack. You pick up a big pocket pair (TT,JJ,QQ), how do you play it?

This is a good online poker secret to maximize your play with these hands. If you are in early position it is a good idea to make a bigger than normal raise. You don’t want to see a flop multi-handed and the blinds are normally big enough to make it worth it if everyone folds. If you are in middle or late position with an early position limper or raiser then I would suggest going all-in to protect your hand. If you get called then you probably have to win a race but you put the decision on your opponent to make the mistake of calling with a weaker hand. The last scenarios on how to play these hands are in the blinds. If you yhave a limper or raiser, pushing is the best option, but if you are facing an all in from any position except the button or cutoff then I would suggest thinking about the size of the all in or if it was a reraise all in. You may have to let this one go if it looks like you have a multi-way pot when you may be dominated.