Online Poker Secrets» Money

Small Pocket Pairs

jen — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:27:59 +0000

“There aren’t too many feelings in No Limit Hold’em that are better than when you flop a set” – Phil Gordon

And we all know that this is true, definitely not a poker secret!!!

But the online poker secret is: Play these hands. You make the most money off these hands!

All-In Before the Flop

jen — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 22:37:51 +0000

“Moving all-in before the flop is one of the most powerful plays in No Limit Hold’em. It’s also one of the most dangerous” – Phil Gordon

When is it right to move all-in before the flop?

- When you have the best hand and believe your opponent will call.
- When you have the worst hand and believe your opponent will fold (The pot must be big enough to steal)
- When you have the worst hand, but even if your opponent calls, you are getting great odds on your money
- When you are getting the right pot odds no matter what your opponent holds
- When you have the best hand, and your opponent has the right pot odds to call, but an all-in bet might scare him into folding.

The Reason

jen — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 21:10:55 +0000

In online poker, it’s important for you to always have a reason why you are putting money into the pot. Here are some good options:

1. to steal the blinds
2. To isolate a player when you are in position
3. Because you think you have the best poker hand
4. To set up a delayed steal
5. Because you believe if you make your hand, you will be paid off better (Implied Odds)

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.

What position means…

jen — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 21:05:46 +0000

Being in position gives you some great advantages in online poker:

1. You get the opportunity to see what all of your opponents do before you decide if you will commit chips to the pot.
2. You have the last chance to bluff
3. You can take advantage of your opponents missing the flop, even if they have a better starting hand.
4. Its easier to extract the most money possible from other poker players.

Don’t Keep Betting!

jen — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 19:57:56 +0000

I understand that when you bet the flop and the turn you feel like you should at least give it another shot on the river. Think about what you are doing when you keep betting. Are you trying to represent you have a hand or do you have a hand and are betting for value? If you bet and bet and you keep getting called you should stop to think what they could be calling you with. This is especially important if you have position on your opponent and they keep check calling you. It is ok to check on the river and save yourself from being in the position to have to call a raise especially if you only have a pair. This will save you a lot of headaches and money in the end.

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!

Cash vs. Tourney: Slow Playing

jen — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 09:28:28 +0000

In my honest opinion, you are much better off using slow playing tactics in a tournament than in a cash game. The reason being this:

In a cash game, slow playing easily gets you into trouble, and you are risking a lot more money in these circumstances. The long term gains of a cash game are relevant based on what happens over the next year, not necessarily what happens in a few sessions. Bet all your strong hands strong, and you will get paid off in the long run.

In a tournament, your money is already invested. Chips are generally managed more strictly and therefore; you have to take the best opportunities to build your stack gradually without risk.

Keep in mind my previous post however (Flopping a Monster).