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Joining a Table in the Poker Lobby

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Top 10 best poker players without a WSOP bracelet

I’ve broken this column up into three sections to differentiate between players with a long history of bad luck, and players who just haven’t won yet –I’ve also set aside a third category for one superstar player who I’ll start calling Dan Marino or Charles Barkley!

Long-Time Pros with no WSOP Jewelry
     • Marcel Luske –Just under $2.5 million in career tournament earnings; 20 WSOP cashes; 7 WSOP final tables.

While I was researching this article I was bit amazed that Luske had never won a bracelet; given the Dutchman’s skill level in multiple forms of poker. His best chance came in the $5k Seven Card Stud Championship in 2004, where he finished 2nd. Marcel also has two 3rd place finishes in WSOP events.

     • Andy Bloch – Over $3 million in career tournament earnings; 21 WSOP cashes; 8 WSOP final tables.

Bloch, a former member of the infamous MIT blackjack team, has been a long-time tournament poker competitor. Bloch has two runner-up finishes in WSOP events: In 2006 he finished 2nd in the $50k H.O.R.S.E. tournament, and in 2008 he finished 2nd in the $10k Pot Limit Hold’ Em tournament.

     • Phil Gordon – Over $1.1 million in career tournament earnings; 15 WSOP cashes; Finished 4th in 2001 Main Event

Gordon is perhaps best known as the host of Bravo’s Celebrity Poker Showdown, one of the first televised poker shows. The self-made millionaire has also had some success on the felt, but has yet to win a coveted bracelet. Gordon has two 3rd place finishes to go along with his 4th place finish in the main Event in 2001.

     • Bill Gazes – Close to $2 million in career tournament earnings; 28 WSOP cashes; has cashed 9 years in a row at the WSOP.

Gazes, a long-time pro, wallowed in anonymity for years; until a horrendous field goal attempt on ESPN’s ‘The Nuts’ segment skyrocketed him into the mainstream of the poker world (make sure you thank that intern that beaned you with the ball Billy!) Gazes came close to capturing a bracelet in the 2007 $5k H.O.R.S.E. event where he finished 2nd.

     • Gavin Smith – Almost $4 million in career tournament earnings; WPT player of the year; 15 WSOP cashes.

Gavin is well known for his propensity to make ‘prop’ bets, and to make the payout extremely embarrassing to the loser (Google, Gavin Smith+Prop bet, for a good laugh). He’s also known for being one of the best poker players in the world. His chance to add a bracelet to his impressive resume came up short in the $1,500 Pot Limit Hold’ Em event in 2007, where he finished as the bridesmaid.

     • Mike “The Grinder” Mizrachi – Over $6.7 million in career tournament earnings; 19 WSOP cashes; 2 WPT titles.

I had a tough time deciding if “The Grinder should be considered a long-time pro, or an up-and-comer; but when I saw he has 19 WSOP cashes the decision became crystal clear. Mizrachi’s closest brush with a bracelet came in 2008 when he finished 3rd in the $10k Pot Limit Omaha Championship.

Young Guns Seeking Their First Bracelet     • Tom Dwan – There is no doubt in my mind that Dwan, better known as ‘durrr’, will win multiple bracelets. His incredible skill-set, and his absolute fearlessness will make him a force in live tournaments.
     • Patrik Antonius – Antonius has already made three final tables at the WSOP; in only 4 years of playing. Considered one of the best cash game players in the world, it’s unlikely a bracelet will avoid him for very long.
     • Ivan Demidov – Demidov burst onto the poker scene last year, and has only been playing poker since 2006! His runner-up finish in the 2008 Main Event cemented the Russian as one of the top new players.

How On Earth Hasn’t He Won A Bracelet???
      • Gus Hansen – Over $5 million in career tournament earnings; 2 WPT titles; Won the 2007 Aussie Million.

In my opinion the only reason Gus has yet to win a bracelet is because he only plays $10k events. His ‘snobbery’ of the lower buy-in tournaments severely limits his chances of winning a bracelet each year. The typical top flight pro probably enters 30+ each year at the WSOP; Gus enters about 5; tops!

Hansen’s closest brush with a WSOP bracelet came in 2008 in the World Championship Mixed Event, where he finished 10th.

Antonius Interview About Isildur1

In Full Tilt interview Patrik Antonius opines Isildur1 and online poker

In a podcast interview for the Full Tilt Poker Academy, Phil Gordon held a Q&A session with online poker mega-star Patrik Antonius, where the two discussed everything from the strengths and weaknesses of Isildur1 –the mystery pro who has recently showed up in the ultra-high-stakes games—to the astonishing heights the high-stakes online poker games are currently being taken.

With regards to Isildur1, Antonius believes the young player from Sweden is changing the world of high stakes online poker, with a fearlessness never before seen in the online poker world: Antonius feels Isildur1’s isn’t afraid to go down early in matches because “He wants to play deep, to force you to make difficult decisions every hand.” Antonius further explained that Isildur1’s fast, multi-tabling style adds to this effect. In one telling part of the interview Antonius said he worries about going down $1 million in a matter of minutes when playing Isildur1: Using the example of being down $200k –a single buy-in-- only to lose consecutive pots of $400k, $300k, and $200k on three different tables, and therefore you are suddenly in the hole over $1 million.

Antonius did say he felt Isildur1 has tilted for brief spans, but really had nothing but praise for the young online poker phenom. Gordon, worrying if Isildur1 would play until he was broke asked Antonius what he thought the Swede would do should his current downswing continue: Antonius felt it wouldn’t matter much since he thinks Isildur1 is a strong enough player that he could easily build his bankroll from $2,000 to $1 million in a year! High praise indeed!

When asked about the current action in the high-stakes online poker games Antonius seemed to imply that it would be unsustainable, remarking, “you would need a bankroll of around $500,000,000 to play the game comfortably.” Of course, Gordon’s jaw dropped at this figure, but Antonius further explained that, “If you can lose $3 million in an hour why can’t you lose $100 million?”

Antonius says nobody is really rolled for the game, but he uses these ultra-high-stakes games much like he would when taking a shot at higher limits, explaining, “If you have a $10 million bankroll and you take a shot and lose $3 million it’s not that big of a deal.”

Antonius also explained how really good poker players can play under-rolled, not only because their edge is higher, but because it’s easier for a superstar player to drop a few levels and rebuild their bankroll, where it would take a lesser skilled player considerably longer to recoup their losses in this manner.

Preflop Raising By Position Part 2: Late Position

Preflop Raising Range Part 2: Late Position

The cutoff and the button are the 2 most profitable positions at the table in shorthanded no limit holdem. As we get closer to the button, our VPIP should increase exponentially as winrates are far higher in these 2 positions.

Cutoff

Now we only have one person with position on us. If the button is a straight forward tag, we can really take advantage of our position by raising an extremely wide range of hands. We can open all suited 3 gappers, ace x hands, offsuit connectors and big offsuited broadways such as Kto. The tighter the players behind us, the wider range we can open from the cutoff.

Conversely, if there is a good aggressive player on the button who is 3betting our cutoff raises frequently, we need to tighten our raising range. If a player is using their positional advantage to put pressure on us, we can adapt and play a smaller range of hands.

In the cutoff, we should be raising about 32% of hands.

Button

When we are on the button, we have the luxury of knowing we will be always be the last to act postflop. In this position, we should be raising a massive range, composed of almost any two cards under the right table conditions. If the blinds are folding a lot to steals, we can open any 2 suited cards, all ace x and king x hands, all offsuited connectors, off suit one/two/three gappers.

Against more aggressive players, we should tighten this range according to how often they 3bet preflop. If they call a lot preflop we should decide to raise based on how they play postflop. If someone calls and check folds most flops, we can continue to raise a wide range. If they play back a lot postflop, then we should stcik with a  tighter range.

Overall, as a generality, we should be opening between 40 and 55% of hands on the button. A loose button opening range is demonstrated below:

Preflop Raising By Position Part 1: Early Position

Under the Gun (UTG)

This is the position where the action starts. With 5 players still to act a raise here is usually given more respect as it represents a strong hand. If we are the first into a pot  preflop, the best preflop strategy dictates  that we should always open for a raise in shorthanded no limit holdem games. This is because it balances the top and bottom of our raising range and because continuation bets work more effectively due to the perceived strength of our hand based on our preflop raising position.

Generally, our raising range should be tighter from under the gun. We will potentially be out of position (OOP) to 3 opponents postflop so we need a stronger hand range to compensate for this.

We should raise all pairs from 22 to AA. Some poker players like to limp with small pocket pairs in order to hit a set. However, this preflop strategy is highly exploitable as they fail to balance their preflop limping range and most competent opponents will adjust accordingly. Raising preflop also starts to build a pot for the times we hit a set on the flop.

The rest of our preflop raising range should be suited aces (A2s+), suited broadways (QJs+), AQo+   and all suited connectors as low as 56s. There are also some grey area hands that we should raise at some tables – AJo and KQo.

As well as this range, we should also open some suited one gappers some % of the time – 68s, J9s, 79s and some suited 2 gappers (47s, 58s) as these are strong implied odds hands that will rarely be dominated by someone's calling range preflop.

One commonly asked question relates to the profitability of opening suited connectors from early position. Players check their tracking software and find they are losing money from raising suited connectors. Is this a mistake? Are suited connectores bad hands to raise preflop? No. We open suited connectors for a number of reasons:

1. They can make very strong hands postlop
2. We can flop big draws that we can play aggressively and thus win more without showdown
3. They increase our VPIP and PFR numbers to create a more aggressive image in the eyes of the other players at the table

The 3rd point above is the most important one. The reason we open suited connectors is to create a looser and more aggressive image. As a result of raising more hands preflop, we are far more likely to get 3-bet and to be played back at lighter. The money lost from raising these hands is more than made up by the amount of extra money we win from our big pairs and sets.

We should almost never be opening ATo or QJo preflop. The reason we raise queen jack suited but not queen jack offsuit is because the extra few % points in hand strength makes a huge difference postflop, as we can flop stronger hands and draws that we can play aggressively to show a higher winrate.

For grey area hands – KQo, AJo – we need to look to our left. We should always be aware of who has position on us. Furthermore, we should know the cold calling and 3betting ranges of the players who have position on us. The blinds are less important as they will be inclined to play more straightforwardly vs an utg open as our range is tighter and they are out of position.

When there is a fish in the blinds we should be opening more grey area hands. ATo/KJo under the gun is almost exclusively a fold, but is almost a ways an open when there is a fish in the blinds who will call with dominated hands preflop. The reason we normally fold these hands preflop is because the cold calling/3betting range of the players to act after us will always be a range that dominates us rather than the opposite way round. At looser tables where players play too many hands we should be open raising more hands that can flop top pair with good kickers. The one exception is if there is a tricky player in position who is squeezing or 3betting a lot.

Overall, we should raise between 15 and 17% of hands preflop from under the gun. This range is illustrated below. We can add some suited one gappers such as J9s/79s to get closer to 17%.

Under The Gun + 1 (UTG+1)

Our utg+1 raising range will be similar to our utg raising range. We should raise all the hands we raise from utg as well as some more suited one gappers. UTG grey area hands become raises UTG+1. This is because there is one less player to act after us and as a result of card elimination, there is a smaller chance someone behind us has a hand that dominates us. Similarly, KJo and ATo become grey area hands for this position.

Most players tend to group utg and utg+1 together as early position. There is an invisible divide in a lot of peoples’ minds between these 2 positions. Raises from these 2 positions are given a lot of respect and players are less likely to play back light. For this reason, we can begin to open up our range more, particularly if the cutoff and button have this thought process.

Overall, we should raise between 18 and 21% of hands. A sample range is shown below.

Introduction to Preflop Play

The foundation of a winning poker strategy is based around a strong preflop game. For this series of  articles, we will be focusing on preflop play in 6 max or shorthanded no limit Texas Holdem games.

With the ever increasing popularity of poker training sites and poker coaching, most players are improving their preflop game. It is very important to understand how the preflop strategy sets up the rest of the hand.

Currently, online poker players have an abundance of information available to them about the other players at the table. They obtain this information using datamining software, tracking tools and heads up displays (huds). A player's hud will show statistics on every player at the table. We need to be able to use and manipulate this information to force our opponents into making mistakes.

Firstly, let's take a look at 3 important statistics that are displayed in a hud: 

VPIP – Voluntarily Put in Pot

This is the % of hands a player is playing. It is the % of times a player elects to put money in the pot preflop.

The higher a person's VPIP, the more hands they are playing and of course a lower VPIP means they are playing less hands. 

PFR – Preflop Raise 

This is the % of times a player raises preflop when they are entering a pot. When VPIP and PFR are close together, it means a player is cold calling very little preflop and is either raising or folding when they enter a pot.  

WWSF – Won When Saw Flop 

This is the % of times you win a hand when you see the flop.

These 3 statistics are all closely related and can be used to garner valuable information about a player.

As VPIP gets higher, WWSF will intuitively get lower. A higher VPIP means we are opening a wider, thus weaker range of hands preflop. As a result, it will be harder for us to make hands after we raise. Because of this, we will win less hands postflop.

By contrast, as our VPIP gets lower, our WWSF figure will get higher as a result of playing a stronger hand range.

It is said that the true skill of a 6 max poker player can be determined by multiplying his VPIP by his WWSF figures. 

These articles will discuss preflop starting hand ranges and how to exploit the tendencies of the other players at the table in order to devise a winning preflop strategy.

 The best way to approach this is to start in the first position, more commonly referred to as under the gun (UTG) and work around to the big blind, constructing a perfect preflop opening range for each position based on game conditions.

3 Things You Need To Know About Poker

1. Poker is a long-term game

The true measuring stick of a poker player is what type of decisions they make. If they make good decisions they will win in the long-run; if they make poor decisions they will lose in the long-run: It’s that simple!

So, why do so many players make poor decisions? The reason for poor decisions is quite simple, most people view poker in the short-term. These players do not hit the tables enough to think beyond a single hand or session. Even if they have heard the term ‘long-term’, it has never been explained properly, and is too abstract a concept to fully sink in.

In poker: Winning is the result of good decisions, not the other way around.

This is an extremely difficult concept for many players to wrap their heads around. It’s hard to explain to someone who just won a huge pot that they made a blunder at some point in the hand, and were merely lucky. Generally you’ll be told, “gotta get lucky sometimes.”

The truth is, just because you win a pot doesn’t mean you made good decisions during it; and just because you lose a pot doesn’t mean you made bad decisions!

You will find most of your opponents have this concept completely backwards. They feel if they win the pot they did something right; they don’t realize that for every 1 in 10 miracle they hit, there will be nine other times they miss. And, it’s these 9 other times that cause them to lose money. They remember the $150 win, and forget about the nine $20 losses.

2. Your money comes from your opponent’s mistakes

It’s extremely important you understand this concept. Poker is a battle of mistakes; the player making the fewest, and least costly mistakes, is the player who will be taking home the money in the long-run (it’s not the player who knows the most, or pulls off the best bluff). If you play in a game where your opponents make more mistakes than you do, you will come out on top regardless of your skill level. All you have to do to be a winning player is look for players that are worse than you!

This holds true for any game or stakes. If the five best players in the world are sitting at a particular table, and the 6th best player pulls up a chair, guess who is going to be the fish in the game?

3. You don’t have to be the best to make money

Another problem even the best players have is they try to beat everyone. Instead of focusing on the weaker players, they are out to prove their superiority over everyone at the table.  In a typical poker game there will be one or two players who are feeding chips to the rest of the table (at the lower limits you may find three or four players feeding the table). These are the guys playing 75% of the hands they are dealt, and calling to the river.

Good players will attempt to exploit these ‘feeders’ by isolating them in pots, while avoiding the locksmiths with all but their best hands. There is no point in continually battling skilled players, even if you feel you have a slight edge over them, when you have people who are practically throwing their money at you.

I'm not condoning total avoidance of decent players; just contemplate the risks and the reward before you get involved. Sure you can push a locksmith off a hand when he bricks, but if you're constantly playing pots against players who make few mistakes, you're fighting an uphill battle. Remember, most of your profits are coming from your opponent’s mistakes, not from your good plays. And, the worse an opponent is, the more mistakes he will make.

These small gaffes you commit trying to ‘prove’ something, can end up being the difference between winning and losing in the long-run. There is such a small margin for error in poker that a single mistake can put you in the red (Barry Greenstein guessed this edge to be around 3% for the best players, so imagine what it is for you).

101 Poker Tips the Pros use to Win

Article By: Michael Monroe

Poker is a game that takes minutes to learn and a lifetime to master. The majority of players never make money at any limit.

Here are 101 Poker Tips the pros use to win: and how you can too. These easy 101 poker tips helps you to make sure you're one of the few players that make money at the world's greatest game.

1. Be Selective With Your Starting Hands
Profitable poker begins with selecting profitable hands. A player who only plays the top 10% to 20% of the possible starting hands will generally make more money than a player who plays the top 30% to 40% of starting hands. Loose players can still be profitable players, but it requires considerably more skill to play a loose style profitably. Tighten up and watch your profits soar.

2. Practice Effective Bankroll Management
Everyone goes broke at one point or another and it's usually because of poor bankroll management. Generally speaking, you should have 30 to 50 buy-ins for whatever game you're playing. So if you buy into a $1/$2 No-Limit Hold'em game for $200, you should have a bankroll of $6k to $10k. The looser you play, the more buy-ins you should have to make sure your bankroll can withstand the swings.

3. Take A Study Day Each Week
Become a student of the game. Read all the poker books you can get your hands on. In fact, read these books multiple times. I have some poker books that I've read 5 times over and I find something new every time I read them. A few good books to have are The Theory of Poker, Sit 'N Go Strategy, Super System and the Harrington on Hold'em series. There are several other good books as well. Take some time and browse your local bookstore to see which authors you like to read.

4. Be Prepared For Downswings
If you practice effective bankroll management you'll be financially prepared for downswings, but you need to be mentally prepared as well. Poker may be a game of skill, but there is a dash of luck involved too. You need to stay focused when the poker gods see fit to squash you like a bug. Even the best players will face downswings. The trick is to work your way through it as best you can. You can analyze your game to make sure your downswing isn't due to your play or take a break. Just make sure you don't go on tilt and make the downswing worse.

5. Vary Your Play
After a while, even good players fall into a rhythm. They raise with one hand and limp with another. They only play a certain range from late position and a tighter range from early position. If their opponent checks for a second time on the turn, they always bet 2/3 pot. After a while, your opponents will pick up on these patterns and they'll start outplaying you. Change up your play every once in a while to keep your opponents guessing.

6. Pay Attention To Your Bets
Do your betting patterns betray your hand? Do you only re-raise with aces or kings? Do you raise 5 times the big blind to protect small pairs? Do you make a continuation bet every time you show aggression before the flop and check the turn if your opponent floats you when you have air? Some players have betting patterns so consistent that they might as well announce their hand. What are your betting patterns telling your opponents?

7. Control The Pot
There's an old poker saying that says "Small hand, small pot. Big hand, big pot." You need to control the pot to match your hand. It's tricky controlling the pot without alerting your opponents to your hand, but it's a necessary skill if you want to win more money.

8. Keep An Eye On The Nuts
Always know what the best possible hand is on every street and determine how likely it is that your opponent holds the cards necessary to make that hand. For example, if you're playing a re-raised pot and have JJ on a board of Q-J-10, there's a decent chance that your trips are up against a straight if your opponent is raising and re-raising. However if you're playing a re-raised pot and have 99 on a board of 9-7-5, it's much less likely your opponent is holding the 68 necessary for the straight.

9. Be Aware Of Your Position
Too many new players are oblivious to the advantages of playing in position. It's easier to trap your opponents and it's easier to make moves on your opponent when you're in position.

10. Watch Out For Diminished Returns
There are two major ways to increase your poker profits when you're playing online. You can either play at higher limits or play more tables. However your win rate will generally go down when you do either one of these things. For example, let's say you play $10 Sit 'N Goes and have a 30% return on investment (ROI) when you play one table, a 20% ROI when you play two tables and a 10% ROI when you play three tables. That means you'll make roughly $3/hr. when play one table, $4/hr. when you two-table, and $3/hr. when you three-table. Obviously you should be two-tabling.

11. Double Barrel More Often
Too many players fire a shot on the flop and universally give up on the turn. Try firing another barrel occasionally. Players will call a flop bet with draws, overcards, or just because they think they can take the play away from you on the turn. Sometimes you need to fire another barrel to take them down.

12. Become A Well-Rounded Player
Learn games besides Texas Hold'em. Texas Hold'em is a popular game and most players have at least a basic understanding of profitable play. The same can't be said for Omaha and 7-Card. In fact, many online Omaha players are Hold'em players that are trying something new and will call your bets while they're drawing dead. The more poker variants you can play the more opportunities you have to profit.

13. Classify Your Opponents
Practice classifying your opponents. Notice whether they play loose or tight and put it in their player notes. Then figure out if they're aggressive or passive and write that in their player notes. Knowing whether your opponent is tight-aggressive or loose-passive will help you figure out what kind of hand they have and help you outplay them on the flop.

14. Keep Records
Do you know what your average ROI is for tournaments? What about Sit 'N Goes? How many big blinds per hour do you win when you play $1/$2 No-Limit? What about $3/$6 No-Limit? How does your win rate change when you multi-table? By keeping records you'll be able to make informed decisions about what game you should play to maximize your profits.

15. Learn From Better Players
Is there a player that always wipes the felt with you? Buddy list them and watch them play. You might learn some new tricks. At the very least you'll learn about their game so you can beat them the next time the two of you cross swords.

16. Use Tracking Software
Tracking software is a vital tool for improving your game. These programs are great for exposing leaks. A good program will show you how much you win or lose with each hand and in which position. Many will also show you how much you win or lose to each opponent. There's no better way to get you to stop raising KJ off suit from under the gun in a full ring game than seeing how much money you lose making that move.

17. Analyze Your Game Regularly
There's no point in spending the money on tracking software if you're not going to analyze your game. Look for positional leaks and leaks that are due to poor hand selection. You should review key hands to see if you misplayed the hand and replay some of your winning hands to see if you could have extracted more money.

18. Overpairs Aren't The Nuts
There's exactly one time that AA is the nuts - preflop. Once the flop comes down, your aces are no longer the best possible hand. It seems like most players, especially at the lower limits, forget this fact. Let's say you're facing two limpers and have AA. You raise 5 times the big blind to thin the field, but both limpers call. The flop comes down 9-8-7 rainbow. The first limper thinks for a second and bets 2/3 pot, then the second limper raises pot instantly. There's a good chance your aces are no good here.

19. Watch Out For The Raise On The Turn
Pay close attention the next time you play poker. Players don't raise that often after the flop so when they do you have to wonder why. In my experience, the raise on the turn is the most dangerous raise in the game. Players with a made hand will often smooth call bets on the flop then raise a bet on the turn hoping that you have something. If you get raised on the turn you should think long and hard before calling. Top pair is almost always beat in this situation.

20. Learn Pot Odds
If you read this tip and thought, "What are pot odds?" you should stop playing poker right now and start reading some poker books. It is impossible to play profitable poker if you don't understand pot odds. This tip may look obvious to some people, but you wouldn't believe how many times I've seen a Sit 'N Go player post a t200 big blind and fold to a raise when they only had t150 left. That should have been a call with any two cards.

21. Estimate Implied Odds
Pot odds aren't the only odds you need to consider. A good player has to be able to estimate how much more they'll win if they hit their hand. Different draws have different levels of profitability. For example, flush draws are easy to spot and tend to slow players down but if you're holding 8-10 and the board is J-9-2, your draw will well disguised and your implied odds will be better.

22. Don't Pay Too Much To Draw
If someone prices you out of a draw, curse your luck and let the hand go unless you think your opponent will pay you off if you hit.

23. Consider The Turn And The River When You Draw
How much is your opponent betting on the flop? Do you think you'll see one card or do you think you'll get a free card on the turn? Remember that someone who bets heavy on the flop is likely to bet heavy on the turn if it's a blank. Your odds of making a draw on one card are significantly less than on two cards and chances are you're only going to see one card if your opponent is making serious bets.

24. Hidden Draws Are Better Than Obvious Ones
I alluded to this tip earlier. I'll pay more for a draw when I have 8-10 on a board of J-9-2 than I will with Ax of spades when there are two spades on the flop. The reason is that my opponents will notice the spade draw and shut down if it hits, but they're less likely to notice the straight draw when I have a single gapper - especially if I raised preflop.

25. Don't Defend A Second Best Hand
I see this happen all the time. Most of the time it's because someone entered the pot with ace-rag and an ace hit the flop. They continue to bet and raise the hand never considering that they're probably out kicked. Have the good sense to fold if you think your hand may be second best.

26. Stop Completing The Small Blind With Trash
"But I'm getting a discount" is the cry of the poker loser. Playing too loose in the small blind is a huge leak in most players' games. The problem with completing the small blind is that you'll either win a small pot or lose a big one. It's hard to get paid off when your trash hits but it's easy to donk off your stack when your hand is second best.

27. Raise From The Small Blind When You Have A Big Hand Verses The Big Blind
Many players just complete the small blind when it's folded to them when they have a big hand. Not me. One of my favorite moves is to raise from the small blind when it's folded to me and I have a big hand. The big blind thinks you're stealing and calls to defend. Then they proceed to play their Q7 to the felt when they hit top pair. Every time you raise they think you're trying to steal. They never consider that you might have kings or aces.

28. Don't Defend Your Big Blind With Trash
If you need a reason, see tip 27. I'm not saying that you should never defend your big blind, I'm just saying that you need to consider the possibility that your assailant has a real hand. You need a hand with showdown value when you defend your big blind in most cases.

29. Don't Fight For Small Pots
Some people will make pot sized bets to try to steal small pots. The problem is that you either win a small pot or create a large one if you're called. Then you're forced to either give up your steal attempt or commit a lot of chips to try to win a pot you shouldn't have been betting in the first place. It's okay if you want to play small pot poker; just make sure that you bet small into small pots so you don't bloat them.

30. Practice Reading Cards
Stay focused when you're out of a hand. Try to put your opponents on a range of hands and narrow it down as the hand progesses. Being able to put your opponents on a hand is the key to making big moves in Hold'em.

31. Take A Break
Poker is a mental game and you need to be sharp when you play. Take a break if you feel tired or restless. Both fatigue and impatience will lead to costly mistakes.

32. Distract Yourself When Needed
Sometimes I get too fancy when I'm playing lower limits. Moves that work on more advanced players will backfire big time when you're playing newer players. If you find yourself getting too creative or just getting bored in a tournament, you can listen to music or fire up a movie to distract yourself. Multi-tabling is also a good way to help you return to ABC tight poker.

33. Be A Bonus Hunter
If you're not working off a bonus when you play, you're not maximizing your profits. There are too many card rooms with too many sign-up bonuses and reload bonuses for you not to be earning extra money working off a bonus. I have accounts at six different card rooms and there's always a bonus available on one of them.

34. Watch The Rake
The rake is the house's take. Different card rooms will have different rakes. If all other things are equal, you want to play at the room that rakes the least. Why pay $1 to play a $5 Sit 'N Go if you can pay $0.25 in a different card room? Over time the savings will make a big difference.

35. Don't Show Cards
Players show cards all the time because they're proud of some bluff they made or some big hand they had. All you're doing when you show your cards is giving your opponents free information. You're telling them that they made a good lay down or that you're capable of bluffing big with air. The more your opponents know about your play the better they can play against you. If your opponents want to see your cards, make them pay to see a showdown.

36. Use A 4-Color Deck
All poker rooms give you the option to use a 4-color deck. Instead of half the deck being red and the other half black; diamonds will be blue, clubs will be green, hearts will be red, and spades will be black. This feature makes it easier to spot flush draws - especially if you're multi-tabling.

37. Multi-Table To The Point Of Diminished Returns
Find your multi-tabling "sweet spot." Generally speaking, players will win less when they have more tables open because they can't focus as much on each table. It's always better to win $1.50 on two tables than it is to win $2 on one. However if you're only winning $0.25 on four tables, you're stressing yourself out for nothing. Keep adding tables until reach the point of diminished returns.

38. Have A Plan For Moving Up In Limits
How big of a bankroll do you want to have before you move up in limits? What kind of ROI or win rate do you want to have? Moving up arbitrarily is hazardous to your wealth. Have a set plan for when you'll move up and when you'll move back down if needed.

39. Measure Success By ROI Or Win Rate
Sure it sounds good to say, "I've won $1,000 playing $2 Sit 'N Goes." And it is good unless you had to play 10,000 Sit 'N Goes to do it. Instead, measure your success by your return on investment (ROI) for tournaments and number of big blinds won per hour in cash games. These figures are much better gauges of your poker prowess.

40. Tournament Chips and Cash Chips Are Not The Same
Tournament Chips represent you equity in the tournament prize pool whereas cash chips represent actual cash. This small fact means that the two games play very differently. For example, there are times in a tournament where it's right to fold pocket aces preflop but it's never right to fold aces preflop in a cash game. In addition, there are times in a tournament where it's right to shove with 72 off suit. That move is never right in a cash game. It takes a different set of skills to play each game.

41. Test The Waters Before You Dive In
The best way to break into new limits is to take an occasional shot at the higher limit. When I plan on moving up in Sit 'N Goes, I'll open one game at the new limit and several at my current limit. That way I can gain confidence and get a feel for the new players before I dive in and put my bankroll at risk.

42. Take Notes On Your Opponents
I don't mean writing "donkey" in their notes. I mean write down any move your opponent makes that's unusual like "raised with 10-8 suited from middle position in an unopened pot" or "re-raised with pocket tens from the small blind." These notes will help you put your opponents on a hand when you're playing against them.

43. Buddy List The Fish
I have dozens of buddies in each of my poker accounts but none of them are actually friends of mine. All of them, however, are very poor poker players. This practice is often called "fish stalking" and it can be very profitable. If you find a couple of your fish buddies at a table, sit down and clean up.

44. Use Proper Table Selection
Poker is a predatory game. You make money when you play against players worse than you and you lose money when you play against players better than you so it only makes sense to seek out worse players. Don't just sit down at the first table with an open chair. Do a little research to see which table has the loosest and most passive players. Loose-passive players are ATM machines. They'll feed you cash all day long.

45. Use The Right Statistics When Selecting Tables
The two most important statistics to use when selecting a table are the "% to the flop" and the "average pot size." A high percentage of players seeing the flop means the table is loose and a higher than average pot size means that the players give a lot of action. You need both of these statistics to be favorable for the game to be good. Just be careful when players leave and new ones join. Fish splashing around tend to attract sharks.

46. Don't Drink And Play
I know it's fun. I've done it more times than I care to admit and I almost always end up losing money. Your judgment will be impaired after a couple of drinks and you'll start making the wrong moves and missing out on opportunities. If you're playing to win, play sober.

47. Know Your Game
Are you playing a freezeout, a shootout, a rebuy or a bounty? Different tournaments require different strategies. For example, freezeouts reward tight play and giving up a hand in marginal situations early on, however if you're in a bounty tournament it might be advantageous to try to take out the player if you think you have a reasonable chance of winning.

48. Drop Down In Limits To Test A New Strategy
It's good to learn new strategies and incorporate them into your game, but it's a fundamental law of psychology that any new strategy will perform worse than your current strategy at first even if the new strategy is superior. That's because it takes time to integrate the new strategy into your personal style. Drop down in limits until you master your new strategy to minimize the impact on your bankroll.

49. Value Bet On The River
If you're not sure where you are in a hand but think that there's a reasonable chance you're ahead, make a smallish value bet on the river if you think your opponent will call with a second best hand. Those little calls will start to add up to big bucks.

50. Don't Value Bet Weak Hands
Don't value bet if the only hands that will call are hands that beat you. If the only thing you beat is a pure bluff, either check the river or bet an amount you don't think your opponent can call. It doesn't make any sense to bet an amount that your opponent would call with second pair if second pair beats you.

51. Don't Fall In Love With Paint
This is a common mistake new players make. They think that KJ, QJ, and K10 are big hands and play them like they're AK. Those hands are stealing hands and they can get you into big trouble if you play them fast when you make top pair. Raising from the button with KJ in an unopened pot is a good idea. Raising KJ from under the gun in a full ring game is not.

52. Check/Raise More Often
I think check/raises are one of the most underused moves in poker. It's hard to chase out draws when you're in early position when there are several players to act behind you. If you bet 2/3 pot and get one caller, the rest will call with great odds. Check instead and let your opponents bet then drop the hammer. Not only will you chase out more players, but you'll also make your opponents think twice about trying to steal the pot when you check to them.

53. Use All-In Bluffs Sparingly
I blame TV for this one. When tournaments are cut for TV, it looks like someone bluffs all-in every 10th hand when in reality 3 or 4 hours might have passed before someone made this move. It's generally a bad idea to go all-in on a bluff when a call would have you drawing dead. It's much better to go all-in to double up rather than get your opponent to fold.

54. Beware Moves You See On TV
As I said, TV producers cut tournaments down to the interesting hands so you don't see that Allen Cunningham folded for 3 hours to establish a tight image. All you see is that he re-raised from the small blind with 56 suited when three other people where in the pot. TV shows pros making moves out of context. Keep that in mind before you think that it's a good idea to raise from the small blind every time you have suited connectors.

55. Learn How To Play Tournaments
There's a reason that the top poker pros are on the tournament circuit - that's where the money is. You can build your bankroll a lot faster playing single and multi-table tournaments than you can grinding away for a couple big blinds per hour at the cash tables.

56. Play At Limits That Matter To You
If you consider $10 to be pocket change, then don't play $0.05/$0.10 No-Limit unless you have the discipline to play conservatively. It's generally better to play at a limit that will get you thinking rather than a limit where you'll call big bets because "it's only a couple of dollars."

57. Beware Uncharacteristic Moves
If a player has been raising four times the big blind every time for two hours solid and then min raises all of the sudden, you need to stop and think. A highly uncharacteristic move could mean a monster. I would fold most decent hands in this situation. If I decided I wanted to play the hand, I'd probably re-raise to see if my suspicions were valid.

58. Make Your Own Step Tournaments
Here's something I like to do for fun to test my skills at higher limits without risking a ton of money. I'll buy-in to a low limit Sit 'N Go and roll up until I lose. Let's say I buy into a $2 SNG and win. I'll take the $10 and buy into a $5 SNG. Now let's say that I got second in the $5 SNG, I'll take the $15 and buy into a $10 SNG. I'll repeat this process until I fail to make the money and then I'll start over again. It's a fun way to try higher stakes.

59. Know When You're Pot Committed
Can you tell when you have to call even if you know you're beat? If not you're losing a lot of money by folding when you should call. I' ve seen players fold on the turn when there's $20 in the pot and they only have $2 left in their stack. I don't care what I have in that situation; I'm calling and praying for a miracle card. At worst you'll win $22 five percent of the time, but if you fold you'll lose $20 one hundred percent of the time.

60. Understand That Expected Value (EV) Changes
EV is how much a given move will make or lose over the long haul. "That move was EV+" is a favorite defense of intermediate players. It might have been true that shoving with Q10 suited on a big blind who only calls with the top 10% of their playing range was EV+…at first. But the big blind is likely to change their calling range if they see you shoving every other hand with some mediocre holdings. If the big blind decides to open up against you, your EV will change and you might not know it until it's too late.

61. Leave Your Ego At Home
You know what I'm talking about. You've felt that tinge of anger when someone raises your bluff. You start thinking things like "That donkey isn't going to push me out of the pot" and you start to make stupid moves (the donkey raised you because he's trying to let you know has trips). Make moves based on logic, not ego.

62. They're Not Playing Back At You
I used to have that sentence on a post-it on the corner of my computer screen. Whenever someone raised me my first thought was, "they're playing back at me." I should have thought that they have a hand and then tried to figure out what that hand was. If I couldn't put them on a hand, then I should start to wonder if they are playing back at me. My post-it always reminded me of that fact and I started to make better lay downs and well-timed moves.

63. Play In Medium Sized Card Rooms
Medium sized card rooms are my preferred stalking grounds. These rooms are usually too small to attract the online pros and these rooms advertise like crazy and offer great bonuses to attract new players. It's a highly profitable situation.

64. Stop Saying You're Sorry
I can't stand it when I see a player apologize for drawing out on someone. First of all, you're not sorry. You're glad you won the hand. You probably even had a mini celebration in front of your computer before typing your apology. Second, everyone deserves to draw out occasionally. We've all had our fair share of bad beats so don't be sorry when the poker gods balance the scales.

65. Avoid Names Like JacknJill27
When I see a handle like that, I know I'm dealing with someone who plays for fun. Jack and Jill are a young couple in their mid/late twenties that thought it would be fun to open a poker account together so they could play. Cute. Serious players don't do this. Serious players don't let anyone else play under their name so their stats aren't tainted. JacknJill27 might as well use the handle iSpew4u.

66. Establish An Image And Act To The Contrary
Are you a loose player? Spend some time folding to establish a tight image before loosening up. Your speculative hands will get paid because no one will suspect your hand and your bluffs will get more respect. Are you a tight player? Do all the things that loose players do when you first sit at a table. Post your blind out of turn and raise your first three hands regardless of what they are. Get caught with trash once or twice and then tighten up. Players will start playing top pair/weak kicker to the felt against you.

67. Change Gears When Needed
Acting contrary to your image shouldn't be a one-time thing. Change gears frequently. Start playing loose when it's obvious that you have a tight image and vice-versa. After a couple of gear shifts your opponents won't know what to think. And keeping your opponents off balanced is a very good thing.

68. Play In A Poker Room With A VIP Store
Lots of poker rooms give you points for playing that can be redeemed for books, clothes, poker chips, and even cars and tournament tickets. It's just another way to maximize your poker profits.

69. Play Within Your Skill Level
Tight playing styles are easier to play than loose playing styles. If you're new, you should only play the best possible hands (AA-99, AK, AQ). It's pretty boring, but you'll win in full ring games at the lower limits. As your game improves you can add other pocket pairs and AJ, A10. Soon you'll be playing suited connectors and suited single gappers. Then one day you'll realize that you're calling with trash in position because you know you can outplay the preflop raiser. Start out playing tight and loosen up until you find your happy place.

70. Analyze Your Win Rate By The Time Of Day
One of the first things you should do when you join a new poker room is start to analyze how much you win at different times of the day. After several hundred hours of play, you'll notice a pattern start to develop. There will be one time period when you'll win considerably more than others. That's the time the fish log-on. Make sure you're on too.

71. Set Limits And Trail Stops
Here's a tip from the financial markets. In poker, like in financial markets, people tend to cut their profits and let their losses ride. That's the opposite of what you should be doing. Set a loss limit when you start playing and stop when you hit it. If you start to win, raise your loss limit. Repeat this process until you hit your loss limit (your stop) and then stop playing.

72. Don't Listen To Your Friends
I'm sure your poker friends have given you advice on how to play, but you shouldn't listen to them unless your friends are at the skill level you're striving for. Everyone wants to be considered an expert, but few people are. You won't get to the final table of a WPT tournament by listening to the advice of someone who can't beat a $10 Sit 'N Go.

73. Start A Study Group
Instead of blindly taking advice from friends, start a study group where you all bring interesting hands or read poker books and discuss them. Five players may be mediocre by themselves, but their collective experience can equal that of a great player. Each person will improve as they absorb the strengths of the others.

74. Record Your Games
There are plenty of free screen recording programs on the web. Find one and start recording your games. You can buy an external hard drive to store them. Review your play regularly so you can spot leaks. You can also use the videos for discussion at your poker study groups.

75. Test Your Knowledge
Do you have an objective way to determine your level of poker knowledge? Find websites that offer "hand of the day" puzzles and buy poker workbooks like Harrington on Hold'em: Volume III. These exercises will help you make the right decision when it really matters.

76. Join Poker Forums
Poker forums are a great way to learn from top pros both online and offline. The 2+2 forums specifically are frequented by some of the top names in poker. It's not enough to get poker advice. You need good poker advice to improve.

77. Take Calculated Risks
Remember that Full Tilt commercial that shows Phil Ivey facing a raise and thinking about all the hands his opponent could have? He finally thinks, "I like my chances" and goes all in. Sometimes you have to take calculated risks like that. If you've never called with a losing hand then you're not calling enough. Every once in a while you'll make the wrong move, but eventually you'll be right more often than you're wrong.

78. Show Donkey Moves Occasionally
This works well at the low and middle limits where other players think they're poker gods. All it takes is one really bad call and the other players will take you off their radar. When you wake up with a big hand, you drag them over the coals and they won't know it until you showdown. This is a trick move that shouldn't be used against experienced players. They'll see right through it.

79. Teach A Friend
Obviously you have to be a decent player to do this. If you know someone with less experience than you that wants to learn the game, take him under your wing and try to teach him. You'll learn a lot about your own poker knowledge when you try to explain complex concepts and you'll often find that you know the right plays even though you might not make them in the heat of a game. The best way to learn a subject is to teach it.

80. Know When Your Draw Is A Favorite
Have you ever had a really great draw? Something like K(h)Q(h) on a board like J(h)-10(h)-8(s)? In this hand you have a straight flush draw and two over cards. Your draw is a monster! There are 21 cards in the deck that will improve your hand. You might not have the best hand now, but the odds are good that you'll have a monster by the river. I'm getting all my money in the center on a draw like this. If you' re trying to see the river cheap here, you're playing this draw too slow. You're a favorite over top pair, all over pairs except AA (slight dog there), two pair and even a made straight. You can't play a hand this big weak.

81. Don't Be Afraid Of Monsters In The Closet
I know I said to be careful of playing overpairs too fast, but you can't be afraid of monsters in the closet either. When someone goes all- in on a flop like 8-7-2, it doesn't always mean they have a set. They might have JJ, QQ or KK and your aces could be good. You have to weigh the situation carefully to make the right decision.

82. Don't Bluff Calling Stations
Calling stations call. That's their defining characteristic. There's no sense trying to get someone to fold if it's not in them to lay anything down. When you face a calling station, stop all forms of bluffing and bet all hands for value. Let the calling station feed you their stack when you have a hand.

83. Get A Mentor
There's no substitute for a skilled player by your side helping you improve. Some people may be fortunate enough to know someone who will mentor them, others might meet someone in forums or in poker leagues; but even people who don't have any poker contacts can hire a mentor. It won't be cheap, but a good mentor will be worth many times their price.

84. Know The Difference Between A Value Raise And A Stealing Raise
This knowledge is especially important in tournament play where stealing and re-stealing blinds drives the final stages. Raises from early position are usually value raises. It's hard to steal from an early position. Late position raises are more likely to be a steal. However beware of small raises from late position. The raiser might be trying to price you in the hand.

85. Let The Money Come Naturally
You can't force profits. If you try, you'll hemorrhage money. Accept the fact that you're not going to earn $30 an hour playing $0.50/$1 No-Limit. You'll have to grind it out and roll up in limits until you can play a game big enough to make the money you want. Poker is a game of skill and patience. Disciplined players profit and impulsive players go broke.

86. Use Your Betting Patterns To Disguise Your Hand
Astute players will pick up on how you play certain hands. If you want to get paid, you have to change your usual betting pattern. I once got a player to give me 30% of their stack with air when I had trips because I played them the exact same way I played a pure bluff five hands earlier. My opponent recognized the line and thought I was on a bluff when I had a powerful hand.

87. Don't Berate Donkeys
Don't insult bad players at your table even if they draw out on you. If anything you should go out of your way to praise their poor play and make them feel comfortable. You want bad players to stay at your table for as long as possible and they won't do that if you keep telling them what a moron they are.

88. Watch Out For The Squeeze Play
Let's say there are three limpers in early position. You're in middle position with 66, so you call hoping to see a cheap flop. Someone behind you raises and everyone folds to the big blind who re-raises. Now you're caught in a squeeze play. You can't call because you don't know if the original raiser is going re-raise the big blind and you don't want to commit too many chips with a pair of sixes. Fold and make a mental note of the situation. If this play is common at your table it might be a good opportunity to trap with a big hand.

89. Look For Opportunities To Squeeze
The big blind made a great play in the last tip. He noticed that the limpers were weak and that the original raiser probably opened up his raising range to capture the dead money. With that knowledge, the big blind re-raised big to represent aces or kings and take down a large pot. Even if the original raiser called it would be difficult for them to play unless they caught a great flop. Remember that the next time you're the big blind and you see a hand like this develop.

90. Munch On Dead Money
Let's not forget about the original raiser in the past two tips. His play was pretty good too. He noticed that there were a lot of limpers in the pot that were unlikely to call a raise. He was trying to munch on the dead money in the pot. It didn't work because the big blind decided to put the squeeze play on, but that doesn't mean it was a bad move.

91. Show Some Respect Once In A While
Even the most passive players can only take a certain amount of punishment before they wake up and start playing back at a bully. Check down a hand or two against someone you've been pounding when you have a decent hand. It will make them think that you aren't bullying them with junk and they'll be less likely to stand up to you.

92. Get Crazy In A Rock Garden
If you find yourself at a table full of nits, start raising and re-raising like crazy. You'll most likely take down quite a few pots because of your aggression and you'll start to push the rocks out of their comfort zone. Eventually they'll start to loosen up against you to stop you from bullying the table. When the table loosens up you can start playing tighter and get more action on your big hands.

93. Know What Kind Of Pot Your Hand Likes
Pocket aces like a pot with one or two other opponents, but pocket twos and 67 suited like a pot with five or more opponents. That information should tell you that you should raise to thin the field with aces, but call to allow more people in the pot with twos.

94. Mind The Barriers
Certain limits have players of similar skills. For example, there's not much difference in the skill level of a $0.25/$0.50 No-Limit player and a $0.50/$1 player, but there is a difference between a $0.50/$1 player and a $1/$2 player. There are many barriers like this in poker and they can be different in different poker rooms. Mind the barriers and don't cross them until you're ready.

95. Become A Prop Player
Did you know that some poker rooms will pay you to play poker? These rooms want players to play at certain limits at certain times to help fill their games and attract more players. The compensation varies buy you could easily earn 135% of your rake plus bonuses. That's not a bad way to pad your bankroll.

96. Play For Prizes
Some sites will offer you freebies in addition to the poker room's bonus to sign-up. These freebies range from books and poker chip sets to free training and rake back. You're going to play anyway, so you might as well get as much as you can for it.

97. Try A New Style
Are you a tight player? Try playing loose for a while. Are you a LAGtard? Tighten up and see how it affects your bankroll. There are pros and cons to both styles of play. Mix it up and see what style suits you best. Just make sure you drop down in limits before testing out the new you in case it doesn't work out well.

98. Learn When To Bluff
I'm convinced that most players have no clue when they should bluff. There's no magic pill that will teach you when you should bluff. It depends on a lot of factors like the texture of the flop; your opponent's playing style and your image. The only universal truth I have for you is this: most players bluff too much.

99. Make Moves With Speculative Hands
If you're planning on making a big move like a squeeze play or a re-raise on an ultra-loose player, it's best to do it with a hand like 89 suited rather than A6 suited. The reason is that it's hard to get into trouble with 89 suited. You'll always know exactly where you stand in the hand and your opponent will never see it coming when it hits. Ace-6 suited is different. You can get into a lot of trouble with a hand like that. In addition, your opponent will expect you to have an ace, so you'll either win a small pot or lose a big one. Not good.

100. Be Aggressive B-E Aggressive - Whoo!
There are winning tight players and there are winning loose players, but there are no winning passive players. Aggressive poker is winning poker. However you need to know how to time your aggression. Blind aggression will cause you to spew chips all over the felt. Knowing when to be aggressive is the key to winning big in poker.

101. Play To Win
Believe it or not, some people don't play to win. Some people play to make friends with people who have similar interests and some people play because they like the "rush" of betting with their money. There are many reasons why people play poker, but winning players play because they enjoy winning. Winning players study the game and they study the players. They play for the challenge and the strategy. They play because they love to win. The money is just a way to keep score.

These 101 Poker Tips the pro use to win: and how you can toowon't make you a professional player overnight, but they will help you make more money playing poker. Where you go from there depends on your dedication and your love for the game.

Ten Things you Should Know About Playing Heads Up Poker

Heads up poker may well be the most entertaining form of poker available on the web. The one on one excitement puts your skills to the test in a revealing manner. Below is our list of ten things you must know about playing heads up poker. Hopefully this list will help you get in the green and stay there.

You can play a much wider array of starting hands. This means hands containing an ace become much more playable since the odds of your opponent having an ace are slim, and the odds of your opponent having you out kicked are even slimmer. Most hands are determined by psychology and not by your actual hand.

Opponents tilt easier. I can’t tell you how many times people have lost their cool and started insulting me in the chat box. It is almost becoming a new strategy to attempt to suck out on an opponent just to get him or her on tilt. It’s a dirty strategy, but winning is winning.

Reading your opponent is easy. Simply watch what kind of hands they raise with and what hands they call with. After 10-20 hands you can usually get a feel for this style of player. Do they fold a lot? If so watch out when they start to raise.

Folding is ok. By all means try to see every flop possible and make aggressive bets. Just remember that when your opponent calls a strong bet, they probably have a good hand. If you can stand it you might be better off laying down your junk hand if you were just trying to buy the pot.

Bluffing is easier. Watch your opponent limp in and then raise when three diamonds come out. Most likely he’ll throw his hand away and you win. These “mini bluffs” can help you get some chips that you can then use to chase a draw, catch it, and cause your opponent to tilt.

Using Sharkscope really helps. Look up your opponent’s poker stats. See how much they lose. More often than not you will find yourself playing against a total donk in super-tilt mode. This helps when planning your strategy against this opponent. More often than not smart play can cause your opponents to beat themselves.

Adapt to survive. After putting a read on your opponent you should adapt to his or her style of play to beat their game. If they are a calling station, bluff less. If they fold a lot, give them plenty of opportunities to do so (raise frequently).

Being aggressive is good (cliché, I know). As lame as it is to always say to be aggressive in heads up poker, it really works. Taking charge of the game and always being on the offensive can cause your opponent to make poor decisions out of desperation. You will win more small pots and gain a chip advantage, which you can then use to put your opponent all in when you hit a good hand. Force them to make a decision for all of their chips.

Mix up your play to gain an edge. Don’t let your opponent put a read on you. Make wacky calls from time to time. Raise with crappy hands. Keep them guessing. The whole time you are trying to get a read on your opponent, they will be doing the same to you. Make it as difficult as possible.

Play in your comfort zone to stay focused. If you feel awkward playing $50 heads up matches, then drop down to a level you can deal with. Play in relation with your bankroll. You don’t want to wipe it out on just a few bad matches. Remember that bad players exist at all levels, and don’t think that raising the stakes will keep the amateur players away. It’s all relative.

More from the "Ten Things You Should Know..." Series

Erica Schoenberg Interview

by Aaron Angerman

Erica Schoenberg seemed destined to make a career out of gambling. The first piece of evidence: her parents first met at the Santa Anita racetrack in California. In 1978, the couple would add another gambling partner, Erica, to their Akron, OH, home. Later, the family would return to California. There Erica spent her days gambling with the family. On most days, the Schoenberg clan could be found playing rummy for chores, bridge for money or hanging out at the racetrack.

Erica excelled in school. Eventually, she made her way east to the College of Charleston, in Charleston, SC. After studying theater and dance, Erica decided that maybe she'd try acting. It only took a couple of years in Los Angeles to convince Erica that it wasn't the life for her. After dabbling in a handful of interesting professions, including working as a model, personal trainer, professional beach volleyball player and professional blackjack player.

The former model, turned personal trainer, turned beach volleyball player, turned "Blackjack Babe" now has more than $650,000 in live poker tournament winnings. She is also a Full Tilt Poker sponsored player. Just hours removed from a return flight from the East Coast, Erica is cooking a pot of chili and waiting for her hairdresser to show up. Thankfully, she had enough time to answer a few of my questions.

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AA - Thanks for squeezing me in. How's the chili coming?

ES - Not too bad. I wouldn't call myself a chef, but I like to make some down-home stuff from time to time. The first time I gave this chili a shot, it came out as some sort of chili-brick thing. I've gotten better since then. David loves my chili.

AA - What were you up to on the East Coast? Playing poker, or taking a break from the felt?

ES - Actually, I was at the College of Charleston, just hanging out with some old friends. All we did was drink, sleep and eat. I'm pretty sure I put on a few pounds after all the time at the beer pong tables. It was a lot of fun, but it's a weird feeling, being the oldest person at the party.
AA - You have been quoted saying you attribute your success at the tables to your gambling childhood. How was it growing up in the gambling Schoenberg household?

ES - My childhood was cool. I grew up in the sticks. We only had three stoplights and maybe three cops. If you wanted McDonalds or Subway, you'd have to move on to the next town. We made our own fun, and that usually meant gambling. Gambling seems to be in my parent's ancestry, or just in their blood. My dad more than my mom. My dad is a hardcore gambler.
AA - So how did you end up in poker?

ES - First, it was blackjack. Some early blackjack success landed me on a blackjack team. All of a sudden, GSN asked me to play poker show. David Williams was there, as was Michael "the Grinder" Mizrachi. I remember that I was a little full of myself at that point. Needless to say, I got totally pwned. It was easily one of the worst poker performances ever. From that point on, I made it my personal mission; I was going to get better at poker. Pretty soon, the blackjack team disbanded and I started playing online poker. Not long after I began playing online, I won my PokerStars Caribbean Adventure seat in a satellite. I was really happy to make my first $10K tourney. Didn't do anything there, but a short time later, I took 16th at the WPT Championship. The rest is history.

AA - Are you still playing blackjack?
ES - No, not really. They won't let you count cards anywhere. The last thing I want to do is get into trouble and lose my Bellagio privileges.
AA - Speaking of the Bellagio, what'd you do with all the WPT winnings?

ES - I might have used some of it to buy my dream car, a Mercedes SL convertible. David made me sell it, because he thought I'd kill myself. For the first time, I could afford it, so I just went out and bought it. I had it for a year and absolutely loved it. I drive a Range Rover now. Very soccer mom-ish. I think it looks a little too Stepford; me driving out of my gated community in a Range Rover. I'll definitely get another SL convertible when I get the chance.
AA - Are you a crazy driver, or was he just being overprotective?

ES - Oh, I'm a pretty crazy driver. Surprisingly, I'm not a patient person. That strikes some people as odd, because I'm a very patient person at the poker table.

AA - You have followed up a big 2006 and 2007 with just a few small cashes in 2008. In your mind, and in your home, does David's big 2008 make up for a somewhat quiet year on your part?

ES - Yes and no. It's hard to talk poker with David, sometimes. You know his limits. He's playing the biggest online games in the world. For example, he'll be playing for millions in the office, in the other room I'm playing a tournament for $50,000 on my computer. I'll try to get some sympathy from him after a bad beat, but then he'll ask, "How much do you get for first?" I tell him $50,000 and sometimes he just laughs it off. That might be nothing compared to his stakes, but it's still a big tourney for me.

What does happen is David's success helps me by proxy. When he's playing well, not only does it motivate me, but I can talk to him about hands. I love hearing what he thinks about my play. He's a genius. It only helps me up my game.

In the end, I'm just so proud of him. David is the best player in the world, and I'm not just because he's my boyfriend. He's amazing.

AA - In that case, could you live with busting out in every Day 1 if it meant David would be at the final table? If so, do you think he'd do the same?

ES - Interesting. I might be down for letting him have it every other time. Sometimes, being a poker couple can be tricky and annoying. Poker players are mostly ego driven. I would have to say that I would be much more apt to say "I wish that he'd have the success, rather than me." For me, success isn't measured by money.

AA - Do you ever get tired of the 'poker couple' stuff?

ES - Being engaged to a poker player doesn't bother him much, but it bothers me sometimes. Normal significant others leave home for work. When they come home, they talk about your how their very different days went. Not that I don't love talking to him, I just get a little tired hearing about poker, especially after spending all day at the table.

AA - You sound like somebody who likes to get away from the poker room.

ES - I really do. The vacation was nice. I needed a break. The whole poker thing, I'm just not into it right now. This is a new feeling for me. For the past three years, I would eat, sleep and dream poker.

AA - What are you doing when you're not taking people's money?

ES - I have two dogs, Jerry and Mooney. When I am not playing, I try to spend time with them. I also love playing golf. When I was out east, I was able to get some rounds in with my dad. I think I hit the ball really well. I'd love to play more, but Las Vegas is just too damn hot.

AA - Any places you like to go to get away from the heat?

ES - When I have to get out, I escape to my place on the beach in LA. Although, David and I have been talking about finding a home in Europe. Maybe the south of France. The move would be kind of hard for me. I love Europe, but get tired of Euro attitude. Maybe I'm just too much of an American girl at heart. It seems like I'm always pining to come home.

AA - What's your upcoming schedule look like?

ES - It's off to Europe. We'll be hitting up the Cannes tourney, then WPT Barcelona and the WSOP London. Probably do a little house shopping while we're there.

AA - Any goals for the rest of 2008?

ES - I try to not be results oriented. I used to be, but doing so only sets you up to fail. I don't want to be bummed all the time. I think of it like golf. I just want to play my best, bogey, double bogey or whatever. I'll be content with a few good shots. I'm happy I'm extremely grateful that this is what I do for a living. I could be doing a lot worse things.

AA - Are you going to do anything different in next year's WSOP?

ES - Well, I mostly play no limit. I'm going to play more events next year. No limit best game, but maybe I'll venture out into the mixed games a little more. I'd like to not be just a NLHE player, but I feel most comfortable in them. I have seen my best results in NLHE. I think every good player is a better bet in NLHE, mainly because of the weaker fields.

AA - Will you ever drop $50K and enter the HORSE event?

ES - Eventually, yeah, I can see myself playing the HORSE event. I'm would like to tighten my Stud game a little more first. I'm a weak stud player. I hate stud. Don't enjoy it, at all. At this point, there is no way I would spend $50K on tourney. With that money I could buy another Mercedes SL.

AA - Just watch out, you might get berated by intoxicated final tablers, like Scotty Nguyen.

ES - You know, I don't really know him well, but for years, he's rolled around tournaments in wife beater shirts, a mullet and white jeans. He got away with it for a while, but now, people might see him as a jerk. His HORSE final table performance was definitely not cool, especially with poker trying to gain exposure and a clean reputation.

AA - Are you ok with drinking at the table?

ES - I'm fine with drinking at the table, but only if you can hold your liquor. Personally, I never drink at table.

AA - Some people commented that the WSOP needs to do a better job enforcing rules. What do you think?

ES - I think the WSOP did a crappy job enforcing rules this last year. I had a problem in main event, one I wrote about in one of my blogs. I was forced to share the table with a very dense lady, who was slowing the game so much. She would get up out of her seat in the middle of a hand. If you're not seated as the last card is dealt, your hand is supposed to be dead. This lady was on the rail, talking with her friends as the last card was dealt. This kid dealer from Palm Springs just let her play it, as did the floor. Stuff like that should be cleaned up. It's about time we have standardized poker rules, ones that everyone uses.

When it all comes down to it, poker is poker. It's gambling. Professional poker players are a tawdry group. I don't think they'll be enforcing any of these rules anytime soon.
AA - Enough with the negative WSOP stuff. Are you pumped up for the Main Event final table and the "November Nine"?
ES - Actually, I think it is kind of a bummer final table. Sorry. I think it would have been a lot cooler if Tiffany Michelle had made it. I'm good friends with her boyfriend, Hollywood Dave [Stann]. We're both Ohio kids and go back to our blackjack days. We're reppin' the "O-H". I think it would have definitely helped the final table, seeing how she's a lady. I'll always root for a woman to make the final table.

AA - Do you think you'll see a lady win the Main Event in your lifetime?

ES - That'd be awesome. I'll just be optimistic and say yes.

AA - Maybe you'll have to do it. How long do you plan on playing?

ES - I think I'll always play for fun. Don't get me wrong, I love it. No matter what, I think I'll always want to play. My ultimate goal is to have a family. I'm not getting any younger. One day, I would like to have kids.

AA - Are you going to let your kids play poker? There's a pretty good shot they'll have poker in the blood.

ES - I'll let my kids play, but only if they take it seriously. That means no getting hammered. No skipping school. What I really want is for them is to go to college and have the experiences that I did.

… Erica didn't clarify if the experiences she's referring to includes beer pong.