To Tip or Not
Tipping is a tricky issue, especially when you play in tournaments. If there is a staff/dealer’s fee or gratuity built in, you are off the hook. If you make the…
Poker Anthem
The other day, I busted out early and told the poker room manager that I felt like singing the iconic song from the the musical, Annie; Tomorrow. That got me…
Independent Chip Model
Chopping to end a tournament using the ICM (Independent Chip Model) formula allows you to convert the players stacks as percentage of total or remaining prize pool. That becomes his/her…
New Betting Structure
Several major tournaments have tried an interesting innovation. The button pays the small and big blinds, plus any antes. The result is a speeded up the game, plus the dealer…
WSOP Wrap Up
The 50th anniversary of the World Series of Poker ran from May 28 – July 16, 2019. The event has come a long way from its beginnings, in 1969, at…
Protecting Your Blind
It’s a bad idea to protect a hand you wouldn’t normally play. In the small blind, after the flop, you will be in the worst position at the table. A…
Playing on the Bubble
In a tournament paying the final 10 and you are one of 11 players left. What is your strategy? Here are a few ideas. Think about your stack size vs.…
Show One, Show All
Every once in awhile, a player will show their cards to a neighbor before mucking them It might be friendly, but it’s not kosher. Here’s the short version of what…
The Phantom Folder Makes the Final Table
This was the craziest thing I ever experienced in a tournament anywhere. A guy bought in and left the table at Casino 99 to “run errands.” Minutes and then an…
What the Heck is an Arkansas Flush?
When I played in a recent game in the midwest, there were four cards of the same suit on the board. Luckily, I had the matching ace as my hole…