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…
The Squeeze Play
It’s designed to put pressure on the player who has flat called the raiser. The action is pre-flop with a big re-raise or three bet, thus squeezing at least one…
What Does it Mean to Float
Simply put, it’s a strategic play to call a continuation bet with a good hand. The aim is to bet or raise on the turn to take the pot. However,…
No Limit Hold “Em Quiz
Quiz: On the last hand of the night, on the button, I picked up a pair of red kings in the hole. Slowed played an opening bet, plus a raise.…
How and Why Did I Lose $50 in a Low-Limit Game?
A friend recently asked me that question. Background: he’s a good player but very loose. My answer was, “You bled chips.” The thought that it’s only another buck or two,…
Big Blind Ante
The latest innovation to build pots in high stakes poker games and tournaments is the big blind ante. The World Series of Poker has bought into the concept for their…
Zombie Poker
As you probably know, a zombie is a person who has died and come back to life. The equivalent in poker is when a tournament structure allows someone who has…