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While for some, the art of poker comes rather naturally, it can take a little while longer for more sporadic players to pick up the basics. As is the case with many varying games and sports, practice does tend to make perfect, but that’s not always the case with poker. In order to help with the learning progression, there are several basic tips that every beginner should bear in mind and stick to when attempting to learn the ropes.
Firstly, it is very common to get caught up in the moment and let your wishful thinking get the better of you. This, in truth, can occasionally happen to those with vast amounts of experience and not just beginners. Although the amount of hands needed to be played to become an expert is anyone’s guess, and whilst there is a slight possibility that any hand can win, a regular mistake among amateur players is simply overplaying. Having a basic knowledge of the potential success rate of any starting hand is key, and, in turn, will lead to more sensible plays being made right from the off. Ultimately, in poker, selectivity is key at any level, but it is even more important for beginners.
Additionally, it would be somewhat advisable to play against players who are of a similar skill set, or, which is perhaps even more productive, others that are of a worse level. As is the case in any game, whether physically or mentally testing, progression is likely to occur at a faster rate when there is a regular challenge against others who are also looking to improve. Jumping into a game against far superior players is only going to dampen your spirits instead of heightening your desire to learn and improve.
Although bluffing is part and parcel of the spirit of the game, it is important that beginners do not get overly reliant on this aspect of poker. While it’s undeniably an effective skill to have, learners can be drawn into betting vast amounts in the hope of bluffing their way to a winning hand. As discussed earlier with selectively playing hands, there is a high element of risk attached to attempting to bluff your way to victory with a below-par hand.
Furthermore, it can be extremely advantageous for beginners to find their feet by participating in various online casino games. While it can be overwhelming for new players to find an online platform that is right for them, it is hugely important to not jump straight into the first one that you come across. Instead, you should read more online to find out what offers you can find at different casinos, as well as using reviews to judge what the best option is for you. Practicing in a familiar environment is likely to increase the level of development while stepping outside of your comfort zone without having learnt the basics could ultimately prove to be a hindrance.
In order to improve at poker, these handy tips will prove beneficial for any beginner. It’s crucial to remember that while playing every hand and bluffing your way to winning can be enjoyable, it’s unlikely to lead to a greater understanding of the game and should be done in moderation.
A mind sport is a game of skill where competition is based on intellectual ability rather than luck or physical fitness. This definition covers many games from Uno to chess but not all mind games are recognized as mind sports: the official definition of competitive mind games currently applies to contract bridge, chess, go, draughts and xiangqi, and mahjong, as sanctioned by the International Mind Sports Association. Back in 2009, poker also won a provisional recognition as a mind sport, bringing it one step closer to becoming a bona fide sport rather than what it is seen today by many, a gambling game. Yet the game was still a bit too reliant on chance for it to become a true mind sport. Thus, a new breed of poker was invented, one that hoped to cater to the tastes of both the top poker players in Canada and beyond as well as the International Olympic Committee. Despite all this effort, the new game is not there just yet – but it has taken major steps toward eliminating as much chance from poker as possible. It is called “Match Poker”, and it’s not that different from the most-played poker variants today.
In short, match poker is the team version of Texas Hold’em “typically with a pot-limit pre-flop and no-limit post-flop structure”, as the International Federation of Match Poker (IFMP) describes it. It is not played with actual cards but with tablet-like devices, and it’s not played for money but for chips with no monetary value. The teams are split into different tables, and each team member sits in a different position. The hands are identical for each position of each table, so every member of every team plays the very same hands in each round – every player in seat 1, no matter what team he or she is from, will have the same hand, and the table will have the same community cards as well. The hands are played as usual. At the end of the hand, a total of each team’s chips is calculated, points are given based on the number of chips won, the stacks are reset, and the next hand is dealt. Each hand is recorded electronically for analysis, scoring, and animated replay.
The match ends after a predetermined number of hands played. The team with the most points wins.
The Global Association of International Sports Federations – formerly known as SportsAccord – is the umbrella organization for every sports federation in the world. The IFMP has applied for membership in this organization in 2017, backed by its then 60 national organizations and with the support of SportAccord president Patrick Baumann but the application was deferred at that time. The competitive version of poker still made some progress: the Ukrainian Ministry of Youth and Sports has officially recognized it as a sport last fall, and its membership continues to grow.
And the IFMP continues to work for Match Poker to get the recognition it deserves as a game of skill, not a game of chance. Perhaps some day we’ll see (match) poker recognized as an Olympic competition.
In Part I of this two-part article, we explained the importance of deception in poker and discussed bluffing and semi-bluffing, building the pot when you catch a monster hand (preferably the nuts), and gaining position. We continue with additional forms of deception…
Stealing the blinds is quite common. If you are in a late position pre-flop, and all your opponents before you muck their hole cards, your bet may be all you need to take the blinds. (It’s not a lot of chips, but it will pay for a big blind.) It’s best if you have at least a marginal hand in case one of the blinds wakes up with a decent starting hand. This strategy should not be used if an aggressive player is one of the blinds.
Going one step further, consider stealing the pot when there is a weak flop and you are in late position – preferably the button — and everyone has checked to you. (Small pots do add up over time.) However, don’t do it too often lest your opponents get wise and start calling even with marginal hands. Use deception with due prudence.
Everyone knows what a tell is – a form of “body language” from which players often gain pertinent information. (Note: Poker is a game of partial information; the more information you gain, the more likely you will win. Also, it’s far more difficult to gauge tells when playing real money online poker as opposed to live poker in a brick and mortar room.)
A rather unique form of deception is offering an apparent tell in order to deceive your opponent – a “reverse tell.” By way of illustration: You catch a monster hand; your goal now is to build the size of the pot you expect to win. Wanting opponents to call your bet/raise, you might resort to a reverse tell.
Examples: cover your mouth with your hand, lean back in your chair, rub you neck, “freeze” in your seat, apparently immobile, take a deep breath and hold it, and breathe heavily after raising. An opponent observing such a tell takes it to mean that you are bluffing, so he stays in the pot rather than folding. He might even raise your bet. Wow!
After playing for a while, each player is bound to project an image that even less-skilled players observe. On that basis, players categorize their opponents as tight (play few hands), loose (play lots of hands), passive (rarely raise) or aggressive (often raise). Some may be loose-aggressive or tight-passive. Also, opponents may be regarded as calling stations (cannot be bluffed out) or as bluffers (prone to bluff quite often). That’s the image projected. The skilled player can exploit his own image to deceive opponents – and win more chips from them.
Let’s suppose you started off playing only the best starting hands; you sit out hand after hand. Hence, your opponents regard you as a very tight player. With this image, your bluffs are more likely to succeed. (Note: Never show your hand when you win a bluff. Don’t give the “enemy” any information that would benefit him.)
But, inevitably, an opponent connects on a draw, and calls your bluff bet. Now, when you show your hand, you have a new image in the minds of your opponents. Now, for a while, hold off on making any bluffs. Furthermore, when you catch a monster hand, your bets/raises are more likely to be called – so you win bigger pots. Deception can pay…
Playing hours and hours of poker is easily the best way to get good at the card game, but it can lead to burnout and disillusionment when things aren’t going well. This is why a lot of poker professionals play other games. They can be used as a form of respite from Texas Hold’em, but they also represent a way for a player to improve their overall skillset in poker. This is because there are a number of transferable skills in other games that can be taken to the Texas Hold’em table. Here are some games that card players can enjoy as a way to boost their poker skills.
One of the best ways to improve heads up play is through PvP fantasy card games like Gwent and Hearthstone. A number of poker players, including Daniel Negreanu and Bertrand (ElkY) Grospellier have gone down this route. Both have been known to play Hearthstone competitively. Grospellier was actually an eSports player before he got into poker, and he found that his strategic talents were applicable in both games.
READ MORE: Interview with Daniel Negreanu
Fantasy card games have a core foundation of mathematics, just as poker does. In essence, the player with the highest value hand should win. But there are ways to incorporate strategy in order to prevail with a weaker set of cards. This is done through bluffing, deception, and trying to second-guess your opponent. Gwent and Hearthstone are fun, and they can help players refine their heads up play and make it to being the last person standing in a tournament.
Building and playing with a deck in Gwent will help increase a player’s understanding of value. Each card comes with its own provision cost, and players need to make that translate to worthwhile value when the card is played on the board. For example, if you put a 10-point provision card in your deck, you need to be getting 10 points of value out of it. So if it is worth 6 in value and deals 4 damage to an opponent’s unit, the value is achieved unless the 6-point card is then removed from the board. If the four unit card that was removed was also an engine that boosts other units, there is added inherent value because it has stopped that unit from adding value to other cards.
Online video poker represents a way of playing the game which is completely different from the usual table format. Video poker games online give players a chance to refine their strategy and test out their skills in a range of exciting and innovative ways to play the classic game. These include offerings like Deuces Wild, Jacks or Better, and Bonus Poker. Each of these games has a slightly different rule set to the traditional game, so it is wise for players to familiarise themselves with the differences before they play.
Video poker shares a lot of similarities with slot games, in that there is a high level of chance involved. Where they differ from the reel-spinning games is in the fact that players are usually able to hold cards and make choices which have an effect on the outcome. For this reason, players need to have good knowledge of winning hands and their likelihood of coming in. Playing games like these, therefore, is an excellent way to improve an understanding of probability.
Probability is one of the key aspects of poker, and professionals are constantly trying to work out what the chances of their opponents having certain cards are. They need to work out their own odds of winning a hand, and decide whether it is worth playing based on the size of the pot and how much they have already invested.
Mathematical and problem solving skills are extremely important for poker players. In the online world especially, there is much more focus on these attributes rather than bluffing and psychological ability. To improve these skills, puzzle games for mobile are a good option. Sudoku is one of the most popular games among mathematicians, and the increasing difficulty levels of the games exercise the mind.
Research has shown that playing puzzle games can keep the mind sharp, which is just what a poker player needs. A 2014 study found that people who play Cut the Rope on a regular basis have improved executive functions. The Zeptolab game is miles apart from poker, but could be a way for card players to help their brains in a different way.
All in all, playing a wide variety of strategy, mathematical, and puzzle-based games can be great for the mind. It can also help develop valuable skills that can then be transferred to the poker table.
There are many online poker rooms available these days, and as such it can be difficult to nail down the best promotion and get the most bang for your buck. What do you go for; a generous welcome offer? An excellent VIP player scheme? If you are new to the world of online poker it can be difficult to decide. Below, we’ve listed some tips for how you can choose the best online poker promotion, and what some of the top options might be.
It could be that you like to give some of the top online poker sites a bit of a test drive. In that case, you might want to look for a brand that offers a no deposit bonus. This means that you don’t need to deposit any money before getting to try out some of the games on a site. These are somewhat rare, but some of the less popular poker rooms offer this promotion as they’re eager to try and attract new players. All you need to do is register on the site on most occasions, and you will be credited with funds. It won’t be a ton of free money, so you’d need to play for low stakes and try to build your bankroll into something more substantial. Just be advised that usually these promos come with some strings attached, specifically wagering requirements and other terms and conditions. There are plenty of sites out there that offer listings of where you can find some of the better online poker promo offers, much like nodepositcasinos247 does similarly for online casino offerings.
It could be that you are a bit of a high-roller – in which case you won’t mind depositing a large sum to get you going. If that’s the case – you will no doubt want a site that offers a generous welcome package. This could be a percentage match up to a certain amount, or, perhaps you’ll get offered rakeback bonuses. Again, make sure you are fully advised of any bonus caps or restrictions as per the terms and conditions of these promo offers. Note that in the UK, with the point of consumption tax going up discourage operators from dishing out bonuses, you will find that there are fewer sites offering these for now.
It could be that you like to be kept entertained and are on the lookout for a change every now and then. In which case, you should be looking for a brand that is updated regularly with promotions. This means you will always find something fresh and new to enjoy. This is also a good sign as it shows that the brand cares about players and will continue to create offers that fit in with their player base. When it comes to the likes of Christmas, Easter, Halloween etc – you will normally find that many poker sites go all out when it comes to offers. After all, this is when players are more likely to have some extra cash on hand to spend, and the hungrier brands are after your business.
If you are a player that tends to stick to what you like and know – then a VIP scheme will be exactly what you are looking for. With VIP schemes – you are rewarded for loyalty and get additional perks for playing on a site. This could be anything from a dedicated account manager, to birthday bonuses, to exclusive offers, or a higher points-to-cash conversion ratio. What usually happens is you work your way up a loyalty ladder, and the higher you go – the more rewards you can look forward to. Usually progression through a VIP scheme is based on deposits made on a site as well as amount played (measured via rake).
If you like to enjoy your online gaming with a little less risk, then a cashback (rakeback) offer could be right up your street. This is when you will get a percentage back of the rake you’ve generated in cash games and via tournament entry fees back into your account. Traditionally, this will be credited back to your account at the end of a defined period of time; e.g., weekly, monthly, or quarterly. Just like with any other offer – there are normally terms and conditions attached to it. If there is a VIP scheme, usually the rakeback percentage gets higher as you climb higher up the ladder.
If you are a bit of a social butterfly – you might enjoy that offers that feature on social media. The best brands out there make an effort to engage with their players over social media mediums as it builds a community base for their brand. It also boost their retention rate due to this as there is another avenue for players to contact the site. You will find that on some sites’s Facebook pages or Twitter feeds there are social media specific promotions that you won’t find on their site, via email or SMS in order to drive traffic there and grow the player base.
If you aren’t sure what you should be looking for in a promotion – the truth is, it depends on what kind of player you are. If you are just testing the waters out – as mentioned, no deposit bonuses are usually the best option. And there are other deposit- and play-based treats for more accomplished players who are more likely to spend a lot of time and money on a particular online poker site. Finally, no matter what online poker promo you opt to chase, make sure you read the terms and conditions so you know what you are in for.
We teach our kids never to lie; always be truthful. But deception in poker is a different story. Sure, deception is a way of lying, but it it’s part of the game of poker. It would not be poker otherwise. In fact, it’s hard to be a winner unless you are deceptive on occasion…
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, deception is “the act of causing someone to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid.” As a matter of fact, the well-skilled poker player is a master at deception. It can easily make the difference between a winning or losing poker session.
Bluffing is the most common deception in poker. That includes semi-bluffing. The latter would be somewhat akin to a typical “5 free no deposit bonus for new players” offer at an online casino. While there’s legitimacy to such an offer, there are of course terms and conditions. In poker, by comparison, the idea is to convince your opponents that your hand beats theirs; so, they’ll muck their cards and you’ll win the pot by default.
A semi-bluff may be wise when you have a drawing hand with lots of outs, at least one of which must connect to take the pot. It’s best when you have only one or two opponents. There are two ways to win that hand, usually on the turn:
Then, if you think your one remaining opponent is drawing to a hand, then you have the option to try to bluff him out on the river. If he is drawing, the odds are against him. More likely, he will not connect; so, your river bluff may seal your victory. The pot odds usually make that a prudent bet.
You catch a monster hand, preferably the nuts, so you are confident that this pot is yours. On that basis, your goal now is to build the size of the pot to the extent possible. (After all, the more chips you win, the more fun it is.)
In this case, there are several deceptive tactics often used by skilled players:
In Part II of Deception in Poker, we will continue our discussion and examine the concepts of stealing the pot, reverse tells, and using your image.
It’s easy to find online poker options on sites that only cater to poker players. Sites such as PokerStars and Full Tilt offer a large variety of poker games around the clock. While this certainly appeals to avid and professional poker players, there’s a whole other group of poker enthusiasts who are looking for something different during each gambling experience. They also prefer not to play against the pros who patronize the dedicated poker sites.
The question is, “are there an abundance of online casinos that offer poker rooms and how would someone go about finding those sites?” More importantly, “are there online casinos with mobile apps that provide poker playing options?” The reality is that over the past few years Mobile Casinos like ice casino erfahrungen are quickly becoming the chosen way to play.
The answer to both of the above questions is an unequivocal “yes.” There are in fact a lot of online casinos that include poker options in at least one of two formats.
The first format is what industry experts refer to as “poker table games.” It’s very unusual for a mobile gambling site that offers casino games to not include poker table games like Let It Ride, Three-Card Stud, Pai Gow, Caribbean Poker, and the ever-popular Texas Hold’em or just Hold’em. Unlike traditional poker games, these games are played against the house, not other players. To increase the enjoyment factor, some of these games provide side-bet options that reward players for hitting big hands.
If a player is looking for the requisite competition that comes with playing tradition poker games, the selection of available mobile apps is a little smaller. With that said, there are quite a few sites that do have poker rooms. The table limits tend to be a little smaller than the table limits offered on a dedicated poker site, but the competition is good, and games are available around the clock.
If a poker enthusiast is satisfied with playing poker table games, it’s not going to be difficult to find a mobile app that satisfies that option. With so many sites from which to choose, the player would be well-served to find the site or sites that offer the most poker options, plus a nice selection of bonus promotions.
That’s one advantage a player gets from playing poker on a casino site or mobile app. They get access to some really nice bonuses they can use to play more poker. That’s not to say dedicated poker sites don’t offer bonuses, some do. It’s just that online casinos offer a lot more bonus opportunities, sometimes directed specifically at poker players.
If a player holds steadfast to wanting to play traditional poker, locating an online casino mobile app that provides that option is going to take a bit more effort. The player always has the option of looking at reviews, of course. However, a far better solution is to stick with recognizable name brand online gambling providers that maintain all-in-one gambling sites that include horse racing, sports betting, casino games and a poker room.
Ed. Note: This is the fourth in an ongoing series of articles by Christina Bradfield entitled “What the Flop?” a poker column about the absurdities, humor, and just “random stuff” that goes along with playing poker.
“Yeah. no. The guys will definitely not go for that,” Mike (not his real name) responded. I’d just asked the floor supervisor of one of the most popular card rooms in Vegas if we could have one hot male server in the poker room. Just one in a sea of corseted women in fishnets serving me my coffee with cream and Splenda. Just one hot guy, he can even keep his shirt on, no fishnets required, but I can objectify him quietly as I ask for an extra napkin for my drink.
I’ve been hearing for years that the next big poker boom is going to be women, a sea of women joining the poker community to boost up numbers that rival the heyday in poker after the Moneymaker Effect swelled the entrants to the following year’s WSOP. I’ve heard just as many people saying there’s no way in…heck that would ever happen. It’s like a unicorn — that magical thought that some phenomenon would propel waves of women to participate in a primarily male sport. You’d have a better chance of winning a jackpot at bspin.
To achieve this unicorn, how do we make poker attractive to women or incentivize it more without compromising the game that it is now? Or does poker have to change or compromise to have more of a gender blending?
I might be more incentivized to put time in the poker room if they said “Christina, for four hours of play we’ll give you a $25 gift certificate for the spa.” I already enjoy earning food comps and, ironically, the Commerce Casino has one of the best steak salads I’ve ever had, anywhere.
One of the first poker tournaments I ever played was at the Oasis in Mesquite, NV. It no longer exists, but for $10, I got an entry, parting gifts, and I met some great women. (It was a Women’s Tournament.) However, our parting gifts were either anti-aging cream or picture frames. At the time, most women there were about 50 years my senior (and kicked my butt!) I felt uncomfortable taking the cream in front of them so I took the picture frame. Where’s my Jack Link’s Beef Jerky that used to be a sponsor of the WSOP?
And as much as I love playing in women-only events, I also like the intermingling of men and women playing together. Granted, there’s more grunting and sweatpants, and I get asked constantly if I’m a nurse or a teacher, but there’s a vibrancy there.
Poker supervisors, perhaps consider an aspect of your poker room like a Field of Dreams for women. What do you have to build in order for them to come? WSOP, what needs to happen to have more than approximately 4% entrants who are women for the Main Event?
And I’m not necessarily advocating for special treatment, just a hot waiter or two would definitely make me wonder if I really wanted to see that movie or if I wanted to go play cards.
Or, perhaps my four hours of play could net me part of a pedicure. Yes, I’m partially joking, but small things make a difference.
I don’t want to be the unicorn, I want to be a part of the action; thinking about quads, joking with my table, and maybe hot guys, a killer steak salad and the potential of a pedicure. That’s the makings of my Field of Dreams…
This month I had the pleasure of interviewing a Vegas grinder. We’ll call him VG to protect his identity. VG was kind enough to do this interview while he was taking a break from his $1/3 no-limit game at Caesars Palace. We chatted over dinner at the food court while he ate trail mix and a protein bar from his backpack.
Fox – “So, VG, thank you for doing this interview. I know a lot of Cardplayer Lifestyle readers are curious what the life of a Vegas book bag grinder is really like.”
VG – “Dude, stop calling it that. It’s a backpack.”
Fox – “Of course, my apologies. And you need this… backpack, because you bring a lot of things to the table with you for a long night of poker.”
VG – “Yeah man, gotta have everything I need.”
Fox – “And what kinds of things do you bring with you?”
To my shock, he now pushed the backpack over to me, clearly an offer to check its contents. What a coup! Now we would find out everything that was in the backpack of a legitimate grinder. The contents are listed below. Comments from VG about the items are in parentheses.
Well, our subject was certainly prepared for a long night at the tables, but I had some questions.
Fox – “Do you ever think that maybe showing up with a backpack to a $1/3 game kind of gives away the fact that you are a poker pro and maybe makes the game tougher for you?”
VG – “Nah, fish don’t learn. You think I’m gonna be without my jams and my movies?”
Fox – “I guess not. The hoodie, headphones, and playing style would have given it away anyway, I guess.”
VG – “Gotta be comfy.”
Fox – “Yes, I see. Can we talk about the lifestyle that poker provides for you?”
VG – “Sure.”
Fox – “How much money do you make hourly in the games here?”
VG – “I do fine. Last night I made $400.”
Fox – “That’s not an hourly rate…”
VG – “I don’t know, like $30 maybe?”
Fox – “You really don’t know how much money you make per hour on average?”
VG – “Nah, not exactly, but I guess around $30.”
Fox – “And what keeps you at the $1/3 tables? With that kind of win rate you are definitely good enough to crush $2/5 for a lot more money.”
VG – “Bankroll man. And I run super bad. These fools get lucky on me all day long. Dealers hate me. Gonna start playing tournaments or betting on horse racing results or something.”
Fox – “I’m not sure that will help with the bad luck, but a little variety is always nice. What did you do before poker?”
VG – “I worked for a bank. Got a degree in Finance.”
Fox – “You have a degree in Finance? Interesting. And yet you have no idea how much money you make?”
VG – “My bills get paid, my Xbox subscriptions are paid, and I go to the club on comps whenever I want. Who cares?!”
Fox – “I see. How about a little strategy discussion for our readers?”
VG – “Since I’m gonna start playing tournaments, I’ll just give you the whole basic strategy. I’m tired of the grind anyway…”
Fox – “So you’re going to reveal the secrets to beating low stakes no-limit games for us?”
VG – “Yeah, take notes if you want.”
I did in fact take notes. Here, revealed for the first time, are all the plays you need to know to be a backpack grinder in Las Vegas.
Overall, VG’s strategy seems remarkably simple. Of course, there are some flaws, but when I asked more questions about in-depth strategy, he told me that I now had everything I needed. I tried to point out that driving for UBER wasn’t a great choice if you are already making $30 an hour, but he just said “swings”.
VG left when he was done with his Honey Nut Cheerios. He walked off hitting his vape pen as he was headed back to the poker room to “bust some donkeys”. He left some of his Tupperware on the table, so I picked it up and headed to the poker room to make sure he didn’t lose it. When I found him he was in a $1/3 game, wearing his headphones, silently ignoring the player next to him who was urging the table to straddle and have a beer with him. A few minutes later the player left, and VG left as well.
“Table sucks,” he said, “Stupid fish left. Bunch of damn nits now. Poker is tough these days, ya know?”
This is really bad advice. All of it. Do not follow any of it. VG is not a real professional poker player. This is a guy who thinks he is a poker pro because he doesn’t keep track of his results.
Also, I made him up. But he’s a reasonable approximation of a common type of bookbag grinder in Las Vegas in a small no-limit cash game.
In poker, a “nit” is, by definition, a player who sticks to only playing the very best hands and only getting involved in the pots when they have the goods. Many of these players play online poker while others spend their time at live venues. So, dealing with the nits is something every professional, semi-professional, and recreational player simply has to do.
Although they seem to believe their approach to the game can’t be beaten, and there are actually many nits advocating the approach on Reddit poker forums, there is plenty of evidence to the contrary. In fact, most of the best players out there certainly don’t advocate this style of play.
In much of my own strategy content at mypokercoaching blog, I demonstrate that this is far from optimal strategy, and that you should avoid playing too tight.
So, in this short article, we’ll give you a few tips on how to deal with the nits at the table by minimizing your losses against them and maximizing your profits in favorable spots.
Generally speaking, nits will rarely open-raise without a good hand. They aren’t ones to mix it up or experiment with hand ranges. Nits stick to the top 10%-15% of the best hands and that’s something you can be certain of. So, what is the best way to counter this?
Simply put, don’t play weak holdings! If a nit opens a hand, there isn’t much reason to get involved, especially if you are out of position (in the blinds, for example). Tighten your calling range and fold the types of mediocre hands that you would otherwise defend with against more aggressive opponents.
Since these players have very solid starting hands most of the time, the best way to punish them is by not giving them the satisfaction of winning big pots when they finally decide to get involved.
#HowIGetSatisfaction I don’t get no satisfaction
— D-Eazy (@dannyelhaj) January 4, 2019
What you can do to balance things a bit is widen your bluff 3-betting range to include more suited aces and suited kings, for example. Since these players are reluctant to get involved with anything but really good hands, they will often fold way too often to 3-bets, without paying any attention to who the 3-bettor is or how often they attempt a 3-bet.
Nits are the best players to target when they are in the big blind position. They will fold way too often and they’ll rarely 3-bet as a bluff, unless they have the top of their range, which makes this a perfect scenario for you.
In most cases, you’ll simply steal the blinds (and antes, if in play) and move on to the next hand. Some of the time, you’ll get to play in position after the flop against a player who never plays back unless they actually smash the board, so you’ll win most of those pots as well. On the rare occasion they find a 3-bet, you can over-fold against these players, because they simply do it so rarely that it almost becomes irrelevant.
Finally, nits tend to really play fit-or-fold poker, so they are easy to play against after the flop. If you have tracking software for the poker tables, you’ll easily notice these players by their low c-bet percentages, high fold to c-bet stat, etc. In a nutshell, these players won’t give you any real problems. They’ll play with you when they have a hand and let you win in all other instances.
So, if you are the pre-flop aggressor, you should almost always keep the heat on against these players after the flop. Don’t let them see another card and catch up. They’ll rarely float you with overs or backdoor draws. Unless they hit a decent pair or a really good draw, they’ll simply give up.
The same idea applies when they’re the one driving the action. Most nits will just fire a continuation bet (if that) and then give up on the turn unimproved. Against a player like this, you can float many board textures that you can assume don’t hit their range very well and just take the pot away from them when they check to you on the turn.
Finding yourself at a table with one or more players who seem keen on taking almost every hand to a showdown can be a tricky, but profitable, situation.
Sometimes it looks like these guys only know poker rules and make random plays, but to counter them efficiently you need to quickly recognize these players at the table and make some adjustments to your regular playing style.
Once you do, you can use these three tips to crush passive players and take their chips.
The first thing you need to come to terms with is that these players pretty much can’t be bluffed. Occasionally, a situation may arise where firing a bluff may be the appropriate strategy but, in general, you want to seriously reduce your bluffing frequency against these players.
The fact they’ll happily call off two or even three barrels with hands as weak as fourth pair (or worse!) means that your bluffs simply lose value. These opponents simply won’t give up often enough to make bluffing in most “standard” spots profitable.
Additionally, when solid bluffing spots do appear, you should usually make your bet size smaller against calling stations. These players are usually in “call or fold” mode, so your bluffs will be just as successful whether you fire a half-pot or 1.5x pot bet. When your bluff doesn’t go through, though, you won’t be losing as much.
The fact that players we categorize as calling stations go to showdown with very weak hands opens them to a world of problems when they find themselves against a competent player. If your Hold’em Manager or other tracking software indicates that your opponent is a passive calling station, you need to adjust your value range to include some hands that you usually wouldn’t bet for value.
This covers a relatively wide spectrum of situations that you’ll simply need to recognize while playing. For example, in the spots where your pocket pair is lower than the highest card on the board but you know the player will call you down with much weaker than the top pair, you need to sometimes go for full value.
Usually, if these players have a hand as strong as a top pair, you’ll find out about it at some point during the hand. If they’re content to just check-call all the way, they’re far more likely to have something like second or even third pair. While this isn’t a strategy you’d generally adhere to against an average, solid opponent, it is a valuable adjustment to be making against calling stations.
Another adjustment you should make when playing against passive calling stations has to do with your bet sizing in value spots. In general, we tend to size our value bets in a way that we believe will produce the desired outcome (the call from our opponent). Against players who tend to be very sticky and have problems folding their weak hands though, we can get away with making big value bets with impunity.
On average, players who belong to this category think along the lines “call or fold” (as already mentioned) and the size of your bets doesn’t really affect their decision that much. So, for the same reason you should make your bluffs smaller, you should make your value bets bigger. Over-betting the pot in situations where your opponents clearly have something they want to take to the showdown is a great way to maximize your profits.
Once again, you don’t really have to worry about balancing your bet sizes against these players. Even if you had them crushed twice already when you made a huge river bet, they’d still keep calling you down with weak hands, believing that their hand must be good at least sometimes. You’ll be able to make a lot of money off of them before they start to adjust, if they ever do – and that’s a big if.
Just a little over a year ago, my girlfriend and I were texting each other about dream jobs.
Her dream, once upon a time, was to work in sports media, which she did for a while before finding her current and very fulfilling career path.
I didn’t have to think too hard about what my dream job would be; traveling around the world and crushing high roller poker tournaments for millions of dollars. Aside from that though, there’s no doubt; writing about poker is my dream job.
A tournament I won in a Las Vegas casino back in December 2013
I dabbled in poker writing a little bit as a tournament reporter at the World Series of Poker in 2009 and 2010, and I was conversing with my girlfriend about that gig. We both came to the conclusion that it was time for me to start looking for freelance work in the poker media realm.
If you’ve ever tried to break into a particular niche of freelance writing, you know how much work goes into finding potential outlets to work for.
I started visiting every poker news site I think of, combing their websites to find out if any of them were looking for contributors. One of the first sites I came across was the Cardplayer Lifestyle Poker Blog, and much to my excitement I found this:
I emailed Robbie and pitched a couple of stories, introducing myself as someone who was pursuing their dream career in poker media. Much to my surprise and delight, Robbie responded within 24 hours and approved one of the pitches!
He informed me that if that article went well, it could potentially turn into a monthly gig for me. I had just started playing poker again around that time, after taking three-year break, so my first poker article in eight years was a story about the thrill of playing again after taking time off.
The thrill of having an article published was even greater. I started spending a lot of time watching the WSOP from past years, the WPT, YouTube videos, and anything else I could find related to poker.
I wanted to always have several story ideas ready for my monthly Cardplayer Lifestyle article, which I feel blessed to still be doing 13 months later! I also just wanted to soak in as much knowledge about the modern poker landscape as I could, while looking to go further in this poker writing pursuit.
I was also spending as much time as possible playing poker at that point. I was a Sit & Go specialist back in the day, but this time around I wanted to learn how to play cash games, something I had very little experience with.
If you’ve ever tried to transition to cash games from a tournament background, you know these are two different worlds. Dipping my toes back in the water, I signed up at Replay Poker as well as a couple other sites. After a nice start at the online microstakes, I started losing, decisively, and knew it was time to step up my study game away from the table.
Somewhere along the way, I came across this motivational speech from Doug Polk:
I had never been more fired up to improve my game, and it was time to put some real work into getting better. So at that point, around the beginning of summer 2018, I was spending nearly all of my free time trying to get better at poker, and trying to get better at poker writing.
As it so happens, Doug Polk is one of the co-founders of Upswing Poker, a poker training site with an extensive library of learning materials. I signed up for the Upswing Poker Lab and started really trying to understand what it takes to be a winning player.
I was still looking for writing opportunities at the time as well, Googling things like “poker writing jobs”, sending cold emails to poker media outlets, and combing freelance job boards like Upwork every day, just to make sure I didn’t miss out on any potential opportunities.
During this search, I came across this Reddit thread from 2017:
I had spent a good amount of time on Upswing, and that lead at the bottom of this screenshot was a potentially exciting opportunity. I sent in an application, and a few weeks later starting contributing.
So at this point I’m writing at least 3-4 articles a month total, for Cardplayer Lifestyle and Upswing Poker. I’m well aware of just about every other poker media outlet in existence, as I’ve contacted them all at this point.
I’m working out at the gym one day in early 2019, and in between sets I’m scanning Twitter.
Lance Bradley from PocketFives had tweeted that he was looking for U.S.-based poker writers and to DM him if interested. I finished up a set of shoulder presses and immediately went home, cutting the workout short. I needed to apply for that spot ASAP.
I came home and contacted Lance, and found out that he was looking for a writer to cover U.S. online poker legislation. As an avid online player, this topic is of great interest to me, and for the past few months I’ve had the opportunity to contribute to PocketFives, covering some of the developments as they happen in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, the two most recent U.S. states to legalize online poker.
So, at the one-year point of this journey, I’m now contributing to three great poker websites and spending much of my free time writing about poker. Between the poker writing duties and my other gig, which is working in the craft beer industry here in San Diego, life is good!
Getting up in the morning and having the opportunity to work in a field that you love is priceless.
We’re one month away from the start of the 50th Annual WSOP! What event are you most looking forward to?
2019 WSOP Schedule: https://t.co/I3HoFxANCy pic.twitter.com/tQAnKLONDl
— WSOP (@WSOP) April 28, 2019
Over the past year, I’ve been aware of a Live Reporting Blogger position that’s listed on PokerNews. I wanted to apply for it, but before I did I emailed Robbie.
Robbie is a self-made man in the poker media industry, and I wanted to get some insight from him about how I could really make myself stand out when applying for this position with PokerNews. He immediately emails me back and says “let’s talk about this over the phone.”
It’s 1 p.m. here in California, which means it’s 11 p.m. in Israel, where Robbie resides. Despite the late hour, and the fact that he’s feeling under the weather, Robbie is willing to talk about this right now!
After answering some questions I had, Robbie offered to make an introduction to Yori Epskamp, the Head of Live Reporting for PokerNews. A door had opened. Now it was up to me.
I’ve reflected on those summers working at the 2009 and 2010 WSOP many, many times. My life took a different path in the 2010s and I never thought I would be back at the WSOP.
But this year it’s happening. After corresponding with Yori, I received an offer to work as a live reporter at the 2019 WSOP, for PokerNews. I’ll be in Las Vegas for the duration of the 50th Annual World Series of Poker, which is now just a couple of weeks away.
Working toward a big dream comes in little steps, little pieces. If there’s something you want to do in life, think about what the very first step would be in moving toward that dream. And keep stepping, keep striding, keep running with it!