George Epstein

George Epstein’s day started out on the wrong foot in more ways than one. So he decided to take a trip to his local casino to play some poker and try to relax. Luckily, some run good came his way just in time.

A cute little poker story about how a solid run of good cards can help to completely turn a person’s day around.

One of the dirtiest cheating tactics in poker – collusion – can unfortunately sometimes find it’s way into home games and even brick and mortar establishments. If you spot collusion happening, get up and leave the game immediately.

This article details how collusion can be executed at live poker tables. Always keep your eyes peeled to ensure that neither you nor anyone else at the table is getting cheated.

Written by legendary casino cheat Richard Marcus back in 2006, Dirty Poker remains a fascinating read. Though some parts have become somewhat dated, due to technological advancements in enhancing poker security, this book is highly intriguing.

Of specific interest to poker fans, Marcus reveals common cheating methods used online (relatively dated), in live poker rooms (slightly dated) and in home games (still VERY relevant). Certainly worth the time it takes to read this book.

In this third and final installment of George “the Engineer” Epstein’s miniseries on bluffing, he expands on stealing and other forms of deception in poker.

Covering check-raising, sandbagging, and slow-playing, among other topics, here’s another article that will equip you with some useful tools to utilize at the tables, whether you’re playing poker online or in a brick and mortar poker room.

Following up on his previous strategy column, George “the Engineer” Epstein reminds us of the critical information you need to keep in mind when considering bluffing.

Reviewing important concepts like position, table image, the nature of the board, and more, this piece includes some valuable tips for players who wish to improve their bluffing acumen.

In his ongoing series of strategy pieces, George “the Engineer” Epstein reminds us that bluffing is essential. This might seem relatively obvious, even to beginner poker players. What might not be as obvious, however, is hot to mix up said bluffs so as to ensure their effectiveness.

Specifically, George reviews the concept of the Esther Bluff, a tried and true method that’s been scientifically proven to be effective at the poker tables.

It’s important to have a reason for putting in a raise when playing poker. Rather than haphazardly make the decision to raise “just because,” a proper well-thought-out reasoning for raising will likely serve you well.

This article lists four great reasons for raising. If you sometimes raise without thinking, this is an especially important read.

In his ongoing series of strategy pieces, George “the Engineer” Epstein gives us a primer on outs and how to calculate them. Doing the math right is a critical skill when playing poker, especially when facing skilled opponents.

It goes without saying that brushing up on your math skills, namely correctly calculating your outs in given poker situations, is sure to help you make the right decisions, whether it’s checking, folding, knowing how much to bet, or if the right move is to call your opponent’s all-in shove.

Bad beats are a part of poker. No matter how much skill we accrue while studying the game, there’s always an element of luck in poker. Sometimes, luck favors us and we manage to suck out and scoop a huge pot. Other times, you’re on the reverse end of that situation and you’ll be moaning about the bad beat for years to come.

George “the Engineer” Epstein reminds us, in this ongoing series of strategy pieces, that sometimes there’s quite literally nothing you can do to prevent a bad beat. All that’s in your power to do it accept it gracefully and move on.

How often can you say that you’ve learned a solid poker lesson from someone over 90 years old?

Well, after reading this great strategy piece by George “The Engineer” Epstein you’ll certainly have a new answer to that question! In this lesson, George teaches up some important things to remember about outs.