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| Online Poker Tournament Strategy This past summer, I covered the World Series of Poker. For six weeks, I watched world-class players ply their trade and, in that time, I learned a ton about poker. |
| Poker Tips and Lessons Poker Tournament Strategy from the Pros Jay Greenspan Tournament Poker Strategy Article |
| Full Tilt Poker Tips From The Pros |
| 100% Signup Bonus Download the Full Tilt Poker software and enter bonus code: POKERPLAY You can play for fun at Full Tilt Poker and still enjoy all of the features that they offer, including watching and chatting with all of the professional poker players. Where the Pros Live, Full Tilt Poker |
Jay Greenspan
Poker Lesson #32
What I learned at the WSOP
This past summer, I had the good fortune to cover the World Series of Poker
for PokerWire.com and Full Tilt Poker. For six weeks, I watched world-class
players ply their trade and, in that time, I learned a ton about poker. What
follows are three lessons I learned from watching Full Tilt Poker's pros during
their long days of play.
Never Rush a Big Decision
Even in the top ranks of poker, there's a tendency among players to act
rashly and blurt out an action – "All in!" or "I call!" – without having taken
nearly enough time to carefully consider the situation. Of course, a player
shouldn't delay while holding the nuts. But I was often surprised to see the
time the pros took to mull over situations that seemed to have only one clear-
cut action.
One of the best examples of this came in the final hand of the WSOP's first
event. Allen Cunningham was heads-up with Scott Fischman. Fischman bet
the flop of T-6-3 and Cunningham raised. Fischman called, then checked the
turn, a 4. Cunningham made an aggressive bet, but Fischman then quickly
check-raised all-in. Cunningham stopped and thought. He had two-pair, 3s
and 6s - a hand that usually requires a call in heads-up play. But, he didn't
rush the decision. After a few minutes of thought, he called. When Fischman
showed 4-5, it was clear that Cunningham made the right choice. The river,
an Ace, gave Cunningham the pot and the bracelet.
I was impressed that after 13 hours and 300 hands of play, Cunningham
didn't automatically put his faith in a fairly big hand. He took the time to stop
and review the conditions in their entirety. This sort of thoroughness is one
reason the pros are less likely to make big, costly mistakes.
Never Talk During Play
In one of the early WSOP tournaments, Mike Matusow was playing very
aggressively. He had a huge stack and used it to bully the table. In one early
orbit, he raised on the button. The big blind re-raised all-in.
Mike had spent most of day chatting up the table. He turned to the man and
asked, "You gotta hand?"
The man replied, "Best hand I've seen in hours."
"Best hand in hours," Matusow echoed, "That means you don't have Aces… I
only have King-five, but I think I have to call."
And Matusow was absolutely right. The big blind had pocket 10s, and given
the size of the pot, Matusow correctly determined that with one over-card, he
was getting the right price to call the bet.
Through a seemingly vague and innocuous statement, the big blind had given
Matusow vital information, which he was able to use to make the best
possible decision.
The lesson here; when playing, keep your mouth shut and don't do your
opposition any favors.
Bet Your Hand
The great players – Phil Ivey, Erik Seidel, Chris Ferguson, etc. – usually err on
the side of aggression. That is, they sometimes find themselves betting with
hands that are underdogs to win. But, in my time at the WSOP, I can't
remember a time when I saw a top pro miss a bet in a vital situation.
By contrast, many novice players in this year's WSOP seemed determined to
check-raise or slow play their hands. They were trying to be tricky. But often,
their failure to bet was disastrous. Opponents were permitted to check down
hands with which they might have called bets, and others were allowed to
draw for free.
The best players are aggressive, and by following their lead, you're less likely
to make mistakes that could cost you valuable chips.
We've all heard that poker is a game of skill rather than luck, and watching
the top pros play – either live or on television – only proves the truth of that
statement. Watch how they act at the poker table, and it quickly becomes
clear why the same players consistently finish in the money. Follow their
examples, and it's a good bet that you'll pick up a few tips that can improve
your game.
In Depth Review of Full Tilt Poker
Poker Lesson #32
What I learned at the WSOP
This past summer, I had the good fortune to cover the World Series of Poker
for PokerWire.com and Full Tilt Poker. For six weeks, I watched world-class
players ply their trade and, in that time, I learned a ton about poker. What
follows are three lessons I learned from watching Full Tilt Poker's pros during
their long days of play.
Never Rush a Big Decision
Even in the top ranks of poker, there's a tendency among players to act
rashly and blurt out an action – "All in!" or "I call!" – without having taken
nearly enough time to carefully consider the situation. Of course, a player
shouldn't delay while holding the nuts. But I was often surprised to see the
time the pros took to mull over situations that seemed to have only one clear-
cut action.
One of the best examples of this came in the final hand of the WSOP's first
event. Allen Cunningham was heads-up with Scott Fischman. Fischman bet
the flop of T-6-3 and Cunningham raised. Fischman called, then checked the
turn, a 4. Cunningham made an aggressive bet, but Fischman then quickly
check-raised all-in. Cunningham stopped and thought. He had two-pair, 3s
and 6s - a hand that usually requires a call in heads-up play. But, he didn't
rush the decision. After a few minutes of thought, he called. When Fischman
showed 4-5, it was clear that Cunningham made the right choice. The river,
an Ace, gave Cunningham the pot and the bracelet.
I was impressed that after 13 hours and 300 hands of play, Cunningham
didn't automatically put his faith in a fairly big hand. He took the time to stop
and review the conditions in their entirety. This sort of thoroughness is one
reason the pros are less likely to make big, costly mistakes.
Never Talk During Play
In one of the early WSOP tournaments, Mike Matusow was playing very
aggressively. He had a huge stack and used it to bully the table. In one early
orbit, he raised on the button. The big blind re-raised all-in.
Mike had spent most of day chatting up the table. He turned to the man and
asked, "You gotta hand?"
The man replied, "Best hand I've seen in hours."
"Best hand in hours," Matusow echoed, "That means you don't have Aces… I
only have King-five, but I think I have to call."
And Matusow was absolutely right. The big blind had pocket 10s, and given
the size of the pot, Matusow correctly determined that with one over-card, he
was getting the right price to call the bet.
Through a seemingly vague and innocuous statement, the big blind had given
Matusow vital information, which he was able to use to make the best
possible decision.
The lesson here; when playing, keep your mouth shut and don't do your
opposition any favors.
Bet Your Hand
The great players – Phil Ivey, Erik Seidel, Chris Ferguson, etc. – usually err on
the side of aggression. That is, they sometimes find themselves betting with
hands that are underdogs to win. But, in my time at the WSOP, I can't
remember a time when I saw a top pro miss a bet in a vital situation.
By contrast, many novice players in this year's WSOP seemed determined to
check-raise or slow play their hands. They were trying to be tricky. But often,
their failure to bet was disastrous. Opponents were permitted to check down
hands with which they might have called bets, and others were allowed to
draw for free.
The best players are aggressive, and by following their lead, you're less likely
to make mistakes that could cost you valuable chips.
We've all heard that poker is a game of skill rather than luck, and watching
the top pros play – either live or on television – only proves the truth of that
statement. Watch how they act at the poker table, and it quickly becomes
clear why the same players consistently finish in the money. Follow their
examples, and it's a good bet that you'll pick up a few tips that can improve
your game.
In Depth Review of Full Tilt Poker
| Some of the best players in the world have joined Team Full Tilt Poker. The Full Tilt Team includes Howard Lederer, Phil Ivey, Chris Ferguson, John Juanda, Jennifer Harman, Phil Gordon, Erick Lindgren, Erik Seidel, Clonie Gowan, Andy Bloch, and Mike Matusow. It's WSOP Main Event Mania at Full Tilt Poker. This year, they're giving away $1 million worth of free WSOP Main Event seats, and when they say free, they mean it. Completely free... gratis... on the house. Nowhere in the world will you find a guarantee tournament like this - not online, and not in any casino. With 26 WSOP bracelets between them, the Full Tilt Team knows good poker when they see it. See who you'd like to match wits with, then join them at the tables and see how you stack up. You can Learn, Chat, and Play with the Pros at Full Tilt Poker, Where the Pros Live! Complete, in depth Review of Full Tilt Poker available. |
| 100% Signup Bonus Download the Full Tilt Poker software and enter bonus code: POKERPLAY You can play for fun at Full Tilt Poker and still enjoy all of the features that they offer, including watching and chatting with all of the professional poker players. Where the Pros Live, Full Tilt Poker |
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