December 2012
We’ve got a live one! By Paul Jackson.
The obvious and fundamental difference between playing online and live – one which can have significant impact on a player’s ability to play to his optimal best – is the slowness of the live game. Playing on a live table is usually about six times slower than playing one table online (excluding misdeals) and, of course, you can play multiple tables online which is a much trickier feat to accomplish live.
November 2012
Self Analysis with Jeff KimberBy Jeff Kimber
How many times do you hear a guy in the casino or in the chat box online complain about how his opponent played a hand so badly? “How can he call there?” he moans. “Well played, mate,” he adds sarcastically, while muttering under his breath, or swearing loudly at his laptop.
Exploiting Tournament StructuresBy Alex 'Pickleman' Rousso.
Sometimes the very structure of a tournament gives a player an EV advantage over others. I happened across an example of such a tournament in Cannes at the WSOPE last month.
October 2012
What’s the rake in big blinds at each level? By Alex 'Pickleman' Rousso.
The rake for online cash games is usually capped at a certain amount – for most sites it’s $3 (or €3, etc.)*. This means that the higher you go up the stakes, the less rake you pay in relation to the big blind. In turn, this means the price of playing in terms of big blinds (BBs) goes up as you go down the levels.
What can you beat? When facing an all-in or river bet, your opponent is either bluffing or value-betting, so your first step is to work out whether he can be bluffing says Ben Jackson. If the answer is no, then you have to work out whether there are any hands he is betting for value that you can beat.
Rub DownsBy Paul Jackson
I thought this month I would compose a compilation of rub downs that might amuse you or even inspire you to opt for a rub down of your own should the situation require it. Obviously, a rub down can be given by accident or, if deliberate, it can be just a bit of fun with someone you know will take it in a light-hearted manner. It can also be a deliberate act to put down someone for whom you have a lack of respect.
August 2012
Power of Position Position can be the difference between winning and losing a pot and that will add up and make a significant difference in the long term. Ben Jackson shares two examples where position proved crucial.
Vegas 2012 with Paul JacksonI almost didn’t come to Vegas this year as I didn’t enjoy it much last year with all the stupid rules and insincerity of it all, but as usual, as it gets closer and closer, and the urge to be there becomes overwhelming.
Twitter Feeds and Table Draws The Hendon Mob website recently added the option for players to include their Twitter feeds on their database entries. This presents in interesting quandary for players: to add it or not?
Bluff-catchers By Ben Jackson
In general, if I have a hand that is just a bluff-catcher, I try to keep the pot as small as possible by checking back on either the flop or turn to bluff-catch the river. So the action usually goes bet-check-call or check-call-call, and most the time you are in a spot where you beat no value hands so you need to work out whether your opponent is bluffing or not on the river. There are two hands I recently played which are interesting and illustrate the principle.