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News, Strategy, Interviews and Freerolls

08 March 2010

» Tricky Set

I’m playing $5/$10 online cash, full-ring, with around $1,000 in front of me. I’m covered by everyone and things are pretty passive pre-flop. I’ve got ducks on the big blind. Two middle-position players limp as does the cut-off and button, and the small blind completes. I check and see rainbow 8-5-2. SB leads out the pot, I call, and the second limper raises to a total of $180. Everyone folds. Now what?

Ashley,
Berkhamsted

03 February 2010

» Folding Jacks

Dear Dr Tom,

I’m in a $200 online MTT, and on a fairly tight table (me included – I don’t normally play this high). Blinds are 150/300. I’m down to 7K from 10K. The player under the gun with 12K chips raises to 900 and the player two to his left calls with 15K. It’s folded to me in the cutoff and I’ve got Jacks. I just can’t work out how to play these babies.

Tim,
New Malden

25 January 2010

» Balancing act

Dear Tom,
What does “balancing your range” mean? Is it the same as mixing up your play or is there something more complex involved?
Luke, Plymouth

06 January 2010

» Do the math!

Dear Dr Tom,

I always sucked at maths at school, but I’ve think I’ve got good “card sense” and have pretty much taught myself all the maths necessary for solid tournament play. The problem I have is, if I make it to the top three or four in a tournament and someone suggests a chop, I’m not smart enough to figure out if I’m getting a good deal or not. Is there a simple formula I can learn so I don’t get ripped off?

21 November 2009

» Going Pro

Dr Tom,
I have just become a full-time online poker pro and am looking for tips on how to best keep 1) healthy 2) happy 3) my friends.

Stephen, Edinburgh

11 November 2009

» Dealing with LAG-tards

Dr Tom,
I am playing cash. There is a maniac on my table who raises 5BB every time he’s on the button, when there has been no action behind him. He often continues to play aggressively post flop regardless of whether he hits. Being out of position to this guy is a little tricky as you can imagine.

02 November 2009

» No bluff, no win?

Dear Tom,

Is it possible to win at poker without bluffing?

Jepser, Uppsala

19 October 2009

» Cracking aces

Dear Tom,

Say you had a hypothetical tell on an opponent which 100% guaranteed that his hole cards are aces. Should you always call him hoping to bust him? Does it all depend on stack sizes? Could you call with any two cards with a deep enough stack, or just pocket pairs and suited connectors? Or is it simply bad poker to call with what you know to be a worse hand?

Folco, North London

08 October 2009

» Good fold?

Dear Dr Tom,

It’s the early stages of a two table sit-n-go, with blinds at 15-30. I have a stack of 2,295 from a starting stack of 1,500. I’m dealt aces in the small blind. A middle position player raises to 120, the button calls. Nice, I think, and raise to 630. Both players call. The flop is 6d7cJs. Very nice for aces, I think. First to act, and with two players behind me who may have under-pairs to my aces, I check.