POKER NEWS

05 December 2012

Small raise or open-shove from the button?
Small raise or open-shove from the button?

One of the trickiest stack sizes to play is 15 to 20BB, or roughly 6M to 8M. It’s considered by some to be too big for an open-shove, but small open-raises can leave you with some pretty tough decisions – especially against good players, and especially on the button where opponents should rightly put you on a weak(er) holding. What should you do in these spots with half decent hands?

03 December 2012

Pre-flop PLO with Jeff Kimber
Pre-flop PLO with Jeff Kimber

As I discussed last month, nearly every PLO player who is struggling to win consistently has one thing in common – their pre-flop hand selection is too wide.

01 December 2012

We’ve got a live one!
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.

27 November 2012

Self Analysis with Jeff Kimber
Self Analysis with Jeff Kimber

By 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 Structures
Exploiting Tournament Structures

By 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.

05 October 2012

What’s the rake in big blinds at each level?
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.

02 October 2012

What can you beat?
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 Downs
Rub Downs

By 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.

31 August 2012

Power of Position
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 Jackson
Vegas 2012 with Paul Jackson

I 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.