[The Fox]

Why is Position So Important?

This question is posed by a lot of beginning poker players. They see advice that touts the advantage of good position (usually when looking at starting hold 'em hands), and can't understand why you can play so many more hands in late position than early. Position is all about information. You want to make informed decisions, not guesses. In late position, you always have more information than in early position. You can see the actions in front of you and decide how to react to them. Poker is a game of reacting to your opponents' play, and in early position you have nothing to react to; hence you must try to guess what the opponents will do, which is a lot worse than knowing for certain if you are in late position. This essay will discuss the big advantages of having good position, especially with regard to deciding on starting hands.

Wait a minute. I have to act first every round?

The first thing you must consider is that you won't just be first this round; in fixed position games like hold 'em or Omaha, you will be stuck with this poor position for four rounds. Having to act first can be a huge disadvantage on future rounds. To see what those disadvantages (advantages for late position) are, read on.

What kind of pot will this be?

This is your first concern when deciding whether or not to play a marginal hand. There are plenty of hands where, if you knew that a six-way pot with no raise would develop, you could play the hand for profit despite being out of position on future betting rounds; however, you won't make much playing them against just two or three opponents, and you definitely don't want to call a raise with them preflop. Examples are 5-5 or 8-7. In early position, you have no clue which pot will develop: three-way for two bets, or six-way for no raise. This is a huge disadvantage, and since you can't take the chance that the former will be the case, you must muck these hands in early position, especially considering your positional disadvantage on later rounds. In late position, you have a pretty good idea what kind of pot will develop, and you can adjust your calling standards appropriately.

I can't buy a free card today!

In case you weren't already aware, he who has position gets to make a bunch of plays that add to his long-term profit. These include buying free cards with drawing hands, bluffing or semi-bluffing when the others have checked, reacting appropriately to the betting action in front of him, betting marginal hands with confidence when the opponents have checked in a shorthanded pot, and much more. All of this tells you why you definitely prefer having position to not having it, especially in pot-limit and no-limit games where the value of all these plays is magnified greatly.

Do I risk the free card or risk missing out on the check-raise?

One of Mason Malmuth's favorite commentaries on the difficulty of limit hold 'em is that when you flop a hand like top pair, good kicker in early position in hold 'em, you are often faced with a difficult choice. You would like to check-raise to knock players out of the pot, but if you check and it is checked around, you have given a free card to several hands that desperately wanted one. If you knew no one was going to bet, you would have bet, but you couldn't tell what would happen.

With position, this is not an issue at all. When the action gets to you, you bet if no one has bet, and raise if someone has. You can always make the correct play, because by the time it is your turn to act, you already know what the other players were planning to do.

As an added bonus, if someone in early position was planning a check-raise and you check in late position, you have been given a precious free card which may breathe new life into your hand. If the positions were reversed you would never enjoy this advantage.

Can I value bet here?

Often, especially in hold 'em, a scare card hits on the turn or river. If you knew your opponent would check, it is better to bet, charging him to outdraw you or to show down his worse hand. But if you are first to act, you can't see your opponent's reaction to that card until after you have acted. Especially in pot-limit and no-limit games, it is a huge advantage to be able to see how your opponent reacts to this card before you make your decision. This advantage is offered to you only if you are the one with position.

There's no way they could have checked a good hand. The coast is clear for a steal!

This situation is most common in pot-limit Omaha, or pot-limit Omaha hi-lo when only one low card has flopped. Players in these games realize how easy it is to have a good hand get outdrawn, so they will almost always bet when they have hit something good. This means that if it is checked to someone in late position, he can show a profit by betting virtually every time. Hold 'em players, don't worry, this opportunity will come your way plenty of times, especially in no-limit. In early position, you have no idea if the others have something they were planning to bet with, so you have a lot less information to act on.

Are you staying in?

Rare is the home game where this situation has never occurred: Player A bets, and while B is deciding what to do, he turns to C and asks "if I fold, are you going to stay in?"

There are many situations in all forms of poker that go like this: someone in early position bets, and you have a marginal calling hand. Of course, if you knew someone behind you was going to raise (or with many hands, even if he was going to call), you would get out of the pot without even putting in one bet. In late position you can see all the action in front of you and make an informed decision, rather than having to guess what will happen.

The bottom line

There are many more advantages to position than those listed here, but it boils down to this: poker is a game of information, and in late position you have much more information than in early position. You want to make informed decisions, not guesses. Because of this, you can play more liberally with good position than with bad.

_________________
http://www.furnesspoker.co.uk I AM THE FURNESS FLOUNDER
_________________

[psychodave]

This essay could also be called "The short term vs. the long run in poker". It is written by an author who goes by the name of Homer J. Simpson on the 2+2 forums. 2+2 regulars know that anything he writes is well worth reading.

Notes:
EV = expected value (measures the average amount per hour that you win in a poker game, in the long run)
SD = standard deviation (measures the magnitude of your "swings" in a poker game; in other words, measures short-term luck)
BB = "big bet". The upper limit on the last betting round. $6 in a 3/6 game, or $1 in a .50/1 game.
1 BB/hr = money won or lost at a rate of one big bet per hour. So 10 BB/hr in a 3/6 game is $60/hour.

There has been so much talk about losing streaks here recently that I decided to do a simulation in Excel to determine how often losing streaks should occur for a winning player with an EV of 1 BB/hr and an SD of 10 BB/hr. I haven't quite finished, but thought I'd post these charts for you. They are all "BB's won vs. hours played", with the difference being that the first chart is for 10,000 hrs (5 yrs of full time play for a B&M player), second for 1000 hrs and third for 100 hrs.


Notice that the 10,000 hr chart looks smooth. You'd take that, right? Winning nice and steady at a rate of 1 BB/hr?



Now look at the 1000 hr chart. Doesn't look quite so nice, does it?



Lastly, look at the 100 hr chart. Looks painful, wouldn't you say? Now, quickly, look back at the 10,000 hr chart. Ahh, much better. Remember, just play solid poker and your win rate will fall into place. Don't obsess over losing streaks, or the big picture won't be so smooth.

BTW, if anyone is interested in doing this on their own, here's what I did:

- In cell A1 in Excel, enter =RAND() to generate a random number between 0 and 1, then copy to cells A2 through A10000

- In cell B1, enter =(X*NORMSINV(A1))+Y, where X is your SD/hr and Y is your EV/hr, then copy to cells B2 through B10000. This converts the random number to your win for that hour.

- In cell C1, enter =B1 and in cell C2, enter =C1+B2, then copy C2 to cells C3 through C10000. This is your total win after X hours.

You can then graph column C3 versus time, for 10,000 hrs, 1000 hrs, 100 hrs, or whatever.
_________________
"The motto of chivalry is also the motto of wisdom; to serve all, but love only one. " IN HOC SIGNO VINCES "

[lainy66]

Am I the only one thats confused Maths and Graphs were never my strong point

[psychodave]

Lainy what i am trying to show here by posting this is that profit is achieved by long term play and playing just premium hands, the 1st graph shows 1000 hours of play and has a steady climb up the profit scale, as you can see by the other 2 graphs and as indicated by the authour short term play is more irratic, I was hopeing that if any newbies came and saw this they would realise that its not an instant success game and that paitence does prevail. I hope this makes a little more sense. Its based mainly on an average of 1 big hand an an hour takeing down a pot of good value. It does look difficult to follow i will try and simplify it more and get back add to this.
_________________
"The motto of chivalry is also the motto of wisdom; to serve all, but love only one. " IN HOC SIGNO VINCES "

[lainy66]

Sorry psychodave I can see now (after looking a second time at your graphs and actually taking the time to read thoroughly ) where your coming from. Nice to know my "losing streak" wont last forever

My apologies

[psychodave]

Again dont know the authour of this but i adpt this style myself to good affect so might be of use.

Poker authors, especially those at 2+2, often caution against playing in a 'weak-tight' style, and many of the small-stakes posters are afraid that their play is too weak-tight. So what's so weak about playing weak-tight anyway?

What is weak-tight?

Top-notch poker author Mason Malmuth defines weak-tight play with these four characteristics:

The weak-tight player:

- Plays fairly tight (not a lot of hands)
- Plays in very predictable patterns
- Has the ability to fold marginal hands
- Bluffs very little

Why not weak-tight?

If you look at the above criteria, you will notice that they add up to one theme: An aggressive and tricky player will kill the weak-tight player. So we can see that the weak-tight player is certainly following the wrong strategy in games that will feature several tricky opponents.

But what about loose low-limit games, where the beginner should be starting out? Typically these games are filled with loose opponents that do not think about what you are holding. In these games, weak-tight play is a surprisingly good strategy, especially if the game is also fairly passive. All the top poker authorities will agree that in the loose, multiway pots that these games frequently feature, your strategy should be:

- Play fairly tight preflop, but play hands that have a small chance to develop into huge hands, such as small pairs, suited connectors, and suited aces
- Play to maximize your chances of winning the big pots, not to win a couple of extra bets through deceptive play
- Devote little effort to disguising your hand since the opponents aren't thinking about what you hold anyway
- With marginal hands, you should usually fold unless you are getting favorable pot odds to draw, since with so many opponents, someone probably has you beat
- Virtually never bluff since you will be called too often to make it a profitable play

Notice how closely this correlates with the principles of weak-tight play listed above. Malmuth does not go into how aggressively the weak-tight player plays, but I would say that if you follow the weak-tight player's basic strategy and add that you play aggressively with the best hand (and this includes the best draw in a very loose game), along with other basic poker skills (considering the size of the pot, reading hands, adjusting your play to your opponent), you will do very well in loose games, especially if your opponents are passive players that play predictably.

(Note: I think it is very possible that authors are trying to imply that a weak-tight player plays the way he does because he does read hands well and thus assumes he is beaten whenever you are aggressive and he holds a marginal hand. Reading hands is one of the most important skills in the poker player's arsenal (and you should work hard to develop it), but it is not as effective against the loose-passive player, because he could be holding almost anything. When he raises, however, you can figure him for something very good.)

So what's the catch?

The catch is that in order to make decent money, you will have to move up to a reasonably-sized limit. I believe a good player can make $20/hour or more playing three tables of 3/6. But at 3/6 (and to a greater extent at 5/10 or higher), your opponents are not as soft as they will be at 1/2. They will be playing tighter and more aggressively, and will try to put more moves on you. Of course you can't always call with a marginal hand when you are faced with an unexpected raise, but you must use your hand reading and player reading skills to make an educated guess as to your opponent's hand, then make an informed decision.

Even if you stay at 1/2, you will run into players who are aggressive and try to pull tricks to steal pots from you. In order to maximize your win rate you must know who these players are and counter their plays by calling (or raising) them much more often than you would against more typical players. This is the primary reason that you must pay attention to who your opponents are, and how they play.

However, that does not mean that playing in a weak-tight manner is always wrong. You will still encounter plenty of situations where you are in a six-way pot, the pot has become very big, or all the players in a pot with you are loose-passive "calling station" types that tip the strength of their hands by the way they bet. In these cases, the weak-tight play is likely the correct one. Disguising your hand loses its value in all of these situations, so why bother?

The bottom line

In conclusion, weak-tight play will make you a winner in very loose poker games. If you are just starting out at a low limit online or find yourself in these loose games often, do not be ashamed to play a weak-tight style. When your poker arsenal is still fledgling, weak-tight strategies are the quickest way to a small profit. However, while you are playing in these games, work on developing your other poker skills so that you can beat the bigger games for more money.

By the time you are ready to make some "real" money at 3/6 or higher limits, remember that you will be in trouble if you continue to play weak-tight, unless you regularly find yourself in loose-passive games that are characteristic of limits like .50/1 and 1/2. The more tricky and aggressive opponents you are up against, the more you must stray from a weak-tight style in order to become a big winner at poker. But don't worry; with enough experience, you can do it.
_________________
"The motto of chivalry is also the motto of wisdom; to serve all, but love only one. " IN HOC SIGNO VINCES "

[lainy66]

Pre-flop Mistakes and how to avoid them.


Looking at your hand before your turn to make a move

If you take a look at your cards you could be missing vital information that other players around the table could be giving you as they look at theirs. As well as that, as soon as you remind yourself of what you have you could start to give away some tell tails of your own. In future wait for your turn around the table and make the most of the time you have to study the other players.

Letting your mind wander

You need to keep your head in the game and watch everything that's going on around the table at all times to 'work out' the other players. If you don't concentrate you will miss patterns of play and particular tells which could lead you to some embarrassing mistakes!

'The kid who cried call'

Beginners always make the mistake of calling anything and anyone around the table. This can lead to you going broke very quickly. Learn to make better decisions on how you play the hands that you have, try to mix it up a bit and don't be afraid to fold early, there's another hand coming right up.

Limping in

Horses with a limp don't even start the race, strong ones start and may limp home later. Apply this rule to your poker play. Weak players will call on a mediocre hand in the beginning only to find it's not worth it. Try to almost always open the pot with a bet on a good hand and back off later if you need to, don't limp on the big hands though as you'll only give the weaker hands more chance to get lucky.

Better to double up, than to dribble away

If your stack of chips is about 10 times the big blind or less then you either need to start doubling up or stealing some blinds. Try doing this before the blind hits you again or with an unopened pot. Think about going all in, this may seem risky so try to do it with strong hands but remember it may also be necessary to do it with any hand to stay in and build your stack up again.

Slow play, less pay

Even if you've got a really strong hand with kings and aces they can still be upstaged at the flop so try to raise pre-flop and speed things up a bit, it'll get the small fry folding. If you narrow the field you have a better chance of taking the pot.

Re-raising even when it's not your style

If you're playing in a no limit game you need to put the other people round the table to the test. If there are other players around the table who seem to consistently raise in the late position when you're on the button or during the blinds, give them a re-raise, even with a weak hand and see what happens. By giving them a run for their money they have to have a re think about what they're doing if they were just trying to steal blinds.

Pick a poker pocket or two…

Stealing blinds is all very well and can be a useful tactic but don't do it too often as an experienced player might call your bluff by raising you. Be selective about using this tactic and know when it's time to stop.

Goody two shoes…

Being honest is admirable but stealing blinds can be an essential part of your game especially when you need to build up your stack and keep your head above water in a sit and go or multi-table tournament. Try stealing a couple of times and then holding back so it doesn't look too obvious. You might find yourself in a good position anyway when a great hand comes your way.

Playing a dough-boy - a big raise

There is always the temptation with a hand like a low pair to bet big in say 3rd or 4th place at the table. The problem is that the only other people who are going to call or re-raise you are those with really strong hands who will trump you later in the hand. It's a brave move but there isn't any need to put your self in a risky position like this early on in a tournament.

Put your foot down in pole position

Being on the button is the strongest position around the table, don't waste this opportunity. You can make bets you can't in other positions. It's great for stealing blinds but be cautious with it and only use it to its full advantage on betting big when you've got a strong hand.

Big blind calling

It's easy to get into the habit of calling the big blind with every hand like you're on auto pilot. As you're the first to bet you'll have no idea what's going on around the table. If it's really not worth it don't waste the chips, fold and just wait for the next hand.

Protecting blinds

The blind is just the cost of being in the game, so make sure you remember that, it's a necessary evil. If you know you shouldn't re-raise then don't, just ride it out. There will always be players going for your blinds but at the end of the day it's not your money anymore it belongs to the pot. Protect yourself in your next bet not the compulsory one.

Table etiquette

Don't act out of turn, don't show your cards if you've folded and the hand is still in play. Doing these things does have an effect on the hands and the over all tournaments so limit beer and E numbers or anything else beforehand!

Mix it up

If you always play the same pattern, experienced players will work you out pretty quickly and this could ruin a tournament for you. Have some unexpected moves up your sleeve, you might have to give yourself a nudge to do them and get out of your comfort zone but jab your self in the leg from time to time and keep them guessing.

Tell spotting

You don't have to be some kind of psychologist to work out what other players are thinking when they look at their cards it just takes practice. Concentrate on faces and before long it'll be second nature and you can make other players around the table sweat and twitch a bit more as you bring them down.

Putting your hole cards to bed

There are situations where it is ok to lay down Jacks and Queens before the flop. If there is heavy betting and raising in front of you, you could be facing some serious pairs. If the future of your life in a tournament is at stake, lay them down and ride it out.

Being a tightwad

Unless you're really sure some one else has aces, have a gamble pre flop, if you have a good hand best to try and win with it. You'll only build your stack by taking a chance on the strong hands so do it.

Failing to watch the chip stacks

You don't have to have counting skills like rain man when you glance round the table but it's important to keep an eye on who's got what before you bet against anyone. If you're short stacked, betting into the chip leader could be suicide. On the flipside, if you raise against the small stack, they may not be able to afford to fold. Get into the habit of taking a second to consider this before every bet you make.

Ace-rag excitement

If you haven't had a strong hand dealt for ages and all of a sudden you get an ace and a low card it's easy to get excited and play it anyway. Stop and think first. Around a full table there are bound to other player who have aces too and will also have higher kickers than you. If your hole cards are suited it may be worth a punt but otherwise be very cautious.

Sudden movements giving it all away

Try to keep you body language consistent. If you do anything obvious like try to suppress a grin when you draw 2 aces for instance everyone will know. Just sit tight and bet in the normal way, stay calm and save the celebrations for winning the tournament.

Heads up raising

If you find yourself heads up then it's generally advised to be aggressive and raise every time. Find what works best for you but avoid letting the other player have a free flop.

[psychodave]

Common Beginner Mistakes
POKER STRATEGY
Mistake #1: Playing too many hands

When people sit down in a game, they want to play. Often, this means they even will play hands like [[cards Js 4d]]. This is a cardinal mistake. Hopefully, the articles on this site will help improve your starting hand selection.

Mistake #2: Playing above your bankroll

This goes without saying. Sometimes the gambling and money aspect of poker gets to people too much. They become greedy and play in games they cannot afford or games where the competition is simply too stiff.

At first, stick to a consistent, low limit. Learn how to play and beat the game before you play in higher-stakes games.

Mistake #3: Becoming too emotional at the table

Bad beats will happen. Losing sessions will happen. Annoying opponents will happen. Live with it and do not let your emotions sway your judgment at the table.

Mistake #4: Not using pot odds

If your hand needs improvement, the concept of pot odds can help you determine if you should call to see the next card on the board. Few beginning players understand pot odds, and they often call too much. This site has an article about pot odds, as well as a pot odds calculator to help you better understand this concept.

Mistake #5: Using a two-color deck

When most people think of cards, they think of two colors, red and black. The suits are displayed like this:

ADR ACB ASB AHR R=RED B=BLACK

Well, I have news for you. Some online poker rooms give you two display choices: the traditional two-color deck and a four-color deck. A four-color deck has a unique color for each suit, like this:

ADG AHB ACB ASO O=ORANGE B=BLACK G=GREEN B=BLUE

While this may seem unusual at first, it will make things much easier on you with time.

Believe me, if you use a two-color deck, there is a good chance that, at some point, you will misread your hand. You might think you have a flush when in fact you do not. Using a four-color deck is a simple way to prevent yourself from making stupid mistakes.

Mistake #6: Not following etiquette

This is a mistake that brick-and-mortar beginners make. When you want to make a raise, you should not say, "I call your bet and raise you $X." Your initial action is considered your final action. So if you say, "I call ..." it means you just want to call. If you want to raise, say "raise" and state the amount you want to raise, if it is a no-limit game (the amount of the raise is obvious in fixed-limit games).

Mistake #7: Imitating other players

A lot of people learn how to play poker by playing in a similar fashion to other people. They may just imitate others at the table, or they may try to play like a professional they saw on television. This is the wrong way to go about playing poker.

Many people who play poker are simply bad at it. Imitating a poor player means copying a lot of their bad habits. Furthermore, trying to imitate what one saw on television is also a recipe for disaster. What is shown on television is almost always a tournament, and their hands are highly situational. The reasons for the professional's decision probably has little applicability to your own game.

It is important to understand how to make decisions at poker. Succeeding at poker is not done through imitation; rather, it is done through understanding the complexities of the game.

Mistake #8: Superstitions

All gambling involves luck. While luck tends to even itself out over the long run, people naturally focus on the short run and on their fluctuations.

Because gambling involves randomness, people will often blame or chalk up their luck to some random event that coincided with how they fared at a certain gambling session. This may be as innocent as believing in a lucky shirt. However, some people take these superstitions too far. They start to believe that if they constantly move seats or change their socks that they will somehow become the next WSOP winner.

You cannot affect the "luck" factor of gambling. Luck evens itself out over the long run. The only thing you should concern yourself at the poker table is playing well. If you play very well at poker, you will win over the long run. If you do not play well, you will lose. It's as simple as that.

Mistake #9: Overvaluing Suited Hands

Having a suited hand is a plus. However, you should not play a hand just because it is suited. The first two things to consider about a starting hand are the ranks of the cards and if the cards are paired. These are by far the most important factors in the value of a hand. After this, you should consider if they are suited or connecting.

A hand like [[cards Ac Kd]] is much, much more valuable than a hand like [[cards 10h 3h]]. [[cards Ac Kd]] is a top starting hand, whereas [[cards 10h 3h]] should be thrown in the muck.

This may sound obvious, but many beginners make the mistake of calling to see the flop with any two suited cards. The probability of flopping a flush or a flush draw with two suited cards is just under 12%. This is fairly low; you need other reasons to play a starting hand besides suitedness.
_________________
"The motto of chivalry is also the motto of wisdom; to serve all, but love only one. " IN HOC SIGNO VINCES "

[psychodave]

Poker Traps - Avoiding costly mistakes

Poker traps are a topic that I don't think is addressed nearly enough in many articles and publications. While every professional poker player is usually highlighted by their ability to set, spot and avoid traps, most amateur poker players rarely know when they are about to get pounced on until it's too late.

I will be dividing this sections into three different parts in the order of what I regard as importance in learning about poker traps: trapping yourself in poker, spotting poker traps, and setting poker traps.
Trapping yourself in poker

Ask any skilled poker player on Party Poker what they think of the players on the site and they'll all respond with the same answer: "terrible!". This is mainly because the players at Party Poker are all new to the game and most are just starting out. But what makes new players so much worse than the 'good' players if poker really is just a mental game as so many claim?

In short, the biggest answer is starting hand selection.

People tend to love poker because anyone can win at the game. What this really means however, is that anyone can be dealt a winning hand. Since it takes no skill to win when you've got a winning hand, even the village idiot can win when the cards are coming. But what happens when the cards aren't coming? The ability to play (or better, not play) bad cards is what separates the men from the boys in poker. It's a lot like the saying goes, that a person's true character is only revealed in hard times, since anyone can act grand during the good times.
Ok, I'll play good cards - but how does this avoid traps?

Ah, good question. If you look at the image at the top of this page, you can see the top right image is a screen shot taken from the poker hands page. What this is meant to convey is that many hands that look like they may be profitable, are in fact, not profitable at all.

The reason I illustrated hands like Kx suited, is because this is a very good example of a poker hand that traps itself. For example, suppose this hand plays out:
You hold:
K 5
Flop:
K 9 10

Now the question is: how are you going to play this flop? If you're too smart for your own good on Party Poker, you'll try to play this hand very aggressively. This hand has two things going for it: it's on the second best nut flush draw and it's also got top pair. This hand also has two things not going for it: it's on the second best nut flush draw and it's got top pair with a weak kicker. There's also the added bonus that if a Queen or Jack drops, it will quite possibly complete someone else's straight.

What happens with a hand like this is that many new players will be dragged into over calling this hand when action starts to develop on the table. They'll take one look at the two spades on the flop and decide that they want a piece of this. Now, before any skilled players get into a huffy, I'm not saying that this hand is not unplayable - but it is certainly a check and call hand in any full game. In a short game or heads up, this may well be a hand to go raising with. In a full game, this hand is already half a rope to hang yourself with. Here's an idea of why to get out of this hand if action starts up:
Player 1: A J
Player 2:Q J
Player 3: K 10

We see that these are all legitimate hands to be duking it out with on the flop. Player 1 has the nut flush draw and a nut inside straight draw. Player 2 has the made nut straight and has the draw to the best straight. Player 3 has two pair and has the draw to a full house.

The point that I am trying to make here is not to keep thinking that your opponents have monsters, but to show that many times, your hand is already deader than dead and really has no outs. This is known as a 'dominated' hand. By holding K5s here, you might be tempted to call because you made top pair, but you'll often find yourself out kicked and pay for it all the way to the river. In other cases, having your flush draw beaten by a higher flush draw is a rare occurance, but when it does happen, you will definitely pay for it.
Avoid playing big cards with small kickers (A5, K9, Q8, etc)

"Texas hold'em is a game of top pair, top kicker." I think these are the words of T.J. Cloutier, one of the best and most winning poker players of all time. Most of what texas hold'em comes down to is holding big pair and being able to stand up against the other kickers on the table. Of course, you want to be in the position of taking the pot in at showdown, so don't be straggling in pots that you have no business being in.
In the big blind and small blind, learn to fold after the flop

If you look at the poker hands page, with the EV stats of each hand, you'll notice that players in the big blind and small blind don't fare very well. Players in this position suffer from the same syndrome of being dragged into a pot that they had no business being in. If you had A5 for example and you hit top pair on the flop with 4 more players to act and the person after you bets, it's practically a no-brainer to fold this hand. Most tight players play AT or better, so if any tight player is in the game with that Ace showing on board and there is no straight or flush possibilities out, you should automatically know you are beat.
Premium hands - one of the hardest poker traps to avoid

Another aspect of a great poker player is their ability to lay down a strong hand when faced with a decision. Most poor players and even many average players will refuse to lay down a strong hand even when all the signals are going off. If you're playing a no limit game especially and someone comes in for an enormous raise when you've made top pair, top kicker, many times it's worth dropping. Don't let a good hand blind you from the possibilities of two pair or a set. When a flush or straight possibility is on the table, never completely discount someone for not having it either.
KJ, KT, QT, JT - Getting out of harms way in EP (early position)

This may be one of the biggest traps for players who don't understand position in texas hold'em. Most players assume that any two face cards are worthwhile to play, which is generally true. However, as the games become higher limit or as you play with more skilled opponents, the games will tighten up considerably as players only play premium hands. In this scenario, you're in a difficult spot if catch the flop with your hand. Here is an example:
You hold:J 10

Flop: J 4 9


Tight Player 1: K Q
Tight Player 2: A J
Tight Player 3: Q 10


This example is another perfect illustration of getting out-kicked and being trapped in a hopeless draw. In this situation, you can see that not only are we out kicked with the Ten kicker here by Player 2's Ace, but that we have no draws for an out. If a Ten falls and gives us two-pair, it completes the straight for Player 1 if they decide to stay in on an over cards draw.

The best way to play situations like these are to usually be a bit tricky and do some check-raising, fast play or fold. It's almost always incorrect to simply limp with a hand like this, because you don't stand much chance of winning this hand after the flop if people are calling you down.
A Q - A quick way out the door

Dropping a hand like AJ is easy enough when faced with action, but dropping AQ will break many a precious heart. However, doing so can save your bank roll in many a situation. This advice is geared more toward the higher limits or rational games (not low-limit Party Poker games) where raises from players are usually a strong indicator of strength.

Many uptight players will only raise with three hands: AA and KK (to increase pot value) and AK (to narrow the field). These are first-tier pre-flop raising hands. I would say second-tier pre-flop raising hands would be: QQ, JJ, TT and AQs. The majority of uncreative tight players lie in the first-tier. Tight players who are more experienced usually often raise tier-two hands as well. Many top players will raise with all sorts of hands, but usually as a ruse to be tricky or due to the high-limit nature of the games they play.

Given these first and second tier hands, let's stack up how well AQ matches up against them:

* Tier-1 Hands AA vs AQ: 92% to 8%
* KK vs AQ: 72% to 29%
* AK vs AQ: 72% to 24%


* Tier-2 Hands QQ vs AQ: 70% to 30%
* JJ vs AQ: 58% to 43%
* TT vs AQ: 58% to 43%
* AQs vs AQ: 57% to 43%
* AQ vs AQ: 50% to 50%


* All low pockets 22 - 99 vs AQ: 53% vs 45% (approx)

As you can see, at best AQ is a 50/50 favorite when it's up against itself! This means that should you decide to defend AQ and you're up against a tight player, you're chances of survival are at best a coin toss and at worst a massive beating. So, be ready to fold AQ when you need to. This also applies to hands like AJ, AT and the rest of course as stated previously. Against a pre-flop raise by a loose or aggressive player, it's ok to usually call provided there's not too many behind you to act - which is a whole other trap itself.
JJ and TT - Get ready for a rough ride
J J 10 10

I don't have enough bad things to say about people who play pocket pairs as if they were guaranteed winners. While pocket Jacks and pocket Tens are both decent hands as far as pocket pairs go, they are still a pair of Jacks or pair of Tens however you look at it. Mid and low pocket pairs only work well when they are heads up or if the flop comes nothing bug rags. When you are heads up, you can play the game knowing that you've already paired up, even if overcards fall on the table. With some trickery, you can even get a player who has a high pair to fold at times too. In a full game, never count on this though, ever.

My personal preference is almost never to raise JJ or TT unless there are few limpers and I'm in late or early position where I can focus on keeping people out. If you're going to get 4 callers in a pot with you, JJ and TT quickly become worthless if an overcard falls. If you get action back when an over card falls, you should routinely fold these pockets. Some tricky players will check-raise you if you show aggression from pre-flop to the flop, but if you're up against unsophisticated players, you're surely beat.
The board both giveth and taketh

These tips will be easily recognized by any seasoned player and you really won't commit it to memory until you've been seriously burned by it, but I'll try to convince you to keep it in mind anyways if you haven't been already.
When the board pairs, a full-house (or quads) is the best hand, not the Ace flush

A classic beginner's mistake is having the Ace high flush and going toe to toe with some 'fool' betting what could only be the King high flush on a paired board. Of course when he flips over a full house, our beginner is absolutely devastated. So, while this doesn't mean you need to slam on the brakes everytime the board pairs and you have the Ace high flush, you do need to realize that if it's getting real heated, the full-house should be a possibility in your mind.
When the board pairs, your two-pair may now be worthless

Another classic mistake is not realizing when the board has rendered your two pair uselss. Here is the example:

You hold: 3 2

Flop: Q 2 3
Turn: 8
River: 8

Player 1:10 10
Player 2: Q K

In this situation, you're in the big blind with 32 and flopped two pair. You bet the flop and both players call, with decent reason. You bet the turn and both players call again. You bet the river and find that you're suddenly met with a raise from Player 2. What gives?

What gives is that when the board paired here, it also gave everyone else a two pair. Player 1 now has Tens and Eights and Player 2 now has Queens and Eights. You, unfortunately are stuck with Eights and Threes - from the best hand to the worst hand in the span of the river card. So, whenever you see this scenario come up, get ready to jump out of the way if you suddenly find your hand no good. That's poker.
Drawing hands - Sometimes a trap waiting to happen

Many new players who are attempting to study the game have a general understanding of pot odds and what type of hands to draw on. However, many times, I'll see players go on horrendous draws when they think they are getting correct pot odds when they really aren't. This makes their draws substantially worse and a loser in the long run. So pay attention here folks.
Flush / straight draws - Drawing on the flop vs the turn

In a no limit or pot limit game, you can make a serious mistake by drawing to a flush or open ended straight (for breadth, anytime I refer to flush draw, I am referring to the open-ended straight as well). If the pot is at $200 and the BB comes out swinging with a pot sized bet of $200, at this particular moment, you are getting 2:1 pot odds if you call this pot. Many players will assume they are on a 2:1 draw here to hit their flush by the river, so they'll call. This is an incorrect assumption to make.

In reality, you are on a 2:1 draw to make it by the river, but if you don't hit your flush on the turn, you are a 4:1 underdog to hit your flush on the river. This means in the example, if there is now $600 in the pot on the turn and the BB comes swinging with another pot sized $600 bet, you're still getting 2:1 pot odds, but your drawing odds are 4:1. This means you should definitely fold here and should have folded on the flop as well!
Odds of drawing to a flush
Flop to River (2 to 1)
Flop to Turn (4 to 1)
Turn to River (4 to 1)
Flop 4 A 9
Turn 5
River J

The key point to remember is that your 2:1 flush draw is your odds of hitting your flush on the river. Thus, if you aren't going to see the river card, then this draw is no longer worth a 2:1 draw - it's now a 4:1 draw if you are only going to see a turn card. The reason you would only see a turn card, is because if you know your opponent is going to make a pot-sized bet on the turn, there's no way you want to be calling with 2:1 pot odds on a 4:1 drawing hand.

In summary, go on flush draws in no-limit or pot-limit only if you know your opponents will not be making substantial bets on the turn that make your pot odds incorrect to draw on. Most players have no clue how to properly play no limit and pot limit, so they tend not to do this, but you've been warned.
Drawing two overcards with an Ace

Another trap waiting to happen in many cases is drawing overcards with an Ace. I will state flat out that I am never a big fan of drawing solely to hit overcards. A two overcard draw is when you have two cards greater than the board and are looking to pair either one, but otherwise have no other outs. This gives you 6 total outs, for a 3.2:1 draw. A common two overcard you'll routinely see are players calling AK to the river after the flop has completely missed. stick in for this overcard draw as they hate to see their AK go to waste.

The reason I'm not a big fan of these cards is that often, I don't regard those 6 outs as a nut draw at all. The thing to realize is that many people like to play Ace / anything, which can get you into serious trouble if you have Ace / High card, if that person has already paired. This means you are practically drawing dead, as you have 3 outs to hit your 'lesser' overcard. Hitting your Ace is futile, since it gives your opponent two pair and is bound to make you call and lose even more money. This is illustrated below:
You hold: A J

Flop: 10 2 8 Turn: A River: Q

Big Blind: A 2
Tight Player: J 10
Loose Player: 9 7

The purpose of the example above is for you to start recognizing what possible traps lay for you in drawing with two overcards. By hitting your Ace on the turn, you will square off against the BB who will have managed to make two pair at the same time. If you manage to hit your Jack however, you'll find that you'll be up against the tight player with JT, who will also have made his two pair. And in an even worse turn of events, a loose player with 97o will have made their straight when a Jack falls on the table. In the scenario, you really are drawing dead.

When drawing with overcards, keep in mind that your "6 overcard outs" are a best-case scenario. This means don't always go happily drawing just because you have a 3.2:1 pot odds in the pot. Because of the Ace factor, sometimes it's even better to draw with overcards like KQ. You've got the same odds of hitting your overcards and in my personal opinion, less chance of duking it out with another person hitting two pair. The thing you end up having to worry about with KQ of course is someone holding AK or AQ, but usually you can get a hint of these holdings if your opponents do some pre-flop raising.

The other thing to watch for are other flop situations like straight and flush draws on the board. These both hurt your chances of overcards, since they can complete someone else's hand, so if you must draw, draw in optimal condition with rags, rainbow and non-connected cards as possible.
Getting your money in over your head

Have you been holding a mediocre or strong hand (but not a monster) and been betting into a pot or just made a large bet into a pot, only to have your opponent come raising back? We all have. This is one of those moments that make your stomach churn and your head begin to hurt. However, learning whether or not to drop those cards is one of the most difficult, but beneficial things to learn. Fooling yourself into the 'pot committed' notion is one of the biggest poker mind traps in my opinion
There is no such thing as pot committed if you know you're going to lose

The idea of calling down a pot when you know you're beat is amazing to me. If you stand the chance of getting knocked out a tournament and are still in a good enough position to not get blinded out in the new few hands, you need to fold hands when you think you are beat, regardless of how many chips you've already put in the pot. The only thing that pot committed means is the pot odds of your draw vs the amount in the pot.

You hold: A Q

Flop: A 4 9
Turn: 6
River: J

Player 1:A K
(Flop to River)
AK paired vs AQ unpaired
Percent Odds: 87% vs 12%
Drawing Odds: 7:1

(Turn to River)
AK paired vs AQ unpaired
Percent Odds: 93% vs 7%
Drawing Odds: 14:1

As you can see in this example, AQ does not have good drawing outs at all. In order to be 'pot committed', you would need to be getting pot odds of at least 7:1 on the flop in order to even simply break even in the long haul. However, you have to remember that you're going to lose this break-even draw 7 out of every 8 times - so you really have to ask yourself if it's worth this horrid call when you know you're beat. When you're know you're beat, it's time to suck it up and fold.

Before I end this point on pot commitment however, I must add that if you do have doubts and you are getting true pot odds, it's reasonable to call. That said, don't ever be that guy who says "i was committed" when you really weren't. It's just an excuse for making bad calls.
Overbetting your hands

One way to keep out of thost pot committed situations is to not pot commit yourself in the first place. Of course, sometimes you just can't avoid situations, but other times you'll probably be given some warning signs that can help you out from stepping into a trap.
Over-aggressive pre-flop betting in a NL or PL game

The standard self trap is overbetting in a NL or PL game. The blinds are 15/30 and you've gone gung-ho with those notoriously difficult pocket Jacks and have bet 400 into the pot when there's only 50 in the pot to start out with. A tight player has moved all-in and you got 300 more chips to call. If you call, you're almost certainly dead, but if you fold, your stack will be severely cut.

A much more reasonable bet is to bet the current pot amount or if there are few players, 3x the BB amount. Example: If you're UTG and the blinds are 15/30, bet 90 up front. If you're late in the game and the blinds are very big, you can even bet 2x - 2.5x the blind and have the same effect.
Betting on the river

Bets on the river are unique in that they're generally value bets instead of field narrowing bets (aka "bluffing" by the time you're on the river). What this means then, is you should only bet the river when you feel like you have the best hand in the game. How you know if you have the best hand? That's a damn good question - and if anyone can tell me how to consistently know, give me a holler Of course, I'm half joking here. Most of the time, based on the type of player calling you down, you should have a general idea of what you're up against. A tight player calling you down is a sign of worry if there are no apparent draws on the table, because it means they most likely hold top pair also. When a loose player has called you down, chances are he has a weak hand, but don't simply assume that's the case!

When in doubt, a check on the river is always a safe play if you are last to act. Many times, your opponents will be holding busted draws on the river, so you won't be able to extract value from opponents who were going to fold anyways. Against tough opponents, as mentioned above, you're likely going to face off against a strong hand (which will likely have been contested on the flop) so a check can be a safe play.

I should add that against tricky opponents, sometimes a check can actually backfire against you when your check induces another player to try to bluff you. If you are willing to call someone's bet on the river, you may as well bet the amount you would be willing to call and put them to the decision instead against certain opponents.
Bluffing the perpetual calling station

Ah, the cardinal sin. "How the *bleep* did he call my steal with 72 offsuit?!?" is the reaction when you face up against the calling station from *bleep*. I'm guilty of this mistake numerous times myself unfortunately. Profiling players is one of the main themes of this site and knowing when to bluff is a direct off-shoot of identifying your opponents. Too often I'll see an otherwise good player try to make an all-in move against a calling station, only to see the calling station stay in with the lowest pair on the board and end up winning.

Now, the common player who thinks they know a lot about poker will react with disgust and wonder how the *bleep* their opponent could even call them on a raise like this. What they won't realize is that they were the ones making the mistake by trying to bluff someone who they knew was a habitual caller.

Some people just don't fold even when the train is coming, so against these people, make sure you really do have a train, ok?
Mental Poker Traps

Poker is mental game at the heart of it all, so it's no wonder that your mental game is also going to be thrown through a few hoops during your sessions.
Not respecting your opponent - a bad mistake to make

First let me get things clear - it's one thing to consider another person a weak or bad player, but it's another thing to not respect their play. If you bet top pair and have a weak player call you with two spades on the table, you'll react differently depending on your mindset. If you respect your opponent, your reaction may be something like:

"I know he's weak, so he could have any pair, any kicker with a good chance of a flush."

Or your reaction if you don't respect him could be:

"Man, this guy is a total fish, I've bet big with top pair, just fold already.."

The key difference between these two mentalities is that in the first one, you're thinking logically about what kind of hand your weak opponent may be holding and why is he calling. In the second, you're just ticked that he's on yet another hopeless draw and want to bet him out of the pot. This isn't tilt in the context of raging and throwing your chair across the room, but you're thinking with your ego instead of your brain and it'll cost you when you fail to pick up on that completed backdoor straight or other dubious draws.
Trying to save a pot with over aggression

Sometimes I wonder if Rounders has anything to do with this, when Matt Damon made the remark about outplaying Johnny Chan "just this one hand". That or maybe Mike Sexton who always comments on the World Poker Tour that "the only way to win this pot now is to bluff at it!".

You know what I'm talking about... You have AK and raised the pot $500 pre-flop. You've got two callers and you're UTG. The flop misses you completely but you know you're carrying that tight table image with you. You want to make sure you scare them out by representing AA so you bet a hefty $1,000 more into the pot. First player drops immediately but the second person calls. "Oh sh*t!" you scream mentally, as you wonder what kind of hand this fool is holding. The turn comes yet another rag and you've already got $1,500 or half your stack in the pot. Thinking frantically, you realize you've invested too much money to let this pot go down. You must outplay your opponent now and the only way to do it is with a huge $2,000 bluff. You move all your chips in with your unpaired AK and hold your breath. After a tense second, you groan as your opponent flips over QQ and knocks you out.

That, was an example of over aggression. Sometimes you need to know when you're beat - not at showdown, but on the turn or river. It really sucks, but when you know you can no longer salvage the pot, you might as well check and fold it down. Yes, it will feel like a huge blow to the ego when you've dumped a ton of money into the pot, led the way pre-flop, then the flop.. and meekly fold when you check the turn and have your opponent gleefully come at you. As much as it's a blow to the ego, any money you save is money that can go toward your continuation in the tournament or for your bankroll.

Again, yet another disclaimer that this isn't about not bluffing your opponent. Bluffing is good and a required part of the game. Trying to take down a pot by force when your opponent has a hand is suicide.
_________________
"The motto of chivalry is also the motto of wisdom; to serve all, but love only one. " IN HOC SIGNO VINCES "

[JonThomson]

That's WAY tl;dr - could that have been summarised by "if you play crap cards you're likely to get stacked" maybe?
_________________
Jon Thomson
Pushing trash and rivering donkeys since 1982

"Expected Value is the term bad poker players use whenever they lose a big hand. The term comes from economics, and therefore it only exists in theory."

[psychodave]

Written by webmazter

Few questions in poker have as many answers as the question “what is the ideal bankroll for tournament poker?” There are a million different answers because there are a lot of variables involved in determining the proper sized roll that will sustain a player’s tournament play. This article breaks down those variables and helps the reader find his or her own sweet spot.

Risk of Ruin and Risk Tolerance

The first component to understanding required bankrolls is the concept of risk of ruin. The risk of ruin is a measure of the likelihood you will run out of money before winning enough to cover your previous losses. Risk of ruin is a mathematical formula, and can be calculated precisely, but doing so requires knowing a player’s winrate and standard deviation. Those are fairly easy to calculate in cash games, but in large field tournaments, such an enormous sample size would be necessary that even the most prodigious online player would have difficulty reaching it. If our sample size is too small, we simply cannot have sufficient confidence in the results.

Since risk of ruin is very difficult to figure for the average tournament player, we can instead look at risk tolerance. Let’s look at two extremes:

Joe is a hard-working man. He has an important job, takes care of his family, funds his retirement, and pays his bills. After all that, he is left with $50 per week as fun money. Joe likes to play poker in a home game tournament hosted by his friend every Friday. He doesn’t care too much if he wins or loses, but likes to play well. He banks all his wins, so he never has more than a $50 bankroll. Poker is a diversion for Joe. The buy in is $50. Does Joe have a sufficient bankroll?

a) No, you must have 100 buy ins or you are a donk.

b) Yes, because he’s playing for fun, and can tolerate the risk.

c) Yes, because his wife won’t let him out of the house anyway.

Answers b) or c) are correct, but for our purposes, b) will do nicely.

Ann is an online tournament professional. She plays all MTTs, all the time. She derives her entire living from online poker tournaments. She has only two months’ living expenses set aside in investments. She has a documented ROI of 80% in tournaments, over a sample size of 2000. Her average buy-in is $109. She occasionally plays $215 tournaments, and takes a monthly shot at the $530 Sunday tournament. What is a good recommended bankroll for her?

a) $5000

b) $10,000

c) $20,000

In this case, c) is probably the best answer. Answer B comes close to a 100 buy in roll, but in this case, her need for money is significant. She needs a larger bankroll to endure downswings.

Reasons to Make Adjustments to Bankroll

Need for money - Does the player need to win to provide an income? If so, the player should want the reduced risk of ruin.

Tolerance for risk - A recreational player can tolerate a lot of risk. Professionals need less risk of busting out. A serious player, who does not wish to use personal money to replenish their bankroll, but will not suffer a life change if he busts out, falls somewhere in between.

Typical field size - Large fields need big bankrolls. Navigating a field of thousands of players is risky. Is it true that the payoffs (return on investment) are huge for large fields, but even the best players can’t get there even a few per cent of the time.

Field skill - In the $50,000 HORSE event at the World Series of Poker, you can be reasonably confident that the field is highly skilled. In a $2 online tournament, although there may be some excellent players, chances are a large portion of the field is only average at best. In events with more skilled players, increase your bankroll (or even better, look for a softer game).

Player’s aggression - Your own aggression is a factor. If you play very aggressively, accept that your variance is going to be high, requiring a bigger bankroll.

Field aggression - Difficult to measure unless you are playing in a regular tournament. Adjust bankroll upward for aggressive fields.

Blind speed - In a slow tournament with deep stacks, good players have increased chances of rising to the top. In 1500 chip online tournaments, where the blinds go up every five minutes, it often becomes a crapshoot. Although good players will win these more often than bad players, they must have deeper bankrolls to withstand the swings.

Flatness of payouts - When a huge chunk of the prize pool goes to the top few places, increase bankroll to withstand the variance.

Access to lower stakes - If you have access to lower stakes games, and are willing to drop stakes when on a losing streak, you can reduce your bankroll requirements.
_________________
"The motto of chivalry is also the motto of wisdom; to serve all, but love only one. " IN HOC SIGNO VINCES "