Quick note. Check this one: Online Poker’s Big Winner
Highly recommended!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Poker Has Changed (case study: Daniel "KidPoker" Negreanu vs. Viktor "Isildur1" Blom)
TODAY'S POKER IS SUPER AGGRESSIVE
Poker has changed. A lot. I have already written about this subject in: 8 and 10 = The New Black.
What happens when everyone is aggressive? Like everyone is nowadays, especially in online poker world. The tables are full of young guns betting aggressively with the most imaginable hands. Bet, raise, reraise, reraise the reraise... and there is the preflop all in: AQ vs J9 suited. Common scene.
Yet still, if you read any poker advises they will continue to tell you to be aggressive. To the certain point aggression is good in poker. With aggressive playing you will win pots. That is the fact.
One of the golden rules in poker however is, that you should play against the table. If the table is loose, you should be tight. If the table is tight, you should be loose. So what now, when all the tables are aggressive? Is folding one answer, like written in: Fold To Win.
Naturally that is not the whole answer, since if you fold all the time you can't never win anything. But is it possible, that wise and simple tight playing will see new daylight? Playing like the amateurs. Folding all the questionable hands? Folding all the hands, if they don't hit? Careful playing? It would make sense when thinking of "playing against the table" -rule.
EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED
Players are not just aggressive, but they are aggressive with all sorts of hands imaginable. And that is what is the key difference between these days and the old days.
In the old days you could be quite sure that opponent had monster hand AA, KK, QQ, AK etc, if he bet or called 5 times the big blind before the flop.
These days you can't have any idea what your opponent has. T8, 97, 86, 65, JT, JQ etc are well used for calling (and even betting) big bets before the flop.
Huge impact on today's poker has been made by poker "idols" such as Phil Ivey, Gus Hansen and Daniel Negreanu, to name just a few. All of these players play witty game, in where you can't predict what they have in hand. Hansen and Negreanu have also made education-videos about this. You can watch one of Negreanu's video-series from here: The video that have influenced poker-world on the internet the most.
CASE STUDY: "KIDPOKER" vs. "ISILDUR1", LEARN FROM NEGREANU
Keeping all this in mind, it was amazing that Negreanu, who has himself educated to play hands that are unexpected, played as he did against Viktor "Isildur1" Blom in their first match. To put it more straightforward: Negreanu played badly those big pots.
You can check the hands of those big pots from here: The Hands.
Right after the game Negreanu was upset. 24 hours after the match he calmed down and admitted he played badly, and that Blom was dominating in that game. (Check: Daniel - Poker Journal)
If you look especially at the hands #4 (Isildur1 T8 suited, against KidPoker's 56) and #8 (Isildur1 68 suited, against KidPoker's AK suited), you'll notice those are so typical hands in today's poker. Isildur1 knew them and had them. KidPoker was trapped. I would like to say, that many poker player who play regularly online could have expected those hands. At least they would have been very cautious. Maybe because Negreanu is more live poker player than online player, he wasn't cautious. At least he wasn't cautious enough.
However, Negreanu is the true poker player and pro. Not "a" but "the". He practiced a lot before their first match. And after losing that match he practiced even more intensively whole week for the rematch.
He won that rematch.
Everyone should learn from him. Because the most important lesson here is, that no matter how much you have played and won, you must always learn more. Players change. Therefore the game is different from day to another. You have to keep up with it.
There just isn't any absolute "right" or "wrong" in today's poker. That is why you have to keep up with current trends and styles by practicing and learning. Not just once and awhile but all the time. If not every day, at least every week.
Poker changes all the time. It evolves from year to another. So should you and your playing. If Negreanu, poker mentor, millionaire and idol, is humble enough to practice constantly to improve his playing, why wouldn't you? You think you are good enough? Think again.
T8, J9, QT, 68... they are all there against you. And never forget Doyle Brunson's T2. Learn from the past and present. Practice always. For the better future. Just like the true poker players do.
Poker has changed. A lot. I have already written about this subject in: 8 and 10 = The New Black.
What happens when everyone is aggressive? Like everyone is nowadays, especially in online poker world. The tables are full of young guns betting aggressively with the most imaginable hands. Bet, raise, reraise, reraise the reraise... and there is the preflop all in: AQ vs J9 suited. Common scene.
Yet still, if you read any poker advises they will continue to tell you to be aggressive. To the certain point aggression is good in poker. With aggressive playing you will win pots. That is the fact.
One of the golden rules in poker however is, that you should play against the table. If the table is loose, you should be tight. If the table is tight, you should be loose. So what now, when all the tables are aggressive? Is folding one answer, like written in: Fold To Win.
Naturally that is not the whole answer, since if you fold all the time you can't never win anything. But is it possible, that wise and simple tight playing will see new daylight? Playing like the amateurs. Folding all the questionable hands? Folding all the hands, if they don't hit? Careful playing? It would make sense when thinking of "playing against the table" -rule.
EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED
Players are not just aggressive, but they are aggressive with all sorts of hands imaginable. And that is what is the key difference between these days and the old days.
In the old days you could be quite sure that opponent had monster hand AA, KK, QQ, AK etc, if he bet or called 5 times the big blind before the flop.
These days you can't have any idea what your opponent has. T8, 97, 86, 65, JT, JQ etc are well used for calling (and even betting) big bets before the flop.
Huge impact on today's poker has been made by poker "idols" such as Phil Ivey, Gus Hansen and Daniel Negreanu, to name just a few. All of these players play witty game, in where you can't predict what they have in hand. Hansen and Negreanu have also made education-videos about this. You can watch one of Negreanu's video-series from here: The video that have influenced poker-world on the internet the most.
CASE STUDY: "KIDPOKER" vs. "ISILDUR1", LEARN FROM NEGREANU
Keeping all this in mind, it was amazing that Negreanu, who has himself educated to play hands that are unexpected, played as he did against Viktor "Isildur1" Blom in their first match. To put it more straightforward: Negreanu played badly those big pots.
You can check the hands of those big pots from here: The Hands.
Right after the game Negreanu was upset. 24 hours after the match he calmed down and admitted he played badly, and that Blom was dominating in that game. (Check: Daniel - Poker Journal)
If you look especially at the hands #4 (Isildur1 T8 suited, against KidPoker's 56) and #8 (Isildur1 68 suited, against KidPoker's AK suited), you'll notice those are so typical hands in today's poker. Isildur1 knew them and had them. KidPoker was trapped. I would like to say, that many poker player who play regularly online could have expected those hands. At least they would have been very cautious. Maybe because Negreanu is more live poker player than online player, he wasn't cautious. At least he wasn't cautious enough.
However, Negreanu is the true poker player and pro. Not "a" but "the". He practiced a lot before their first match. And after losing that match he practiced even more intensively whole week for the rematch.
He won that rematch.
Everyone should learn from him. Because the most important lesson here is, that no matter how much you have played and won, you must always learn more. Players change. Therefore the game is different from day to another. You have to keep up with it.
There just isn't any absolute "right" or "wrong" in today's poker. That is why you have to keep up with current trends and styles by practicing and learning. Not just once and awhile but all the time. If not every day, at least every week.
Poker changes all the time. It evolves from year to another. So should you and your playing. If Negreanu, poker mentor, millionaire and idol, is humble enough to practice constantly to improve his playing, why wouldn't you? You think you are good enough? Think again.
T8, J9, QT, 68... they are all there against you. And never forget Doyle Brunson's T2. Learn from the past and present. Practice always. For the better future. Just like the true poker players do.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Poker In ABC's first "QueenOverAces" -Lady is Tehmeena "Missmeena" Afzal
Poker In ABC's first ever "QueenOverAces" -Lady is Tehmeena "Missmeena" Afzal. Tahmeena was clear choice to get this honor. Beautiful. Sexy. Hot. Sweet.
There can be only one who is the first. Tehmeena is the first, because she is the perfect 10 lady. And that is why we published whole 10 photos of Missmeena in our Facebook-page! Make sure to visit and check them.
More "QueenOverAces" -Ladies will be published only there. New Lady will be chosen regularly. Like Poker In ABC's Facebook-page and you will be updated.
http://www.facebook.com/Poker.In.ABC
There can be only one who is the first. Tehmeena is the first, because she is the perfect 10 lady. And that is why we published whole 10 photos of Missmeena in our Facebook-page! Make sure to visit and check them.
More "QueenOverAces" -Ladies will be published only there. New Lady will be chosen regularly. Like Poker In ABC's Facebook-page and you will be updated.
http://www.facebook.com/Poker.In.ABC
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Poker pro. Professional poker player. Redefine it.
Celebrity poker millionaires such as Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, Gus Hansen, Patrik Antonius, Phil Hellmuth, Antonio Esfandiari and so on, are the names that come in to mind, when average people think about professional poker players. The group of players they represent, who live millionaire lifestyle and play in the highest possible stake levels, are... the very small fraction of the truth.
Vast majority of professional poker players are not familiar faces from magazines or TV-broadcasts. They are regular people from all around the world, playing poker to achieve their day's salary.
Only very few poker pro play cash games where big blind is 1'000 dollars. In some countries that one big blind of 1'000 dollars can be more than the average per capita income for whole year! Yet still you might find people from these countries playing professionally.
How much player needs or wants per month is a tricky question. It is a extremely individual thing.
Let's say European or American wants to make 6'000 USD per month. (He would need only 3'000 USD, but he wants that 6'000.) He plays 20 days per month, so he should win 300 dollars per day. Not too hard task, for example playing on $2.00/$1.00 stake level? Even easier on $4.00/$2.00 level? Yet still not totally and absolutely impossible on $1.00/$0.50 level either?
His countryman, two hours drive north from his home, is little bit modest. He doesn't want anything. He only needs something to make reasonable living. For that he needs 2'600 USD per month. He also plays 20 days per month, so he should win "only" 130 USD per day. To achieve that, he hits tables from $0.25/$0.10 to $0.50/0.25. Sometimes he might visit $1.00/$0.50 level, if he feels wild or extremely comfortable. Generally he doesn't want to take any risks with his bankroll.
At the same time on same poker site man from Philippines, woman from Ukraine and man from Nicaragua are ruling the micro stake levels. Day after day. They play regularly on $0.04/$0.02 level and $0.10/$0.05 level. They are extremely skilled and they just rule there! Every each one of the three players make every day 10 USD minimum profit, usually much more. With that salary their income is way above their country's annual average per capita, and they do well in life as a professional poker players.
I have seen these players online. And I have seen their statistics. They are real.
None of these players will ever make the cover of any famous poker-magazine. They are not sexy enough. They don't have luxury cars in their garage, or three homes in Hollywood, Las Vegas and Switzerland. Yet still, they are poker pros. They play for living. And they are good.
Keep this in mind, when you'll go playing next time. No matter what stake level you play... there is, and always will be, both really good players and really bad players. The game doesn't change, even so the amount of big blind does. Only the bankrolls behind the players change.
Links to annual average incomes in different countries:
Per Capita Income
Indicators on income by UN
Gross national income per capita 2009 (PDF)
Vast majority of professional poker players are not familiar faces from magazines or TV-broadcasts. They are regular people from all around the world, playing poker to achieve their day's salary.
Only very few poker pro play cash games where big blind is 1'000 dollars. In some countries that one big blind of 1'000 dollars can be more than the average per capita income for whole year! Yet still you might find people from these countries playing professionally.
How much player needs or wants per month is a tricky question. It is a extremely individual thing.
Let's say European or American wants to make 6'000 USD per month. (He would need only 3'000 USD, but he wants that 6'000.) He plays 20 days per month, so he should win 300 dollars per day. Not too hard task, for example playing on $2.00/$1.00 stake level? Even easier on $4.00/$2.00 level? Yet still not totally and absolutely impossible on $1.00/$0.50 level either?
His countryman, two hours drive north from his home, is little bit modest. He doesn't want anything. He only needs something to make reasonable living. For that he needs 2'600 USD per month. He also plays 20 days per month, so he should win "only" 130 USD per day. To achieve that, he hits tables from $0.25/$0.10 to $0.50/0.25. Sometimes he might visit $1.00/$0.50 level, if he feels wild or extremely comfortable. Generally he doesn't want to take any risks with his bankroll.
At the same time on same poker site man from Philippines, woman from Ukraine and man from Nicaragua are ruling the micro stake levels. Day after day. They play regularly on $0.04/$0.02 level and $0.10/$0.05 level. They are extremely skilled and they just rule there! Every each one of the three players make every day 10 USD minimum profit, usually much more. With that salary their income is way above their country's annual average per capita, and they do well in life as a professional poker players.
I have seen these players online. And I have seen their statistics. They are real.
None of these players will ever make the cover of any famous poker-magazine. They are not sexy enough. They don't have luxury cars in their garage, or three homes in Hollywood, Las Vegas and Switzerland. Yet still, they are poker pros. They play for living. And they are good.
Keep this in mind, when you'll go playing next time. No matter what stake level you play... there is, and always will be, both really good players and really bad players. The game doesn't change, even so the amount of big blind does. Only the bankrolls behind the players change.
Links to annual average incomes in different countries:
Per Capita Income
Indicators on income by UN
Gross national income per capita 2009 (PDF)
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Poker In ABC now also on Facebook
Poker. Internet poker. Online poker. Live poker. Tests. Reviews. Experience. Advices. Tactics. Playing. All that you will find from here: www.pokerinabc.blogspot.com in a matter-of-fact and to the point form.
From Facebook: www.facebook.com/Poker.In.ABC you'll find more relaxed atmosphere, which isn't always possible here.
While this page is mainly about information, Facebook-page is that too, but it is also about relaxing and enjoyment. Life is about good things, enjoy them. It is all about good moods and sharing.
Comments, links, news, questions... updated daily! But not so seriously.
Welcome to both pages! Whoever you are. From where ever you are. Nice to meet you.
From Facebook: www.facebook.com/Poker.In.ABC you'll find more relaxed atmosphere, which isn't always possible here.
While this page is mainly about information, Facebook-page is that too, but it is also about relaxing and enjoyment. Life is about good things, enjoy them. It is all about good moods and sharing.
Comments, links, news, questions... updated daily! But not so seriously.
Welcome to both pages! Whoever you are. From where ever you are. Nice to meet you.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Fold To Win
One of the best (but the most underrated) strategy to win is to fold a lot. Especially in tourneys, but also in cash games.
You can't win tourney with one hand, but you can lose it all with one hand. You should always remember that fact.
If you are not sure about your hand, don't call that all in. Fold instead. There will come another hand for you sooner or later. Your goal is to stay in on the tourney. All the way to the payout, and all the way to the final table and victory.
Same goes to cash games. Folding is good. If you don't value your money, maybe you do value your time? Ask yourself a question: "If I'll pay this bet now and lose, how long I have to sit down and play to win this amount back?"
Most often when you think: "OMG! Did he pay all my raises with Q9 to hit that straight on river?!", or whatever doubts you have like: "Is it possible he has that hand?", they usually do have that hand. It is strange but true. Therefore fold. Get them later with some other hand.
You can't win tourney with one hand, but you can lose it all with one hand. You should always remember that fact.
If you are not sure about your hand, don't call that all in. Fold instead. There will come another hand for you sooner or later. Your goal is to stay in on the tourney. All the way to the payout, and all the way to the final table and victory.
Same goes to cash games. Folding is good. If you don't value your money, maybe you do value your time? Ask yourself a question: "If I'll pay this bet now and lose, how long I have to sit down and play to win this amount back?"
Most often when you think: "OMG! Did he pay all my raises with Q9 to hit that straight on river?!", or whatever doubts you have like: "Is it possible he has that hand?", they usually do have that hand. It is strange but true. Therefore fold. Get them later with some other hand.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Another research proves again that you shouldn't play poker when you are tired
As mentioned earlier in here: Getting Serious With Poker? according to research playing tired is almost as bad as playing drunk.
Now another research shows same thing again. In The Journal of Neuroscience was published results of research in where gamblers were tested both in normal condition and when tired.
"Sleep Deprivation Biases the Neural Mechanisms Underlying Economic Preferences" research by Vinod Venkatram, Scott A. Huettel, Lisa Y. M. Chuah, John W. Payne and Michael W. L. Chee says:
"Whereas well rested subjects tended to minimize losses, the same subjects tended to maximize gains after a night of sleep deprivation."
"A single night of sleep deprivation (SD) evoked a strategy shift during risky decision making such that healthy human volunteers moved from defending against losses to seeking increased gains."
To put it in short, when player is tired he will take huge risks seeking fast winnings. Even those players who normally wouldn't take risks.
The links to published research results in The Journal of Neuroscience:
Sleep-Deprived Subjects Alter Gambling Strategy to Maximize Wins
Sleep Deprivation Biases the Neural Mechanisms Underlying Economic Preferences
Now another research shows same thing again. In The Journal of Neuroscience was published results of research in where gamblers were tested both in normal condition and when tired.
"Sleep Deprivation Biases the Neural Mechanisms Underlying Economic Preferences" research by Vinod Venkatram, Scott A. Huettel, Lisa Y. M. Chuah, John W. Payne and Michael W. L. Chee says:
"Whereas well rested subjects tended to minimize losses, the same subjects tended to maximize gains after a night of sleep deprivation."
"A single night of sleep deprivation (SD) evoked a strategy shift during risky decision making such that healthy human volunteers moved from defending against losses to seeking increased gains."
To put it in short, when player is tired he will take huge risks seeking fast winnings. Even those players who normally wouldn't take risks.
The links to published research results in The Journal of Neuroscience:
Sleep-Deprived Subjects Alter Gambling Strategy to Maximize Wins
Sleep Deprivation Biases the Neural Mechanisms Underlying Economic Preferences
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Test and review: FREE Poker Clocks a.k.a. Blind Timers a.k.a. Home Game Organizers
Blind Timer. Poker Tournament Manager. Poker Clock. Poker Timer. Poker Home Game Organizer. Poker Home Game Manager. It has many names, but basically it works all the same: it tells what the blinds are and how much time left before the next level begins.
I searched days for FREE blind timers. Although internet is full of so called "free" poker home game managers, further investigation shows that it isn't true. Many who claim to be free in fact are not, only the test-version of actual software is free. These test-versions may only have limited 5 blind levels etc. Those are useless.
But don't worry! And don't waste your time no more to search those best FREE poker blind timers and poker home game managers... because I just did all that.
Here is the collection of THE BEST FREE poker clocks that really do work. Both for Mac and Windows.
BLIND VALET
This one is simply the best. It is easy to use, has many great features and everything works like a dream. Very enjoyable to use. It has all what you need to create any kind of poker tournament. Highly recommended!
Blind Valet
POKERDIY
This one is also available for download. However the downloading part was little kinky. I was able to download the software only after few minutes running the internet version first, and then it prompted me suggestion to download the program in to my computer.
Has nice features and works well. Highly recommended.
pokerdiy blinds timer
POKERBOARDONLINE
Very simple but easy to use poker clock a.k.a. blind timer. It doesn't have anything extra, but it works well.
pokerboardonline
THAT POKER CLOCK
Same result as PokerBoardOnline clock/timer: doesn't have any extra features, but works well.
That Poker Clock
THE POKER TIMER
It looks high-tech and seems to have lot's of good features. The only problem is, they don't work. At least they didn't work when I tested them, didn't calculate right payouts and so on. However the blind timer do work, so you can use that, if you didn't like any other blind timers above.
The Poker Timer
So here they are. The only poker clocks, blind timers, home game organizers and home game managers that are truly FREE and truly work in both Mac and PC. And yes, there are dozens and dozens that claim to be free and claim to work... but not really. I know, since I searched through them all.
However, if you find (or you know) FREE clock, timer or home game organizer that is not listed here, please leave a note and I will add it to here as soon as I have tested it.
I searched days for FREE blind timers. Although internet is full of so called "free" poker home game managers, further investigation shows that it isn't true. Many who claim to be free in fact are not, only the test-version of actual software is free. These test-versions may only have limited 5 blind levels etc. Those are useless.
But don't worry! And don't waste your time no more to search those best FREE poker blind timers and poker home game managers... because I just did all that.
Here is the collection of THE BEST FREE poker clocks that really do work. Both for Mac and Windows.
BLIND VALET
This one is simply the best. It is easy to use, has many great features and everything works like a dream. Very enjoyable to use. It has all what you need to create any kind of poker tournament. Highly recommended!
Blind Valet
POKERDIY
This one is also available for download. However the downloading part was little kinky. I was able to download the software only after few minutes running the internet version first, and then it prompted me suggestion to download the program in to my computer.
Has nice features and works well. Highly recommended.
pokerdiy blinds timer
POKERBOARDONLINE
Very simple but easy to use poker clock a.k.a. blind timer. It doesn't have anything extra, but it works well.
pokerboardonline
THAT POKER CLOCK
Same result as PokerBoardOnline clock/timer: doesn't have any extra features, but works well.
That Poker Clock
THE POKER TIMER
It looks high-tech and seems to have lot's of good features. The only problem is, they don't work. At least they didn't work when I tested them, didn't calculate right payouts and so on. However the blind timer do work, so you can use that, if you didn't like any other blind timers above.
The Poker Timer
So here they are. The only poker clocks, blind timers, home game organizers and home game managers that are truly FREE and truly work in both Mac and PC. And yes, there are dozens and dozens that claim to be free and claim to work... but not really. I know, since I searched through them all.
However, if you find (or you know) FREE clock, timer or home game organizer that is not listed here, please leave a note and I will add it to here as soon as I have tested it.
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