Some people have the advantage (and sometimes disadvantage) of playing against the same lineup again and again. Whether it’s a home game with the same eight players each week or it’s a nosebleed online game where only a dozen or two names pop in and out, poker is a different Starting A Session The Right [...]

For today’s column I examine a hand played by wahoointexas and posted on the message board. Here’s what wahoo had to say:
Appreciate any advice as to the way this hand was played, and what you think is the correct move on the river is in this situation.
Live 2/5 NL, Q&A #122: A Top Pair Facing [...]

Recently there was an interesting discussion on the message board about a hand that karbyn played in a $2-$5 live game. Here’s the intro post:
First hand 2/5 live. There’s about 6 regulars, 3 unknowns, and me. I sit down in Seat #1 with $340 racked from a Q&A #121: What I Do On [...]

The great thing about poker is that nearly all of us have room to improve our games. Many players who beat small stakes live games at a decent clip could win more money if they tried these three simple things more often.
Taking Control Of The Game
Many small stakes live games are relatively passive. The players [...]

Should they call him McSpew? You be the judge. Here is jenson from the message board to tell his story:
At least they called me that on another forum when I posted this. I’m wondering if you guys have the same sentiment. I accept it if you do.
I was thinking of Ed’s recent blog [...]

Today we have a quick Q&A about playing in a game with a time charge. A time charge is a way for the house to profit from the game. In lieu of a rake on each pot, in a time game the house simply collects a fixed fee from each player at the beginning of [...]

In no-limit, fairly frequently you have to lay down “big” hands like top pair, top kicker or a medium two pair because your opponent is representing something even bigger. Unfortunately, these are also sometimes hands you want to beat your opponent into the pot with. It can be hard to figure out if this is [...]

Poker players get stuck in ruts. We make so many decisions when we play that it’s natural for us to develop a sort of default, automatic way of handling most situations. Automatic plays are, on one hand, a practical necessity. I play about 500 hands an hour, and I probably make at least 800 to [...]

Dry boards sometimes offer a golden opportunity to get extra value for your medium strength hands like top pair. Many players are always looking to sniff out a bluff on a dry board, and you can use that fact to your advantage if you have a hand that beats a typical bluff catcher. In particular, [...]

When you’re out of position with a made hand, the most common decision is whether to bet your hand for value or to check it, looking to induce a bluff.
I find that most players tend to make this decision more based on their overall style than on any individual situation. Some players tend to bet [...]