Questions Thread #7

Ok, if you’re running short of questions….

I’m not much of a NL player, but I’ve been watching some of the stoxpoker NL videos. He likes to make a play he calls a “squeeze”. Harrington discussed this play in his books: he will sometimes raise with a marginal hand after one or more people have limped with presumably weak holdings, expecting to take the pot right away. Stox will go so as far as to sometimes do this from the blinds after several people have entered the pot.

So when exactly is a squeeze called for? What is the justification for the play? It seems pretty risky to me, especially in loose games where you are likely to get called. In the best of circumstances, it doesn’t seem like a play you can get away with very often.

I just finished watching MATTKUPE win yet another tourney on Absolute Poker. I also notice that there are several players that “almost” always make the final table in the tourneys they play in virtually everyday. MATTKUPE makes the final table in “almost” every tourney he enters including winning the 100k guaranteed last Saturday. MATTKUPE and these other “regulars” are consistently making thousands per week in these tourneys.

How are they able to do this so consistently(daily)? What have they done to get to this level?

I’ve studied and practiced for 2 years religiously and I consider myself a decent small to medium buy-in tourney player with several $1000+ wins and many cashes but I have no idea how they accomplish this on a daily basis.

Anything is appreciated and thanks a lot for starting this site. I’ve read your books and have learned much from them.

Ryan

I’m not sure if this has been asked, but I was curious if you could share with us your favorite books, blogs, magazines, websites, etc. about poker. I’ve read through quite a library of books (all three of yours included), but was looking for something to supplement my knowledge. I already visit (obviously) this site, 2+2, Prof Poker, IGGY’s Party Poker Blog, doubleas, pokerati, table tango, tao of poker, and pocket fives. Heh, quite a list already, but they don’t always have gems. I feel that forums have to be the best resource for any serious poker player.

Another: What do you think of the free showdown play (heads-up, in position, raising the turn while planning to check behind on the river) in limit Hold’em?

Stoxpoker uses this play frequently. King Yao discussed it briefly in his book but said some players overuse it. I don’t recall that you mentioned this play in Small Stakes Hold’em.

I have used it, sometimes with a flush or straight draw and other times with a decent but potentially not best hand. Sometimes I hope to get a fold, and sometimes I’m trying to get aggressive players to think twice when they play against me. However, I’m not sure what I’m doing is correct.

When and why should this play be used?

Hi

I recently had a game of texas holdem with 5 of my friends.
In this particualr round, everyone folded after the flop was down, and it was down to me and another guy.
The next card came out, and he bet me all the chips I had (say £100). I went all in (£100).
Now, I said that the next card should not be turned over, because I cannot bet on the final round, and neither can he because he’d be betting by himself.
He insisted that ALL 5 cards need to be turned over, so he turned it over, and he beat me with 3 of a kind 6′s on the last card.

Am I correct that when there are 2 players, and they are all in, you don’t turn any more cards over?

Thanks