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1. 2012-04-27 08:27:15

   Seidel Drops Out of GPI Top Ten

   Each year one-poker player manages to find that elusive elixir containing the right balance of skill and luck, which takes him or her on a heater of a lifetime. In 2011, the man who found and drunk that bottle was one Erik Seidel. The former Stocks Trader and Backgammon player from New York managed to win an astonishing $6,530,153 in a single year. The win catapulted his all-time earnings to $16,885,167 meaning nobody on the planet had ever won more whilst playing live tournament poker.

   During a recent interview Seidel admitted that just prior to 2011 he was considering quitting the game. He was unsure whether or not he could keep pace with the younger generation. Then came his rush of a lifetime and maybe he had answered his own internal critic. But as 2012 started it became obvious that Erik Seidel’s mind was still contemplating a form of semi-retirement. His omission on the world circuit was noticed by the poker world and as we draw into the long hard summer of Las Vegas, Seidel has not yet cashed once in 2012.

   Seidel’s absence from the game means he has dropped out of the Global Poker Index Top Twenty for the first time ever. Jason Mercier still remains in the top spot while Seidel plummeted into 23rd place. Newcomers into the GPI this month are online sensation Adam “Roothlus” Levy, Tom Middleton and Lucien Cohen. The biggest riser is Irish Open winner Kevin Vandersmissen while at the other end of the scale Sean Getzwiller drops 129 places – more than anyone else this month.

   For more WSOP 2012 news and online poker updates visit Betfair.

   Posted by KCasey at 2012-04-27 08:27:15 | permalink | Discuss (0 comments)

2. 2012-04-27 08:24:59

   Robert Baguley Wins UKIPT Nottingham

   Anyone who owns a card room is going to like a gamble and Dusk Till Dawn’s (DTD) owner Rob Yong is no different. Yong and his team recently announced a £1 million guaranteed prize pool for the recent UKIPT event that was held at the Nottingham club, and at times Yong must have been feeling nervous.

   The tournament consisted of three separate day ones (1A, 1B & 1C) but it could have turned into a logistical nightmare as Yong had very little sway on when players would turn up. In fact after the Day 1A numbers were sorted and clarified, the DTD crew were worried that they would have nowhere to seat everyone on Day 1C, with a one million guarantee staring them in the face.
   In the end, despite competition with the WPT holding their main event in Vienna, Yong managed to attract 1,625 players and secure his £1 million guarantee and £210,400 first place. Incredibly only 76 players made it through to Day 3 and one day later the DTD and the UKIPT had a final table of eight – now that’s how you carve through a field!

   When the final table was set it was Iqbal Ahmed who started with the chip lead and ended up heads-up with DTD regular Robert Baguley. Before the event had started Baguley’s highest live pay out was $603, quite startling considering the fact that Baguley went on to win the event for £210,400.

   Follow Betfair WSOP and poker online at Betfair.

   Posted by KCasey at 2012-04-27 08:24:59 | permalink | Discuss (0 comments)

3. 2012-04-24 09:37:30

   Play Your Strong Hands Fast

   There is something about the cloak and dagger of poker that intrigues and excites people. If you lack a general understanding of poker; if your only experience has come from watching television, then you may be forgiven for believing that poker is all about the person who bluffs the most. Amazingly the game is full of people, with a decent understanding of poker, who also believe the cloak and dagger.

   This belief in the cloak and dagger accentuates fancy play syndrome. Fancy play syndrome is when you start to make moves where none are warranted. In fact if you want to be a truly great Betfair poker online player, then you need to do the basics well and often. A good example is slow playing your big hands and fast playing your bluffs. This is a really unbalanced way of playing, and far too fancy for its own good.

   The basic premise of poker is to get value from your strongest hands. To do this you must bet and so checking to induce a bluff, although it may work on occasion, is often the incorrect strategy. So what if you have smashed top set of aces on a Ad 8h 9c board. What if your opponent does have the case ace and will stack off? What if he has Jc Th and you give him a free card?

   Next time you are in the game and you hit the board hard, then move like Speedy Gonzalez with boxing gloves – play them hard and play them fast.

   Posted by KCasey at 2012-04-24 09:37:30 | permalink | Discuss (0 comments)

4. 2012-04-13 08:38:33

   Know Your Equity

   No one ever won a poker tournament without a dose of luck. Indeed, if you want to take top spot more often you need to indulge in poker practice on poker sites and try new techniques such as to gamble in spots where you know you have decent equity.

   To establish your equity at the poker table it’s important to do some post-game analysis. Once you’ve done this enough you’ll begin to have an instinct of when you’re in a good position to call or raise.

   The process of establishing your equity can be broken down into 3 parts: 1) your opponent’s likely shoving/calling ranges; 2) the immediate pot odds on offer; 3) your hand’s equity in relation to both previous points.

   Let’s consider this process in action: A short stacked player who raises from the cut-off is likely to do so with a wide range of hands. Their range of poker holdings could look something like this:

   22+, A2s+, K5s+, Q6s+, J7s+, T8s+, 98s, 87s, 76s, A2o+, K7o+, Q8o+, J9o+ & T9o.

   Continuing the flow of action, the player on the button will certainly loosen up their calling range to reflect cut-off’s wide opening range. Indeed, if their stack is also nearing the 10bb mark they will be likely to gamble in order to get back into the tournament. Because of this a typical range would be:

   44+, A2s+, KTs+, QTs+, JTs, A5o+, KJo+ & QJo

   Using this information and an equity calculator such as PokerStove, we can see that based on these rough ranges your equity in the hand is 39% when holding pocket eights. In contrast, the button’s equity is 33% and the cut-off’s a lowly 27%. This means calling here is definitely profitable in the long term.

   Knowing this dynamic is important because now you can decide whether the pot odds and your equity make a call worthwhile. In this situation you’d need to be getting 3-1 pot odds for a call to be profitable.

   In poker you should always have a rough estimate of your equity in a variety of situations. By doing this you’ll win many more tournaments.

   Posted by KCasey at 2012-04-13 08:38:33 | permalink | Discuss (0 comments)

5. 2012-04-12 13:20:04

   Glitteringprizes Joins BlueFirePoker

   If you are interested in improving your poker game, then joining an online training site is one of the methods of choice. When the fad first kicked off BlueFirePoker became one of the sites with most value for money, because it contained some of the online world’s biggest winners. In recent times they have been ringing the changes with the departure of the likes of Phil Galfond and Martin
   Fournier but with the loss of quality comes added quality.

   The recent addition to the BlueFirePoker stable is Asad "glitteringprizes" Goodarzy. Asad plays all the way up to 50/100 NLHE and will be creating videos, mostly in the 3/6 - 25/50 range.

   Glitteringprizes is a 25-year-old high stakes player from Cambridge, Massachusetts. Starting with just a $50 promotion back in 2005, Asad ran it up, making hundreds of thousands of dollars, while never depositing once and thus refers to poker as "one big long freeroll."

   Asad has risen through the stakes of online poker thanks in large to a close-knit group of poker friends whom he considers teammates. They all started together and moved up together, and to this day still spend hours discussing hands, strategy, and working hard to improve his game.

   After a few years of beating small stakes, Asad found out that Tdogg99, one of the biggest winners at the 5/10NL games lived just down the street from him. Tdogg99 began coaching and staking Asad in the 200NL games and from there his poker career took off.

   In 2008, Asad decided to transition into heads up, which is his primary focus today.
   Asad will be making theory intensive mid/high stakes HU and 6max reviews exclusively for BlueFirePoker.

   Those wanting to experience this level of excitement themselves are encouraged to visit Betfair and check out the latest Betfair poker offers.

   Posted by KCasey at 2012-04-12 13:20:04 | permalink | Discuss (0 comments)

6. 2012-04-05 01:41:43

   Playing a 4-flush post-flop

   
   During last Saturday's tourney at Thunder Valley, my last move has been to move all-in post flop with a 4-flush. Sunday, at our league game, I called a big bet with a flush draw only, yet I folded a later hand post flop despite having a 4-flush, and much later I called Laurie's all-in post-flop with a 4-flush. So, what's the rational? We talked about it, but I fear I confused people, so here are some thoughts on the matter I wanted to share (to the risk of confusing everyone!)

   HAND 1:

   On my button, with ~23,000 left, blinds at 800-1,600 and 200 antes, UTG+3 raises to 4,500; I call from the button with and so does the BB. Flop comes , I have top-pair and the 2nd nut flush; BB checks, UTG+3 c-bets to 7,500; I raise all-in to 18,500; BB folds but UTG+3 calls and shows pocket fives for a set. Turn is the to make my flush, river is an eight for his full-house and my demise
   >>> Let's break it down. The range for UTG+3 to raise is pretty open: any pair, any ace, suited connectors, all are fair game at this stage of the tournament. My call in position allows me to push on him if he shows any weakness in later streets, or if I hit the board. I could make this call with practically any cards. The BB is already partially in, and my call definitely prices him in. So action pre-flop is pretty typical. The 8h5s2s flop is somewhat connected, suited, so UTG+3 c-bet is to be expected regardless of his hand, plus it seems relatively unlikely that the board would hit us strongly. What are my options? Fold: no way. I hit top pair, a decent kicker, and have the 2nd nut flush draw. Call: the 7,500 is ~40% of my stack, my odds to hit a spade on the turn are only 1 in 5 (9 outs once) and I have less chances to improve my hand than I potentially give that guy by just calling. Also, I price the BB in to stick around and possibly outflop me, so a call seems pretty weak. Raise: now I know I'll have 2 streets to hit my 5th spade, another 8 or pair my King to outdraw the original raiser, and he would have to call without knowing if he improves or if I do during those 2 streets: sounds like a good deal. Also, getting back to his range, even if he suspects I have a straight or flush draw, he would be leary to risk so much (he had me covered but not by much) with an overpair or any Ace. Only hands he can call with are {55}, {22} or {88} as he's got a set, or a flush draw of his own, though he'd call probably only with the nut flush draw (AsXs). So I shove... too bad he had precisely the killer 55!!

   OK, this one got me more than a couple of comments, and all about one thing: what was I thinking when I got involved in that hand?! I've missed to provide a few elements. First, my stack, even close to an M of 10, was around half the average stack in the room, and I needed to make something happen before I had lost all prospect to make top-10. When I got moved to that table, I had just below 30,000 chips and got decimated by blinds and antes, raises from bigger stacks and all-ins from shorter stacks. But the key element was the raiser himself: this was his 3rd raise in 10 or 12 hands, but this time he hesitated and looked weaker, if not weak. Very thin read on him, but got a sense that now was the time, and that a push from me on 90% of the flops would work (any Ace, King or 8, flush or straight possibility, and so on...

   HAND 2:

   In early position, I limp for 100 with , the Button and SB call, BB checks. Flop is and is checked around. Turn is , SB, BB and I check, but Button raises to 500. SB & BB fold, I call. River is a third diamond, I bet 1,000, button calls, shows a set of sixes and loses to my flush.
   >>> Let's break it down. Pre-flop limp, checked around post flop is not surprising early in the tournament. The flop was rather dry and unlikely to have helped anyone. The turn is a 6 of diamond, pairing the board AND giving me a decent diamond flush-draw. The combination is not condusive to a bet with my hand, but the button's bet of 500 (over bet?) really looks like (at least represents) she might have hit a set of sixes. That's important, because at a first glance, I do not have pot odds to call (500 to a 800 pot, with odds at best at 1 to 5) but I have implied odds: if I hit a diamond, I know the Button will call any (reasonable) bet I'll make. That's what happened: got my flush, bet it (looks like a still), the Button has a set with an Ace kicker, my runner-runner flush looked like a far-stretched story, and she calls.

   HAND 3:

   I limp from the cut-off an un-opened pot for 100 with a suited . SB calls and BB checks. Flop come , with 2 clubs: I have a flush draw. SB bets 200, BB raises to 500, I fold my hand.
   >>> Let's break it down. Pre-flop, all I had was position, J8 even suited is pretty bad, so a limp is a more conventional venue than a raise. When SB bets on the A-K-rag flop, one can assume he's got something: maybe a pair, maybe a draw. If BB would have folded, I would have floated the SB bet, again not so much because of my own flush draw (200 more to a 500 pot is not +EV) but on the ground of having position and the opportunity to punish any weakness in later streets. When BB raises to 500, now my options change drastically: if I call and somehow SB let's us see a Turn card, I must improve right then (one chance in 5, my odds are bad) before another round of betting. But what's worse, is that SB could well reopen the action by 3-betting on my call and then god knows what BB would do, but in any case my call money is lost. The action was too hot, and I felt I had to go away.

   HAND 4:

   With an above average stack, blinds at 100-200 and 25 antes, in early position, I raise to 600 with . All folded to the blinds: SB, short-stack, calls; BB calls too. Flop comes with 2 hearts. SB and BB check, I c-bet 1,200, SB check-raises me to 4,000 (she's all-in), BB fold, I call the 2,800. Missed the turn but hit a heart on the river to make my flush and bust SB.
   >>> Let's break it down. Pre-flop, I raise to keep the pressure on the short stacks who were playing cautious, warry to bust before another shorter stack. SB call leads me to believe she had a decent hand (small- or mid-pair, weak Ace) but not a monster, while BB felt probably priced-in. Post flop, checked to me I c-bet like I would do 90% of the time, not because I have a flush draw, despite the bad feeling that the Ace might have hit someone. But to know if the Ace hit anyone, I have to bet, and represent I have an Ace. I got my answer: when SB check-raises me all-in I know I am behind, but there are two factors here: it now only costs me 2,800 extra chips to win a total pot of 11,600, a 24% pot-odd, while my odds to hit a heart on the turn OR the river are around 40%. The call is obvious. Note that if she had shoved on the flop, SB would have given me only 34% pot odds, borderline +EV... I would have considered folding, though calling in the end, as I could afford a call even with worse odds given my dominant stack at the time, and the high value of busting a dangerous competitor in the league.

   Cheers!
   Fred

   Posted by Frederic at 2012-04-05 01:41:43 | permalink | Discuss (0 comments)

7. 2012-03-26 14:00:47

   Blackjack tactics

   Most blackjack tables allow you to play up five hands per round, in which you can stake as many chips as you like on each individual hand.

   The best tactic is to play no more than two hands at any given time so you can give you full concentration on them. The more you play, the more you are likely to rush your decisions.

   The most obvious reason why you should avoid playing all five available hands in a game of blackjack is the cost. Remember if you do play five hands, it will cost you five times the stake you choose. Two winning hands would then not be enough to show a profit from the round of betting. The fewer hands you play per round, the longer your bankroll is likely to last in your session.

   One of the other betting opportunities available to you in blackjack is an insurance bet. This takes place when the dealer has either of the two cards that make up blackjack as his turn card. If the dealer then goes on to have blackjack, you get paid at 2:1 for your stake. If you were to play level stakes, you would still show a profit from the hand if the dealer did go on to reveal the second qualifying card. A lot of players don’t like to take on the insurance bet because there is more chance that dealer doesn’t have blackjack despite having one of the cards needed. They are quite happy to take a risk and continue without the insurance bet. Doing this restricts how much you could possibly lose in any round.

   Written by John, a fan of online casino

   Posted by KCasey at 2012-03-26 14:00:47 | permalink | Discuss (0 comments)

8. 2012-03-23 15:24:45

   Heinz win shows the best side of poker

   Last year, Pius Heinz became the first German to pick up the main event bracelet in World Series of Poker with his success at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

   Heinz was left in a heads-up with Czech Martin Staszko who went all-in with 10-7 in his final hand which was called by the 22-year old with no hesitation with AK. The board didn't improve either player's hand which left the German with the best five cards to land the top prize of $8,715,638. Even fans of Omaha poker wouldn't sniff at that kind of prize.

   It was by far Heinz's biggest win of his career following successes in the Full Tilt Poker Sunday Mulligan in 2010 and a PokerStars $150,000 tournament a year later.

   During the heads-up battle, there were 119 hands played with the lead changing nine times through the duration. At one point, the Czech player had a lead of 4 to 1 but Heinz clawed himself back in front and never looked back from there.

   There were over one hundred spectators at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino in what was a fantastic atmosphere on the final night of the main event in the series.

   Before his triumph in Las Vegas, Heinz was considering reducing his time spent playing poker games and aiming to go back to college. He had suffered a disappointing six months where very little went right for him in the game, but thankfully for the German, everything came to fruition in the biggest prize of them all. The success may pave the way for European hopefuls who dream of victory in the World Series of Poker.

   Posted by KCasey at 2012-03-23 15:24:45 | permalink | Discuss (0 comments)

9. 2012-03-20 16:49:48

   Andrew Kim Wins APPT Seoul

   The events post Black Friday affected the whole poker world, but more so if you plied your trade living in the United States. Professional poker players either quit, emigrated or left their bedrooms for the brick and mortar casinos.

   The transition from virtual world to the real one is tough, but if you have talent then it can shine anywhere. Playing in softer fields is probably a good starting point and the early stages of a European Poker Tour (EPT) or Asian Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) is a better place to start than any. It's probably better than jumping straight into the WSOP 2012.

   Andrew Kim from the United States has just taken that very route, and recently took down the 2012 APPT held in Seoul, South Korea. 268 players contributed to a total prize pool of $639,571 and $129,253 of that went to Kim – not bad for his first ever live cash!

   It was a decent final table with the 2012 Aussie Millions runner-up Kenneth Wong taking his seat, 11th place finisher at 2010 EPT Vienna Jose Severino and WSOP final tablist Daisuke Endo all generating a decent amount of experience.

   It was actually Wong who was eliminated first after moving all-in pre flop holding pocket nines versus the Ah Qh of Vincent Rubianes. Back to back queens on the turn and river sealing Wong’s fate. Fans of online poker will know this is a typical scene.

   Moritz Ortmann eliminated Endo in 8th; Kwon fell in 7th before it was the turn of Jose Severino. The man from Panama moved all-in with Ac Qh and Ortmann woke up with Ah Kh and that was the end of that.

   Sasa Zorc left the party in fifth; Ortmann fell in fourth before the elimination of Rafael Rodrigo set up the heads-up clash between Kim and Rubianes, which Kim won to take home his first ever major title.

   Posted by KCasey at 2012-03-20 16:49:48 | permalink | Discuss (0 comments)

10. 2012-03-13 13:28:28

    The Bluff Power 20

    The Bluff Power 20 is not a collection of the twenty greatest poker bluffs of all time. Instead it is an annual declaration of the twenty most powerful and influential people in poker, brought to you by the people at Bluff.

    The list has recently received criticism from certain quarters of the poker media for being too US-centric and this year was no different. Only three European's made it onto the list that once again declared the United States as the epicentre of the world of poker. Fans of Betfair may have their own views on this.

    Interestingly, last year a certain Howard Lederer held number one spot. Unsurprisingly, the former Full Tilt man did not make the list this time around, but a family member still did. Lederer's sister Annie Duke sneaking onto the list in 18th place under her official title as Commissioner, Epic Poker League. What are the odds that this time next year Duke will follow Lederer out of the Bluff 20 after the recent announcement of the problems the Epic Poker League is facing just to survive. Those playing Betfair poker have no such worries.

    Although Duke doesn't play much these days she is still classed as a player and she is one of only three poker players to make the list. The owner of Pokernews, Tony G making 11th place and Duke's nemesis Daniel Negreanu making an appearance in 9th spot. Daniel Negreanu was the only poker player to make the list without any other business interests in the game.

    The Bluff Power 20 number one spot for 2012 went to Isai Scheinberg the founder of PokerStars.

    Posted by KCasey at 2012-03-13 13:28:28 | permalink | Discuss (0 comments)