Thursday, April 21, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
My Ehow Articles
Now that I think about it, it is incredibly important that I share the following web links across my blogs as well. Please find below the first list of ehow articles I have published over the last 3 years. These Articles have made me a total of about 75 dollars so far (only 14 articles total). I will explain further in a later post...
http://www.ehow.com/how_6013252_lower-blood-sugar-3-steps.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_5897909_unsubscribe-youtube-video.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_5878789_change-oil-steps.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_5870821_twitter-steps.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_5866927_ebay-steps.html
Here are the next 5:
http://www.ehow.com/how_5862037_paint-room-steps.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_5857441_make-old-computer-faster.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_5722316_septic-tank-cover-steps.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_5487540_survive-halloween-guilt.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_5478261_lose-spare-tire-flat-stomach.html
5 More:
http://www.ehow.com/how_5470011_avoid-flu-season.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_5464472_swim-backstroke.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_5446464_swim-butterfly-like-michael-phelps.html *This is my most profitable ehow article
http://www.ehow.com/how_5431215_stain-deck-steps.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_5431215_stain-deck-steps.html
4 More:
http://www.ehow.com/how_5430522_buy-stock-steps.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_5416742_invest-after-recession.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_5182261_play-potlimit-omaha-poker.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_5131401_swim-distance-like-michael-phelps.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_6013252_lower-blood-sugar-3-steps.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_5897909_unsubscribe-youtube-video.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_5878789_change-oil-steps.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_5870821_twitter-steps.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_5866927_ebay-steps.html
Here are the next 5:
http://www.ehow.com/how_5862037_paint-room-steps.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_5857441_make-old-computer-faster.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_5722316_septic-tank-cover-steps.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_5487540_survive-halloween-guilt.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_5478261_lose-spare-tire-flat-stomach.html
5 More:
http://www.ehow.com/how_5470011_avoid-flu-season.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_5464472_swim-backstroke.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_5446464_swim-butterfly-like-michael-phelps.html *This is my most profitable ehow article
http://www.ehow.com/how_5431215_stain-deck-steps.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_5431215_stain-deck-steps.html
4 More:
http://www.ehow.com/how_5430522_buy-stock-steps.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_5416742_invest-after-recession.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_5182261_play-potlimit-omaha-poker.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_5131401_swim-distance-like-michael-phelps.html
Friday, April 15, 2011
I have a New Calling
Please check out my new Muse. I have added links below to the articles I have been writing on Squidoo.com. These links will be added to my other pages. Feel free to read every single one!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
100 Sit-n-Go's
Today, March 20th 8:00 pm I played my final $5.00 bankroll on rush poker. I went all in with Queens post flop and had two callers, one had JJ and the other held 55 with a 5 on the board. Needless to say I sit dejected once again with $0.00 in my Full Tilt Poker account and a negative ROI for the past 5 years.
I have been toying with this idea for some time to finally put a stake in the ground and create an experiment that I can hopefully learn from in the end.
Here is the plan. I will play 100 sit-n-gos and blog (possibly vlog or ustream) each one. Each pivotal hand will be posted to a poker website of my choosing for scrutiny and I will try my best to analyze each sit-n-go tournament to its fullest. At this point I plan to play 2 sit-n-go tournaments per week and spend the rest of the time reviewing, replaying and learning from each tournament I play.
I feel that, just as in basketball or football, by reviewing the 'game-tape' I will be better able to analyze my play and my opponents play going forward. As I study the game I hope to finally become profitable.
Here is my issue, I have read a few books and played countless hours online, but I have never truly attempted to study the game. I feel that this is the worst thing anyone can do. The learning curve for me has taken too long. Now its time to finally become profitable, or I have to live without playing poker as much as I do. I hope that both my readers and I gain perspective from my commentary and look forward to further details on the strategy going forward.
I intend to take my time with this task, so you can probably expect my next entry to be a week or two from now. Good Luck to All at the tables - except for mine!
I have been toying with this idea for some time to finally put a stake in the ground and create an experiment that I can hopefully learn from in the end.
Here is the plan. I will play 100 sit-n-gos and blog (possibly vlog or ustream) each one. Each pivotal hand will be posted to a poker website of my choosing for scrutiny and I will try my best to analyze each sit-n-go tournament to its fullest. At this point I plan to play 2 sit-n-go tournaments per week and spend the rest of the time reviewing, replaying and learning from each tournament I play.
I feel that, just as in basketball or football, by reviewing the 'game-tape' I will be better able to analyze my play and my opponents play going forward. As I study the game I hope to finally become profitable.
Here is my issue, I have read a few books and played countless hours online, but I have never truly attempted to study the game. I feel that this is the worst thing anyone can do. The learning curve for me has taken too long. Now its time to finally become profitable, or I have to live without playing poker as much as I do. I hope that both my readers and I gain perspective from my commentary and look forward to further details on the strategy going forward.
I intend to take my time with this task, so you can probably expect my next entry to be a week or two from now. Good Luck to All at the tables - except for mine!
Monday, May 10, 2010
Huge Hole in My Game That Needs Repair
I haven't realized until recently that I have a huge hole in my game. It's not that I don't know the math behind the game; that is something I know I need to brush up on. My biggest glaring weakness in my current game is that I can't see past my own cards. Many poker aficionados consider certain levels of poker. Level one is a general knowledge of the game and how to play the hand your dealt. Level two is an understanding of your opponents hands and how they play.
I do not excercise this practice enough. What good is knowing my own hole cards when I don't know what my opponent is holding. 2 + 2 equals 4... not 2 + 0 = 4!
So lets try to break down the readily available information that we can use to gain more information about an opponents hand.
1. Board Texture
2. Betting Pattern
3. Timing
Board Texture:
It can be pretty easy to pick out a flush, but a straight tends to be more tricky, especially if your opponent holds a suited one-gap (two cards like 7,9 or 8,10 of the same suit). What is even harder is putting an opponent on a sneaky small set, or a higher boat (full-house) than you have. This is where most people lose the majority of their money; either those instances or if you run into a higher pair than you have. However typically if you hold pocket 6's and your opponent is holding 8's the pot shouldn't ge that big. So how can we get a clearer idea of what our opponent is holding?
Betting patterns tend to give away what an opponent is holding. The old adage is that weak is strong and strong is weak. Try to wrap that one around your head if that is the first time you are reading those words. I often find that if I am holding the nuts I try to entice my opponents to walk right into it. It tends to be more difficult then you think though. On the flip side, in lower limit games that I have been playing the adage seems a bit defunct. If a player acts strong he tends to be strong ,and for that matter if he acts strong he is also weak. The lower limits tend to rule by constant aggressiveness though, however I would like to try potting more of my bets. By this I mean that in later betting rounds I would like to try to bet the amount that is currently in the pot. Sometimes I feel as though my continuation bets, or my standard 3x raise does not do enough to scare my opponents into folding a marginal hand, a better hand, or a drawing hand. I think I will attempt to make pot sized bets more often to see if this affects my outcome.
Timing seems to be everything to me lately. Often I will watch an opponent act very strong pre-flop. When the cards are dealt on the flop though they tend to lack a certain confidence that I can pick up in the timing of the bet (which tends to be smaller than at first) or check. This has worked out for me recently by re-raising in these instances.
It can be very hard to call an opponents range, or even try to put an opponent on a specific hand, but I don't really do this ever. In order to improve my game it needs to be something I incorporate into every hand I am dealt or it will decrease my chances of making money. Every hand needs 100% conentration and every hand should be used as a learning opportunitiy to find out what my opponents are playing with.
I do not excercise this practice enough. What good is knowing my own hole cards when I don't know what my opponent is holding. 2 + 2 equals 4... not 2 + 0 = 4!
So lets try to break down the readily available information that we can use to gain more information about an opponents hand.
1. Board Texture
2. Betting Pattern
3. Timing
Board Texture:
It can be pretty easy to pick out a flush, but a straight tends to be more tricky, especially if your opponent holds a suited one-gap (two cards like 7,9 or 8,10 of the same suit). What is even harder is putting an opponent on a sneaky small set, or a higher boat (full-house) than you have. This is where most people lose the majority of their money; either those instances or if you run into a higher pair than you have. However typically if you hold pocket 6's and your opponent is holding 8's the pot shouldn't ge that big. So how can we get a clearer idea of what our opponent is holding?
Betting patterns tend to give away what an opponent is holding. The old adage is that weak is strong and strong is weak. Try to wrap that one around your head if that is the first time you are reading those words. I often find that if I am holding the nuts I try to entice my opponents to walk right into it. It tends to be more difficult then you think though. On the flip side, in lower limit games that I have been playing the adage seems a bit defunct. If a player acts strong he tends to be strong ,and for that matter if he acts strong he is also weak. The lower limits tend to rule by constant aggressiveness though, however I would like to try potting more of my bets. By this I mean that in later betting rounds I would like to try to bet the amount that is currently in the pot. Sometimes I feel as though my continuation bets, or my standard 3x raise does not do enough to scare my opponents into folding a marginal hand, a better hand, or a drawing hand. I think I will attempt to make pot sized bets more often to see if this affects my outcome.
Timing seems to be everything to me lately. Often I will watch an opponent act very strong pre-flop. When the cards are dealt on the flop though they tend to lack a certain confidence that I can pick up in the timing of the bet (which tends to be smaller than at first) or check. This has worked out for me recently by re-raising in these instances.
It can be very hard to call an opponents range, or even try to put an opponent on a specific hand, but I don't really do this ever. In order to improve my game it needs to be something I incorporate into every hand I am dealt or it will decrease my chances of making money. Every hand needs 100% conentration and every hand should be used as a learning opportunitiy to find out what my opponents are playing with.
Kings vs Nines. I get Tripped up
Once again, I have a sad story to tell you. I am sitting at the table and I am picking and chosing my battles. Next thing I realize I have FINALLY picked up a big hand! KK in the hole in late position. This is the second best hand in poker. If I go all in and get beat by aces so be it, but I want to get all my money in on the flop. Why? Well, because statistically I am the favorite going into the flop on anything except Aces.
The opponent to my right raises strong, PERFECT! This guy isn't going to walk away no matter what I do. I shove and he shoves; our stacks are about even. Its my Kings vs his nines. I am in great position to double up. Flop comes completely , harmless to me, and it's no help to him. I take a deep breath and close my eyes as I tell myself that I am still a huge favorite. I open my eyes, and to my utter dismay, a nine shows up on the turn. Of COURSE. The river card is of no consequence and I lose my full stack.
Why is it that this always seems to happen to yours truly? There is no way I should not have shoved in that instance. The guy to my right was crazy to call and all-in with pocket nines! I need to look up the percentages but I know I was a heavy favorite as he only had 2 cards to get himself out of trouble, and he HITS one on the TURN!
This put me on tilt like I have never experienced on Sunday. I had to shut down the franchise for the day. I still can't get it out of my head, and I fear playing at the tables going into this week. I guess its true, you never remember your winning hands, but you clearly recall your losing ones. This has set me back alot as I have recently been graduating myself to higher stakes regardless of my bankroll rules... I now realize that I have one of two recourses. I can either take a brief brake this week, or I can get back to lower limits. Its tough to stay true to my rules, but it is what I need to do to make money without going bust like usual.
I am still having difficulty with the previously described hand. i can't get over how bad my luck is... Oh well, I really need to learn to move on.
The opponent to my right raises strong, PERFECT! This guy isn't going to walk away no matter what I do. I shove and he shoves; our stacks are about even. Its my Kings vs his nines. I am in great position to double up. Flop comes completely , harmless to me, and it's no help to him. I take a deep breath and close my eyes as I tell myself that I am still a huge favorite. I open my eyes, and to my utter dismay, a nine shows up on the turn. Of COURSE. The river card is of no consequence and I lose my full stack.
Why is it that this always seems to happen to yours truly? There is no way I should not have shoved in that instance. The guy to my right was crazy to call and all-in with pocket nines! I need to look up the percentages but I know I was a heavy favorite as he only had 2 cards to get himself out of trouble, and he HITS one on the TURN!
This put me on tilt like I have never experienced on Sunday. I had to shut down the franchise for the day. I still can't get it out of my head, and I fear playing at the tables going into this week. I guess its true, you never remember your winning hands, but you clearly recall your losing ones. This has set me back alot as I have recently been graduating myself to higher stakes regardless of my bankroll rules... I now realize that I have one of two recourses. I can either take a brief brake this week, or I can get back to lower limits. Its tough to stay true to my rules, but it is what I need to do to make money without going bust like usual.
I am still having difficulty with the previously described hand. i can't get over how bad my luck is... Oh well, I really need to learn to move on.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Rakeback... Need Some Here!
I never claimed to be an expert poker player. I need help...
For years I have played at the poker tables and I have paid the price. I have been raked for full price at full tilt poker, pokerstars, and in a previous life I was raked at bodog. I finally found an online poker site that I like at Full Tilt Poker and thats when I heardd about rakeback for the first time.
Unbeknown to me, apparently you can get paid back a percentage of the rake that is taken from you on every hand you play. I have seen as high as 27% back on some website offerings. I would love to sign up but I briefly searched the web and found that already existing accounts might get the shaft and may be unable to participate?!?!
I now ask the blogosphere, and pray that someone will happen upon my relatively new site and either comment below or email me about how I can participate in rakeback with an already existing account. If I could be so bold as to ask for a few good participating sites that may be of interest that would really make my week!
For years I have played at the poker tables and I have paid the price. I have been raked for full price at full tilt poker, pokerstars, and in a previous life I was raked at bodog. I finally found an online poker site that I like at Full Tilt Poker and thats when I heardd about rakeback for the first time.
Unbeknown to me, apparently you can get paid back a percentage of the rake that is taken from you on every hand you play. I have seen as high as 27% back on some website offerings. I would love to sign up but I briefly searched the web and found that already existing accounts might get the shaft and may be unable to participate?!?!
I now ask the blogosphere, and pray that someone will happen upon my relatively new site and either comment below or email me about how I can participate in rakeback with an already existing account. If I could be so bold as to ask for a few good participating sites that may be of interest that would really make my week!
Buying in for the table minimum, table maximum or in between?
When I started to play poker online I was completely unaware of any rules, suggestions or etiquite that would accompany a more seasoned poker afficionado. One of the first questions that arise before you even hit the table (online or real life casino table) is how much money should I bring to the table?
My first instinct was to play the minimum amount. If I am learning, I don't want to lose any money during a session that I need to, right? Plus, if I'm lucky I can double up and I'll have plenty of money to work with after that ...
My first instinct was to play the minimum amount. If I am learning, I don't want to lose any money during a session that I need to, right? Plus, if I'm lucky I can double up and I'll have plenty of money to work with after that ...
To Wait or Not to wait for the big blind when you sit down to a table??
Conventional Wisdom seems to suggest that you should wait for the big blind to reach you before you jump into a game. Why pay in more money for a round of poker than you actually have to, right?... Well as far as I am concerned, being the fish that I am, I don's see a lot of good reason in this.
If I sit down to a 9 person table and I end up on the button I am supposed to wait 8 full hands until I should play? That could take up quite a bit of time. As far as I am concerned, unless I am one or two hands away from the big blind I don't mind buying in early. I make it a point to buy in for the table maximum anyway, and paying an extra .05 when I buy in for $5 (100x the big blind) doesnt really make a sizeable dent in my stack.
If I sit down to a 9 person table and I end up on the button I am supposed to wait 8 full hands until I should play? That could take up quite a bit of time. As far as I am concerned, unless I am one or two hands away from the big blind I don't mind buying in early. I make it a point to buy in for the table maximum anyway, and paying an extra .05 when I buy in for $5 (100x the big blind) doesnt really make a sizeable dent in my stack.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Going All-in My Thoughts and Strategy
Here is the hard and fast rule: All-in for yours truly should only be saved for certain specific situations. Either I have the nuts and will definitly be paid off or I am in a dire situation (such as short stacked in a ring game, or tournament) and I have no other alternative. I have one addendum to the rule, Do Not get fast played into an all in moment by the end of the Turn card or River, UNLESS you hit the nuts.
I have been playing for several years online now and have developed several bad tendencies during that time. First, I get curious. This leads me to call other players all-ins with marginal hands, or with worse. Next, I tend to get fast played easily. I know this is the wrong technical term, but maybe if i lay it out for you, you can better understand.
I have been playing for several years online now and have developed several bad tendencies during that time. First, I get curious. This leads me to call other players all-ins with marginal hands, or with worse. Next, I tend to get fast played easily. I know this is the wrong technical term, but maybe if i lay it out for you, you can better understand.
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