It has been a while since I posted about making a great move and actually winning a pot. So I am extremely happy to share this moment with you from my last 180 NL MTT. The hand started out with me UTG holding [9][9]. I called and picked up two other callers along with the BB. The blinds are at $100 / $50

The flop comes down [9s 4s 9c] and I quickly realize I have THE NUTZ! Seeing as I was in early position and there was a flush draw on the board I decided to check with three players behind me. I was very sure I was going to get action on the flush draw. Sure enough one of the players bets out $300. I smooth called praying that another spade hit the board convinced my opponent was on a flush draw.

The turn was the [Qs] Bingo!

Instead of checking I bet out $400 knowing he would put the rest of his chips in if I was right on my read. Well, he did re-raise me all-in but he was holding [4c Ad].

Go figure?

I quickly doubled up again and went on to cash in that tournament. The thing about the hand is if I don’t bet out when the spade hits on the turn it becomes obvious that I have the flush or some kind of big hand.

I suppose I should just stop thinking all together when playing online poker.

This game is just way too easy. <insert sarcasm here>

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Curtis III AKA “Curtom”

The continuation bet is a topic that is constantly being tossed around poker forums. I belong to about 5 forums and I see this all the time. The thing about the continuation bet is that it is all relative. There are just too many variables to simply say, “I am always going to bet after a raise. No matter what!” That kind of thinking costs you money in the long run because it does not allow you to adjust to your environment.

Most of the time it does make sense to make the continuation bet. It especially makes sense against weak opponents. However, if you happen to be sitting at an aggressive table where chips are flying it might behoove you to shelve the continuation bet in lieu of check calling. This allows you to use your opponents natural aggression in your own favor by allowing them to take the lead when you have the best hand. Obviously if you flop big you have an incredible amount of leverage moving forward with the hand and are in position to get maximum value for the hand.

Sometimes less is more.

So far the holidays have been pretty good to me. I have cashed in 4 of the 8 tournaments I have played thus far. Nothing big but certainly I have played consistently. I do wish there were more deep stacks tournaments offered on a regular basis. I realize that I am biased about these kinds of tournaments but I have done really well in them.

I have yet to play locally over my vacation. I just have not had the time. Things have been really busy around my house. Hopefully by the weekend or so I can jump in there and play live. That would really top off my vacation for me. Otherwise, I am setting some goals for next year for my poker game and also a few things I would like to achieve.

Where are you in respect to your own poker game? How do you feel about it? Is your game evolving? Each and every one of the aforementioned is a relevant question we all need to consistently answer. You must be capable of being brutally honest with yourself and your game before you can realize any improvement in your play.

For me I am constantly tweaking my poker game from tournament to tournament. What may be working for me at one table may not work when I get moved to the next. The same sized raise may be small at one table and large at the next. The game and the the players are all moving targets in terms of the variance of the two. I may play tight at one table and be a maniac at the other but if I constantly play the same style I become predictable and very beatable.

By mixing up your play and adapting to different styles of play along with the tables you will keep changing your game by nature and reap the benefits of doing so which translates into winning more hands. Mixing up your play should be high on your priority list going into any poker tournament or cash game.

I just got through reading UB explanation of what went wrong. I gotta tell you that as a computer person it is entirely possible that this scenario could have taken place. However, my issue is that things “happen” at UB far too often for my taste and I am sure the same goes for others. I am not alone folks. Just what the heck is going on over at Ultimate Bet and why can’t they get their stuff together enough to either get it right or get out of the game?

The constant drama at UB is hurting online poker.

Hellmuth said that there was no malicious intent and that he continues to stand by UB. Indeed, that may be true but again. How many times are we going to hear the same story? How many times do we need to see UB catapult themselves into infamy?

I think we have seen enough UB. Just call it a day for all of our sakes.

Please?

Yes, you heard me correct. Another scandal involving Ultimate Bet is rocking the online poker world. This time the scandal involves poker professional Phil Hellmuth. How many times can UB continue to have scandal after scandal and continue to survive? Just the other night I listened to Annie Duke extol the virtues of UB during her interview on Pokerroad. She discussed how she would feel like such a hypocrite for leaving the site and their sponsorship.

Duke was asked why she had not jumped ship like the other pro’s that wanted to save their reputation after the last scandal.

Now all hell has broken lose. From what I have been reading Hellmuth was involved in a $400 / $200 Limit game and the pot got maxed out around $5600.  The flop came down [J][K][K] and Doubleballer held King Queen for trips. Instead of shipping the pot to DB he was disconnected and the pot was given to Phil Hellmuth instead despite Hellmuth having mucked the hand!

Unreal!!!!!!

From what I understand Doubleballer was on the phone with a UB representative and his money was eventually returned and UB apologized profusely. Needless to say playing at UB is a major NO NO and a hazard to your bankroll.

You have been warned!

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Over the past 6 months there has been a noticeable change in how online tournament poker is being played. No longer is the standard raise 3 - 4x’s the big blind. Those days are now gone forever. In some ways this is a good thing but in other ways it is very bad. The standard online tournament raise is now simply a minimum raise from any position. Maybe this is because I rarely play above the $30 tournament level but it is a tactic that is extremely annoying despite my being able to take advantage of it time after time again.

I know I have written about this phenomenon previously and how to defend against it but it still shocks me why anyone would want to raise the minimum in a full ring with pocket Aces from under the gun. I just do not understand that kind of thinking. Over and over again I saw hand after hand get cracked and then the player that minimum raise ask the question, “How could you call me with that crap?”, not realizing that a minimum raise prices in almost any hand you can be dealt.

Another strange change to online poker is the advent of the minimum raise after having made your hand on the flop. Probe bets are now being met with minimum raises and causing the min raiser to be sent to the rail more often due to the fact that the min raise, once again, prices in your opponent to make the call to see fourth street.

Bam!!!!

Another min raiser throws a fit wondering how his Ace King could get cracked by a set of Two’s when the board showed [A][K][X][2]. The idea of players not folding is fine with me. I understand in low stakes tournaments players are not going to fold and the variance can get pretty crazy because of this fact. However, when I got called pre-flop for 5k by [7][6]os and my Ace King goes up in flames because the flop came down [3][4][5] it really makes me wonder if I am playing poker or bingo. The concepts of playing poker no longer hold true in the online tournament world. It is a very difficult adjustment to make if you can call it an adjustment at all.

Yes, I ran good for a while and I continue to play good poker and cash but the game has changed again and not for the better. Players no longer use logic or even math in their thinking. It’s all about the excitement of getting your chips in the middle even with the worst hand.

That’s a scary thought indeed.

David “Chino” Rheem continues his run after final tabling the 2008 WSOP. He is now the 2008 Five Diamond Classic winner and took down a cool $1.2 Million in the wee hours of the morning. Chino has had a whirlwind of a year with making a run in the WSOP NL Championship and now the Five Diamond Classic.

Who knows what’s next for this guy?

Congratulations David!

Yes! I finally went out and bought this book after hearing so much about it two years ago when it was released. I just got started on the first 20 pages or so but the book is a very interesting read. It explores the biggest cash game of all time between Texas billionaire Andy Beal and the Las Vegas high stakes pros. I will post a full review of the book as soon as I am done.

I figure I will complete it over the holidays so it won’t be long.

With just 18 players left in the Doyle Brunson Five Diamond Classic there are plenty of familiar faces still in the hunt. Here is a break down of the final 18 players still in contention for the title.

1st: Benjamin Straate (Milwaukee, Wisconsin), $3,197,000
2nd: Brett Richey (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), $2,164,000
3rd: Justin Young (Morehead City, North Carolina), $1,807,000
4th: Evan McNiff (San Diego, California), $1,532,000
5th: Mike Matusow (Las Vegas, Nevada), $1,435,000
6th: Jack Wu (Palo Alto, California), $1,412,000
7th: Amnon Filippi (New York, New York), $1,374,000
8th: Steve Sung (Torrance, California), $1,359,000
9th: Robert Mizrachi (Las Vegas, Nevada), $1,266,000
10th: Hoyt Corkins (Glenwood, Alabama), $1,251,000
11th: Chino Rheem (Las Vegas, Nevada), $1,200,000
12th: Clonie Gowen (Dallas, Texas), $1,049,000
13th: Tom Pniak (Las Vegas, Nevada), $1,041,000
14th: Bill Klein (Laguna Hills, California), $999,000
15th: Ben Tollerene (Lubbock, Texas), $492,000
16th: Nick Schulman (Las Vegas, Nevada), $480,000
17th: Joe McGowan (Las Vegas, Nevada), $420,000
18th: Martin Deknijff (Las Vegas, Nevada), $298,000

Play resumes at 12:00 Noon local time on Thursday.

Sometimes the analytical mind of a poker player can be a hindrance to maximizing your profit. I realize that we should normally stick to solid fundamentals and vary our play as situations dictate. However, playing a hand backwards is a tactic, when used sparingly, that can net you tons of chips and leave your opponent speechless.

The other night I was holding [A][5] suited in hearts. I called a 3x’s raise from the big blind with only myself and the Big Blind in the pot with the raiser. The flop came down [3][X][X] with one heart. Obviously, I am going to fold to any big get but the hand checked around to me and I decided to bet the pot. The BB immediately folded and the original raiser called. At that point I had him on nothing or he may have hit a set. The turn brought another heart to the board. Now my wheels are turning. The better checked to me. I am sure he was hoping I was going to bet out so that he could re-raise.

Nope!

I took the free card and hit the river for the flush. The board didn’t pair and the river was the King of hearts which was perfect. My opponent then bet out and then I re-raised for half his stack. He pushed and I immediately called his all-in bet with the nutz. He turned over a set of threes.

Summary: No, I would not have slow played my set in the same manner and certainly would not have given the free card on the turn. However, by betting out I did not give them impression that I was on a flush draw and made my opponent overreact to the re-raise on the river. Therein lies the power of playing a hand backwards. When the opportunity is right take advantage of it.

I have been to several staking sites and even reviewed a few but Pro Poker Exchange is taking staking to an entirely different level. This is not about just getting a quick couple of dollars on a hit and run. This site seems to have some big plans on the horizon.

First, they have an all-star lineup of proven professional players and are looking to expand the roster. Second, the usually split the winnings 70 / 30 with the stakers. Lastly, Linda Johnson appears to be the brains behind this operation along with several other notable poker industry professionals and they are also partnered with CardPlayer, Inc.

This is a very interesting scenario and one to keep and eye on if you are at all interested in buying a piece of a professional poker player. When professional players get staked it limits the variance that occurres in tournament play and eases their bankroll requirements. For more information on how you can back a professional tournament poker player click on the link below:

Pro Poker Exchange

NOTE: Pro Poker Exchange is no longer doing business at this time due to potential UIGEA violations.

Poker Wingman

Poker Wingman is the latest in odds calculation software. Most of you know that there is a myriad of poker software products that provide odds calculation in real-time. Most of the software is specifically setup for online poker players and Poker Wingman is no different. Basically this product provides an odds calculator and recommends the “correct” play based upon position and pot odds.

Wingman works on both play money and real money tables and even displays your hole cards for you after you have folded although Pokerstars newest version allows you to see them without this software. There is a Pro version which handles bankroll management and will calculate just how much you need to play in a given cash game. This comes in very handy indeed. However, you can simply enter the calculation from almost any web site into an excel spreadsheet and do the same thing for absolutely free. The Pro version will run you $40 bucks.

Ultimately, I would not recommend this software to an advanced player as they are likely to already know what odds are involved in a hand. However, poker tips are plentiful in this application for those that are not as familiar with the game. If you are new to the game it can definitely help you learn the basic calculations and how to best apply that knowledge.

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