The Drunk, Obnoxious Opponent

If you have played in live poker rooms much at all, you have undoubtedly played against opponents that had too much to drink and opponents who were rude and/or obnoxious. The majority of opponents who appear to be drunk are highly profitable to play against, and if you can emotionally handle the rude players, most of them … Read more

Satellite Tournaments

As the World Series of Poker has become more popular, the internet based poker rooms have started running satellite tournaments for entry into the main event almost as soon as the previous years series is completed. These satellite tournaments come in many different shapes and sizes, with buy-ins starting as low as a few cents at some rooms to … Read more

Triple Draw

If you have read many of my past columns you know that I am an advocate of learning to play a wide range of poker variations. This past week I took a little of my own advice and sat down in a Triple Draw game for the first time. It was fun, but painful at … Read more

A Little Poker Trivia

I decided to play in a small tournament the other night and the following hand played out. I was amazed at many things within the hand, but the main one brought up a sort of trivia question, which I’ll get to after I tell you about the hand. A short time after the first break, … Read more

Poker Tournaments or Ring Games? Which Should You Focus On?

Quick answer: Tournaments and ring games (cash games) reward different skill sets beyond the basics, and trying to master both at once early in your poker development tends to slow your progress in each. Most players benefit from focusing on one format first, then expanding once they’ve built real consistency. Why “Both” Isn’t the Right … Read more

Disregarding stakes

I have written in the past a little advice about progressing from a recreational poker player to the professional ranks, but I only touched on what is probably the most important aspect of the professional players play beyond their ability. The best players are able to completely disregard the stakes, or amount of money in play. … Read more

Overplaying small pairs

I entered a small no limit Texas holdem tournament the other night and on the very first hand the following situation came up. I was in middle position with a suited A2 and limped into the pot. The next two players also limped as well as the blinds, so five of us saw the flop. … Read more

Dominating a Table: How to Dominate a Poker Table (And Why It’s Hard)

how to dominate a poker table

Quick answer: A player “dominates the table” when their actions control the decision-making of everyone else in the hand — even when they fold, opponents are reacting to what they’ve done or might do next. It’s less about raw hand strength and more about a specific combination of aggression, unpredictability, and post-flop skill that most … Read more

Large pots vs. small pots

The great majority of players make decisions at the poker table without considering the size of the pot. This is a large leak in their game, and can be the difference between turning a profit at the tables and not. There are many situations when it is extremely important to know the size of the pot, … Read more

Betting a drawing hand?

One common tendency of players, especially at the lower limits, is to check and call with drawing hands. While this is of course often the correct play, there are situations that come up where it is correct to bet and raise instead of check and call with a drawing hand. As an example, you are in … Read more