I’m very excited! For the 1st time ever, pokerpenguin.net will be hosting an open tournament on Pokerstars.

It’s easy. Download pokerstars here. Once you have an account. Login and go to Tournaments and click on the “Private” table. Sort by date and find the tournament called “pokerpenguin.net”

Here’s the details:

No-Limit Texas Hold’em Freezeout
Sunday August 17th
At 15 EST / 14 CST (3PM/2PM)
Entry fee: $5.50
password: p3nguinpalace
Prize structure will be determined after tournament starts

Deposit $50, get $50 free! Join now.

I know that many of my regulars from the home game will be playing this tournament… so here’s your chance to test your skills against my home game! LOL

I hope to see you this Sunday!

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This time I have a mysteriously, weird tale to tell.

I went to the casino Monday as I had a few hours to kill between shooting for this Steven Seagal TV show on A&E (weird, I know!). Anyway, since everyone is at the W hotel and it’s right across from Harrah’s, what was I going to do?

So, I go over there with $200. First, I eat and get myself in a good state of mind to play some poker and then let the games begin. Unlike my last game there, I’m missing a lot. I’m playing $1/$2 No-Limit and the table is new from the start, so I played fairly tight early on until I could get to know the players. I limped where I could, but generally, my cards were horrible. After a little more than 30 minutes, I pickup KK in late position. One person is ahead of me in early position bumped it up to $10. I re-raise $30. The original raiser, pushes all-in for $30 more. Hrm. She probably has Aces, but she could have AK or QQ to make that play… so I figure she’s probably 50% aces and 50% AK or the unlikely QQ, so I call. Anyway, long story short she had AA, which holds up and I’m out a nice pot.

Hard luck, but what could I do?

I win a few hands and I’m starting to get my stride around the two hour mark when I look down and see KK again in late position. Okay… Let me set this up… cause I’ve been thinking about this hand for a week now and I’m still really confused by the way it played out.

There’s a few limpers for $2, when the girl on my right takes her remaining $60 and goes all-in. I only have about $105 left, but there’s no way I can get away from this, is there? The AA beat is still ringing in my ears, but this girl had been catching some bad beats and was a little on tilt by it. My range of hands for her is AA, QQ, JJ, TT, AKs, and AKo. I’ve been sitting right next to her for two hours and I know she knows how to play and wouldn’t really make a move like this with something she didn’t want to get heads-up with or just win the blinds right there. So, I fight my urge to just assume AA (just because my emotions are wounded from last time), and decide to just call.

Why just call? Well… no one had shown any strength by limping so I wasn’t really expecting a caller to come behind me. Also, I guess, that was my compromise about the beat down I took last time I looked at KK. I think it was a bad play at any rate… I should have just pushed… but, somehow I got it in my head that if someone called and an Ace came on the flop, I could then fold to hands like AK that might call behind me.

So, to my surprise (but I hope not yours), a person in early position calls. Now, I know NOTHING about this player. He just sat down, this is his first hand and he doesn’t even have chips yet. Three players.

The board comes down 8 7 6

Not really a flop I wanted to see, but still given the action, unlikely to hit anyone. I start thinking that when the person in first position checks, I’m just going to raise all-in and take away any draws he might have. Well, that was the plan… before I know it though, HE’S raising all-in!

I go to the tank. What about this board could possibly help him? I decide nothing. Does he have AA? Well, why didn’t he push pre-flop after one person goes all-in and another person flat called? This whole thing doesn’t make sense! He’s betting into a dry side pot. There’s no more money to win if I fold now. So, what could he have?

I finally put him on an over-pair and employing the tactic I was going to use… so I call.

The turn brings the dreaded A and the river is a blank. I’m stunned to see the early position player flip over AJs!

What the hell! A high and he was betting into a dry side pot? What did he think he was beating?!

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It’s been awhile since I’ve had something about the basics. Probably because, I wrote most of that stuff when I was learning it myself (which wasn’t that long ago). But, in my home game, we regularly have some new players who genuinely want to play better poker. The home game ends up being an improvement ground for our regular players, some of whom now play at the casinos, for real money online and in tournaments. Considering that most the regulars at my home game only started playing a year ago… well, that’s pretty good.

So… I thought I’d go over some of the basics for new players… this is advice I give a player who is sitting down at their first poker table at my home game.

First. I recommend playing tight. Only play really quality hands. AA, KK, QQ, JJ, TT, 99, 88, AKs, AKo, AQs. Also, 88, 77, AQo and AJs are okay to play pre-flop, but only in late position. With 66 through 22, you’re looking to flop a set. If you don’t, fold. You’re not experienced enough to play these hands any other way.

Stay away from the trouble hands, KQ, KJ, KT, K9, QJ, QT and JT. A lot of players, especially new players, think that any two faces cards are a great starting hand. These hands are very hard to play, mostly because they’re easily dominated. Even if you flop a pair with these hands, you could be drawing very thin to AQ vs. your KQ. Do NOT play these hands without experience. You have to know when your beat to play be able to successfully play these hands.

Also, another thing to watch out for is AT and under (suited or unsuited). Many players fall into the trap of thinking any Ace is good and then promptly lose all their money when an Ace on the flop gives them a pair to someone else with an Ace with a higher kicker. Avoid playing these hands if you’re new. Period.

With Ace-rag suited, you’re looking to flop a flush or flush draw (or on the rare occasion, 3 of a kind). Anything else, even pairing your Ace, and you should be folding. Keep in mind though, that Ace-rag suited is best played from late position with limpers ahead of you. Facing a raise or in early position, these hands should be folded.

Second. You have to learn position. In early position (soon after the big blind), you have to play tighter as there is more possibility that someone left to act after you has a better hand. In late position (closer to the button or on the button), you can play looser… if everyone has folded to you on the button, you can raise with nearly any two cards. Just remember, that if one (or Buddha forbid, both) of the big blinds calls, you need be extremely careful after the flop.

Third. I recommend that new players VERY rarely bluff. Don’t worry if you’re folding everything under the sun… you’re not experience to know the right context to bluff under. Like a space shuttle launch, the conditions have to be just right to bluff. Until you get more experience, you don’t know what conditions make more successful bluffs than others.

Finally. There’s a lot that goes into to poker. Don’t try to complicated it too much. Keep it simple at first and you’ll enjoy it more. These strategy is designed to get you started, not to be something that you keep if you get more into it. If you want to get more involved in learning the strategy of poker, check out some of my other articles:

What are the odds?
Understanding pot odds
Continuation Bets
Value Betting
Bluffing

Until then, enjoy the game and I’ll see you at the tables.

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It seems appropriate that a review of Harrington on Cash Games Vol. 1 should follow my post about my good day at the casino, since this book is largely responsible for my win.

Harrington’s definitive work on tournaments is well known, but he clearly has as good of an understanding about cash games. Cash games are a bit different in some regards to tournaments and it has always been a stumbling block of mine to be able to adjust my game to make allowances for these (seemingly) minor differences.

1. The blinds never increase in a cash game.
2. You can buy-in for 100 BB or sometimes much much more.
3. You can reload chips if you lose what’s in front of you.

These differences don’t seem like much, but they actually do make the two games very different.

In my case, I numerous holes in my cash game because I was playing cash games too similarly to the tournament games I play. For instance, I was over valuing top pair and a good kicker. With hands like this in a case game, I was often building big pots. Two things would happen here. I’d either win a small pot when I bet and everyone folded or I’d lose a big pot by losing sight of what was probably beating me if someone was willing to go into a big pot with me.

Also, I played too tight. It’s hard to win big pots playing hands like AK in a cash game. It’s easier in a tournament because the blinds/antes go up so often that opponents are forced to be more aggressive with weaker holdings. Whereas, with a cash game, the only time someone is going to play back at when you have AK on a board of K T 9 is when they have the straight. Otherwise, like I mentioned, you’ll win a small pot but lose the big ones.

Major hole and thanks to this book, a hole I’ve hopefully plugged. The cash game I played Wednesday was evidence to me that perhaps I have.

The first volume of this book teaches small ball, tight-aggressive, big-stack strategy pre-flop and after the flop. Volume two will carry on where this book left off with turn/river play, tells and observations, loose-aggressive play and finally bankroll management.

It’s a MUST have for anyone serious about winning cash games, especially small stake no-limit cash games (the limits for which this book is aimed).

There have been two well talked about no-limit cash game books to come out this year, Professional No-Limit Hold ‘em: Volume I and this one. I’ve read both now (review of the latter forthcoming) and I have to say (unfortunately, as much as I like Ed Miller) Harrington does a far superior job of improving at least MY no-limit cash game.

As always, I only recommend books/sites/etc that I truly believe make good on their claims and help a person improve their game. This is such a book, as are the other books listed in the sidebar.

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Played $1/$2 No-Limit at Harrah’s during their Aces Cracked Wednesdays. Bought in for $120. Left with $249.

I had AA once and it was weird to slow play them hoping that someone is able to draw out on you. I mean, having your Aces cracked is $200 to your bankroll. That’s significant.

I played for an hour and a half during the promotion and saw Aces 3 times (one time I had them), but only saw them cracked once. The promotion might have cost me money though. I flopped an Ace for trips on a very uncoordinated board and suddenly the chances of someone drawing out on me are super slim… But still, I want him to stick around to the river, so I slow WAY down to give him a chance to catch some kind of backdoor draw and because of that, I only ended up taking down a smallish pot with trip Aces. I never been so sad winning with AA before.

The other play that was memorable was when I had J 6 from the small blind. Lots of limpers and it cost me a $1 to see the flop… well… certainly.

Flop comes out J 9 2. I check. Everyone else checks behind me except for CO man (who made some might strange plays I might add and I’m guessing that he doesn’t really study poker) who makes it $10 in a $12 pot. Okay. I’m not folding… but with only a 6 kicker… I’m not raising either.

The button calls and I call. 3 players.

The turn bring a 6, but it’s another club. Yuck. I have a flush draw now, but it’s only a J. If either of my opponents is on a draw, they certainly have something higher than J.

I check again… Here’s my logic. I’m not entirely sure if the CO has a made a flush or not. If I check, he might check behind me and give me a chance to pair my J or 6 on the river. If he bets big, I’m probably out. If he bets small, I’ll call and hope I make a boat on the river and be able to take his entire stack. he bets $20 into a $42 pot.

The button folds. After some thought, I decide to call. This guy could be betting a draw or top pair just as easily. If he’s betting a draw, I’m unlikely to get him off the hand. Let’s keep it same and re-evaluate on the river.

The river is a blank (much to my relief). I check. No need to get crazy. I might be beat right here… also, raising allows him to re-raise all-in and put me in a nasty situation. Let’s exercise some pot control.

The CO makes a $35 bet and leans back in his chair.

I go into the tank. I’m beating top pair. I’m beating two pair, lower than J. I’m not beating trips (but, nothing he’s done thus far makes me think he’s holding two pair). I’m not beating a flush. Certainly the $35 on the end looks like a value bet. And he’s bet EVERY street now. That is certainly saying “I have a flush.”

I can’t decide, so I go to my read on him. He’s leaning back in his chair, arms crossed, trying to look disinterested. He won’t make eye contact at me. Something about him looks nervous though. Really nervous.

I call, asking if he has the flush as I do so. He doesn’t say anything but flips over a single K and then slowly reveals a 9

I’m almost pissed as I show two pair to take down the pot. Slow-rolling the losing hand like that and nearly giving me a heart attack (I mean, WTF?!?!).

Anyway, my side of the table is dully impressed at my call and I rake in a nice size pot.

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It’s been 11 days since a near record field of 6,844 hopefuls first started playing the 2008 WSOP Main Event. Yesterday that number was reduced to a mere nine.

Each player takes home the $900,670 that he is guaranteed, and the rest will be awarded this fall at the final table.

On November 9th, 2008, the following nine players will return to the felt with 21 minutes and 50 seconds left in level 33:

Seat 1: Dennis Phillips - 26,295,000
Seat 2: Craig Marquis - 10,210,000
Seat 3: Ylon Schwartz - 12,525,000
Seat 4: Scott Montgomery - 19,690,000
Seat 5: Darus Suharto - 12,520,000
Seat 6: David ‘Chino’ Rheem - 10,230,000
Seat 7: Ivan Demidov - 24,400,000
Seat 8: Kelly Kim - 2,620,000
Seat 9: Peter Eastgate - 18,375,000

I’m sure the odd makers will be out soon. I’m giving odds on Dennis Phillips to take it though… he’s been a dominating chip leader for a few days now. Playing solid poker and steadily increasing his chip lead. However, with five months for the players to study each other and get coaching, things might very well change.

As WSOP commissioner Jeffrey Pollack stated, “Our intent is to provide an even stronger tournament for all poker players and the entire poker industry. Now fans will ask ‘who will win’ our coveted championship bracelet and millions of dollars instead of ‘Who won?’ The excitement and interest that will surround our final nine players will be unprecedented.”

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I’ve been actively following the Main Event at the WSOP since it started. It has been very exciting. Late yesterday, the last big name pro, Mike Matusow was busted in 30th place when his AJ got creamed by A9 on a board of AA59K. Gus was looking good for the first couple of days and I was pulling for him to make the final table, but unfortunately, he got eliminated in 161st place.

Now they’re down to the final 27. One out of three of these players will go to the final table of nine.

But now, I’ve got a new person to pull for (and a new crush). Tiffany “Hot Chips” Michelle. She could very well be on her way to being the first female winner of the Main Event in history. Right now, she’s sitting in 3rd chip position at the start of Day 7 with 9,755,000 in chips. Today, they will play down to the final nine, after which the tournament will take a break until November 9th (not a misprint).

The final table will start November 9th and then play until heads up which will determine the winner on November 10th.

You can follow all of the WSOP action from PokerNews.com and of course, I can’t wait to see this on ESPN in a month or two. I don’t know about you, but I hoping Tiffany Michelle makes history.

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