The WSOP is right around the corner, so in this blog post, I am going to share with you the most frequent mistake I saw amateur players commit on a regular basis during the last WSOP. Most of these players don’t even realize they are committing this egregious error. This mistake is difficult to notice, especially for players in the small or middle stakes, because the vast majority of the player pool exhibits this flaw. Once the amateurs become aware of it, they will instantly be able to improve their strategies, allowing them to play in a much more profitable manner. …

A Frequent Mistake I Saw at the WSOPRead More »

Pocket Aces are by far the most profitable hand in poker, but that does not mean they are always easy to play. Many players consistently make mistakes that lead to them being much less profitable than they should be. …

Playing Pocket Aces the Wrong WayRead More »

I recently had the pleasure of traveling to the Borgata in Atlantic City for their $3,500 buy-in World Poker Tour event. The following two hands illustrate a dynamic that I constantly strive to set up to give me the best possible chance of getting paid off when I happen to make a premium hand.

With blinds at 200/400-50, everyone folded to me on the button and I raised to 1,000 out of my 40,000 stack with Qs-9s. A tight, aggressive kid in the small blind 3-bet to 2,600 and I called. …

Setting up and profiting from your imageRead More »

I was recently told about a hand from a $1,000 buy-in tournament that illustrates a fundamental mistake that many amateurs are unaware they are making.  With blinds at 800/1,600 with a 200 ante, a loose, but straightforward player raised to 4,000 out of his 56,000 effective stack. A tight player called in the cutoff. Our Hero decided to reraise to 14,000 with 9-9. …

A Common Preflop MistakeRead More »

I recently witnessed a hand in a $1,500 buy-in live event that I think illustrates a key concept that many amateurs never fully grasp. With blinds at 2,000/4,000 with a 500 ante, a loose, aggressive player raised to 8,500 out of his 100,000 stack from the hijack seat, a player with 85,000 called from the cutoff, a player with 80,000 called from the button, and then the small blind went all-in for 45,000. …

Do Not Be Afraid to GambleRead More »

In the process of running my exclusive bi-weekly Inner Circle Office Hours, I have the opportunity to review numerous hands from my best students. This hand from a small stakes tournament clearly illustrates an important concept you must master if you want to succeed at poker. …

Good Spot for a Hero Call?Read More »

I was recently told about a hand from a $1,000 buy-in satellite into the $10,000 buy-in World Series of Poker Main Event that illustrates a costly flaw in the logic of numerous amateur players. About 70 players remained in the satellite with 19 lucky ones winning their Main Event seat, so the players were nowhere near getting in the money.

With blinds at 1,200/2,400 with a 200 ante, a somewhat standard player raised to 6,000 out of his 110,000 stack from middle position with K-K. Another typical player 3-bet all-in for 25,000 from the cutoff seat. Another normal player on the button 4-bet to 50,000 out of his 150,000 stack and then the action folded around to the initial raiser (who has K-K). After some thought, he went all-in. …

Big Fold in a Satellite?Read More »

Today I am going to share with you a situation that occasionally comes up in No-Limit Hold’em tournaments that you must master if you want to succeed. To illustrate this concept, I will use a hand from a $3,500 buy-in World Poker Tour event I recently played at the Borgata in Atlantic City, New Jersey. …

Folding for the WinRead More »