A shorthanded game is basically one of thos sit and go tournaments (not multi-table) where you have six players. This type of shorthanded game lends itself to playing more hands and expanding your range of hands you will raise with or see a flop with. the format makes for a shorter playing time too. 

So, for the shorthanded game do you need a different strategy? Sure you do. But what? I’ll tell you how NOT to play. Do not play as though it is a MTT (multi table tournament) or you’ll get anteed and blinded away in no time. If you’re a tight player you’ll have to expand your range of starting hands. Please don’t wait for premium hands, they may never come and when they do how much action will you get if you’ve been tight? None.

In a 9 or 10 handed game you’ll play/bet between 15%-20% of hands. As the blinds come round more often in a 5 or 6 handed game you’ll need to play between 30-40% of hands.

The tight player should be looking to add the following hands to their starting range:

Suited aces.

Pocket pairs.

Any two painted cards.

Small pocket pairs.

Suited connectors.

You want to see a flop with all these cards so don’t raise pre-flop. It goes without saying that you should play your usual starting hands too. Hand values change when there are less people at the table. KJ doesnt do it for me with 9 or 10 at the table but with 5 or 6 you probably have the best hand. The same goes for low pocket pairs and aces with a rag kicker; horrible with a full table but heaven shorthanded, you may even be able to check down and win the pot at the showdown.

You would still raise premium hands like AK but you ant a small pot with suited connectors so you won’t raise. If you face a raise pre-flop when you hold a premium hand then re-raise to isolate the raiser. If you call you risk letting others see a cheap flop where they may outflop you. As usual it’s a good idea to see what the table are doing. If every hand is raised then you’ll have to adjust your play and perhaps tighten up, only reraising with premium hands.

A lot of people think that Ace-King Suited is one of the best hands of all time. They get so carried away they overrate the hand. I think this is the case with suited aces in general and that’s one of the big differences in the pros and the wannabees. Most pros throw ace-deuce suited away to a raise pre-flop whereas the inexperienced player see the possibilities of flush and straight and suddenly in love with the hand, walking down the isle with a bunch of rags on his/her arm.

These people thinks they will never lose with AK suited. Others hate the hand and claim that they fold when they get it (that is probably a lie) but that is what they will tell you. Either way, Ace King is Ace King and there is a lot of different ways to play the hand. As usual it depends on position, your chip stack (as it relates to the table) and the level of blinds. The most common question is how hard you should push Ace King Suited, because for sure you better raise pre flop buddy.

There isn’t a right way to play Ace King Suited; it all depends on what your goals are and what you want out of that hand.

Example:

If you have ace king suited and you are on the button you could play this hand a couple of different ways.

Your Hand - AK suited

Before the flop there was a raise of 5 times the big blind and two callers behind them. In this situation you could do one of two things with Ace King suited. You could raise all in or you could just simply call. You could raise less then all in but that isn’t recommended because then you will have more tough decisions later on in the hand. If you think you are ahead before the flop then going all in maybe the best bet.

If you decide to go all in then you could take a good pot down right there before the flop. If someone does end up calling you then you will have a very good hand to back it up. As long as your opponent doesn’t have AA or KK you are in good shape. Those are the only two hands that you really want to avoid. JJ and QQ are pretty much a coin flip; but you still have a good shot to end up winning. This is a good way to show some aggression and earn some respect.

If you are not really in the position to make a move like that then you might want to consider just calling. If you hit then you will probably end up winning a big pot; if not then you don’t have much invested and you could just fold. The one thing that you really don’t want to do is play Ace King like it is AA; because it is not. If you don’t hit, your opponents probably did; at least one of them. Don’t be that guy that calls down to the end with AK.

You should really push as hard as you want to be pushed back. Don’t push hard with Ace King unless you are willing to put your whole stack in the middle. AK is a great hand especially when it is suited; but if you don’t hit on the flop and there is more then one other person in the game then you are going to be in trouble. That is why if you are going to push you should push early and you should push hard. The fewer opponents you are playing against with AK suited the better off you will be.

In the first video Theo Jorgensen tells you how to play ace king suited.

Matusow, Sklansky & Brunson share their thoughts on playing Ace King (A,K).

There is a new poker forum affiliate to this site. It is here http://www.pokertipsforum.info/viewforum.php?f=2

At pokertipsforum you will find lots of chat related to poker. Contribute, learn and enjoy at www.pokertipsforum.info

Recently, a well-known and respected online poker site was charged with allegations of game manipulation, which effected players on these sites in adverse ways. After some legal and commissioned scrutiny into the matter, it was determined that this site had insiders create accounts, that enabled them to see their opponents’ hands, thus creating an unfair advantage.

The effected site had a disgruntled (or at minimum, a disingenuous) former employee create what is known as a “Super User” account at their site. This account, as the name implies, enabled its user to “see” all of the hands of his/her opponents, when in a poker room. Obviously, this allowed this user to fold when it was necessary to do so, and bet aggressively, when the hand they held dictated a reason to do so.

Players that played in the rooms of this Super User, started smelling a rat, when the user would never lose, and would repeatedly win hands, even when others in the room had strong hands. These players wound up reporting their findings on poker forum bulletin boards initially, and also presented the facts to the poker rooms’ management staff as well. After the gaming commissions that sanctioned this site began investigating the situation, the poker rooms’ management admitted that a former employee, had in fact, created this account, and had used it inappropriately for self-gain.

As it turns out, the online poker site had enabled an administrative procedure to permit such accounts to be created, for the purposes of testing their software. Unfortunately, the wrong disingenuous person got his hands on this functionality. The online poker site combed through all of their hand histories, where this illegal player was playing, and reimbursed all players who were adversely effected by these improper acts.

As a result of this escapade, online players have started to question the merits of online poker sites, and whether game play is fair or whether it is unfairly manipulated. It is this author’s belief that online poker is on the up-and-up for the most part, but there is always the chance for unscrupulous activity, as with any other business. Here are some comforting ideas, in support of the merits of online poker:

Regulation abound - Many of the most popular and reputable sites are regulated (in their jurisdiction) by reputable gaming commissions. These commissions have strict rules and accounting principles that must be adhered to, or the site runs the risk of losing their license. Routinely, these gaming commissions audit the online poker sites’ systems, and look for abnormalities. Moreover, some of the world’s most famous online poker sites are public companies, that are held accountable in additional public manners.

Random function - Every reputable poker site’s card generation software is implemented using computer software’s “random” function. This function, implemented in most computer programming languages today, uses an algorithm, that legitimately randomizes the selection of a card. These random functions are the same used by randomized lottery systems.

Players on the lookout - Many players that participate in online poker, are always on the alert for any “strange” functional behavior of the poker site. Anything discovered can immediately be reported to the poker site’s management team and the governing gaming commission. Also, with the creation of hundreds of poker forums on the internet, issues like these are discussed in detail, among the community of internet poker players. This helps to create a checks-and-balances philosophy between the user community and the poker sites themselves.

Reputation - The popular and reputable poker sites cannot afford to cheat or have allegations of cheating associated with their site. A bad reputation means instant loss in credibility, which will severely impact the site’s bottom line. Credible poker sites cannot afford the stigma associated with cheating.

Software - Keep in mind that a poker site’s functionality is only as good as its design and the implementation and testing of its software engineers. Poor design will lead to poor game results, which lead ultimately to a tarnished reputation for the poker site. Quality poker sites spend lots of time and money on developing their software or licensing their software from reputable software development houses.

In summary, it is paramount in importance to patronize reputable and licensed online poker sites, that exhibit the quality and characteristics noted above. Although there is no 100 % guarantee that your poker experience will be legitimate, the odds of this are certainly in your favor, when you patronize a credible and reputable site.

I’ve been spending alot of time playing on PurePlay Poker a new poker site that is free to play (for those of you who wish to play me I’m “avemercy” on the site.)

I quite like the site, though I probably will continue to play in just hte freerolls and won’t become a fully paid up memeber just yet, not until I try out the interface for a little while longer. That said, I have been very disappointed with the level of play. Yes, I know traditionally during freerolls you’ll get inexperienced players or those developing their poker education but that doesn’t stop me getting annoyed at the donkeys on there.

A little tip to those wishing to use PurePlay - be prepared for donkeys and calling stations. I have played in four or five 27 people sit and go tournys and ave finished 1st, 2nd, 1st, 4th and 1st. Too easy. My adivce is play like Phil Hellmuth. Play only premium hands or suited connectors and only bet when you have top pair and kicker, two pair or have hit trips on the flop. If you flop the nuts always bet the pot because someone will invariably call. I’ve seen people call re-raises with J5 off suit and seen people call off all their chips with 85 against me even though at times I’ll go 15 hands without playing.

They don’t read players that just play their cards, like the guy who had a pair of jacks against my A9, the flop comes A, 4, 5 and I bet to put him all-in, he calls and finds out the bad news. These fish fall in love and get married ro their cards. Play at PurePlay Poker for free and tell me what you think, come and play against me if you wish.

2009 WSOP Schedule

The Chances Are That Dane Peter Eastgate won’t Repeat

I got the schedule from ESPN.com. There have been a few changes to the WSOP his year, though most things remain the same. Here is a rundown.

*There will be a record 57 events running from May 26^th to July 15^th.

*There will be a new $40,000 no-limit hold ‘em event in honour of the 40^th anniversary of the WSOP.

*Ten $10,000 buy-in “World Championship Events”, up from eight in 2008.

*39 events with buy-ins of less than $2,500.

*A “Stimulus Special” tournament to be held on opening weekend with a $1,000 buy-in. This is expected the draw the largest ever field outside the WSOP Main Event with a $5m prize pool.

*The November Nine Format remains the same. They will play from November 7^th-10^th 2009 with prime-time coverage on ESPN.

*Ladies-only tournament on June 7^th to raise awareness for the Nevada Cancer Institute.

*”Ante Up For Africa” tournament starts on July 2^nd.

*A special “WSOP Champions Cup Invitational” will be broadcast on August 4 from 8 to 10 pm on ESPN.

Deep breath……below is the complete schedule for the 2009 WSOP. Televised events will be broadcast as usual on ESPN starting July 28.

TALKING

Some people say nothing at the poker table, others cannot stop talking. In England talking during a hand is called ‘throwing a moody’ and is often frowned upon. In extreme cases the hand of the incessant talker can be deemed dead. As someone who plays mainly online I find it hard to understand why some people that play live complain about  talking at the table.

If you hate talking at the table then play online!

As you may have guessed I do not think it is bad manners to talk at the table. It makes great TV and also the game is a sociable game, requiring players to interact. So does talking at the table help or hinder?

It can do both. In conjunction with their poker instincts the best players use what people say and do to obtain information. One of the best players I have ever seen at this has to be Jamie Gold. He can totally change your thought process with just a few words.

IS POKER CHAT INNOCENT?

Oftentimes his opponents are indulging in chat knowing it could lead to their demise! There are videos upon videos of players giving away far too much information during a tournament during what could be deemed innocent conversation. Jamie Gold is a little different. There is nothing innocent about his chatter and yet opponents still converse with him. He is a true master.

Of course, giving away information isn’t just about verbals or body language. In a later post I’ll chat about when you should show your cards. It is another tactic that you can use in your favour or that can be used against you by players that can use the information you give them at a later stage in the tourney.

I know some people do not consider poker a social game but a game of information. That is fine if you’re not playing against friends at the dinner table. If I play a tourney then I have my gameface on but if I’m playing a £20 game in a friend’s house how the heck can I act like I’m Phil Hellmuth or Mike ‘The Mouth’ Matusow? Of course in any given situation I want to win but I may play looser when only £20 is on the line against my mates as opposed to when it’s a few thousand against complete strangers.

You see poker is a game of thievery and deception and I don’t like practising the art against mates.

TWO EARS, ONE MOUTH SO SHUT IT

I obtain information mainly by observing others. I watch as they check their hands, only checking my hand when the action is on me. I listen and watch how people check, bet, raise, play with their chips and look for any inconsistencies.

Talking at the table is not my style. Why? Because if I am talking I am not listening to others. I am very poor at trying to do two things at once and that is why you’ll rarely catch me listening to an iPod at the table. Why not talk during the breaks or after the tourney instead of during a hand? As for iPods, there is enough music in my head to last a lifetime.

LOOK AROUND YOU

If you only do one thing the next time you sit at a poker table then do this: Look around at the collection of liars and thieves and imagine them reaching across and stealing your chips while you’re talking, listening to your iPod or falling asleep. These guys and gals can and will use what you say against you on the poker table and you must do the same by paying attention.

Your ears are your radars, have the antennae up at all times as information can come when you least expect it. It Remember, if someone is talking to you during a hand, perhaps trying to put you off your hand,  just ignore them and work out events in your head until you can make a decision.

WHY DO PEOPLE TALK SO MUCH?

These days there is so much poker on TV that I think players feel they have to be characters to get some airtime. You have two ears and one mouth and it is easier to close your mouth so why not try doing it for one whole tourney and see where it gets you. Whatever the case you should be very careful what you say and to whom you say it to while playing poker tourneys or cash games. While you certainly can’t judge a book by its cover you can definitely blow your own.

If you are in doubt as to why you should shut your mouth and just play have a look at this video from the WSOP. Even the pros make mistakes but that doesn’t mean you have to. Zip it!!

VINTAGE JAMIE GOLD WON’T GIVE IT AWAY JUST WATCH IT

HELLMUTH HATES TALKING! HE GOES MAD AT THE TABLE - TO EVERYONE’S AMUSEMENT

HERE GUS HANSEN TALKS ABOUT THE CHECK-RAISE BLUFF

We love poker because we think we’re better than the next man. We think we own them. We love hold ‘em because we can bluff with 7-2 off suit, win pots and then chuckle to ourselves at the sucker across the table.

But when is the best time to check-raise and when is the best time to lead out post-flop? There are of course no hard and fast rules for this. Alot would depend on what you did pre-flop. If you raised (be it a button raise on a bluff or with a premium hand) pre-flop convention dictates you lead-out, epsecially if you have position.

I like to lead out to find out where I stand.

The problem is when I’ve raised pre-flop and my opponent calls it makes me susceptible to being raised, especially if I haven’t hit the flop. So if I bet for information and my opponent raises most likely I fold. I can’t call because I have no idea where I stand on 4th street.

There are exceptions. If I have a drawing hand I may wish to see an extra card if I’m getting the right price.

The reason I lead out (even if I haven’t hit the flop) after a raise is nearly always to take the pot down right there. If my opponent calls I’m more likely to check on 4th street and on 5th street and hope myhand is good or that I improve. 

So what about the check-raise? Some like it some don’t. Some see it as a sign of weakness, others see it as a strong play. It really depends on what you think your opponent is holding. Most of the time when I raise pre-flop I make a continuation bet. Let us look at the argument for making a check-raise instead.

These are the problems I have with leading out post flop:

1. You can get raised.
2. You can be called for a bluff on the turn.
3. You can end up bluffing into a big hand as you fire on 4th street and 5th street.

If you check-raise it can be a more effective strategy. Yes you can lose more chips if you check-raise into a strong hand but consider these points:

1. If your check-raise is a bluff it isn’t as obvious as your garden variety continuation bet.
2. If your check-raise bluff gets called or raised it reduces your opponents range.
3. You are representing a strong hand.
4. Stronger hands than your own are more likely to fold. 
5. You get a free card if your opponent checks behind you.
6. Checking sometimes has the habit of confusing your opponent, making them think you are setting them up for a check raise. This means a bet on the turn is more likely to win the pot.

This isn’t to say you check-raise bluff continually, especially when out of position. Mix up your strategy, unless you’re playing the village donkey! Don’t always lead out after a pre-flop raise, counter-balance by the odd check-raise, especially if your opponents start to raise your post flop continuation bets.

In short mix up your post-flop strategy between the continuation bet, check-raise and check-fold.

MIKE MATUSOW, TODD BRUNSON AND DAVID SKLANSKY DISCUSS CHECK-RAISING

The squeeze play is one of the most effective moves in tournament poker. It can be an effective way to build your chip stack and see you progress to an in the money finish in poker tournaments. However because the poker squeeze play sees you attempting to win a pot whilst holding poor cards you have to know when the time is right to attempt such a move.

Essentially the squeeze play is a type of bluff. You are seeking to represent to your opponents that you have a monster hand and also trying to force them off their hand as a result after they have already committed their chips to the pot.

When seeking to steal the blind you are trying to take down the pot without a fight from your opponents. You want them to fold instantly to your bet before the flop. The best time to try this is when you have late position and are last, or one of the last, to act. If when it is your turn and there are no raisers in front of you it could be a good time to attempt a blind steal by throwing out a good sized raise.

It goes something like this. You are in late table position. A player in front of you has opened with a raise and one other player has called that raise. Now it is your turn to act but you have a poor hand. Undaunted, you go over the top with a big re-raise representing a hand with massive strength. They both folds and you pick up the pot because you have squeezed them out of it. Hence the squeeze play.

It is clearly a risky move to try and execute so it is important that you only try it with optimum conditions and when you think it will work. Because you are throwing in chips with a rag hand you do not want to get called as the odds are you will be behind in the hand. The squeeze play arguably works best in the later stages of a multi-table tournament and when used correctly can really put your opponents off their game.
So how do you pick the right time and execute your squeeze play to perfection.

To begin with it is best if you have developed a tight image at the table. One who only enters a hand with great hole cards.
Don’t try your squeeze play too often as your opponents may pick up on what you are doing to them. You may find it works best against intermediate players as the newbies will call with anything and the experienced players will work out your tactic quickly.

Look for opportunities when the player entering the pot with the initial raise is a fairly loose player. If it’s a tight player steer clear as it’s more likely the tight player will be raising with a good hand. The second player should simply smooth call the first player’s raise and not re-raise. Because if he does re-raise it’s likely he has the monster you want to represent. Then when you do spot your opportunity your re-raise must be large enough to push the other two off the hand.

Sometimes the squeeze play will work, sometimes it will not. Pick your spots to try it and take satisfaction when you pull off the perfect play, squeeze your opponents off their hands and take down the big pots to take you deeper in to the poker tournament and a money finish.

HERE’S A PERFECT SQUEEZE PLAY