One of the key tenets of understanding how to play winning poker is to understand the concept that I call "the evil twin."
In the course of a cash session, you will be presented with a number of decisions. And you will be creating decision situations for your opponents. To the untrained eye it seems impossible to know what to do. For example, lets say you raised pre-flop with a pocket pair of sevens. Its folded around to the big blind who immediately calls. The flop comes out:
Queen; Five; Deuce
The big blind comes out betting. Its your turn to act. What do you do?
These situations come up over and over again. Your opponent either has you or the evil twin is that he doesn't. In a nut shell, this is what good poker is all about - dealing with the situation of the evil twin. The player who makes the right move in these situations more often, will be a winning player over the long run.
So how do you make the right play? The short answer is that its much more complicated than it appears. I've created a course on the "Evil Twin" concept at PokerSlamU.com. But in a nut shell, you are in a duel. The more unclear you make it for your opponent - the better. Most people will just fold if they are unsure. The more data you can pick up on your opponent - the better.
When it comes to your image, the most common and best strategy is you want to be perceived as a relatively tight player. You, most of the time, want your opponent to fold. Believe me, those pots add up fast. If you're having a card dead day, you can still have a profitable day if you can successfully create a tight player image, raise no more than once every two rotations or so. Consistently bet your cards. That is the best I can tell you in a paragraph.
When it comes to choosing a twin when you are put to the test, take as much into account as possible. Most players who are betting out do not have it. Most players do not like to be raised and are intimidated. Understand what each player is capable of doing. Most recreational players, for example, are incapable of making a big bluff re-raise against a tight player. These are only a few of the critical pieces to the puzzle that you are putting together.
Feel becomes critical. I'm most comfortable in a 5/10 no limit game. Whenever I dip down to 1/2 or 2/5, I don't do as well. I find the players are more willing to call. There is less at stake. Smaller stacks. Less at stake. So if I'm card dead, I have a hard time manufacturing wins.
Find your comfort zone. What game best fits you. The better you get, the more successful you'll be at the higher limits.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Monday, April 12, 2010
Leaving it All Behind
I don't know about you, but sometimes I get this strong urge to move on out. I'm not sure if its because I moved a lot when I was a kid and its in my blood, or its my need for adventure or maybe I just need a change.
Don't get me wrong, I sincerely believe that each and everyone of us who have the privilege of living in the 'ol US of A are blessed. I think its more about the way we live that causes me angst. I'm tired of the treadmill. Make money to pay the bills. Be sure to have health insurance. Each day that passes I feel regret for the things I could be doing. For doing things that I personally value. Things that are simple but are hard to do because of the need meet the requirements of our ever increasing responsibilities.
What am I talking about exactly? I'm not exactly sure but I think it revolves around an urge to chuck all the "stuff" and experience life freely on a more basic level. And by golly, I'm going to do something about it.
The wonder of the Internet (as I discussed in my past post) does allow freedom. My poker course web site is run by a webmaster in Colorado, whom I never met. I use a graphics designer from Long Island and the site itself resides on a server in I don't know where - Internet land, I guess.
My current plan is this: I'm going to continue to upgrade and develop my poker courses, give away all my key poker knowledge which has generated hundreds of thousands of dollars for me over the course of my poker career (about 9 years). I'm going to develop a few more web sites with my partners and build them into premiere sites. Then, in October of 2012, I'm hitting the road with my wife and my #3 daughter and my son. (Maybe my #1 and #2 daughters will join us for a while.) I'm going to design and build a specialty van, buy a pop up trailer and sell my house. Then for the next year or two or three or longer, we are going to hit the road. Really get to know this country and all its natural beauty. Believe it or not, my wife loves the idea (what a wife!). I can continue my poker career (mostly online) and continue to work with my partners on the web sites - have cellular broadband will travel.
Has anyone else thought about doing this? It'll be a journey within a journey. An experiment in living. An adventure like none other. Hope I can pull it off. I'll keep you posted by documenting the trip right here. Stay tuned.
Don't get me wrong, I sincerely believe that each and everyone of us who have the privilege of living in the 'ol US of A are blessed. I think its more about the way we live that causes me angst. I'm tired of the treadmill. Make money to pay the bills. Be sure to have health insurance. Each day that passes I feel regret for the things I could be doing. For doing things that I personally value. Things that are simple but are hard to do because of the need meet the requirements of our ever increasing responsibilities.
What am I talking about exactly? I'm not exactly sure but I think it revolves around an urge to chuck all the "stuff" and experience life freely on a more basic level. And by golly, I'm going to do something about it.
The wonder of the Internet (as I discussed in my past post) does allow freedom. My poker course web site is run by a webmaster in Colorado, whom I never met. I use a graphics designer from Long Island and the site itself resides on a server in I don't know where - Internet land, I guess.
My current plan is this: I'm going to continue to upgrade and develop my poker courses, give away all my key poker knowledge which has generated hundreds of thousands of dollars for me over the course of my poker career (about 9 years). I'm going to develop a few more web sites with my partners and build them into premiere sites. Then, in October of 2012, I'm hitting the road with my wife and my #3 daughter and my son. (Maybe my #1 and #2 daughters will join us for a while.) I'm going to design and build a specialty van, buy a pop up trailer and sell my house. Then for the next year or two or three or longer, we are going to hit the road. Really get to know this country and all its natural beauty. Believe it or not, my wife loves the idea (what a wife!). I can continue my poker career (mostly online) and continue to work with my partners on the web sites - have cellular broadband will travel.
Has anyone else thought about doing this? It'll be a journey within a journey. An experiment in living. An adventure like none other. Hope I can pull it off. I'll keep you posted by documenting the trip right here. Stay tuned.
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