Poker Hand Analysis Arrives at APT
There is really no substitute for detailed hand analysis. I have personally been slow to embrace hand analysis videos, leaning more on reading about, listening to, and trying to incorporate macro level strategies in poker. Hand analysis has always felt like a lot of work, and it has been easy for me to dismiss as something that […]
Poker Tournament Rule Changes for 2017
During this summer’s WSOP, the Poker Tournament Director’s Association met in Las Vegas. At that time, the TDA distributed the annual revision of suggested guidelines for poker tournament procedures and rules. The critical word here is “suggested” as the most important agent for tournament rules is the gaming agency that oversees the poker venue. However, I […]
John Hesp’s Improbable Inspiration
John Hesp gives this 51 year old renewed hope. Hesp’s run to the WSOP Main Event final table – where he sits as the second deepest stack at $85M, trailing Scott Blumstein by only $12M (and ahead of third place by a whopping $50M!) – has been a welcome sight for all amateurs who, like myself, […]
5 Solutions For “Why Do I Play this Game?” Syndrome
Recently I have rediscovered my inner tilt. After years of trying not to let this crazy, volatile game get to me, I seem to be asking myself “Why Do I Play this Game?” too often for comfort. The major source of my decline in poker morale is the result of a once a month, 10 session tournament vying for […]
The WSOP, November Nine’s Demise, and ESPN: Where Do We Go from Here?
The World Series of Poker announced today that the Main Event will no longer have a November Nine: the full tournament will play out in full in July and television coverage will be aired on ESPN same day with a 30 minute delay. The final table will begin on July 20th and play down to […]
6 Key Bankroll Management Strategies
Profitable poker is a lot of work. One of the the most commonly ignored poker skills is in the basic financial management of play. Although most good introductory poker books include a section on bankroll management, a quick discussion with other players indicates that very little attention is payed to money management by the non-professional player. Assuming […]
Top 3 Las Vegas Small Stakes Poker Tournaments
My wife and I were in Las Vegas for four days last week and fit three poker tournaments in between meals and more walking that my body was prepared for. Heather, my wife and co-conspirator on this blog, and I had played in the Venetian and Aria daily tournaments last year, and believe that these two rooms offer some […]
Tipping Points
The highly anticipated grudge match between Cate Hall and Mike Dentale has now spun off a new controversy because apparently no one initially tipped the dealers. Now, this particular event muddied the waters of responsibility because it was a charity event. James Guill covers the nuance well in the linked article, so I won’t go […]
Personas Non Grata
Player typing is covered in every beginner text on poker. In most texts, some version of a 2×2 matrix ranging from tight to loose and aggressive to passive is outlined. In others, like Arnold Synder’s bible on how to play short format tournaments, The Poker Tournament Formula, a wide variety of sub-types are identified, from Ball-Cap Kids to […]
Tournament Structure: What’s Your Platonic Ideal?
Daily no limit hold’em tournaments have seemingly unlimited structures. Among the poker rooms and casinos within a 2 hour drive from where I live in Massachusetts there are numerous options. In a given week I can find a tournament that varies on pretty much any dimension: freeze-out vs. rebuy; add on sizes; blind levels from 15 […]