A Poker Concept: Little Talked About, But One That Can Turn You Into a Big Winner

Image via WikipediaA Poker Concept: Little Talked About, But One That Can Turn You Into a Big Winner

I have been playing a lot of middle limit poker and I believe that many players don't understand the concept of "Table Composition." Yet, table composition is often the the first and most important thing to recognize when you start to play in a poker session.

First, you must understand that table composition is not to be confused with one player's table image.

I would define "table composition" as the table images of all your opposition combined along with the circumstances that these players are experiencing at that session.

Table Composition

In limit hold'em you will find that the way the table composition should greatly influence your selection of starting hands. Usually in limit hold'em you will find that pre-flop the following will occur:

1. A lot of limpers.
2. A raiser and a few callers.
3. A raiser and a lot of callers.

A lot of limpers

If the table composition results in a lot of limpers in a pot, you must widen your starting hands to include drawing hands. Drawing hands are small to medium pocket pairs, and suited connectors. When it comes to suited connectors, I'd recommend playing only no-gap and one gap suited connectors. In addition, you can also play unsuited connectors in a back position for one bet--such as 6-5 offsuit.

However, you must realize that your premium hands go down in value. The reason is that A-K does not play well against 5 plus opponents. Even pocket Aces are vulnerable, and as far as pocket Jacks go--well, you better hit a set on the flop!

Overall, this is the kind of table composition you will find in low limit games and when players are playing by route, tired or stuck in a middle limit games.

A raiser and a few callers

Most middle limit games result in one player raising pre-flop with a few callers. This means that you need to play solid poker and fully understand the concepts of limit play. The premium hands go up in value, while the drawing hands go down in value.

Most flops in these games result in everyone checking to the pre-flop raiser, and the player on a draw raising the bettor on the flop. It is a case of hitting or missing, stealing, and some smart poker moves in order to be a consistent winner at middle limit hold'em.

A raiser and a lot of callers

When you sit down to a game where most everyone is playing to win a big pot with a wide range of hands, look out! This is gonna be a wild ride. The variance in these games is wide and you can walk away a big winner or a big loser.

You can expect players to be aggressive on the flop and turn with raises and check raises. The reason for this aggressive play is that it builds the pot for a draw, the player with the best hand and/or get an opponent to fold before the river. Frankly, the pots are often so big, that at times to chasing to the river is not a mistake or that big of a mistake.

The starting hands played will be similar to the game with a lot of limpers, except for a few differences.

When you have a drawing hand in an early position and the player raises under the gun, you are going to have to call and expect to get multiple callers. Hands like 7-5 suited are worth a shot, when you know you are going to be paid off if you hit your hand.

Also, you must understand that when you miss your A-K on the flop, don't just bet into 5 plus opponents. Check and hope for a free card.

And, if you raised with those pocket Aces or pocket Kings pre-flop, you must muck them when the board is coordinated and there is a lot of betting and raising on the flop. You may have an overpair but with multiple opponents and redraws you are taking the worst of it.

Again, these games are wild and it can be a very profitable or costly session to compete in. In fact, when the table composition is this aggressive and risk-adverse, you may want to move tables.

Conclusion

You will get much better results when you understand table composition. Often you can get a sense of how your table is playing after just a few hands.

Oh, and you should also realize, that as players change, the table composition may also change.

An Interesting Hand of Limit Poker....

Image via Wikipedia

An Interesting Hand of Limit Poker....

I have been playing mostly limit poker at the $15-$30 tables at the Oaks. Yesterday, the traffic was so bad, I decided to forget the bridge and head north to Casino 101.

The highest level at limit hold'em at the Oaks is $4-$8 with a half-kill. After $15-$30, it was like playing for pennies.

Probably the most important thing at any limit hold'em cash game is to figure out how the table plays. That is, is it one where a lot of players enter pre-flop or not. If they do, it means you have to adjust your starting hand selection. High cards go down in value and suited cards go up in value.

For example, a hand like K-J is a loser, while K-J can be a big winner. A hand like pocket Aces is going to lose a lot more often as well, since so many players will see the flop.

The Interesting Hand

It is a half-kill hand....so the level is $6-$12. I am in the big blind for $4.

One player raises to $12 pre-flop and 6 players call. I peek at my cards and find a monster...6c and 2c. I call.

The flop is 2d-4c-7c.

I bet out, the pre-flop raiser makes it two bets, I make it three bets and he caps.
Oh, there are three other players who call all these raises. It is now 5 handed.

Turn is a 5c. I have my flush and the inside straight flush draw.

I bet out again, and the same raising war happens. The betting is capped on the turn. Believe it or not, there are 4 players in the hand to see the river.

The river is a 10h. I bet and get called in three places.

My flush wins.

If this raising happened at the $15-$30 game, I would probably have lost to a bigger or nut flush.

What did the other players have?

The pre-flop raisers had pocket Aces (neither a club). He actually thought he was going to win the hand on the river!

Another player had a set on the flop and never once raised.

Another player said he needed my 6 of clubs to make a straight flush. And he said, he had the 3 of clubs which would make my straight flush. What did he have?

It was far and away the biggest pot of the night while I was in the game.

Sometimes Limit Poker Can Be So Limiting: Another $15-$30 Hand

Image via Wikipedia

Sometimes Limit Poker Can Be So Limiting: Another $15-$30 Hand

I was playing in a $15-$30 limit hold'em game at the Oaks. Here is one of those hands that is very frustrating.

I am in the big blind. 6 players limp in pre-flop. I look down and find two black Aces.

I can raise here, which would probably be the book play. But my raise is not going to get anyone to fold. My thinking is that I want to eliminate opponents, not build the pot.

The flop is 2s-3s-9h.

The small blind bets. I raise.

Two opponents call. The small blind folds.

On the turn is the 3 hearts.

I figured that was a good card for me. Now, if anyone had two pair, trips or a set, they would raise me here.

But, I bet the turn and one opponent just called.

Before the river card, I figured my opponent had top pair or a flush draw.

What would be the worse card on the river?

That is the card that hit the board...the 9s. Making a player with a flush draw to make his hand and giving a player with top pair, a boat.

I check-called. My opponent showed the 9c-10h.

If it was no limit, I would have re-raised big pre-flop and took down a nice pot. Instead my pocket Aces and I were doomed to lose.

Limit Poker: $15-$30 Cash Game--A Very Interesting Hand

Image via Wikipedia

Limit Poker: $15-$30 Cash Game--A Very Interesting Hand

I got knocked out of the Oaks $120 buy-in tournament today when a player beat my pocket Aces. He moved all-in on the flop with his flush draw. I called. He hit his flush on the turn. Oh well.

Since I was out early, I decided to try the $15-$30 cash limit game.

Here is the Very Interesting Hand

Everyone is playing rather loose. I get dealt 9-9 on the cut-off.

5 players call. I call since no one is going to fold for one bet. The button raises. Everyone calls.

There are 7 players in the hand.

The flop is 5s-7d-9d.

The big blind bets into the raiser and the big field. I call. The button raises. The big blind calls. I call. Everyone else folded. Three of us take the turn.

The turn is a 2c.

The big blind checks. I check. The button bets. The big blind now check-raises. I call. The button calls.

The river is a Jd, potentially giving someone a flush.

The big blind checks. I bet right away. Why? I am sure no one has a flush. My bet will make it look like I have a flush. And, if the big blind has a straight he may fold since he is an "observant" player.

The button calls. The big blind is not happy. He takes a while to make a decision. He folds.

I show the set of 9's. The button shows a set of 7's.

The big blind had the 6-8, which gave him a flopped straight. He folded since he was sure I could only be in the hand with a flush draw.

A big win for me!

For the entire session of limit cash, I ended +$800.

Do You Make This Poker Mistake?

Do You Make This Poker Mistake?

Image by TrojanDan via Flickr

I am finding that online, the lower limit hold'em games are easier to beat than I thought. The reason is that most players are rather predictable and want to preserve their stack.

Here is one play I believe is a major mistake.

The table is 9 handed. It is a $3-$6 limit hold'em game. You are on the button with Ks-10s. Three players call and a late position player raises. You decide to call, as do the other three players. There are five players in the hand.

The flop is As-9s-2h.

The first three players check and the pre-flop raiser bets. What should you do?

Do not raise! Yet, that is what many players will do given their nut flush draw.

You want to build a big pot here and not reduce the number of opponents. In most cases, your raise will get the players behind you to fold. The bettor may re-raise or call. In most cases, he will only call.

The turn is a 6d. Your opponent checks. What should you do?

A lot of players will bet heads-up on the turn and the river, even if they miss. The opponent calls down with his A-J and wins the pot. He may even call to the river with pocket Queens.

Long term, I believe the raise on the flop is a play with negative expected value.

Please note: If the action on the flop was different, your raise would make sense. That is, if the first player to act had bet and everyone else called, then your raise would build the pot AND possibly get you a free card on the turn if you miss your flush.

My Suggestion

There are only a few times you can win a big pot in limit poker. Having a flush draw, and especially a nut flush draw, on the flop against many opponents is one of them. Don't ruin it by playing it like a "raise or fold" situation.

My Worst Experience Playing Poker and More Learning

Image via Wikipedia

My Worst Experience Playing Poker and More Learning

I entered a $15-$30 limit game yesterday. I am not sure the odds of this happening but I have never been dealt so many premium hands and lost so much!

I had pocket Kings eight times and pocket Queens one time. I lost them all.

The thing that was sadly remarkable was that on the flop I was heads-up or against two opponents, and on the river I was always just against one opponent.

Here is what happened with the pocket Kings:

• I lost twice on the flop when an Ace flopped. I got away from those hands.
• I lost once when my opponent hit a set of 8's on the flop.
• I lost the other 6 times on the river by flushes, straights, trips, and two pair.

I estimated that I lost over $1,000 on these hands. At the end of the night, I was down $500.

Disclosure: I did get dealt pocket Aces one time. I was heads-up on the flop and won. A small win.

More learning:

1. There are lucky seats in poker.

Many poker players say there is no such thing as lucky or unlucky seats in poker. In the short term there are good and bad streaks in all forms of gambling. The craps player will lose long term. But, it are those lucky short term streaks that make the craps player believe he is a winning player or will hit it big again.

Heck, if it wasn't for luck, Phil Hellmuth would win all the poker tournaments.

Yesterday, the player in seat 10 went on an amazing hot streak for the first 40 minutes. After he lost the next two hands, he left. He was ahead $800.

A new player took that seat and the seat was still hot! When I left the game, he ahead about $2,500. The hands he showed were all premium hands.

2. Winning betting pattern? Raise, bet, bet, bet.

The player to my right was also winning big. He rarely had to show his cards, since he was clearly playing his opponents.

95% of the time he came into the hand, he did so with a raise. He would just fire away on the flop, turn and river. He bet 100% of the flops, about 90% on the turn, and 80% on the river.

The weird thing to me was that I don't believe anyone was noticing. Everyone was so fixated on their hand and to see if the flop fit their hole cards.

Of course, maybe he had big hands all those times, but I don't think so. He did get called a few times on the river. He showed good or great hands every time, which helped his image.

I did bluff him twice when I was heads-up and knew he had to be weak. I also flopped a big hand against him once. But, overall, he was ahead about $2,000 when I left.

3. There are unlucky seats in poker.

Sometimes you just have to be smart enough to know when it's just not your night.

Frankly, despite this incredible run of bad luck with those pocket Kings, I was down only about $50 most of the night. It wasn't until I got KK for the 7th and 8th time, yeah, and lost, that it effected me.

I guess I should have left earlier... oh well, bad streaks do happen. It is called gambling.

Sponsored Post: Limit Hold'em Myth About Pocket Aces

Image by John-Morgan via Flickr

Sponsored Post: Limit Hold'em Myth About Pocket Aces

Another post from Rakemeback.com. This one reviews the myth about pocket aces in limit poker. Frankly, if you get pocket aces in a limit game, you should raise and re-raise pre-flop in any position. Yes, even in the big blind.

Fixed Limit Poker (FL)

Fixed Limit poker is the ancestor of all other poker betting structures, and as such it should be respected. These days, with NL Holdem firmly ruling the roost, Limit Holdem is more and more marginalized. With most rookies going into business at the NL Holdem tables, the list of Limit Holdem haters grows longer each day.

The truth about these haters is though that their attitude reflects nothing but ignorance. Ask any good poker player whether he/she hates limit Holdem or not. You’ll probably be told that while Limit Holdem does have its peculiarities, there’s absolutely nothing to make it less attractive then NL, or PL for that matter.

Most haters base their attitudes towards the game on myths. There are countless myths surrounding the game, mostly spread by those who have never spent enough time at the FL tables to really get to know the game.

Pocket Rockets: A Myth

One such myth is the one about pocket rockets losing value dramatically in FL. Some people will tell you that because a player has his hands tied when it comes to protecting a starting hand, all solid starting hands lose value. Some will even go as far as to tell you that you should not commit anything on pocket rockets because they’re guaranteed to be cracked.

I’m here to tell you though that pocket rockets represent the best starting hand in Holdem, regardless of whether it’s FL, PL or NL we’re taking about, and that they’re equally valuable in all three betting structures. The way that value manifests itself is different though.

With that in mind, my advice to you is to stuff that FL pot the best you can when you pick up pocket rockets, and I’ll prove to you why that’s indeed the reasonable thing to do.

The Value of Aces

I’ll start from the premise that everyone calls everyone in FL poker all the time: the very reason why haters say there’s no value left in the game. This is obviously a theoretical premise only, it won’t happen in real life, but I’ll start from a worst-case scenario just to make my point easier to comprehend.

At a 10-handed table, (going up against 9 other players) your aces will win about 28% of the time against non-random hands like K,K, Q,Q, A,K and some suited connectors and suited one-­gappers. If we are to consider 9 random hands, that percentage climbs to around 30%. What that means is that your pocket rockets will win 1 out of 3 confrontations against 9 other players, on average.

There’s your explanation to why it looks like your rockets lose often: because that is the case indeed. The only thing is, stuffing the pot on pocket rockets still remains profitable and here’s why:

Suppose you invest 10 units on every pocket-rocket hand that you play. That means after 3 hands, you have 30 units invested of which you lose 20. You win the 3rd hand so that’s not a loss for you. Considering that your opponents call you all the way, that means the third time you book a clean profit of 90 units. 90-20 = 70: that’s a very handsome profit over those 3 hands of play indeed. As the number of players goes down, your odds go up, so you’ll always be able to book a nice profit on your pocket rockets.

The conclusion: pocket rockets are just as profitable in FL Holdem as they are in NL. It just takes longer for your edge to yield palpable results. On top of that, you do not risk dropping your entire stack on a cracked pair of aces like you do in NL.

The bottom line: playing well pays just as well in FL as it does in NL. Make sure that you stuff the pot on those rockets every time and sign up for a rakeback deal or for a poker prop deal for cryin’ out loud. Because of the peculiarities of the betting structure, your stack is going to last longer, and you’ll have to eke out your profit over more hands than in NL Holdem. More hands mean more poker rake though and you need to compensate for that somehow.

7 Key Tips on Playing Low Limit Cash Games in Hold'em Poker

7 Key Tips on Playing Low Limit Cash Games in Hold'em Poker

Image via Wikipedia

It is difficult to win small stakes limit poker games since so many players play no foldem holdem. Rather than view this as a negative, consider it an opportunity to find an advantage against bad poker play. Here are a few important tips that can turn you into a winner long term. Most of these tips I learned from Ed Miller's Small Stakes Holdem book, which I highly recommend.

1. Don't sit down at any poker table unless you have the right mental attitude.

If you are going to play poker, you must believe you are going to win. You can't play in a small stakes holdem game and be thinking that you are going to be sucked out on. Even if it's in the back of your mind, it will attract bad results to you.

A player will suck out on you eventually in these games. Don't let it effect your attitude...or your play.

2. Post flop play is more important in winning these games than knowing which starting hands you should play from which position.

Small Stakes Holdem details starting hands guidelines for loose and tight play. You will find that pairs are almost always played since they can turn into a set on the flop and win big pots. Also, you will find that flush draws are powerful hands since if they flop a 4 card draw, they get completed 35% of the time (and you will often have 5 of more opponents in a hand).

3. Know all your outs, and not just the obvious ones.

Players know how may outs needed to make their straight, a flush, two pair, etc. However, many players don't take into account all of the outs--such as a backdoor flush or straight, or hitting a card to make top pair on the river. These additional outs are important since it can make a marginal hand a strong hand.

4. Memorize Swayne's Advanced Holdem Book chart below to make it easy for you to see if you have the right odds to make a call post-flop.

The minimum number of bets in the pot to justify seeing the next card:

• Four flush=6 (for a flush)
• Open ended straight=7 (for a straight)
• No hole card paired, like AK=9 (for high pair)
• One hole card paired=11 (2 pair or 3 of a kind)
• Pocket pair=26 (3 of a kind)

But, again, you may have more outs when you consider backdoor flushes and straights.

5. Understand pre-flop which pots are likely to be big ones and which ones will be small one's as it dictates how to play your hands post flop.

Use the Small Stakes Holdem guidelines on which pots will be big ones:

4 players call a raise pre-flop or 6 players call pre-flop

And when you have a premium hand pre-flop, don't be afraid to re-raise and even cap the pot. That means if you are in the big blind with AA, KK, QQ, or AKs, and you have 5 callers, raise the pot. You have the right equity to build the pot and possibly win a big one.

6. It is critical to adjust your play to the size of the pot.

In big pots protect your hand and/or build the pot size by pumping the pot when you have the lead or a very strong draw. But don't make the common mistake of getting stubborn in small pots by calling with weak hands. It will end up eating into your profits.

7. Sometimes it is better to call a bet on the flop even though you have the lead, and wait to make the raise on the turn.

This is counter to typical strategy. For example, if you raise pre-flop with KK and the flop is coordinated like Q-10-7 most players would bet and raise. A raise on the flop will not get players to fold with a draw in big pots.

However, if the player to your right bets, consider just calling the bet. If the turn card is a safe one, here it would be like a 2, 3, 4, 5, when your opponent bets, raise his bet, so other players will be faced with 2 big bets to call.

Since limit poker continues to lose popularity, learning how to play smarter in limit may give you an easier opportunity to win money--but you need to commit to a deeper understanding of the game by reading, practicing, and learning.

What do you think?

Good luck!

Poker Quiz and Answer: You've got pocket Aces and your opponent has what?

Poker Quiz: You've got pocket Aces and your opponent has what?

You are in a MTT tournament with $25,000 buy-in. You won the money playing at Fu

Image via Wikipedia

ll Rush poker...lol. And you decided to come to Vegas play in this event at the Bellagio.

Poker Quiz

It's in the early rounds. The blinds are $50-$100. You have about $23,000 in chips.

You are in seat 3. The player under the gun limps and you find pocket Aces. You want to get paid off with pocket Aces, and raise only $300. I would raise bigger myself, since everyone is deep stacked, but you play your way.

A player in late position calls as does the big blind and the limper. There are 4 players in the hand and the pot is $1,250. Pocket Aces against four players is not an ideal situation...but....

The flop is Ks-6d-5h. Excellent flop for Aces, I think.

There are two checks to you and you bet $800.

Everyone folds but the big blind calls. There is now $2,850 in the pot.

It is heads-up.

You should be thinking: What does your opponent have in this situation? What range of hands do you put him on?

My thinking: There are no flush draws. He may have top pair. He probably would have raised with two pair--but I don't see anyone calling a pre-flop raise with K-6 or K-5. 6-5 suited maybe, but no check raise so I don't see two pair. What about a set? A set is always possible, but I don't like assuming the worse.

Most likely hands to my thinking is probably K-10, K-Q, or K-J. I could be wrong.

The turn is a 9c. I like that card, unless my opponent has K-9 or 8-7.

He checks. You bet $1,800. A good bet. It controls the size of the pot. Oops. Your opponent check raises to $4,000.

Let's think this through...Let's start with the pot. It is $8,650. It will cost you only $2,200 to call.

What do you know about your opponent? Nothing, except he is in a $25,000 buy-in event, so he must know how to play the game.

Maybe he has K-10, K-Q, or K-J...or maybe he just hit two pair with K-9. You do have outs against two pair. You call.

The pot is now $10,850.

The river is an 8s. I don't see that changing anything. Either he had you on the turn or not.

Your opponent bets $7,500. Is that a value bet? A continuation bet? A pure bluff?

What should you do?

Poker Answer

This was an actual hand at the WPT Championship.

The player with pocket Aces went into the tank. He finally called.

His opponent showed K-10 and lost the pot.

Some players think it was a bad call since there were so many ways that his opponent could have two pair. In general, it is tough to get any player to fold with pocket Aces.

Some Limit Cash Games

Last night, I decided to play some limit poker. It's been a long time.

I was watching this one hand and was quite surprised by this play. It was heads-up and the board was Kh-5h-9s-9c-2h. The player in position kept betting and being called. On the river, the player in position bet again, but this time he was check-raised.

He went into the tank, and folded, showing his 9. His opponent took down the pot and laughed as he showed pocket Aces. That is a bad play, because his opponent had shown a few bluffs already and it is only going to cost you one big bet.

Here are two hands that I were in last night. The learning for you is don't muck your hand, no matter what your opponent says he is holding.

#1. I had a set on the flop and was betting to protect my hand against two opponents. On the river one of these guys, check raises me. The board looked like he had a straight on the river. Still, I had to call. My opponent doesn't turn his cards over. Instead, he says, "I've got the straight." I kept waiting for him to show his hand. Finally, the dealer asks the player to show his cards. He has top pair, that's all. What a jerk.

#2. Here I am up against a different opponent. We are heads-up all the way to the river. I have A-2, and the board is A-A-4-J-4. On the river after I bet, my opponent raises me, I re-raise, he re-raises, and I call. He says "I've got a bigger full house." I'm thinking A-J and I get ready to muck. What does he show? A-4. Another jerk.

My warning to you, especially if you have been playing mostly online, is that when you go to the card room and someone tells you what they have on the river. Don't muck. Wait till you see the hand.

Reminder:

Full Rush poker Freeroll
Wednesday October 28 at 9pm ET
It is a $50 Freeroll + you win another $10 Bounty if you knock me out. My name is: Myway1969

There is no password needed since only qualified players will see the event listed.

To sign up read this.