• Some Advice for New Players

  by Roy Cooke

  The poker scene has grown immensely in the last few years as many new players have entered the poker world. But the poker world is a predatory one, with concepts of evolution and natural selection in full force. The strong survive and the weak go …continued

• Great Expectations

  by Barry Mulholland

  A few days after Christmas, I was sitting in a stud game when a hand came down in which the player sitting next to me called a bet on seventh street with a pair of aces. He made the call against a single opponent whose two pair on board were available …continued

• Tournament Psychology

  by Bob Ciaffone

  Many poker players perform well below their technical ability when playing in a tournament. More money and more prestige are at stake in a large tournament than in all but the biggest money games. This leads to more pressure. Speaking for myself, I …continued

• Prisoner of the Internet

  by Max Shapiro

  My sweetie, as usual, was playing poker online when she got an emergency phone call. "It's me, Jerry, Ann Broom's husband!" shrieked a voice at the other end. "Ann's been locked in her room playing poker on the Internet for …continued

• Big-Time Poker!

  by Mike Sexton

  Crown Casino, Melbourne, Australia As I write this, I'm down under in Australia for the Aussie Millions poker tournament. Let me tell you, they're playing some big-time poker down here. In addition to the $10,000 buy-in no-limit hold'em …continued

• 'High' Stakes Poker

  by Phil Hellmuth

  As I prepared to return home from Monte Carlo, I decided to give up my airline ticket and pay for a one-way seat on Larry Flynt's private jet. With one quick stop scheduled in Bangor, Maine, for fuel and pizza (they deliver it right to the plane), …continued

• The State of Low- and Medium-Limit Hold'em Today

  by Roy West

  Hi. Come on in. Special treat today - I've made hot Reuben sandwiches. The best pastrami, tastiest provolone, sourest sauerkraut, and some Thousand Island dressing, all heated to just the right degree of flaming hot. Bib up and dig in. My research …continued

• When Should I Make a Move?

  by Tom McEvoy

  Victor, one of my loyal readers, recently e-mailed me with a provocative question about the timing of his moves in online tournaments: "Dear Tom, I play lots of tournaments, trying to improve my game, but I'm having a very difficult time when …continued

• Omaha Players, Omaha Decisions, and Not Releasing Your Hand

  by Mike O Malley

  I received an e-mail from a player a while ago in which he described a situation that took place during an Omaha eight-or-better tournament that he had played. He wanted my opinion on the ruling, because he wasn't quite sure that it was correct. …continued

• Bizarro World

  by Daniel Negreanu

  My plan was to start off 2006 with a bang and hit all five major tournaments in January. That would take me from the Bahamas to Australia, then to Tunica for two events, and finally to Atlantic City. The first stop was the PokerStars Caribbean Poker …continued

• Acapulco Bound

  by Linda Johnson

  Gary and Joan Best (front row, left) are joined by friends and family who helped celebrate their surprise wedding. Approximately 400 passengers recently joined Card Player Cruises on a poker trip to the fabulous ports of Acapulco, Manzanillo, and …continued

• Context, Context, Context

  by Daniel Kimberg

  My wife and I like our house. It's a little small for our needs, but not so small that we're ready to move. Still, when we're out driving, we can't help eyeing what's for sale, and occasionally we make a mental note and check the …continued

• Planning Your Personal Development Part IV

  by Alan Schoonmaker

  After setting your goals, you should evaluate the assets that will help you to reach them and the liabilities that will hold you back. State both in comparison to your opponents. If you have more of a favorable quality (such as knowledge or …continued

• Sweat the Small Stuff

  by Mark Gregorich

  Have you ever won a monster pot in a poker game, yet felt disgusted as you raked it in? This happened to me (not for the first time) a couple of weeks ago while playing $80-$160 hold'em at Bellagio. Without going into too much detail, here is what …continued

• Playing the Blinds in Limit Hold'em Part V - Small-Blind Play With No Raise

  by Barry Tanenbaum

  So far, we have looked at play from the blinds when someone has raised preflop. Oftentimes you find yourself in one of the blinds when there has been no raise. When should you fold, call, or raise from the small blind? Even though it has an effect on …continued

• Two Key Ways We Learn to Play Poker

  by Thomas Keller

  Two primary ways in which we learn how to play poker, just as how we learn to do many other things in life, were coined by the famous psychologist B.F. Skinner, and they are positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement. Before I go any further, …continued

• 2006 PokerStars Caribbean Poker Adventure: A Fountain of Youthful Talent

  by BJ Nemeth

  The beautiful Atlantis Casino, located in the Bahamas, hosts the WPT PokerStars Caribbean Poker Adventure. Most major tournaments have the same feel to them. The players show up excited to play, with one goal in mind - winning. But once they bust out, …continued

• Poker's Meta-Game

  by Matt Matros

  Lots of decisions in poker are close. In the terminology a poker-math guy would use, many different choices at the poker table have similar expected values. Still, much poker analysis is devoted to analyzing close decisions, trying to determine which …continued

• Climbing That Mountain

  by Joe Sebok

  We all know that to finish off a tournament, we need to become ruthless beasts of hostility, forcing our foes into constant pressure situations and creating opportunities where they can make mistakes, and we can find ourselves finally at the summit of …continued

• Hand Analysis

  by Byron Jacobs

  The following scenario is a familiar one for almost any limit hold'em player, especially one who likes to play shorthanded. Play is folded around to the button, who is known as a tricky player and an aggressive blinds stealer. He open-raises and …continued

• Who am I Going to Borrow From in Coach?

  by Michael Craig

  If you have become a poker enthusiast in the last five years, you could not possibly appreciate Eric Drache. If Harrah's intends to do anything credible with the Poker Hall of Fame, it needs to induct Drache, pronto. Where would the World Series …continued

• Learning From the Pros (Real Pros): The World Poker Tour Boot Camp

  by Tim Peters

  Mike Sexton, WPT's television host, opened the Saturday session at the WPT Boot Camp. It's Sunday morning at The Mirage, and I'm sitting at a poker table with nine people. The game is no-limit Texas hold'em, the blinds are $25-$50, and …continued

• Todd Brunson: His Own Successful Path

  by Lisa Wheeler

  "The path to do the right thing is in front of everyone, and each knows how to walk it. The path is clear, yet some choose not to take it. This applies to life as well as poker. Not every path I've taken has been glamorous, but I did the …continued

• Tax Strategies for Poker Players

  by Ann-Margaret Johnston

  Well, it is that time of the year once again that is dreaded by not only CPAs everywhere, but every true American; it's tax season. This tax season may be difficult for some poker players who do not understand the rules and laws that govern poker …continued

Archive