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September 24th, 2008

The Autoplay Poker Tell

All online poker rooms have a button you can use to pre-select your action. When the action gets to you, there is no need to click the “fold”, “call”, or “raise” buttons.

You can tell when an opponent is using the autoplay check box. His action comes within split seconds after the player before him.  This is a great online tell. Your opponent made a decision about their hand before waiting to see the actions of the players before him!

When a player selects the “raise any” button, he is signaling he has a strong hand. On the other hand, the use of the “check” button means his hand is probably weak. This does not mean your opponent is using the buttons for these purposes, he could be trying to trick you. Careful observation of his play will reveal when he uses these buttons. 

September 16th, 2008

Free Poker Tools

CardPlayer Magazine has a couple of free calculators players can
use to help improve their game:

Hold ‘Em Calculator
Omaha Hi-Lo

September 8th, 2008

How To Go Broke By Overvaluing Suited Hands

I’m going to let you in on a little secret, that from what I have seen in small and mid sized poker games, not too many players know about this. The majority of players in small and mid-size poker games think that suited cards are a good reason to play a hand.

I hate to break this secret but they are not. If you are looking for a recipe to go broke then you are on the right target. However, if you aspire to be a winning player, you are way off base.

Let me give you some simple mathematics and let’s see if you are smart enough to figure it out.

FACT: The probability of flopping a flush with two suited cards is 16 to 1.

QUESTION: What is the maximum you can expect to ever make on a poker hand?

The maximum odds you will ever get on any hand is 8 to 1 (assuming you are playing at a nine-handed table).

If the maximum you can get is 8 to 1, why would anyone ever play a hand solely on the reason “because they were suited”? Yet you see the donks doing it everyday. Don’t be the donk.

Each time you get a suited hand, ask yourself , “Would I play this hand if it wasn’t suited?” If your answer is NO, then fold the hand.

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