Tips from the Pros

Pro Tip No. 153 - Vom Online- zum Live-Spieler werden

Nachdem sie ihr Pokertalent online geschliffen haben, entscheiden sich viele Spieler dafür, den nächsten Schritt zu gehen und live Poker zu spielen. Für einige ist diese Umstellung leicht, andere haben mehr Probleme mit...

Pro Tip No. 151 - Kontrolliere Deine Umgebung

Jeder von uns wurde sicher schon einmal in echten Casinos von der Umgebung überwältigt, die wir nicht kontrollieren können. Von unbequemen Stühlen über, dank Klimaanlage, arktische Temperaturen bis zum Kerl neben uns, der das letzte Mal geduscht hat, als Österreich gegen Deutschland im Fußball gewonnen hat...

Pro Tip No. 149 - Das gefürchtete Min-Check-Raise

Es gibt eine ganze Menge an möglichen, abscheulichen Moves bei No-Limit Hold'em: Out of Position mit einer marginalen Hand spielen, einen Draw zu jagen ohne die korrekten Odds oder die Nuts zu passiv bzw. zu aggressiv zu spielen.

Pro Tip No. 147 - Die Blinds stehlen

Die mittlere Phase eines Pokerturniers kann eine ganz schön lästige Angelegenheit sein, selbst für einen langjährigen Profi. Der Weg bis zum Geld ist noch ewig und es können einem noch eine Menge schwieriger Entscheidungen bevorstehen.....

Pro Tip No. 145 - Ein "Monster" bei den Aussie Millions spielen!

4000/8000/1000, Meine Position: SB, Meine Hand: Ac Qs, Mein Chip Stack: 389.000 - Titelverteidiger Lee Nelson wurde an meinen Tisch gesetzt. Er eröffnet in Middle Position für 24.000 und ich entschließe mich mit Ac Qs vom SB...

Pro Tip No. 143 - Loosening Up Before the Flop - Teil 1

Bei Turnieren geht darum zu wissen, was man tun muss und vor allem, wann man es tun muss. Das unterscheidet diejenigen, die einfach nur spielen, von denen, die den Final Table erreichen. Das stimmt, vor allem bei No-Limit Hold'em, weil man sich hier entscheiden muss, welche Hände man spielt und in welcher Situation und Position.

Pro Tip No. 141 - Playing Fifth Street in Seven-Card Stud

Während sich die breite Masse der Spieler heutzutage auf No-Limit Hold'em konzentriert, kenne ich viele Leute, die mit Seven-Card Stud aufgewachsen sind. Nachdem HORSE und andere Mixed Games wieder auferstanden sind, ist jetzt ein guter Zeitpunkt, sich an einige der Grundlagen zu erinnern, die einem helfen, ein besserer Allround-Spieler zu werden....

Pro Tip No. 139 - Bursting the SNG Bubble

One of the keys to becoming a successful Sit & Go player is learning to master bubble play. The last thing anybody wants is to be the Bubble Boy, which means you need to get the most out of every hand you play during this critical stage. If you make solid moves from good positions and manage...

Pro Tip No. 137 - Die Potgröße steuern

Eine der wichtigsten und erfolgreichsten Fähigkeiten in Turnieren mit deep stacks ist, dass man lernt wie man die Größe des Pots kontrolliert. Einfach ausgedrückt: Dein Ziel ist es den Pot groß zu machen, wenn du starke Hände hast oder mit schwachen Händen kleine Pots zu spielen...

Pro Tip No. 135 - Tilt Control

Vor zwei Jahren habe ich darüber geschrieben wie wichtig es ist seine Emotionen am Pokertisch unter Kontrolle zu haben. Seitdem habe ich weitere Erfahrungen über das Phänomen „Tilten“ am Pokertisch gesammelt...

Pro Tip No. 133 - Bluffing in Pot-Limit Omaha

Bluffen zur richtigen Zeit kann im Poker sehr profitabel sein. Dennoch, wenn man dieses Konzept falsch versteht oder zu oft in einem Spiel einsetzt kann es zum gegenteiligen Ergebnis führen....

Pro Tip No. 131 - Mix It Up!

Eine Gruppe von Full Tilt Pros und ich waren vor Kurzem auf Tour in Deutschland und hatten dabei die Gelegenheit mit einer neuen Pokergeneration zu spielen. Was mir aufgefallen ist – neben der unglaublichen Leidenschaft für das Spiel – ist, dass viele dieser jungen Pokerspieler...

Pro Tip No. 129 - Implied Odds - Part 2

In meinem letzten Tip ging es um das Grundkonzept der „Implied Odds“. Die „Implied Odds“ sind grundsätzlich dasselbe wie Pot Odds, der Unterschied ist jedoch das zukünftige Aktionen mit einbezogen werden. So kann es sein, dass man am Flop eine Wette mitgeht weil man gute Implied Odds hat, d.h. man geht davon aus dass man später viel mehr Geld machen kann, wenn man sein Blatt bekommt als man zum jetzigen Zeitpunkt einsetzt.

Pro Tip No. 127 - “Gambeln” versus Kontrolle

Keine Frage auch Poker hat ein “Gamblingelement”. Immer wenn man Geld riskiert für ein unsicheres Ereignis dann „gambelt“ man. Aber Poker ist letztendlich genau das Gegenteil von „gambeln“ weil es in diesem Spiel darauf ankommt intelligente Entscheidungen zu treffen.

Pro Tip No. 125 - Lies diesen Tipp nicht!

Wenn ich Ratschläge über Poker geben soll, ist meiner ein ganz einfacher: lerne und nimm alles auf was du darüber finden kannst wenn du aber am Tisch bist vergiss alles.

Pro Tip No. 123 - Getting Paid on a Monster

One of the most profitable situations in poker is one in which you've flopped a monster and someone else is betting into you. It's an incredible feeling but, alas, one of the rarest occurrences...

Pro Tip No. 121 - Getting Started in Pot-Limit Omaha

To the uninitiated, the only discernible difference between a game of Omaha and a game of Hold 'em is that players start each hand with four cards instead of two. But what a difference those two extra cards can make throughout the course of a hand...

Pro Tip No. 119 - Playing from the Blinds in Tournaments Part 2

Throughout a tournament, everyone develops a table image that impacts how people play against them. Depending on your opponent's style of play - and how your opponent perceives you - you might be able to...

Pro Tip No. 117 - Recalculating the Average Stack

In a recent World Series of Poker* Circuit event that I played in, the nine-handed final table started with blinds of 10K - 20K, and there were roughly 3.5 million chips in play. Some quick division would tell you that the average stack was 350K, or about 18 big blinds. This simple calculation could lead you to some bad conclusions...

Pro Tip No. 115 - Bubble Play In Tournaments

I had just bubbled in the $2,000 Seven-Card Stud Tournament at the World Series of Poker*. I had a drawing hand and I ended up losing all my chips, which was a big mistake.

Pro Tip No. 113 - How to Win a HORSE Tournament Part II

To win a HORSE tournament, you have to understand the value of the blinds and antes in each of the games. From my experience I find that you don't win HORSE tournaments as much as you steal them...

Pro Tip No. 111 - How to Bluff Against a Solid Player

When trying to steal pots in No-Limit Hold 'em, you have to ask yourself questions like: "How likely is it that my opponent has a hand?" and "Does my bet (bluff) make sense in the context of the way the hand played out?" Asking these questions is important. Answering them…

Pro Tip No. 109 - Playing Heads Up

Heads-up play is one of the most important aspects of poker, and many players could benefit from strengthening this part of their game.

Pro Tip No. 107 - When to Continuation Bet

When you raise pre-flop in a game of No-Limit Hold 'em and are called, you're faced with a decision when the flop hits the board. Should you put out a continuation bet on the flop or should you check and let...

Pro Tip No. 105 - Small Pockets and Big Stacks

"It's the first hand and you're in the big blind. Five players move all-in. You look down at pocket Aces. What do you do?"

Pro Tip No. 103 - A Calling Hand in Stud Hi-Lo

But in Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo, a situation sometimes arises where drawing with a modest chance at the whole pot and an even smaller chance at half the pot is clearly the correct play.

Pro Tip No. 101 - Table Talk

Every piece of information you gain at the table is something you can use to your advantage.

Pro Tip No. 99 - Playing Low

There's no shame playing for lower stakes than you think you can afford.

Pro Tip No. 97 - The Weak Lead

And if you check-call, the pro will probably check the turn and then fold to a bet on the river.

Pro Tip No. 95 - The Pain Barrier - Manipulating Your Opponent

If you're hungry, tired or even a little drunk, you're not likely to play your best.

Pro Tip No. 93 - Looking at the Long-Term

Many refuse to admit mistakes and insist that a bad run is due to bad luck alone.

Pro Tip No. 91 - Playing Aces in PLO

Omaha is a game where what you catch with the community cards is usually more important than what you start with.

Pro Tip No. 89 - Playing Mixed Games

It's tough to go back to any one game once you start playing mixed games.

Pro Tip No. 87 - Betting out of Position

...by checking, you give control to the late-position player.

Pro Tip No. 85 - Cash Equity at the Final Table

I needed to win the pot only about 27 percent of the time to justify a call.

Pro Tip No. 83 - The Mindset of a Winner

It's impossible to overstate the importance of money management to your poker career.

Pro Tip No. 81 - Spielt mehr Pötte

In Turnieren spiele ich eine Menge Hände. Ich schiebe Chips mit allen möglichen Karten in die Mitte des Tisches, besonders wenn ich in Position bin. Je nach Umstand minimum-raise oder erhöhe ich ein bisschen mehr als das Minimum vor dem Flop. Mein Ziel ist es dabei es meinen Gegnern schwer zu machen, mich...

Pro Tip No. 79 - Playing Big Slick in Deep Stack Tournaments

Top-pair/top-kicker is probably no good if another player is willing to risk all of his chips.

Pro Tip No. 77 - Playing Cap Games

You'll be able to take some shots at pots that you probably wouldn't take in deep-stack games.

Pro Tip No. 75 - Check-Raising on Draws

Rather than check-call, I often like to check-raise when I flop a draw out of position.

Pro Tip No. 73 - Learning from Allen Cunningham

The pros often say they're not going to play big pots without big hands.

Pro Tip No. 71 - Playing the Main Event

When playing against weak opponents while holding lots chips, you should try to see more flops as cheaply as you can.

Pro Tip No. 69 - Playing Pot-Limit Tournaments

In Pot-Limit tournaments, I prefer to be the player re-raising the open-raise.

Pro Tip No. 67 - A Big Stack Mistake at the 2006 WSOP*

Given the table dynamics, there was no need for me to risk one-third of my chips on this hand.

Pro Tip No. 65 - Seventh Street Decisions in Seven-Stud

Some of the tougher decisions on seventh street arise when you're holding one pair.

Pro Tip No. 63 - Firing the Second Bullet

If you're up against an opponent who is unwilling to play without a very big hand, firing the second bullet can force them to make some bad lay downs.

Pro Tip No. 61 - Finding Your Inner Maniac

I had convinced him that there was no difference between a $25 raise and a $4,000 raise.

Pro Tip No. 59 - Playing Bottom Two Pair

Many players overplay top pair and over-pairs, and will either call or re-raise all-in.

Pro Tip No. 57 - Why I Prefer Cash Games to Tournaments

If you're attuned to your opponent's moods, you'll find opportunities to profit from their weakened states.

Pro Tip No. 55 - Bad Position, Decent Cards

In spots like this, your best move is to press an edge while you have it - before the flop.

Pro Tip No. 52 - Representing a Bluff

If you had the nuts, he'd reason, you'd bet smaller, trying to get some value.

Pro Tip No. 50 - When Passive Plays

Ideally I want to get one decent sized bet in over the course of this hand and by checking, I prevent my opponent from giving me more action than my hand can handle.

Pro Tip No. 48 - Playing with John D'Agostino

After such a difficult opening, it's not uncommon to see even very good players overwhelmed with resignation.

Pro Tip No. 46 - Small-Pot Poker

I'm looking to pick up a lot of small pots by applying a constant level of pressure to my opponents.

Pro Tip No. 44 - Wie groß muss die Bankroll sein?

Poker ist ein hartes Geschäft“, sagt Erik Seidel. „Es kann passieren, dass Du lange Phasen erlebst, in denen Du nicht gewinnst.“ Wenn es einmal nicht so läuft und Du längere Zeit in einem Turnier nicht abkassierst oder im Cash Game keinen großen Pot gewinnst,...

Pro Tip No. 42 - In Defense of the Call

A strategic call might keep me from going broke in a hand where I hold a good, but second-best hand.

Pro Tip No. 40 - Playing a Big Draw in Limit Hold 'em

Playing big draws aggressively against multiple opponents can create very profitable situations.

Pro Tip No. 38 - Getting Started in Stud-8

The major mistake that new Stud-8 players make is that they play aggressively with hands that might serve them well in a regular game of 7-Card Stud.

Pro Tip No. 36 - Big Slick: A Slippery Hand

Many people fall in love with A-K pre-flop in No-Limit Hold 'em because they know that they can rarely be much worse than 50-50 to win the hand if they get all of their money in heads up.

Pro Tip No. 34 - Strategies for Short-Handed Limit Hold'em

The position raise puts me in control of the hand and, even if I'm holding total trash, the pressure puts the blinds in a spot where they need to catch a piece of the flop.

Pro Tip No. 32 - What I learned at the WSOP*

When playing, keep your mouth shut and don't do your opposition any favors.

Pro Tip No. 30 - It's Not Easy Being Green. Or Is It?

Everyone agreed that one of the best ways to improve your game is to play against better players.

Pro Tip No. 28 - Know Your Opponent; Own Your Opponent

Poker is often not so much about the cards you have, but knowing the way your opponent plays.

Pro Tip No. 26 - Third Street in Seven Stud

You should almost never bring in for a completion in Stud Hi, except in very rare tournament situations.

Pro Tip No. 24 - Our Favorite Poker Books

Chris Ferguson believes David Sklansky's Hold 'em for the Advanced Player and Theory of Poker are perhaps the two best books out there.

Pro Tip No. 22 - No-limit by the Numbers

In poker, it's the long run that matters, so he should only call if his probability of winning is greater than 40%.

Pro Tip No. 20 - Die Höhe der ersten Wette

Ich werde nie müde, dies zu wiederholen: Wenn du der erste bist, der bei No-Limit Hold 'em Chips in den Pot schiebt, solltest du niemals nur callen. Wenn du nicht bereit dazu bist deine Hand mit einem Raise zu eröffnen, schmeiße sie weg.

Pro Tip No. 18 - Dealer, Leave the Bets in Front of the Players.

The first and most important thing, especially in Omaha/8, is knowing where you're at on every street.

Pro Tip No. 16 - Playing Two or More Tables at Once

...the best way to keep up with the action is to look for hands you can fold automatically.

Pro Tip No. 14 - How To Win At Tournament Poker, Part 1

How much of a difference is there between ring game strategy and tournament strategy? The answer: Not as much as you think.

Pro Tip No. 12 - Common Mis