Tips from the Pros
Welcome to Full Tilt Poker's Pro Tips Archive. Here, you'll find a collection of past tips conducted by your favorite Full Tilt Poker pros, including Team Full Tilt members, Chris Ferguson, Howard Lederer, John Juanda, Phil Ivey and more. Simply click on a pro's avatar or picture to open the full list of their tips, sorted by date.
Enjoy the Pro Tips Archive and remember to check back regularly for new tips from all of your favorite Full Tilt Poker pros.
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Pro Tip No. 157 - Early Tournament Strategies
Allen Cunningham - July 30th, 2008
Many players' first exposure to poker comes from watching WSOP and WPT tournaments on TV, and I think that's great. It's entertaining and you'll see some interesting plays, but viewers have to understand that they shouldn't model their games based on the action they see on TV.
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Pro Tip No. 155 - Two Sides to Every Coin (flip)
Team Full Tilt - July 16th, 2008
Poker is a game of choices. Some of these choices are fairly straight forward and simple while others take a lot of thought. The thing is that when all is said and done, there may not be just one correct path to winning a given hand; it’s all up to you to decide what road to travel.
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Pro Tip No. 154 - Sealing the Win
Nenad Medic - July 9th, 2008
If you don't think poker is a competitive sport, chances are you’ve never made it to the late stages of a major tournament where the only thing higher than the blinds is the pressure of playing for thousands - or even millions - of dollars in prize money…
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Pro Tip No. 153 - Moving from Online to Live Play
Jordan Morgan - July 3rd, 2008
After honing their games online for awhile, many players decide to take the next step and test their skills in a live poker room. For some, the transition comes easily but, for others…
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Pro Tip No. 152 - Overcards in Early Position
Kenny Tran - June 25th, 2008
Recently, Andy Bloch wrote about the perils and pitfalls of playing big cards - A-K, A-Q, etc. - when they don't connect with the flop. Like Andy, I think learning to play these kinds of hands well...
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Pro Tip No. 151 - Control Your Environment
Scott Fischman - June 19th, 2008
We've all had moments in good old fashioned brick and mortar casinos where our senses become overwhelmed by an environment that we have no control over. From uncomfortable chairs to overflowing A/C to the guy sitting next to you who obviously hasn't bathed since the last time the Cleveland Indians won the Series, playing live poker can be...
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Pro Tip No. 150 - Playing Over-Cards
Andy Bloch - June 11th, 2008
For many players, there's nothing prettier than peeking at their hole cards and seeing paint. A-K. K-Q. Q-J. They're all big hands and, often times, very playable ones, especially in position. Sometimes though...
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Pro Tip No. 149 - The Dreaded Min-Check-Raise
Aaron Bartley - June 5th, 2008
There are a lot of potentially horrendous moves to be made in No-Limit Hold ‘em: playing out of position with a marginal hand, chasing down a draw without the correct odds, overplaying (or underplaying) the nuts. All of these are horrible, horrible plays. But in my opinion, the worst play that you can make (and I see made far too often) is the min-check-raise.
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Pro Tip No. 148 - The Real Value of Tournament Chips
Bill Edler - May 28th, 2008
Whenever you’re talking about poker strategies, you’ll find people who make no distinction between tournament play and ring game play. In fact, I know some top players who believe that both should be played exactly the same.
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Pro Tip No. 147 - Stealing the Blinds
Allen Cunningham - May 21st, 2008
The middle stages of a poker tournament can be a tortuous and tedious experience for even the most seasoned pro. The long trek toward the money, combined with a variety of potentially tricky scenarios you may face along the way, make it difficult to come up with one sure-fire strategy to help you through....
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Pro Tip No. 146 - Big-Stack Play
Jordan Morgan - May 14, 2008
There are few better situations in poker than to enter final table play as the big stack. However, there’s a big difference in coming to the final table with the chip lead and in knowing how to use your stack to take control of the final stages of a tournament.
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Pro Tip No. 145 - A Monster at the Aussie Millions
Gus Hansen - May 7, 2008
Blinds: 4000/8000/1000, My position: SB, My hand: Ac Qs, My Chip Stack: 389,000. Defending champ Lee Nelson has been moved to the table. He opens in middle position for 24,000 and I decide to just call with my Ac Qs in the SB. The BB folds. The flop comes:
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Pro Tip No. 144 - Loosening Up Before the Flop – Part 2
Andy Bloch - March 27th, 2008
In my last tip, I talked about the necessity of loosening up your pre-flop game, especially in the late stages of a tournament. This week, I’m going to provide you with some more specific examples of the kinds of hands you may want to play when...
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Pro Tip No. 143 - Loosening Up Before the Flop – Part 1
Andy Bloch - March 20th, 2008
Knowing what to do and when to do it is what separates those who just play in tournaments from those who make final tables. This is especially true in No-Limit Hold 'em, where the first decisions you’re faced with are what hands you should play and when you should play…
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Pro Tip No. 142 - CardRunners Video Tip
CardRunners - March 14th, 2008
In the past few years, the members of Team CardRunners have developed reputations as some of the best, young high-stakes ring game players anywhere. They’ve also earned the respect of many new and established players by sharing their winning strategies through their popular and easy-to-understand video lessons.
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Pro Tip No. 141 - Playing Fifth Street in Seven-Card Stud
Keith Sexton - March 6th, 2008
While most players these days specialize in No-Limit Hold 'em, I know there are many people out there who grew up learning Seven-Card Stud. With the resurgence of HORSE and other mixed games, now is a great time to branch out and revisit some of the basics to...
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Pro Tip No. 140 - Running Bad Part II - It’s Bad to Always Get Your Money in Good
Chris Ferguson - February 27th, 2008
In my last tip I wrote about running bad and the effect it can have on your mental state. Now I'm living it. If you've been following my $0 to $10K Challenge you know that it took me about nine months to turn $0 into $100 and another nine months to turn that $100 into $10,000.
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Pro Tip No. 139 - Bursting the SNG Bubble
Peter Feldman - February 21st, 2008
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...
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Pro Tip No. 138 - There's No "I" In Poker
Eddy Scharf - February 14th, 2008
I recently competed in a televised tournament where several players lost focus on their game. They were either trying to gun for a particular opponent at their table or making some ill-advised moves to show off for the cameras. In every case, these players were making the same mistake – letting their egos get in the way....
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Pro Tip No. 137 - Controlling the Pot
Paul Wasicka - February 5th, 2008
One of the most critical aspects to surviving - and thriving - in deep stack tournaments is learning how to control the size of the pots you play. In short, your goal should be to play big pots when you have big hands and small pots when you don't. When you and your opponents...
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Pro Tip No. 136 - Omaha Hi/Lo Strategies
Perry Friedman - February 1st, 2008
The big difference between big-bet (Pot-Limit or No-Limit) Omaha Hi/Lo and Limit Omaha Hi/Lo is that the former plays much more like Omaha High. Low hands become much less valuable because of how often they get quartered.
If you get quartered in Limit games, you may not lose too much of your overall chip stack because the action...
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Pro Tip No. 135 - Tilt Control
Ben Roberts - January 24th, 2008
About two years ago, I wrote "On Cavemen and Poker Players", which talked about the importance of learning to control your emotions at the poker table. Since then, I’ve had time to further refine my views on this topic, especially when it comes to the concept...
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Pro Tip No. 134 - Playing Six-Handed SNGs
Scott Fischman - January 16th, 2008
Most people are familiar with the differences between one-table Sit & Go tournaments (SNGs) and other forms of poker. Because these tournaments only pay the top three finishers at a nine-handed table, the standard...
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Pro Tip No. 133 - Bluffing in Pot-Limit Omaha
Brandon Adams - January 9th, 2008
Bluffing can be one of the most profitable plays in poker. However, its success is often blunted by the fact that it's also one of the most misunderstood and over-used...
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Pro Tip No. 132 - Running Bad
Chris Ferguson - January 3rd, 2008
In 1964, Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart tried to define what may or may not be considered obscene under US law. In the end, he determined that no definition existed, but that when it comes to obscenity, "I know it when I see it." The same holds true when you're talking about running badly...
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Pro Tip No. 131 - Mix It Up!
Eddy Scharf - December 19th 2007
A group of my fellow Full Tilt Poker pros and I recently completed a tour of Germany where we got to spend a lot of time interacting with a whole new generation of players from around the country. What I noticed along the way - aside from the incredible enthusiasm for the game - is that many of these players are very...
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Pro Tip No. 130 - Suited Connectors and Small Pocket Pairs
Phil Gordon - December 12, 2007
We've all seen situations unfold on TV where a hand like 7-8 suited or pocket 5s manages to crack some big pocket pair like Aces or Kings. We sit back in the comfort of our living rooms and say, "Well, if they can do it, so can I!" While it is true that these hands can sometimes take down monster pots, the fact is...
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Pro Tip No. 129 - Implied Odds - Part 2
Andy Bloch - December 5th, 2007
In my last tip, I discussed the basic principles of implied odds. As you'll recall, your implied odds are the total amount you can win in a given pot, divided by the number of chips you're putting into the pot. Put another way, implied odds calculate future action and betting that may occur in a hand, while pot odds focus on the here and now of the...
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Pro Tip No. 128 - Implied Odds - Part 1
Andy Bloch - November 28th, 2007
Most people have a pretty good understanding of pot odds - whether the amount of chips in the pot justifies making a call - but they fail to realize that making this calculation only solves part of the poker equation. Often, these players forget to think about how the rest of the hand is going to...
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Pro Tip No. 127 - Taking Your Hands Off the Wheel
Barny Boatman - November 23rd, 2007
There's no question that poker includes an element of gamble. Any time you risk something of value on an event with an uncertain outcome, you're gambling. But there is a way in which poker is the exact opposite of gambling, because poker...
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Pro Tip No. 126 - Knockout Punch
Erik Seidel - November 16, 2007
Knockout Bounty tournaments - recently added to Full Tilt Poker - can add a fun and exciting new wrinkle to tournament poker. While it's important to go after the bounties at the right times, you have to keep an eye on your overall goal: winning. A lot of players will forget this and risk way too much as they try to go after bounties. You have to be wary...
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Pro Tip No. 125 - Don't Read This Tip
Phil Ivey - November 7th 2007
When it comes to advice about poker, my attitude is very simple: seek it out, absorb it, but while you're at the table, forget it.
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Pro Tip No. 124 - Establishing a Tight Table Image
Allen Cunningham - November 1st 2007
Throughout a tournament, your table image will help determine how much action you'll get and, ultimately, how you can manipulate your opponents into making big calls or big laydowns at the wrong times. While establishing a loose, aggressive image early on can...
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Pro Tip No. 123 - Getting Paid on a Monster
Roland De Wolfe - October 26th 2007
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...
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Pro Tip No. 122 - Being a Bully
Gus Hansen - October 18, 2007
Many players understand the concepts involved in building a large chip stack during a tournament. What they don't understand, however, is how to use their chips effectively once they've gotten them. Once they've accumulated a lot of chips, many players want to control the action, but they haven't thought through how to take command of the table. When I am the big stack in a tournament, being the bully...
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Pro Tip No. 121 - Getting Started in Pot-Limit Omaha
Brandon Adams - October 5, 2007
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...
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Pro Tip No. 120 - Pre-flop Raising Strategies
Phil Gordon - September 28, 2007
To limp or not to limp-that is the question. I'm not going to name any names here, but there are some big-game pros who will argue that it's okay to limp into a pot before the flop. They reason that the more flops they see...
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Pro Tip No. 119 - Playing from the Blinds in Tournaments Part 2
John Cernuto - September 21, 2007
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...
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Pro Tip No. 118 - Playing from the Blinds in Tournaments Part 1
John Cernuto - September 13, 2007
If tournament poker is a game of situations, then it's important to know how to play from the blinds. Poker comes down to three basic decisions: fold, call, or raise. Usually, folding the blinds will be your best option...
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Pro Tip No. 117 - Recalculating the Average Stack
Phil Gordon - September 6, 2007
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...
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Pro Tip No. 116 - Building and Maintaining a Bankroll
Paul Wasicka - August 29th 2007
For most players, the lure of playing in high-stakes ring games or tournaments is a sirens' song that's hard to resist. While there's no doubt that these games can provide huge rewards, the sad truth is that many beginners often leap into the deep end before...
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Pro Tip No. 115 - Bubble Play In Tournaments
Paul Sexton - August 17th, 2007
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.
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Pro Tip No. 114 - Playing Large Fields
Howard Lederer - August 17th, 2007
During the World Series of Poker, players are confronted with massive fields. For example, in the 2007 WSOP, nearly 3,000 players bought into the first $1,500 No-Limit Hold 'em event. Throughout the Series, it was common to see starting fields of 1,500 to 2,000. Many players who are accustomed to playing in...
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Pro Tip No. 113 - How to Win a HORSE Tournament Part II
Andy Bloch - August 7th, 2007
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...
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Pro Tip No. 112 - How to Win a HORSE Tournament Part I
Andy Bloch - July 31st, 2007
If you want to win a HORSE tournament, you have to be good at all five games. You don't have to be the best player at any one game, but you also can't be the worst. If you're really bad at one of the games...
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Pro Tip No. 111 - How to Bluff Against a Solid Player
Ross Boatman - July 23rd, 2007
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…
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Pro Tip No. 110 - Playing a Short Stack in Multi-Table Tournaments
Erica Schoenberg - July 13th, 2007
The key to succeeding in tournament play is being able to handle the ups and downs, because it's not always going to go perfectly. Your chip stack is not always going to shoot upwards, which means you'll often need to make good decisions when...
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Pro Tip No. 109 - Playing Heads Up
Paul Wasicka - July 6th, 2007
Heads-up play is one of the most important aspects of poker, and many players could benefit from strengthening this part of their game.
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Pro Tip No. 108 - Playing Small and Medium Pocket Pairs in No-Limit Hold'em
Greg Mueller - June 29th, 2007
In No-Limit Hold'em, small and medium pocket pairs can be bankroll killers for some players. But if you play these hands correctly, they're going to be big winners for you in the long run.
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Pro Tip No. 107 - When to Continuation Bet
Andy Bloch - June 20th, 2007
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...
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Pro Tip No. 106 - Buying In Short in Pot-Limit Omaha
Lee Watkinson - June 15th, 2007
It's amazing the difference that two cards can make. As opposed to Hold 'em where players have two hole cards at the start of each hand, Omaha starts each player off with four cards, which makes both pre- and post-flop play much more challenging, especially...
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Pro Tip No. 105 - Small Pockets and Big Stacks
Michael Craig - June 8th, 2007
"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?"
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Pro Tip No. 104 - Goin' Pro
Chris Ferguson - June 1st, 2007
"Should I quit my job and play professionally?" "Should I drop out of school and play poker full time?" I get these questions all the time and I always give the same answer:
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Pro Tip No. 103 - A Calling Hand in Stud Hi-Lo
Howard Lederer - May 18th, 2007
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.
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Pro Tip No. 102 - Understanding Implied Odds
Rafe Furst - May 10th, 2007
Too often, implied odds are invoked as a reason for a play when "wishful thinking" would be the more accurate description of the situation.
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Pro Tip No. 101 - Table Talk
Gavin Smith - May 4th, 2007
Every piece of information you gain at the table is something you can use to your advantage.
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Pro Tip No. 100 - Starting from Zero
Chris Ferguson - April 30th, 2007
I had a losing streak there and had to go down to $5/$10. That was tough.
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Pro Tip No. 99 - Playing Low
Karina Jett - April 16th, 2007
There's no shame playing for lower stakes than you think you can afford.
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Pro Tip No. 98 - How Much Luck? How Much Skill?
Ben Roberts - March 30th, 2007
The fact is, these kinds of events should have less of an impact on your overall results the more you play.
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Pro Tip No. 97 - The Weak Lead
Lee Watkinson - March 23rd, 2007
And if you check-call, the pro will probably check the turn and then fold to a bet on the river.
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Pro Tip No. 96 - Satellite Savviness
Team Full Tilt - March 1st, 2007
The fact is, satellites provide much more than the chance to save some money on a $10K buy-in.
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Pro Tip No. 95 - The Pain Barrier - Manipulating Your Opponent
Joe Beevers - Feb 9, 2007
If you're hungry, tired or even a little drunk, you're not likely to play your best.
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Pro Tip No. 94 - Finding the Low Cards in Omaha Hi/Lo
Mike Matusow - Jan 15, 2007
You really can't do these sorts of things in Hold 'em.
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Pro Tip No. 93 - Looking at the Long-Term
Erik Seidel - Jan 6, 2007
Many refuse to admit mistakes and insist that a bad run is due to bad luck alone.
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Pro Tip No. 92 - Playing Small and Medium Pairs in Seven-Card Stud
Perry Friedman - December 29, 2006
Small and medium pairs are among the trickiest hands you'll encounter in Seven-Card Stud.
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Pro Tip No. 91 - Playing Aces in PLO
Andy Black - Dec 21, 2006
Omaha is a game where what you catch with the community cards is usually more important than what you start with.
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Pro Tip No. 90 - Playing in Australia
Mark Vos - Dec 15, 2006
For a serious poker player, the Aussie Millions offers one of best structures of any tournament anywhere.
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Pro Tip No. 89 - Playing Mixed Games
Jennifer Harman - Dec 7, 2006
It's tough to go back to any one game once you start playing mixed games.
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Pro Tip No. 88 - Pot-Size Manipulation
Gavin Smith - Nov 30, 2006
keeping the pot small will get you pretty good value when you're ahead and help you avoid disaster when you're behind.
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Pro Tip No. 87 - Betting out of Position
Gus Hansen - Nov 20, 2006
...by checking, you give control to the late-position player.
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Pro Tip No. 86 - How a Pro Thinks Through a Hand
Team Full Tilt - November 13, 2006
I was half hoping for a King on the river and half not, because it could bust me.
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Pro Tip No. 85 - Cash Equity at the Final Table
Rafe Furst - Nov 6, 2006
I needed to win the pot only about 27 percent of the time to justify a call.
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Pro Tip No. 84 - Getting Beyond Your Cards
Perry Friedman - Oct 30, 2006
Moving beyond your own cards is a key step in coming to think like a winning player.
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Pro Tip No. 83 - The Mindset of a Winner
Kristy Gazes - Oct 23, 2006
It's impossible to overstate the importance of money management to your poker career.
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Pro Tip No. 82 - Balancing Poker and Life
Clonie Gowen - Oct 16, 2006
Don't even consider going pro until you can cover all of your bills for at least six months in advance.
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Pro Tip No. 81 - Play More Pots
Erick Lindgren - Oct 9, 2006
My overall goal is to pick up a lot of small pots without a lot of resistance.
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Pro Tip No. 80 - Heads-Up vs Multi-Way Hands in Omaha Hi/Lo
Andy Bloch - Oct 3, 2006
If you're playing a multi-way pot, you need a very strong hand going one way or the other.
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Pro Tip No. 79 - Playing Big Slick in Deep Stack Tournaments
Paul Wolfe - Sept 25, 2006
Top-pair/top-kicker is probably no good if another player is willing to risk all of his chips.
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Pro Tip No. 78 - Breaking Out of Your Comfort Zone
Ben Roberts - Sept 18, 2006
If you take a shot and lose, you shouldn't have to worry about rebuilding your bankroll from scratch.
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Pro Tip No. 77 - Playing Cap Games
Howard Lederer - Sept 11, 2006
You'll be able to take some shots at pots that you probably wouldn't take in deep-stack games.
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Pro Tip No. 76 - From No-Limit to Limit
Richard Brodie - September 4, 2006
By the river in Limit Hold 'em, you're often getting odds of 9, 10, or 11 to 1 to make a call.
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Pro Tip No. 75 - Check-Raising on Draws
Steve Brecher - August 28, 2006
Rather than check-call, I often like to check-raise when I flop a draw out of position.
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Pro Tip No. 74 - Betting the River with Marginal Hands
Andy Bloch - August 21, 2006
In spots where your opponent might hold a busted draw and bluff, it's often more profitable to check and then pick off the bluff with a call.
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Pro Tip No. 73 - Learning from Allen Cunningham
Jay Greenspan - August 14, 2006
The pros often say they're not going to play big pots without big hands.
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Pro Tip No. 72 - Acknowledging Mistakes
Team Full Tilt - August 7, 2006
The best players have the ability to acknowledge and learn from their mistakes.
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Pro Tip No. 71 - Playing the Main Event
Gus Hansen - July 31, 2006
When playing against weak opponents while holding lots chips, you should try to see more flops as cheaply as you can.
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Pro Tip No. 70 - Managing the Short Stack
Mark Vos - July 24, 2006
In No-Limit tournaments, it's very important to do your stealing when you have at least eight to 10 big blinds.
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Pro Tip No. 69 - Playing Pot-Limit Tournaments
Rafe Furst - July 17, 2006
In Pot-Limit tournaments, I prefer to be the player re-raising the open-raise.
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Pro Tip No. 68 - Red for a Day
Brian Koppelman - July 10, 2006
I felt like every raise, weak call or foolish bluff I made was magnified.
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Pro Tip No. 67 - A Big Stack Mistake at the 2006 WSOP*
Phil Gordon - July 3, 2006
Given the table dynamics, there was no need for me to risk one-third of my chips on this hand.
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Pro Tip No. 66 - Winning Poker - It's About More Than Money
Ben Roberts - June 26, 2006
There are a couple of common mistakes new players make that lead them to draw faulty conclusions about the strength of their play.
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Pro Tip No. 65 - Seventh Street Decisions in Seven-Stud
Keith Sexton - June 19, 2006
Some of the tougher decisions on seventh street arise when you're holding one pair.
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Pro Tip No. 64 - Big Blind Play in Limit Hold'em
Jennifer Harman - June 12, 2006
Even if the check-raise doesn't win the pot, this move helps keep a tough, aggressive player off balance.
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Pro Tip No. 63 - Firing the Second Bullet
Greg Mueller - June 5, 2006
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.
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Pro Tip No. 62 - Fourth Street Decisions in Seven Stud
Keith Sexton - May 29, 2006
If fourth street builds straight or flush possibilities for my opponent, I'm likely to muck a lot of hands; if it appears to be a complete blank, I'll usually continue.
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Pro Tip No. 61 - Finding Your Inner Maniac
Greg Mueller - May 22, 2006
I had convinced him that there was no difference between a $25 raise and a $4,000 raise.
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Pro Tip No. 60 - Beware the Min Raise
Phil Gordon - May 15, 2006
Every time I've been faced with a minimum re-raise, I've been up against a monster - pocket Kings or Aces.
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Pro Tip No. 59 - Playing Bottom Two Pair
Rafe Furst - May 8, 2006
Many players overplay top pair and over-pairs, and will either call or re-raise all-in.
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Pro Tip No. 58 - The Other Danger in Slow Playing
Howard Lederer - May 1, 2006
If he bets on the turn and you raise, you're signaling that the turn card helped you.
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Pro Tip No. 57 - Why I Prefer Cash Games to Tournaments
Huckleberry Seed - April 24, 2006
If you're attuned to your opponent's moods, you'll find opportunities to profit from their weakened states.
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Pro Tip No. 56 - Early Tournament Play
David Grey - April 17, 2006
I'd rather gamble early and bust than cling to a short stack for hours on end.
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Pro Tip No. 55 - Bad Position, Decent Cards
Howard Lederer - April 3, 2006
In spots like this, your best move is to press an edge while you have it - before the flop.
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Pro Tip No. 53 - Back to Basics
David Grey - March 20, 2006
As players improve, they inevitably see more opportunities for profit, and thus, see potential in a greater number of hands.
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Pro Tip No. 52 - Representing a Bluff
Huckleberry Seed - March 13, 2006
If you had the nuts, he'd reason, you'd bet smaller, trying to get some value.
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Pro Tip No. 51 - Viewer Beware
Howard Lederer - March 6, 2006
In the last couple of years, I've noticed that some of the less experienced players who have entered $10,000 buy-in tournaments don't fully appreciate what they've seen on TV.
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Pro Tip No. 50 - When Passive Plays
Chris Ferguson - February 27, 2006
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.
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Pro Tip No. 49 - Book Smarts vs. Table Smarts
Erik Seidel - February 20, 2006
Just as there is no right way to write a song or paint a picture, there is no right way to play poker.
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Pro Tip No. 48 - Playing with John D'Agostino
Jay Greenspan - February 13, 2006
After such a difficult opening, it's not uncommon to see even very good players overwhelmed with resignation.
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Pro Tip No. 47 - On Cavemen and Poker Players
Ben Roberts - February 6, 2006
Endeavor to leave each session in the same emotional state.
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Pro Tip No. 46 - Small-Pot Poker
Gavin Smith - January 30, 2006
I'm looking to pick up a lot of small pots by applying a constant level of pressure to my opponents.
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Pro Tip No. 45 - Tips From Tunica
Andy Bloch - January 23, 2006
When he check-raised, he failed to ask himself a critical question: What hand can I call with that he could beat?
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Pro Tip No. 44 - How Big a Bankroll?
Team Full Tilt - January 16, 2006
If you're nervous about what you stand to lose in a given pot, you're probably playing too high for your bankroll.
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Pro Tip No. 43 - Thoughts on Omaha-8
Jennifer Harman - January 09, 2006
Whenever possible, you need to position yourself to take every chip from a big pot.
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Pro Tip No. 42 - In Defense of the Call
Gavin Smith - January 02, 2006
A strategic call might keep me from going broke in a hand where I hold a good, but second-best hand.
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Pro Tip No. 41 - Stepping Up, Stepping Down
Kristy Gazes - December 26, 2005
Early in my poker career I set a simple rule for myself: I would never move to a higher limit until I won three consecutive sessions. If I lost three consecutive sessions at a given limit, I would move down to a lower limit.
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Pro Tip No. 40 - Playing a Big Draw in Limit Hold 'em
Chris Ferguson - December 19, 2005
Playing big draws aggressively against multiple opponents can create very profitable situations.
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Pro Tip No. 39 - Know Your (Table) Limits
Paul Wolfe - December 12, 2005
As I play, I take note of the loose players and tight players, and then use that information to decide which seat will be most profitable.
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Pro Tip No. 38 - Getting Started in Stud-8
Jennifer Harman - December 05, 2005
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.
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Pro Tip No. 37 - What's Your Starting Hand Really Worth?
Steve Brecher - November 28, 2005
There is no universal definition of what "better" means when comparing hold 'em starting hands.
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Pro Tip No. 36 - Big Slick: A Slippery Hand
Rafe Furst - November 21, 2005
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.
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Pro Tip No. 35 - Bad Cards or Bad Plays?
Team Full Tilt - November 14, 2005
I know that some days, even if I play perfectly, I'm going to lose.
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Pro Tip No. 34 - Strategies for Short-Handed Limit Hold'em
John D'Agostino - November 7, 2005
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.
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Pro Tip No. 33 - Taking on a Short-Handed No-Limit Game
John D'Agostino - October 31, 2005
Three- or four-handed games are usually very aggressive, and I will never limp in.
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Pro Tip No. 32 - What I learned at the WSOP*
Jay Greenspan - October 24, 2005
When playing, keep your mouth shut and don't do your opposition any favors.
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Pro Tip No. 31 - Back to the Drawing Board
Perry Friedman - October 17, 2005
If you're against a player who likes to slow play or a player who will bluff you out with a big bet, a small bet gives you the best chance of seeing the turn.
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Pro Tip No. 30 - It's Not Easy Being Green. Or Is It?
Team Full Tilt - October 10, 2005
Everyone agreed that one of the best ways to improve your game is to play against better players.
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Pro Tip No. 29 - Texture Isn't Just For Fabric
Phil Gordon - October 3, 2005
If my hand is unlikely to improve, I tend to bet more than 2/3 of the pot. I want to take this pot now.
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Pro Tip No. 28 - Know Your Opponent; Own Your Opponent
Paul Wolfe - September 26, 2005
Poker is often not so much about the cards you have, but knowing the way your opponent plays.
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Pro Tip No. 27 - How Bad are the Beats?
Steve Brecher - September 19, 2005
After my bet and the opponent's all in-raise, I was getting pot odds of 3.7 to 1 to call, so the call is clearly correct.
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Pro Tip No. 26 - Third Street in Seven Stud
Perry Friedman - September 12, 2005
You should almost never bring in for a completion in Stud Hi, except in very rare tournament situations.
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Pro Tip No. 25 - Flopping a Monster
Richard Brodie - September 6, 2005
Big hands can mean big pots. But, with a big hand, it's even more important to strategize and figure out how strong your opponent is.
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Pro Tip No. 24 - Our Favorite Poker Books
Team Full Tilt - August 30, 2005
Chris Ferguson believes David Sklansky's Hold 'em for the Advanced Player and Theory of Poker are perhaps the two best books out there.
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Pro Tip No. 23 - Holding On To Your Winnings
Aaron Bartley - August 22, 2005
One slip-up can spell disaster for a bankroll, and watching six months of hard work disappear in six hours of foolish play is enough to crush anyone's spirits.
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Pro Tip No. 22 - No-limit by the Numbers
Andy Bloch - August 15, 2005
In poker, it's the long run that matters, so he should only call if his probability of winning is greater than 40%.
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Pro Tip No. 21 - Chip Sandwich
Phil Gordon - August 8, 2005
If my raise gets the initial raiser to fold, the meat of the chips will very often be coming my way.
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Pro Tip No. 20 - Sizing Up Your Opening Bet
Chris Ferguson - August 1, 2005
Poker is like real estate. The three most important factors in deciding how much to raise are: Location, location, location.
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Pro Tip No. 19 - So You Wanna Go Pro
Rafe Furst - July 25, 2005
Poker is a great game; it's tons of fun, and has never been as potentially profitable as it is today. But try to keep it in perspective.
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Pro Tip No. 18 - Dealer, Leave the Bets in Front of the Players.
Greg Mascio - July 18, 2005
The first and most important thing, especially in Omaha/8, is knowing where you're at on every street.
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Pro Tip No. 17 - Not Playing By The Book
Phil Gordon - July 11, 2005
Poker is not a game that is best played by the numbers. Poker is a game of situations.
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Pro Tip No. 16 - Playing Two or More Tables at Once
Erick Lindgren - July 4, 2005
...the best way to keep up with the action is to look for hands you can fold automatically.
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Pro Tip No. 15 - How To Win At Tournament Poker, Part 2
Chris Ferguson - June 27, 2005
Mos
