Poker Strategy Articles

When Not To Check It Down

When playing in tournament poker there will frequently be a situation when a short stack goes all-in and sees two or more callers. A standard practice here is for the players who called the all-in to check the hand down in order to increase their chances of eliminating the all-in player. However, checking the hand down may not always be the smart move. The strategy of checking the hand down has one huge weakness: it depends on the cooperation [...]

Spotting and Concealing Tells

“He’s got a good poker face.” This phrase is heard a lot, and usually refers to a person who is able to make their face look like a stone sculpture, unmoving and emotionless. The person doesn’t give away any information, making it hard to get a read on him. One poker player who is like this is Phil Ivey, who is frequently said to be able to play 7-2 offsuit like it is pocket aces. On the [...]

Correct Analysis

Being able to correctly analyze your opponent’s actions is a necessary skill for any poker player.� Correct analysis will help you maximize your wins and minimize your losses, which is a fundamental goal of poker.� Some things you must be able to do is realize when you are ahead, realize when you are behind, and realize when you have a chance to make your opponent fold a lesser hand.

I will give you an example of a recent hand [...]

Playing in Limit Omaha Tournaments

In Limit Omaha tournaments, especially when playing online, you will feel pressured to call with a lot of hands, as a large portion of your table is doing the same, calling to see what they hope will be the perfect flop for their hand. The players are very loose and love to limp in, as very few people are confident enough to raise preflop when they know they’ll likely have five or six callers. Pressure will be placed [...]

Learning From Your Mistakes

Learning from mistakes is a crucial aspect in a poker player’s development. When a player loses a hand they have to understand why they lost it, honestly analyzing their play and the play of their opponents to determine the reason why they lost the hand. Sometimes, a player can lose a hand for as simple a reason as a river card strengthening an opponent’s hand. Other times, a player can make a critical mistake, such as making [...]

Preventing Show Downs: The Power of the Re-Raise

Poker has gotten so aggressive lately that it seems insane. Between good aggressive players, many more terrible ones, and the ones who think they’re good but aren’t—it seems like poker tables are sometimes so bad that they become almost a complete crap shoot. One of the most important things to figure out is why the players are being aggressive. If they are being bullies or think they’re really good, but aren’t, then this type of knowledge can [...]

ShortHanded Limit Holdem Starting Hand Chart

Here’s a starting hand chart that will get you well on your way to beating the shorthanded limit Holdem tables. This chart was developed by a 2+2 player over 3 years ago and has improved over the years with the input of the community.

You’ll notice that there’s a lot of aggression. Short handed Holdem isn’t for the faint hearted check/calling player. You have to get in the game and pump the pot up with a wide selection of hands.

Keep in [...]