November 2010
Statistically Speaking...Poker players have almost limitless potential to improve because there is such a vast gulf between theoretical perfection and the level of play of which even the best pros are capable. There are so many little areas that can be tweaked, enhanced and refined.
Deal or no Deal?Dear Dr Tom,
What advice would you give for someone considering a deal at the tournament final table?
Lucas, West Drayton
Textbook MistakesAfter a summer of heady WSOP dreams and Vegas simulations, it’s time to get back to the classroom. The nights are drawing in, it’s raining outside, and it’s time to do some maths.
Poor Equity By Paul Jackson .
One of the most common words used to justify actions by poker players these days is “equity”, and I think it is time someone stood up for this poor over-used and often abused word, which is often thrown into sentences left, right and centre by less-than-knowledgeable people. Equity is so often the fall guy for the pain suffered by players on the occasions when a little knowledge in the wrong hands has proved a dangerous to be a dangerous thing.
October 2010
What do you mean lucky?Very few players have a good understanding of luck. This is not surprising because we are not naturally predisposed to interpret semi-random events correctly. To begin with, there are just too many variables to process.
WSOP Dream, WSOP Reality In last month’s issue of Bluff Europe, I highlighted the errors the poker press commit when making predictions in poker [You’re fired – Ed.]. I promised to follow this up in part two of my article by doing some “good science” on the predictions Bluff Europe had made about some young internet guns who would be going to the WSOP for the first time.
Floating awayDear Dr Tom,
When is it a good spot to float a flop with air and when is it not?
Vaz, London
Flair is good by Paul JacksonI often talk scornfully about “flair” in poker and very often I’m referring to little more than a mindless act by a poker player of any ability. There are, however, instances of true flair that deserve recognition, even if that recognition is from a player with little personal flair, such as me. In fact, the most flair I ever display is when my jumper has more than one colour in it.
September 2010
What Is Meta-Game and Does It Really Matter?You may have heard the term ‘meta-game’ bandied around, but what is it? Generally speaking, it refers to strategies and actions that transcend the obvious dynamics of a game – in simple terms, it’s “thinking outside the box”.
The Octopus is PsychicThe cover of last month’s magazine brought a tingle of pride to the guys at Bluff Towers. After having put James Akenhead on the cover before the WSOP last year, we’ve only gone and done it again. This time, we put Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi on the cover, and then he went on to make the final nine.