March 2010
Horses for coursesWhen JJ Hazan bravely stood up in the Dragon’s Den last year to try to get funding for a series of tournaments, we saw a glimpse of a rare phenomenon: what the world outside our little niche really thinks about whether poker is a “good bet” or not.
Tricky SetI’m playing $5/$10 online cash, full-ring, with around $1,000 in front of me. I’m covered by everyone and things are pretty passive pre-flop. I’ve got ducks on the big blind. Two middle-position players limp as does the cut-off and button, and the small blind completes. I check and see rainbow 8-5-2. SB leads out the pot, I call, and the second limper raises to a total of $180. Everyone folds. Now what?
Ashley,
Berkhamsted
February 2010
Decisions…It’s not the winning or the losing, it’s the decisions that count, says Nik Persaud
Folding JacksDear Dr Tom,
I’m in a $200 online MTT, and on a fairly tight table (me included – I don’t normally play this high). Blinds are 150/300. I’m down to 7K from 10K. The player under the gun with 12K chips raises to 900 and the player two to his left calls with 15K. It’s folded to me in the cutoff and I’ve got Jacks. I just can’t work out how to play these babies.
Tim,
New Malden
Belgium Poker ChampionshipsLast year a few friends and I went over to Belgium by the Eurostar (which worked properly then) and played in the €1,500 entry Belgium Poker Championship – a fantastic 800-odd-player event with a remarkably slow structure.
Human donkey wins poker tournament After a final table which lasted a marathon 26 hours, the champion of the inaugural Global Poker Tour was crowned in London yesterday afternoon. Unknown player Mark Shetland from Surrey, UK survived a veritably terrifying final table which included Daniel Negreanu, Vitaly Lunkin, Dario Minieri and Jason Mercier.
January 2010
Balancing actDear Tom,
What does “balancing your range” mean? Is it the same as mixing up your play or is there something more complex involved?
Luke, Plymouth
Licked in LatviaAfter winning a package on Betsafe Poker, I was off to Latvia for my first ever tournament in that part of the world, and I have to say the organisation of the event was superb, as was the hotel and the tournament venue, Casino Royale.
Do the math!Dear Dr Tom,
I always sucked at maths at school, but I’ve think I’ve got good “card sense” and have pretty much taught myself all the maths necessary for solid tournament play. The problem I have is, if I make it to the top three or four in a tournament and someone suggests a chop, I’m not smart enough to figure out if I’m getting a good deal or not. Is there a simple formula I can learn so I don’t get ripped off?
November 2009
String-bet Nazis must die!!What a wonderful word “jobsy” is. It’s a peculiarly British word. Not because being jobsy is a peculiarly British thing to be, but because only the British would actually come up with a word to slag someone off who was being so.