October 2009
Dealer’s Choice is the new Hold EmIf my column is anything to go by, some time after 2015 there will be no more fish left in the game. Instead, the poker world will be populated by twenty-something university-dropout cyborgs who 50-table against each other, merely pushing money back and forth while the site makes money from the rake.
Battling Variance For the past few years I’ve been very focused on staying fit in order to improve my concentration levels and enhance my willingness to win. One of the most important things in poker is what people sometimes refer to as the “winning spirit”, but what it comes down to is whether you feel capable of winning.
September 2009
Don’t be a Wildebeest! It took The Lord six days to create the earth and after that he needed a day of rest, so I imagine that he was admitted to Heaven’s equivalent of The Priory after arranging the remarkable set of circumstances that resulted in Jerry Yang's victory in the WSOP Main Event.
Running to Stand StillIf 2008 was the year of the four-bet shove light, it should be no surprise that 2009 became the year of the light call of the four-bet shove. Such is the nature of competition. Today’s clever new trick is yesterday’s cliché.
Bluffing durrrr on the RiverEven a crazy mistimed bluff against one of the world's best players can reap rewards, says our new strategy writer, high stakes grand master Sami “larsluzak” Kelopouro.
August 2009
I’ll show you mine… Dear Dr Tom,
What’s the “correct” answer to “Will you show me if I fold?” Discuss.
Penny,
Manchester
The Great EscapePub quiz question: who was the first act to perform the title track from the album Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band at a live gig? Before you think I’m getting all reverse-reverse psychology on you, yes, it was written by the Beatles.
Running like Dwayne without the drugsSoon after arriving in Vegas I agreed to meet Karl Mahrenholtz at The Venetian to play the $500 PLO tournament. We sat next to each other and I hardly won a hand. Unfortunately I did not ask Karl for a percentage saver and he went on to win $24,000. Instead, after my untimely exit, I went to play $2/$5 PLO cash with the locals.
July 2009
Woman trouble Dear Dr Tom,
My girlfriend thinks that I am completely poker obsessed. It’s partly true, I guess. I mean, sure, I like to play a bit, be it online or with friends, but it almost seems as if I have become a bit of a bore in her eyes...
Bankroll blues Dear Dr Tom,
I have issues with bankroll management. I know how important it is – yet I do not have the patience, or the time, to grind my way through the low stakes until I eventually have enough to play the stakes I want to play. What is your best advice for me? Is there some other way around this problem?
Sam, Dublin