Texas Hold'Em is a community-card poker variant in which each player receives 2 down cards. A flop of 3 cards is dealt face up, followed by a single face-up card (the turn), and a final face-up card (the river). The best 5 card poker hand, using any of the player's 2 cards and the 5 community ...
16
votes
1answer
3k views
Minimum re-raise in Hold em
What is the minimum re-raise in Texas hold em? I have heard both that you need to double the previous bet and that the minimum raise is the big blind. Which is it?
13
votes
2answers
168 views
When should I use a polarized vs. a merged range?
In what situations would I want to use a polarized vs. a merged range? Are there situations where it is best to have a purely high or low value range?
12
votes
1answer
154 views
Maximizing profit post-bubble
Had a few pleasant games in a particular tourney format: 9max NL normal speed/structure; NTT S-M field (~150); M-L buy-in (~$300); this runs often enough for me to have accumulated a sample of just ...
10
votes
4answers
1k views
Is online poker legal or not in the United States ?
I am just starting to learn Texas holdem, and I've heard that online poker is not legal, and also that it is. Which is it?
10
votes
3answers
153 views
Why can't folded hands compete for sidepots?
I'm just wondering the rationale for preventing folded players from competing in sidepots. My feeling is that once a player has as much in the pot as an all-in player, they should be allowed to ...
9
votes
7answers
839 views
Is Small Ball Poker In Cash Games A Good Strategy?
I have read Daniel Negreanu's book on small ball poker strategy in tournament play.
Essentially, small ball poker involves playing a wider range of
starting hands more aggressively, but only ...
9
votes
7answers
1k views
Should I call this river overbet with an overpair?
1/3 at Rivers Casino, Pittsburgh Pa. Villain is a Hines Ward lookalike - he started out playing as a seemingly competent LAG, playing lots of hands fairly aggressively, putting opponents in tough ...
9
votes
6answers
788 views
Classic Books for Texas Hold'Em
What are the classic books for learning Texas Hold'Em, off- or online? Books that every good player should, at least, know the gist of?
9
votes
4answers
428 views
Is using a “straddle” a valid strategy or is it just for fun?
I am wondering if posting a straddle makes the game more fun, if it's a pure gamble or if it actually has any hidden strategic value (well, of course the straddeler gains a better position pre-flop by ...
9
votes
2answers
393 views
Balanced Continuation Bet range
Assume a 100bb NL game 6max game. Hero is on the Button on Open raises 3BB with a 55% range
The BB calls (25% range). On a Board Axx a lot of players cbet a large portion of their range (60% - 90%) ...
7
votes
4answers
145 views
Tough decision on the turn
The tournament has 30 minute blind levels, everyone began with 10K in chips, and the play is 10 handed. At this point the blinds are 200/400 with a 50 Ante. Hero starts the hand with 7825 in chips ...
7
votes
2answers
58 views
What to do when a third suited card appears on the river
9 player cash game. Blinds 1c/2c. I am UTG with K:hearts: K:diamonds: I raise to 8c. Everyone folds to the button who calls. SB and BB fold. The pot is 19c. Flop comes 9:spades: 2:spades: K:clubs:. ...
6
votes
8answers
317 views
When to fold AA pre-flop?
Let's simplify the situation:
you have pocket aces (AA)
cash game
all players but one have folded (heads-up)
the remaining player goes all-in.
we are pre-flop
Is there a situation where folding ...
6
votes
4answers
1k views
What is the“Top Five Cards” rule and how does it apply to splitting pots?
Before you answer the question I will give a scenario that confused me thus prompting this question. The other week I was playing a game and we had this scenario :
8 players - down to me and a pal ...
6
votes
4answers
131 views
Small Pairs on early and middle positions
I'm still uncertain about best way to play small pairs on early or middle positions. 22, 33, etc. even up to 99.
Straight and Flush possibility are low, and even if you catch one of these - someone ...
6
votes
3answers
174 views
Should I call all-in here with bottom set?
Game is $1/$3 NL Hold'em
Hero is in a middle position with $410. Villain is in an earlier position with approx $540.
Pre-Flop:
A few callers, including villain. Hero sees 22 and calls $3. In total, ...
6
votes
4answers
935 views
Easy to memorize starting hand strategy
I am not too good at memorizing stuff. Is there any starting hand set of rules or chart that is easy to remember?
A little bit of context:
No Limit Hold'em
the number of players is not really a ...
6
votes
1answer
190 views
Raising after an all in
In this situation, the blinds are 200/400 in a No Limit tournament. First to act raises to 1600, next player calls, small blind folds, and big blind goes all-in with only 1800.
Can the first player ...
6
votes
3answers
146 views
Are there well documented cases of winning tournament by someone who wasn't looking at his own cards?
I read long ago about one case, but I'm not sure if it was true. I can certainly imagine that kind of feat, by exploiting the fact that it is not so important what cards you have, as it is what others ...
6
votes
2answers
152 views
Looking for the BB/M math to build good NLHE Tourney Blind Structures
I'm running a home game and I want to better design NLHE Tourney Blind Structures.
So far the auto generators I've found either bias slow build up or long tourney times.
6
votes
1answer
222 views
In deep stacked NLHE cash games, in what way do the implied odds of my starting hands change vs shallow stacked games? And why?
(Note: I consider ~175+bb stacks to be deep, and 50bb or less shallow)
How should the depth of effective stacks change my...
Starting hand range? (Tighter/Looser)
Style of play? (more ...
6
votes
4answers
146 views
What tournament size is best to play if completely new to on-line playing Texas hold-em?
Should I be playing large tournaments ie 600 players for a very small buy-in to get more practice or small tables of 6 - 9 player for a slightly larger buy-in?
6
votes
1answer
92 views
Starting hands probability
The following is a passage from Wikipedia on starting hands probability:
The 1,326 starting hands can be reduced for purposes of determining the probability of starting hands for Hold 'em—since ...
6
votes
1answer
68 views
Do previous bets count towards All-In raises?
Let's say 3 players are playing poker. Player A has $11, B has $10, C has $9
Player A opens by betting $3, leaving A with $8
Player B re-raises A "All-In" and C calls, going "All-In" as well.
Player A ...
6
votes
3answers
161 views
Micro Stakes, playing Big Aces pre-flop against multiple very loose opponents
I'm kinda new to poker online so i'm sorry if my question is kinda silly.
I decided to start building my bank-roll by start playing from micro-stakes, where i'm more comfortable in having some losing ...
6
votes
1answer
149 views
How often, and how much, should I bluff on the river when I miss my flush but a possible straight comes?
Playing no-limit hold-em cash game, I am out of position drawing at a flush against one opponent. The river card comes down without completing the flush, but it does complete a potential open-ended ...
5
votes
3answers
200 views
How do you bet pre-flop when there's no action, you're on the button, and you have pocket rockets?
In a no limit cash game, if I'm sitting on the button pre-flop with pocket aces and no one has bet ahead of me, I usually don't want to limp because I don't want to offer free opportunities to draw to ...
5
votes
3answers
221 views
Should I have went all-in with KK on this flop?
Game is $1/$3 NL Hold'em
Hero is BB with $440.
Villain is UTG with about $310.
Pre-Flop:
Villain raises UTG to $12.
4 callers.
Hero happily discovers that he has KK and raises to 110.
Villain ...
5
votes
4answers
306 views
Straight + Flush draw on flop, is all-in worth to play?
Effective stack 80% max buy-in. Villain (UTG) bets 3xBB, Hero (Big Blind) calls with 5d 4d. Flop 6d 7d Ac.Action: Hero checks, Villain bets 3/4 pot. Hero goes all-in. Is it all-in good move ...
5
votes
3answers
117 views
What happens if the card wasn't burned?
I understand the purpose of burning the cards - so that one cannot possibly use any marks to see the next card in deck. But in home games, sometimes the dealer will forget to burn a card on the flop, ...
5
votes
3answers
150 views
What are the most important elements of poker to model in a Monte Carlo simulation?
A few years back, I built a MC simulation with the following parameters:
Betting wasn't simulated
Fixed number of players
Cards were dealt, and then flop/turn/river
The best hand was recorded
...
5
votes
3answers
169 views
Call river all-in after missing flush-draw but hitting AK?
The villain just sat down a few hands prior to this, so neither of us should have had any reads on the other.
$1/2 NL (10 handed)
SB Villain (~$190)
BB Hero (~$300)
Normalish stack sizes for ...
5
votes
2answers
143 views
Minimum number of hands required to establish a conclusion about win-rate?
What is minimum number of hands required to establish a conclusion about win-rate at particular level (10NLHE, 30NLHE, etc)?
e.g. You can play 1000 hands and have a win-rate of 53bb/100 but that is ...
5
votes
2answers
166 views
Why is Texas Hold'em Poker so popular in worldwide not just US?
Texas Hold'em Poker is popular in almost all countries. Is there any technical reason for this?
Is it because Texas Holdem is better than other poker games? For example, there is a poker variation ...
5
votes
3answers
342 views
Texas Hold'em: Heads up pre-flop probabilities
Has anyone calculated the probabilities of winning/losing heads up matchups of all combinations of two players preflop hands in Texas Hold'em, and if so, can they provide a reference?
I could write ...
5
votes
3answers
411 views
Main differences between Limit and No Limit Hold'em
I have some No Limit experience, but this hasn't stopped me from getting fleeced at Limit games, which I started playing out of curiosity.
What are the strategic adjustments that must be made to move ...
5
votes
3answers
78 views
Play in position against BB preflop raiser
I'm on the button, with AJ unsuited. Blinds 3000/6000. Folded to me, I raise the pot, BB calls. My stack before the start of the hand is around the 110000 mark, slightly lower than the caller.
Flop ...
5
votes
1answer
69 views
Is it bad etiqutte for the whole table to agree to let someone blind out?
There is probably no wrong or right answer to this just wondered what the general opinion is.
To set the scene. I was just playing in a tourney where we got down to the final 6 and 5 paid. The chip ...
5
votes
2answers
94 views
Poker Tools : Recording Hands / Outcomes
Not really looking for a bank manager as I've already looked at:
Tools for Managing Bankroll, Income and Losses
and it's not what I'm looking for.
I want to know if you guys have any tools that ...
5
votes
2answers
217 views
Is just calling the big blind a poor strategy?
I came across this quote concerning the Chen Formula:
Just calling the big blind is not a profitable way to play NL Hold'em for the most part.
He is basically saying that you should always ...
5
votes
2answers
80 views
What is the best strategy once you are chip leader in a tournament?
I am talking about tournaments(MTT) with about 30-40 players.What should be the strategy:
Go loose: Force other players to either go all in or fold, if you have slightly good cards
Go tight: Let ...
5
votes
2answers
163 views
Simple final table tournament play including push/fold
I've had a look at this table here as a guide of what to do heads up, and made a rough approximation of how to play various hands based on stack sizes, such that I can remember them and don't have to ...
4
votes
2answers
107 views
Who has the higher hand: 44 vs. A2 on a JJKK2 board?
I played with my friends yesterday and run into the following situation:
player 1: 4 4
player 2: A 2
table: J J K K 2
Both players have two pairs: J J K K.
However, player 1 have one pair in ...
4
votes
3answers
341 views
What are the odds I will hit my flush? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What can I do to calculate my odds in a hand?
If I have 2 cards of the same suit in the hole, and 2 board cards with those suits on the flop, what are the chances that ...
4
votes
4answers
152 views
What is the purpose of a continuation bet, and when is it best applied in Hold'em?
Please clarify what a continuation bet is in poker, what its purpose is. And if possible, when is it most useful within Texas Holdem?
4
votes
3answers
145 views
Effect of number of players in the probability distribution of poker hands
We have this official rank of hands.
I have a theory (which I do not know how to prove) that the number of players in a texas-hold-em table will affect the probability distribution of the hands.
...
4
votes
2answers
170 views
Should I call opponent's flop re-raise with trips?
I'm looking for some advice on a particular hand I played last night.
1/3 NL.
Villain (~$350) - Playing loose aggressive and seemed like a reasonable/good player overall. Definitely raises more ...
4
votes
1answer
168 views
How to calculate expected value if I go All-in before flop with AK offsuit
1/2$ 6max NLHE game. I am UTG and I raised by 6$ with AKo. Everybody folded except BB who raised by 11$. Pot is now 20$. Now, if I go All-in my opponet will fold everthing except AA and KK in which ...
4
votes
3answers
262 views
Set Mining: betting pre flop with 22+
When I set mine I usually raise pre flop with my pocket pair to build a large pot.
I use the 10 to 1 rule for stack size to bet ratio when calling with a small pocket pair, but when you're raising ...
4
votes
2answers
193 views
Smallest Stack Size for playing 3bet/fold
Assume hero is playing a ring game with short stack. What is the smallest Stack Size you can 3bet a 3bb open raise without being committed. And what is the 3bet size to choose?
To be more concrete: ...
