Exit Strategies

It’s a truth of poker that there is no graceful way to leave a live tournament when you’ve been knocked out. In that moment every poker player, from Phil Ivey in the World Series to a first time in the local, is reduced to a tiny insignificant shell. Whether you deserved to go out, were [...]

Keeping Bad Players Playing – Don’t Tap The Glass

Poker has changed and several skills that players held sacred are slowly disappearing. Such as the ability of staring into an opponents eyes and knowing he doesn’t have it (it’s all hand ranges now) and of course the art of getting to the toilet and back between two hands (wireless connections are removing the need). [...]

Getting into Omaha

If you always do what you’ve always done you’ll always get what you’ve always got. I’m pretty sure I saw that on a beer mat somewhere. However recently that hasn’t been true when I’ve played. The online games have been becoming steadily tougher and less profitable and, whisper it quietly, I’d been getting worse.
If I’m [...]

Poker Training Day

Shalom baby. Do you remember how you learned to play this great game? I barely do, so lost in years of decadence have the beginnings of this habit become. I know I taught myself from a book and watching old people play in Vegas. There’s no doubt how you learn has a big effect on [...]

Heads Up

I need to learn the difference between having fun and doing something seriously. In fact I need to learn when having fun becomes serious (apparently it can be anything from one night to about 6 weeks depending on the girl).
Last week I came in from working all day and wanted to chill out – unplug [...]

Rekindle That Poker Magic

Let’s be clear about a few things up front. I love poker. I think about it too much and play it too much. I openly admit I’m addicted to it and everything about it (step one of a twelve step process). But am I still in love with it?
I thought I was. I still look [...]

Bahamas + Poker = Paradise (mostly)

This is the story of a moral dilemma in the Caribbean. I imagine that part of the world has been the scene of far more than its fair share of those. This one, however, doesn’t involve anything extramarital, any offshore accounts or an under-the-influence-under-insured-jet-skiing-dolphin-collision incident.
This one took place across the green baize. I was playing [...]

2007 Poker Review, 2008 Poker Forecast

First of all thanks for all your cards, telegrams of support and wearing of good karma bracelets – the downswing of last month is over. I started to “run good” and play good again and I’m making my way back. It helps when you have hands like the one I had last week where I [...]

Losing at Poker

Aaarrrrrggghhhhhhh!! That is the sound of a heart breaking. It’s the sound Wesley makes when he thinks his true love is dead (if you don’t know what I’m talking about watch The Princess Bride immediately it’s joyous). It is also the sound you would have heard if you were outside my flat three nights ago. [...]

Poker Addiction

I’ve been asked many times by people who don’t play if I have a gambling problem. Of course I can confidently reply that I don’t. Fortunately very few of them ask the correct question – are you addicted to poker? That one would be trickier. If pressed my defence is a simple one either a) [...]

« Previous Page — Next Page »