There are THREE CRUCIAL REASONS why most players LOSE money at online poker.
I've listed them below... keep reading to see if they sound familiar for YOUR situation.
Reason #1: Not Picking The Right Game Type
OK, so here's my big "aha" for online poker.
It was this "aha" that INSTANTLY transformed my winnings from "decent" to "tremendous"...
Are you ready?
Here we go:
One of the biggest SECRETS to winning online is to play the RIGHT GAME TYPE for YOUR UNIQUE STYLE.
Not only that... but you need to ADAPT your strategy for EACH GAME TYPE you enter.
Let me explain...
When I say "game type", I'm referring to the many variations of ring games and tournaments. That includes shorthanded games, "turbo" versions, heads-up matches, and more.
The KEY is that your strategy should NOT be the same for each game.
For example, the "tight-aggressive squared" method works great for 10-player Sit and Go's... but you certainly wouldn't want to use it in a four person ring game!
Or as another example: You wouldn't approach a multi-table tournament the same way you'd approach a heads-up match...
Every tactic and technique around starting hands, positioning, and betting is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
Period.
In some game types, BLUFFING is very effective. In other types you'll hardly EVER want to bluff. The same goes with slow-playing, check-raising, and so on.
So the question becomes...
How do you know the RIGHT strategy for any given game type?
I'll share my answer with you in a moment, but first let's take a look at the SECOND REASON why most players lose online................Cheers...............Masala
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
SitnGos(Wind Up)
After I was done I started thinking about what had just happened. I realized that by PLAYING in a Sit and Go you can often do MORE DAMAGE THAN GOOD when there are lots of players at the table.
And of course, I became 100% convinced that the "magic equation" for success is:
PATIENCE + AGGRESSION
Your goal for these games should be to place in the money as much as possible. Period. So why risk chips on silly hands early on?
They're just not worth it...
The other thing about this strategy is that it's a HUGE time-saver. Because it doesn't require hardly any work until there are 4-5 players left. It makes it MUCH easier to play multiple tables at once... or do other things while the Sit and Go plays in the background.
OK, so here's your "Tight-Aggressive Squared" Sit and Go strategy:
1. Be patient, be patient, be patient!
Only play the hands I showed you earlier. Only bet before the flop with Aces, Kings, Big Slick, and Queens.
2. When you catch a monster, go all-in. Don't do this if you think someone has you beat (i.e. there's an obvious straight or flush draw on the board).
I'm talking about only playing hands when you know you have the best odds of winning.
3. When the field gets down to four or five players (depending on how high the blinds are and how many all-in showdowns you've won), shift gears completely and STOP using this "Tight-Aggressive Squared" strategy.
That, my friend, is the "secret" to Sit and Go's.
It's obvious... but not-so-obvious.
But it is DEFINITELY simple.
And you can start implementing it IMMEDIATELY...
And of course, I became 100% convinced that the "magic equation" for success is:
PATIENCE + AGGRESSION
Your goal for these games should be to place in the money as much as possible. Period. So why risk chips on silly hands early on?
They're just not worth it...
The other thing about this strategy is that it's a HUGE time-saver. Because it doesn't require hardly any work until there are 4-5 players left. It makes it MUCH easier to play multiple tables at once... or do other things while the Sit and Go plays in the background.
OK, so here's your "Tight-Aggressive Squared" Sit and Go strategy:
1. Be patient, be patient, be patient!
Only play the hands I showed you earlier. Only bet before the flop with Aces, Kings, Big Slick, and Queens.
2. When you catch a monster, go all-in. Don't do this if you think someone has you beat (i.e. there's an obvious straight or flush draw on the board).
I'm talking about only playing hands when you know you have the best odds of winning.
3. When the field gets down to four or five players (depending on how high the blinds are and how many all-in showdowns you've won), shift gears completely and STOP using this "Tight-Aggressive Squared" strategy.
That, my friend, is the "secret" to Sit and Go's.
It's obvious... but not-so-obvious.
But it is DEFINITELY simple.
And you can start implementing it IMMEDIATELY...
Saturday, January 13, 2007
SnG(Still Continued)
Everyone tightens up when there are four or five players in
a hand because they want to make the money... and they want
to be VERY CAREFUL to make it into the top three.
That is when you steal some blinds and add to your chip
stack.
Then, after that point you'll be in third place and will be
in the money.
I have a ton of strategies for getting you into FIRST place
too (after you get down to three players), but I'll have to
save those for a different newsletter.
You know, when I first came up with this strategy of
"Tight-Aggressive Squared" I wasn't COMPLETELY convinced it
was the best way to win at Sit and Go's.
At the time, I had been trying a lot of things. The idea of
just being EXTREMELY PATIENT and then going all-in with
monster hands seemed a little TOO SIMPLE.
Right?
Then one night, I was at a 10-man Sit and Go. I went all-in
with a big hand early and doubled up. It was the only hand I
got really involved with.
Then... with 9 players still at the table... my Internet
shut off. I didn't know what happened. All I know is that
the Internet just plain STOPPED WORKING.
I normally would have called someone... but it was past two
in the morning.
I messed with it for like fifteen minutes and then just gave
up. Oh well... it's just one Sit and Go.
Anyway... I started working on something else on my computer
for awhile until all of the sudden the Internet came BACK
on.
I logged into my poker room to see what had happened with
the game. Immediately the screen POPPED-UP and the action
was to me...
I was still in the game, it wasn't over yet!
Not only that...
But there were only three players left!
I was in third, but still had some remaining chips to play
around with.
I immediately went all-in and everyone folded. Then I did it
again and everyone folded. And a few hands later I did it
AGAIN.
I picked up three enormous sets of blinds and was right back
in the game. The reason everyone was folding was because I
hadn't played a hand in 25 minutes. They were probably
wondering what the hell was going on!
Anyway, as it turned out, I actually WON 1ST for this Sit
and Go. First place baby... and my Internet only worked for
about 1/5 of the game!
a hand because they want to make the money... and they want
to be VERY CAREFUL to make it into the top three.
That is when you steal some blinds and add to your chip
stack.
Then, after that point you'll be in third place and will be
in the money.
I have a ton of strategies for getting you into FIRST place
too (after you get down to three players), but I'll have to
save those for a different newsletter.
You know, when I first came up with this strategy of
"Tight-Aggressive Squared" I wasn't COMPLETELY convinced it
was the best way to win at Sit and Go's.
At the time, I had been trying a lot of things. The idea of
just being EXTREMELY PATIENT and then going all-in with
monster hands seemed a little TOO SIMPLE.
Right?
Then one night, I was at a 10-man Sit and Go. I went all-in
with a big hand early and doubled up. It was the only hand I
got really involved with.
Then... with 9 players still at the table... my Internet
shut off. I didn't know what happened. All I know is that
the Internet just plain STOPPED WORKING.
I normally would have called someone... but it was past two
in the morning.
I messed with it for like fifteen minutes and then just gave
up. Oh well... it's just one Sit and Go.
Anyway... I started working on something else on my computer
for awhile until all of the sudden the Internet came BACK
on.
I logged into my poker room to see what had happened with
the game. Immediately the screen POPPED-UP and the action
was to me...
I was still in the game, it wasn't over yet!
Not only that...
But there were only three players left!
I was in third, but still had some remaining chips to play
around with.
I immediately went all-in and everyone folded. Then I did it
again and everyone folded. And a few hands later I did it
AGAIN.
I picked up three enormous sets of blinds and was right back
in the game. The reason everyone was folding was because I
hadn't played a hand in 25 minutes. They were probably
wondering what the hell was going on!
Anyway, as it turned out, I actually WON 1ST for this Sit
and Go. First place baby... and my Internet only worked for
about 1/5 of the game!
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Sit-n-Gos (Strategy)
So why would Sit and Go's be so much different than other poker play?
Like I said before, the reason is because Sit and Go's are heavily dominated by loose-aggressive players... and THIS is how you beat those guys.
Why exactly does this strategy work?
It works because you're only playing monsters.
Now... if the players at Sit and Go's were SMART, they'd OBSERVE that you're only playing monster hands... and they'd FOLD as soon as you went all-in.
I mean... it only makes logical sense, right?
Indeed, this is how it works in live games. But not online. Because for online poker there's another important factor working to your advantage...
NO ONE'S PAYING ATTENTION!
The truth is, many players are either drunk, hungover, stupid, or playing multiple tables at once. Or all of the above!
They're not paying attention to your betting patterns. They're just playing the CARDS, not the PLAYERS.
I call my strategy for patiently waiting for monster hands and then going all-in:
"Tight-Aggressive Squared"
The reason is because my strategy is like the playing style tight-aggressive... but on STEROIDS.
Why go all-in so much?
It's like I said... you WILL get action. Maybe not every single time, but enough times to make it well worth your while.
For Sit and Go's, all you need to do is double-up ONCE before the field gets to 4 or 5 players.
THEN you can start playing aggressively. What will happen is that the 4 or 5 players LEFT IN THE GAME will usually be the smarter ones. And some of them WILL notice by now that you're playing tight.
SO THEN what you do is steal blinds. It's easy.
Like I said before, the reason is because Sit and Go's are heavily dominated by loose-aggressive players... and THIS is how you beat those guys.
Why exactly does this strategy work?
It works because you're only playing monsters.
Now... if the players at Sit and Go's were SMART, they'd OBSERVE that you're only playing monster hands... and they'd FOLD as soon as you went all-in.
I mean... it only makes logical sense, right?
Indeed, this is how it works in live games. But not online. Because for online poker there's another important factor working to your advantage...
NO ONE'S PAYING ATTENTION!
The truth is, many players are either drunk, hungover, stupid, or playing multiple tables at once. Or all of the above!
They're not paying attention to your betting patterns. They're just playing the CARDS, not the PLAYERS.
I call my strategy for patiently waiting for monster hands and then going all-in:
"Tight-Aggressive Squared"
The reason is because my strategy is like the playing style tight-aggressive... but on STEROIDS.
Why go all-in so much?
It's like I said... you WILL get action. Maybe not every single time, but enough times to make it well worth your while.
For Sit and Go's, all you need to do is double-up ONCE before the field gets to 4 or 5 players.
THEN you can start playing aggressively. What will happen is that the 4 or 5 players LEFT IN THE GAME will usually be the smarter ones. And some of them WILL notice by now that you're playing tight.
SO THEN what you do is steal blinds. It's easy.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
SitnGos (continued)
OK, so what I'm about to tell you might take some of the "fun" out of Sit and Go's. But it will increase your profits dramatically...
Here's what your Sit and Go "experience" should look like when the field is from 8 or 10 players down to 4 or 5 players.
If your hole cards are...
A-A, K-K - Go all in pre-flop if you're in early position. If in late position and there was a raise, go all-in. If people were just trying to limp in, make a raise... and then bet very aggressively after the flop.
Q-Q, A-K - If you're in an early position, bet big (but not all-in). If you're in a late position, use your read on the other players to determine whether or not you think you have the best hand. If so, bet huge or go all-in.
All other pocket pairs - Limp-in. If you spike trips, go all-in. If not, fold.
Suited connectors - Limp-in if the blinds are reasonably low. Fold suited connectors under 7-6.
Ace-X suited - Limp-in if possible. Only bet if you hit the flush.
All other hands - Fold.
What you've just seen will be completely different than most "starting hand strategies" out there.
And that chart is NOT for all types of no limit Texas Holdem. We're ONLY talking about games that match these three criteria:
1. Online poker Sit and Go tournaments2. Low stakes (under $50 entry)3. While there are more than 4 or 5 players at the table (in an 8-man or 10-man Sit and Go)
DO NOT use that starting hand advice for any other poker games... because that's NOT how you should play your starting hands in general.
Here's what your Sit and Go "experience" should look like when the field is from 8 or 10 players down to 4 or 5 players.
If your hole cards are...
A-A, K-K - Go all in pre-flop if you're in early position. If in late position and there was a raise, go all-in. If people were just trying to limp in, make a raise... and then bet very aggressively after the flop.
Q-Q, A-K - If you're in an early position, bet big (but not all-in). If you're in a late position, use your read on the other players to determine whether or not you think you have the best hand. If so, bet huge or go all-in.
All other pocket pairs - Limp-in. If you spike trips, go all-in. If not, fold.
Suited connectors - Limp-in if the blinds are reasonably low. Fold suited connectors under 7-6.
Ace-X suited - Limp-in if possible. Only bet if you hit the flush.
All other hands - Fold.
What you've just seen will be completely different than most "starting hand strategies" out there.
And that chart is NOT for all types of no limit Texas Holdem. We're ONLY talking about games that match these three criteria:
1. Online poker Sit and Go tournaments2. Low stakes (under $50 entry)3. While there are more than 4 or 5 players at the table (in an 8-man or 10-man Sit and Go)
DO NOT use that starting hand advice for any other poker games... because that's NOT how you should play your starting hands in general.
Thursday, January 4, 2007
SitnGos
Has this ever happened to you?
Have you ever been up against a player who seemed to be playing VERY aggressively and you just couldn't figure out if they were bluffing or holding great cards?
And then when you got FED UP with it and DID make a call, he had you beat?
My guess is that it HAS happened to you... just as it's happened for me.
The key thing to know is that THERE ARE certain steps you can take to defend this. (I even wrote an entire chapter about this topic in my eBook.)
But fortunately in Sit and Go's, this isn't really much of a problem. Because you're usually not up against just one or two manics. You're up against an ENTIRE TABLE of them.
That means you shouldn't be CALLING anyone's bets.
Instead, YOU should push the action when you have a monster hand... and ONLY when you have a monster hand. And that, of course, requires...
PATIENCE!
It's actually much easier this way. Because with a table full of manics, you can rely on getting action with all your great hands.
(I should point out here that I'm generally referring to Sit and Go's where the entry fee is less than $50. When the stakes are higher the quality of play is usually more intelligent. Usually.)
Cheers..................Masala
Have you ever been up against a player who seemed to be playing VERY aggressively and you just couldn't figure out if they were bluffing or holding great cards?
And then when you got FED UP with it and DID make a call, he had you beat?
My guess is that it HAS happened to you... just as it's happened for me.
The key thing to know is that THERE ARE certain steps you can take to defend this. (I even wrote an entire chapter about this topic in my eBook.)
But fortunately in Sit and Go's, this isn't really much of a problem. Because you're usually not up against just one or two manics. You're up against an ENTIRE TABLE of them.
That means you shouldn't be CALLING anyone's bets.
Instead, YOU should push the action when you have a monster hand... and ONLY when you have a monster hand. And that, of course, requires...
PATIENCE!
It's actually much easier this way. Because with a table full of manics, you can rely on getting action with all your great hands.
(I should point out here that I'm generally referring to Sit and Go's where the entry fee is less than $50. When the stakes are higher the quality of play is usually more intelligent. Usually.)
Cheers..................Masala
Tuesday, January 2, 2007
Lets Continue(SitnGos
OK, now let me ask you:
What does "tight-aggressive" really MEAN?
Here's the answer:
It means that you play TIGHT in terms of hand selection, but AGGRESSIVE when you enter a pot.
Be careful... "tight" and "aggressive" are not opposites. "Tight" and "loose" are opposites.
And so are "aggressive" and "passive".
TIGHT refers to hand selection. AGGRESSIVE refers to betting.
OK... so this is how playing styles relate to Sit and Go's...
The NATURE of Sit and Go's makes them OVERRUN by LOOSE-AGGRESSIVE style players.
The reasons are simple:
1. You can play a Sit and Go virtually anytime, anywhere, and with anyone.
This means there's very low risk in LOSING, since you can easily just move on to the next game. It's not like in "offline" poker when once you get knocked out you're DONE.
2. The money seems less "real".
Let's be honest... We all know the feeling of making a deposit into an online poker account and thinking to ourselves how it doesn't quite feel like REAL MONEY. Am I right?
3. There's no "embarrassment".
Online poker is virtually 100% anonymous. If you make a stupid move, you're not worried about what the other players THINK of you. Who cares?
After all, the other "players" are really just silly little avatars on an animated screen.
OK, so those are three (there are many more) of the reasons why Sit and Go's (and pretty much all of online poker) are dominated by the playing style LOOSE-AGGRESSIVE.
Loose-aggressive is also known as the "manic" playing style. And what's the FASTEST way to beat a manic?
Yep, you guessed it...
PATIENCE.
The reason is because MANICS are constantly playing too many hands (loose) and doing so aggressively.What happens is that it's difficult to get a READ on them because you never know whether they're bluffing or not... unless you call their bets... which you can't do because you don't have that great a hand.
Cya Tomorrow.......................Masala
What does "tight-aggressive" really MEAN?
Here's the answer:
It means that you play TIGHT in terms of hand selection, but AGGRESSIVE when you enter a pot.
Be careful... "tight" and "aggressive" are not opposites. "Tight" and "loose" are opposites.
And so are "aggressive" and "passive".
TIGHT refers to hand selection. AGGRESSIVE refers to betting.
OK... so this is how playing styles relate to Sit and Go's...
The NATURE of Sit and Go's makes them OVERRUN by LOOSE-AGGRESSIVE style players.
The reasons are simple:
1. You can play a Sit and Go virtually anytime, anywhere, and with anyone.
This means there's very low risk in LOSING, since you can easily just move on to the next game. It's not like in "offline" poker when once you get knocked out you're DONE.
2. The money seems less "real".
Let's be honest... We all know the feeling of making a deposit into an online poker account and thinking to ourselves how it doesn't quite feel like REAL MONEY. Am I right?
3. There's no "embarrassment".
Online poker is virtually 100% anonymous. If you make a stupid move, you're not worried about what the other players THINK of you. Who cares?
After all, the other "players" are really just silly little avatars on an animated screen.
OK, so those are three (there are many more) of the reasons why Sit and Go's (and pretty much all of online poker) are dominated by the playing style LOOSE-AGGRESSIVE.
Loose-aggressive is also known as the "manic" playing style. And what's the FASTEST way to beat a manic?
Yep, you guessed it...
PATIENCE.
The reason is because MANICS are constantly playing too many hands (loose) and doing so aggressively.What happens is that it's difficult to get a READ on them because you never know whether they're bluffing or not... unless you call their bets... which you can't do because you don't have that great a hand.
Cya Tomorrow.......................Masala
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