I wanted to be a rock. In the ‘80s and ‘90s, to be called a rock was the highest achievement in poker. I craved that badge of honor, and the promised riches. A rock was a solid player, imperturbable, aggressive, fearless, and above all − tight. The player who mastered tightness also mastered patience. And back
My life began at age 14 in Bobby Taylor’s basement: “Sit down, you pansy.” “I don’t gamble.” “We’re only playing for pennies and nickels, you wuss.” “Sounds steep.” “Not for someone who just sold a nickel bag. Now quit being a baby and sit down.” I sat down. I put some of my precious money
What to expect This drill will force you to examine all of your preflop folds. You alone will need to provide reasoning – however whimsical or sound – in support of your choices. This tough task will reveal to you which plays you make that you think you should never make. That’s powerful information
What does it mean to have a balanced range? It means that no matter what the flop is, you remain dangerous because you could have hit that flop. When your opponents see that you will open with, say, 7-5 suited, they have to include everything in between 7-5 suited and pocket aces in your range,
Waiting for Straighters is also available in ebook and audiobook (Amazon, Audible, iTunes) Introduction Introduction This article is about preflop play at no-limit holdem and pot-limit Omaha. It’s about basing some of your preflop decisions on whether or not you have a straighter. At holdem, a straighter is a hand that can flop a
“Tommy!” I was carrying some racked chips to the cashier in the Pavilion room at the World Series of Poker. I stopped and turned to see the man coming toward me from three tables away. I knew the face. I knew the voice. But I had no idea who it was. This happens fairly
(Charlie Archie is a fictional character from Painless Poker. This is a conversation we had that is not in the book.) “Where do they come up with these crazy rules for live poker?” said Charlie Archer. “Online is so much better. So much simpler.” “And no one knocks over your drink,” I said. “So, tell
I’ll save you the trouble of asking. They don’t call me Floater because I like to peel the flop in position, although I do. It’s because I drowned and came back to life, and that was all I talked about at the poker table, until I realized nobody gives a rip. So don’t worry.
Even as a big-eared little doofus, I knew there was something wrong with that phrase. “Practice makes perfect!” Sister Mary Malcolm shouted when she cracked my hand with a ruler if one of my fingers hit a white key instead of a black one. I will say. Her aim was perfect. She always hit
