This is to do with a player lacking the confidence to have achieved results over a long period of time. Let us look at the example of a player who had been re-raised after trying to position raise. Imagine if you had a history of trying this and you had been successful twenty times out of twenty when you play poker online . This player would have the confidence to keep on trying to steal the blinds even if they had been re-raised on occasions twenty one through twenty three.

But if a player who had no previous experience of such a run had three consecutive re-raises against him then this could drive them into more passive play. I always think that patterns in poker are often similar to weather patterns that occur over long periods of time. Any pattern that takes a long time to reveal itself is difficult to pin point and this is why many players are forced into changing the way that they play. This is very similar to blackjack with areas like basic strategy.

Unless you see simulations over many hundreds of thousands of hands and even millions of hands then you simply are not going to see the truth. This is why computers are so important in the analysis of gambling and blackjack and poker fit that category. With poker then you have an extra layer of complexity in so much that it is not always easy to see something working in a clear cut way. Sometimes a particular tactic may work in one situation against one opponent but not work in another against someone else.

While it is clearly advantageous to be able to play a type of “basic strategy” in online poker, it is far more difficult to do as post flop play adds an awful lot of complexity. It is in the area of post flop play that players tend to get into the most trouble in no-limit hold’em and this especially applies to players who are playing deep stacked. This is why players tend to check and fold more often in deep stacked play and this is especially the case in full-ring games where the average hand is stronger simply because it is coming out of a field with more opponents. But to finish this article off then I feel that looking at the long term is imperative with regards your poker career and is a crucial quantum leap in your understanding.

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This is a great reason to open raise with them rather than limp in from a steal seat. Another reason is that raising yourself stops others from raising. Imagine if you have 4c-4h in the cut-off and open raise to $1.75 in NL50. The button who would have open raised himself with Ac-10d only calls and everyone else folds. The flop comes Kd-9s-6h and you make a two thirds of the pot continuation bet and they fold fearing that you have the king.

Now look at this same scenario if you limp and they raise. Now you are either going to fold and lose the $0.50 or you are going to call with poor implied odds as you only have one opponent who will unlikely pay you off even if you flop your set and that is not good poker strategy . But with three over cards on the flop even if you call and you being out of position then you are going to have problems on the flop.

Another reason for raising applies if you have an edge over your opponents and this is that it builds the pot and makes it easier to stack someone. You have already begun the process of escalating the pot and if you raise with your pocket fours in the previous example and get called by A-10 and the flop comes A-10-4 then you are likely going to win your opponents entire stack unless they hit a four out hand against you.

Also in tight games then simply raising by itself will win you many blinds when it simply gets folded around. But you must never raise in no-limit hold’em cash games when deep stacked merely to win the blinds. Winning those chips may be necessary in tournament play but not in cash game play. However they still do have their strategic use in cash game play as well. If you can win the blinds once per orbit then this pays for you to play the game as your playing costs are offset.

This is why you do not need to be too aggressive in deep stacked cash games as you are merely trying to win small pots while you wait for that big pay off when you get aces versus kings or some other type of hand that your opponent cannot get away from. You have already paid for your blind costs by skilfully stealing a few pots in selected positions when you have decent but vulnerable poker hands.

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Let us say that you played and multi-tabled NL Texas Hold’em $100 and so $3k a month represented 30 buy-ins or a buy-in of profit per day. Theoretically then you are starting each day $100 ahead and this was how I used to view it. Then depending on how the rake was contributed then I would sit back even more. Certain card rooms use the “dealt” method of collecting rake when you play poker and this can allow the player to sit back and accumulate rake simply by folding.

So it is clear then that certain dynamics in online poker change the way that you should approach the game. When you are getting rakeback then you are in effect receiving payments above and beyond the actual playing of the game. If you are paying $10,000 a month in rake and you have a 30% rakeback deal then you are going to be getting $3k a month paid into your account.

These are considerable sums of money and should not be underestimated. I once knew a poker player who over pressed so much that they broke even lifetime. This was criminal considering how technically good this player was but his attitude to risk was such that he never played above certain levels. So in order to try and make some meaningful money that would make the process of playing poker worth his time, he would frequently over press in the actual games to try and force the process of making money.

But once he knew what he could get with rakeback and other bonuses then it settled him down psychologically and stopped him from getting too impatient. This player is now making $5-$6k/month from online poker and has left his old job. This is the power of rakeback and bonuses and it is also a factor in how you play your individual hands as well. You can afford to pass up on your more marginal hands in favour of a lower variance style of play.

This would enable you to play a more solid defensive style that maybe lowered your ptbb/100 figure but stopped you from having huge swings. This is a good thing to do for risk adverse players or players who are prone to tilt. This can be a very serious problem for some people and especially those who have certain personality types. So do be advised that getting rakeback alters the playing dynamic immensely.

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But I have always concentrated on full-ring play where with nine and ten players; there is nearly always value on your table somewhere. This is not always guaranteed in six handed play where at best there are only five other opponents and often there will be less when players drop out or sit out.

I like the “automated” way for many reasons but the main reason for me is that it takes emotion out of your game. It is for this reason that I like to multi-task when I play at the lower levels because even though my concentration levels are low, my earn rate is being generated by my strong technique and weak players being present somewhere on a full-ring game.

In that scenario then my only enemy is myself and what I tend to find happens is that I go looking for action through boredom and boredom is a very negative emotion in poker. But this is a serious issue because if you can make for example 4bb/100 hands playing this way then your style is one that can be expanded by playing more tables without it hurting your bb/100.

Compare this to a very strong player who single tables and reaches a very high 20bb/100 because he is homing in on his opponent’s weaknesses and players who are multi-tabling. On a technical level this could be the best player at the site but only playing one table means that he is only getting 60-70 hands per hour. If this player were to play a second table then he may make more money but his bb/100 would almost certainly fall.

However it is the bb/hour that we are concerned with here as a solid multi-tabling player who was basically playing ABC style who was making say 5bb/100 will find that it is far easier to replicate that 5bb/100 when they add tables. So even though he is not reading the game anywhere near as well as the stronger player, he is now in this example playing eight tables. So instead of playing 60-70 hands an hour, he is playing around 500 hands an hour which equates to 25bb/hour which is now more money than the very strong single tabling player.

So it is clear then that automating your poker play is a serious alternative in poker and definitely one that merits further examination.

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Firstly you must be very adept at playing post flop because an aggressive style by sheer definition will see more flops because your bets and raises will be called. This means that your post flop play has to be really good because the pots are now being escalated (by you) and so any mistakes that you make post flop will be magnified and this is one of the first things that should know as you learn poker.

So your post flop play has to be very good and the only exception to that is if your opponents are very bad. This means that they either fold too much pre-flop or they fold to continuation bets and post flop pressure too frequently. If the latter is the case then a bad loose aggressive player could make money in these exceptional circumstances although these games are more popular at the lower levels.

The default play of course as always is to play tightly. This aspect of poker has led to what has become known as the “tight aggressive style” which has been championed as the optimal style to make money playing poker. Of course the optimal style is the one that makes the most money and creates the highest EV given the individual circumstances but there is a whole new world of dynamism out there that needs to be factored in.

For instance in the current online poker climate then most players who play the game for profit multi-table. The very highest online cash games are accepted but even here, many of the high-stakes players play more than one table. But the tight way is usually the way and you will be folding many more hands than you are playing unless you are playing heads up or really short handed. The exception which has already been mentioned is if you totally dominate the table.

This can happen if a very good player is playing on a weak table or as often happens online at the lower levels, a table can be full of weak tight multi-tabling rocks. The complex factor here of course is that “tightness” changes from game to game and in one game, playing tight may involve only playing 10% of your starting hands and you would be correct to do so. But in a six handed game then it may be correct to play double that number of hands and you would still be playing tightly. So it is clear then that for the majority of poker players then playing tight poker is the correct way to go for most people in most games.

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But remember that implied odds apply to limit Texas Holdem poker as well so even here, one has to be a bit careful when identifying a potential “fish”. For the novice, “implied odds” are the estimated number of bets/pot size that will be in the pot at the end of the hand.

Failure to extract the maximum amount of money from the hands that you win is a sure sign of weak play. We all sometimes miss bets and raises but the “fish” are guilty of glaring errors. You no doubt have heard of the term “value betting”. This basically means betting on the end with mediocre hands that you are still quite sure is the best hand and you are also sure that your opponent has a hand that is not only inferior to yours, but that they will also call with it. Weak players are terribly guilty of this and I must see this type of error literally dozens upon dozens of times a day.

There is a lot more that can be discussed here but this is a very involved topic and not something that could be covered in one single series. The definition of a “fish” is very vague as it implies a poker player that is weak. However this is a very grey area as any player who was experienced and technically proficient may be a “fish” in a game full of world class players. But yet a big winner in a small poker game could well be classed as the “shark” in the game.

So in a strange way, a shark can be a fish and a fish can be a shark. What it all depends on of course is where you stand in the particular food chain and how that correlates to the games that you are playing in. If in a certain line up of ten players, you were technically the tenth best player then you would be the fish. If in a different line up of players, you were the best player then you would be the shark.

Poker is a strange game in so many ways. Skill and good play isn’t always rewarded and this tends to tilt many players and this is quite possibly the toughest part of poker. But to know where you fit in with regards the poker food chain is not only a very important piece of information, it may also keep you safe form loss. It isn’t just about technical knowledge either. Knowing poker theory is good but it only counts for a small percentage of the overall game of a skilled player. I don’t believe that poker skill can be found through reading or watching coaching videos, it can only be arrived at by a process of doing it repeatedly.

Carl “The Dean” Sampson

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One must remember with these things that nothing is ever set in stone and most players can and will adapt and change. Once you sit down in any poker game, the playing patterns of your opponents will reveal many things to you. For instance, any player who is calling a high percentage of the time especially in a game like limit Texas Hold’em poker unlike Omaha is a definite fish. There is simply no way that any player can be a long term winner in any poker variation who has a high calling percentage unless it is someone like a very skilled no-limit player who is constantly limping in because they feel that they can dominate the opposition. Many of the hands that players call with are long term money losers. This is very difficult to spot from the play of a very small number of hands, especially when a player is getting lucky with junk.

It takes poker simulation software that can run the same hand in the same situation literally hundreds of thousands of times to see the patterns emerge. Another classic “tell” of a weak player is the failure to take aggressive action of any kind unless the “fish” has a very strong hand or the nuts. Many players who are either inexperienced or weak shy away from raising because it makes them feel uncomfortable. This lack of aggression costs them dear because not only are they losing bets in the pots that they win, they are also losing entire pots by allowing hands that would have folded to stay in and draw out on them.

A player who does not raise at the appropriate times in poker is akin to the blackjack player who fails to take advantage of positive situations by not doubling and splitting. When you have the best of it, you want more money on the table, it is as simple as that. Failure to do this is losing poker and once you have spotted players doing this, make sure you remember them for these people are a major part of your earn rate.

Another example of “fishy” play although a bit more subtle is when players draw to hands without receiving the necessary pot odds. This is especially the case in structured betting games like limit hold’em. Be careful though not to apply this concept to big bet poker because implied odds are far more important in those particular disciplines. In a game like limit hold’em for instance, if you observe a player who is calling bets and raises with totally inadequate hands, then this is a definite fish.

Carl “The Dean” Sampson

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You may or may not see the same faces whenever or wherever you play poker. Obviously on the internet, there are large volumes of players and many will be unknown to you. It is vitally important to be able to classify your opponents very quickly wherever you happen to play. Nearly all of what I will be talking about here will not apply to internet poker sites simply because you cannot see your opponents.

Whenever you sit down in any poker game be it private or casino, you will or at least should be watching your opponents. Weak inexperienced players tend to stand out. You do not need an advanced qualification in psychology to be able to spot a new player. Any player who looks in awe, wonder or perhaps excitement at a poker table as they approach it may be playing poker for the first time. They could be playing live poker for the first time in this era of internet poker or they could simply be playing in a casino for the first time. They might even be in awe of a certain location (i.e Vegas) and be feeling very nervous or excited.

However, this look can be misleading and is certainly not proof of low skill level. This is simply because many internet players have good technical skills at certain forms of poker that may be superior to many of their live opponents. Therefore you will have to accumulate more data either based on the quality of their play or other factors that will be discussed shortly.

Another sign of lack of experience in either live poker or poker in general is poor chip handling. Fumbling and dropping chips is a sure sign that a player is not used to handling them. Although once again you have to be careful with this because skilled internet players would not have this ability if they didn’t have much live game experience.

Anyone who is ignorant of the rules of the game is likely to be a “fish” although beware of the actor who is trying to throw a smoke screen by pretending that they don’t know. Anyone who is unaware of poker etiquette is likely to be playing poker for the first time or at least is inexperienced. Notice here that I said “unaware”, this is because there are many players out there who simply do not care about poker etiquette. If you do not know poker rules and procedures and do not know what I am talking about when I talk about etiquette, better look out for those gills because I am referring to you. Look out for part three coming soon.

Carl “The Dean” Sampson

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It is however, very true and is an indication that in most poker games, the skill level of the participating individuals can vary immensely. The truth is that many players simply do not even realise that they fall into this category. Because the poker playing population in general is predominantly male, there is the inevitable ego factor involved. Poker prowess is considered a macho thing by many of us males. Many people think that poker skill is something that one is born with, to a certain extent this is true. There are indeed many skills that a top player needs in order to succeed that simply cannot be taught. However, that does not mean that tuition and guidance can be overlooked when you learn poker.

Because many players do not realise that they need to be educated at poker, they do not attempt to seek it out. Poker is abound with famous quotes and another famous one is “you can be the tenth best player in the world, but if you persist in sitting at a game with the other nine players in the world who are better than you then you are going to be a losing player”. This last quote highlights something very important whenever we are on the subject of “fish”. A “fish” or “live one” does not have to be a weak or unskilled player. It is entirely relative to the game that a player is in. No top pro would knowingly sit down in a game with nine other players of superior ability, so the famous quote above is somewhat academic. No top player would ever allow himself to be a “fish”.

Someone could actually have very poor poker skills and be somewhat of a “shark” in their game simply because the other players were worse than them. The conclusion to this is that a lack of grounding in poker theory and knowledge does not necessarily make someone a fish, the flip side to this is that any player can suddenly become one even if they have a long history of winning. It is not necessarily how much poker wisdom you have but how much you have in relation to your opponents that is the important issue here. Look out for part two coming soon.

Carl “The Dean” Sampson

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At the end of the day, people deserve to be told how it really is. There were times where I sometimes used to think was it all worth it and limit hold’em makes you have these thoughts more than any other form of poker in my opinion. Gambling for a living is not really what it is cracked up to be and after thousands upon thousands of hours in the trenches playing both blackjack and poker then I should know.

But even for most of the players who beat the game, poker is still a negative sum game emotionally. I guarantee you that if you won $1000 today and lost $900 tomorrow that you would be feeling more upset about the $900 loss when compared to how happy you felt about the $1000 win. This will be the case with many people even though the net result over the two days is that you are ahead by $100.

The number of players who are beating online poker is very small. But beating online poker is only part of the equation anyway. Even if you succeed which at least 90% of you don’t then surely even for it all to be worth it anyway then you need to be earning a certain amount to merit all the grief and stress that it causes. This is why I only play at the $25-$50 level whenever I play no limit because playing any lower just does not motivate me.

Let us take a really successful limit hold’em player who is playing multiple tables with good rakeback and earning $1000 a week. I have seen figures as low as 5% for how many people are +EV in online poker so for anyone to be earning $1000 a week represents a serious achievement that perhaps no more than one player in every hundred could emulate and that figure is probably way too high. Personally I would not expect one player in a thousand to earn that kind of money who plays online. But let us say that you are earning that kind of money, is £500 a week ($1000 at this time of writing) enough to be sitting around a computer screen all week enduring bad beats and horrible runs when you could easily earn that kind of money doing something else?

I think that for it to be worth your while then you need to be able to earn money in online poker that would be beyond your capacity to earn in any other occupation that is available to you. This figure differs from person to person but another answer to the problem is not to play full time but part time and to fit your poker playing around other things.

This creates a far better balance to your life than merely watching cards go around a computer screen all week. But there are players out there who do earn serious six and even seven figure sums from playing online poker and even in limit hold’em. But that is no different to people in all fields. The top footballers earn mega wages as do the top golfers and also the top poker players but how many people fit into each of those categories?

But the bottom line here is that limit hold’em and the sheer nature of it will well and truly mess with your mind and you need to be aware of this and ready for it for when it happens.

Carl “The Dean” Sampson
Author – “Winning Cash Game Poker”

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