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Concern is growing in online chat rooms and news groups devoted to poker that sophisticated card-playing robots – known as “bots” – are being used in online poker rooms.

The fact is that such Poker Bots do exists. The question is are they good enough to beat you? and Can the poker rooms stop then?

One poker bot software are WinHoldEm, the first commercially available autoplaying poker software. It also has a team mode that makes it possible to collude with other players running WinHoldEm at the table.

Poker site operators say there’s nothing to worry about, and for them there isn’t. For now, sites continue to earn healthy profits because they make money by taking a percentage - the “rake” - of every pot. “If anyone’s losing money because of the bots, it’s the players,” says Poker Academy CEO Kurt Lange. “It’s inevitably going to become a serious problem when they figure out that bots win hundreds of thousands of dollars per year.

This is a serious problem for the online gambling business. Players come online seeking a “fair” shot - a contest against other humans, not robots. So the poker sites loudly proclaim that automated play is no big deal. At the same time, they are fighting back by quietly scanning for and eliminating suspicious accounts. “We’re making sure we never have bots on our site,” says PartyPoker marketing director Vikrant Bhargava..” PartyPoker reportedly has 100 employees scanning for the presence of bots.

But the cheaters will find out new ways to stop poker rooms from detecting the bots and I’m sure there is a lot of bots playing even at Party Poker. The poker rooms can fight back and make it harder to use bots but I believe its impossible to stop them totally.

I think the more interesting question is: Can the pokerbots beat you?

WinHoldEm can make money in low stakes fixed limit Holdém at least at 10-seated tables. But the profit at such low limits will be small. And since the user risks that the poker room will detect the cheating and confiscate his account question is if it’s worth it?

If you are playing limit Holdém at full tables with blinds at 0,25-0,5, 0,5-1, 1-2 and you are a losing- or a breakeven player you are probably losing money to bots.

But if you are a winning player at higher limits or at No-limit, the Poker bots that exists today will probably lose money to you .

The biggest problem for the bots are shorthanded, 5- and 6-seated, No-limit. I think it will take years from now before any Bot can beat this game at any level. And during those years the people who tries to beat the game with bots will constantly lose money and help doing these games even more profitable for the strong solid players.

How not to lose to Poker Bots:

- Learn to play good solid poker and beat up the bots

- Play No-limit or Pot-limit

- Play shorthanded, 5- or 6-seaters

- Chat with your opponents. If they cant tell you their name and what they do for a living its time to get suspicious.

Article written for Winning Online Poker by Erik Andersson.
http://www.winningonlinepoker.eu
http://www.omahaholdempoker.eu/

Hand odds
Poker odds can be defined, in the simplest terms, as the odds of making your hand in the remaining cards to come. Though this is important, it is not the only thing to consider when trying to work out the odds on a particular hand.

The easiest way to calculate the odds on a particular hand is to count the number of outs that you have to make your hand. Outs are the number of cards left in the deck that will make or improve the cards that you already have. To work out the odds just subtract the number of outs from the unseen cards to come and the answer will tell you what the odds are for that particular situation.

A good example of this would be, in a game of Hold’em, where you hold two cards to a flush and the flop brings two more, so that you have four cards to the flush. There are nine more cards that can complete your hand and there are forty-seven unseen cards left. If you subtract nine from forty-seven this gives you thirty-eight. So your odds are thirty-eight to nine, or roughly four to one, against making your hand.

You will be most concerned with the odds when you are drawing to a straight or a flush. The easiest way to remember this is that a straight is a 5 to1 underdog when only 1card is needed to make it, if it is an open ended straight. A flush is a 4 to 1 underdog when only 1 card is needed to complete it.

Pot Odds
You must also compare the odds of making your hand with the odds the pot is offering (pot odds) for the bet that has to be made. If the odds of making your hand are xx/1, is the pot offering those or better odds? If it is then this is a good bet, if not then it is a bad bet.

Another consideration to think about is the chances that you will be beaten even if you make the hand you are drawing for. If this is a possibility then the pot odds have to be greater than the odds of just making your hand to make up for those times you are beaten.

Implied Odds
An important consideration, that you need to look at, is the implied odds that the table is giving you. Implied odds are the additional bets that you will collect on later betting rounds if you make your hand. This is mostly a judgment call based on what you know about your competition and how they have been playing the hand so far.

With practice and experience you will be able to estimate what the odds of winning the most from each of your hands are.

Good Luck

Bob has been a poker player for over forty years. He now resides in Las Vegas, NV. Where he plays mostly Hold’em poker. To see what he has to say visit his blog Poker Shack and leave a comment

Since 1961, when legal betting shops opened for the first time in Britain, bookmakers have had a fairly easy ride with plenty of profit opportunities for both small and large betting companies. That was until 2000 when the new concept of a betting exchange was conceived and developed by a company called Betfair.

Betfair came up with the revolutionary idea of person-to-person betting where people can basically place bets anonymously with each other on any number of markets. Whereas traditional bookmakers only offer users the opportunity to back a selection that they think will win, Betfair, and subsequent betting exchanges that have entered the market, offer it’s users the opportunity to back and lay bets, so you can profit from finding losing selections if you so wish. You can also choose the price you want. For example, if the current price available for your selection doesn’t represent value, you could enter your own price into the system and hope the price moves to this level and your bet gets matched by another user.

There are many advantages to using betting exchanges over conventional bookmakers:

Backers using exchanges can benefit from upto 20% better odds than traditional bookmakers. This is because layers are more prepared to offer higher prices than other competing users in order to get their bet matched. The exchanges make their money by taking a small commission, usually between 2% and 5%, from all profits it’s users make from a particular market (and nothing if you lose), but even taking this into consideration you’re still getting much higher odds even after deducting any commissions.

There are greater opportunities to make money from in-play sporting events. For example, most bookmakers suspend betting in a football match with about 10 minutes to go, whereas betting exchanges generally allow betting right upto the final whistle.

With betting exchanges, there are vast profits to be made from trading in-running markets. This is essentially where you back at a higher price and lay it all back at a lower price to guarantee a profit. Alternatively laying at a lower price and backing it back at a higher one is equally as profitable. For example, let’s say you back Man Utd at 2.2 to beat Liverpool for £100. If they win you will get £220 back with £120 of that being your profit (minus commission). After 80 minutes Man Utd take the lead 1-0, and their price has dropped significantly and is now available to lay at 1.1. You decide not to hold on to the bet in case Liverpool score in the last 10 minutes, and trade out for a guaranteed profit. You could do this by laying this price for £200. This would guarantee yourself a profit of £100 (minus commission) whatever the outcome of the match: Man Utd win: Profit = (£100 @ 2.2 = £120) - (£200 @ 1.1 = £20) = £100. Liverpool win/Draw Profit = (-£100) + (£200) = £100.

Betting exchanges offer a far wider choice of markets to bet on than traditional bookmakers. They cover a number of sports that aren’t usually available to bet on. These include such diverse sports as handball and trotting, as well as various miscellaneous events such as polical betting and TV talent shows like American Idol.

Finally because betting exchanges make their money, in the form of commissions, from winning punters, winners are always welcomed. This isn’t always the case with bookmakers, who are more than happy to take your money when you lose, but if you’re successful they soon limit your bets or even ban you completely.

To conclude, it’s not surprising that traditional bookmakers have become increasingly concerned with the growth of betting exchanges. They have even tried unsuccessfully to force the government to place restrictions on the users of betting exchanges, and even to shut them down. However they continue to grow and in my opinion will continue to eat into it’s more conventional rivals’ market share in the future.

Jim Buccini is a former full-time Betfair trader who has produced a website reviewing Betfair, and detailing proven profit-generating tips and strategies. For more information click on the following link:

Betfair Tips And Secrets

Before you read any further, please note that this is not a piece out to damage or cut down the important role of women in our society. Read below only as humour and nothing more. These are intended solely for a good laugh.

Women are unique in many ways (and by this I mean different than men) and its this specific uniqueness or certain traits that I refer to when likening a woman to a personal computer. Do not get offended; it is intended to create a smile.

1) A woman is like a computer in that she costs more than you thought it would.

2) A woman resembles a personal computer in that she will not do exactly what you thought it will.

3) After a while, you simply cannot do without both: your computers and your woman.

4) Computers are just like women: after you have gotten used to them and cannot do without them, you discover that one is not enough.

5) Some computers, like some women, serve many people.

6) You can work miracles with both by gently using your fingers if you only know the proper code.

7) If you are inactive with them for more than fifteen minutes, they go off.

Just like a computer, the one who runs her has more privileges than just anyone else who is just running her.

9) When there are short-circuits of electricity, they shut you off and then you cannot always return to what was before the short-circuit.

10) Normally, they are available and receptive in the night, but it’s a lot better when they are available and receptive in the morning.

11) When you are, at last, sure that they will do what you wanted, they go off and do something else.

12) The only thing that you predict about the future with them is that they will react unpredictably.

13) Just like women, so too for computers: every year a new model is released that is younger, more advanced and gives a lot more.

14) A woman is just like a computer: you are happy with what you have but when you see what your friends have got, you are sure you want what they have.

15) Women are like computers in that no matter how much you improve and put into them, they only improve for a short time and then go back to their same old pace.

16) Women are like computers in that every day a new program comes out promising to revolutionize your knowledge and use of them, but after spending a lot more cash you realize that none of them work better than the old one you had before.

17) Women are like computers: you always want what others have and they want what you have but you cannot switch even for a trial basis.

18) Women are like computers in that when you get them you are sure that they are the best. But when the days go back, you wonder why you did not get them with a replacement note.

When not editing an online casino portal, Jack Reider makes up and post jokes on various subjects. Go to http://www.gambling-portal.com and read some more.

Israel is a country that is widely visited by tourists from all over the world through cruise ships, land, and air, even with the recent disturbances. Its rich history and culture draw crowds every year to explore and enjoy its beauty. For this reason, even if at present there are no casinos in Israel, there are plans of opening two of them simultaneously in Eilat and Mizpe Ramon, which are expected to be frequented often by both locals and tourists.

At present in Israel, the only form of legal gambling is horse racing betting, which is very popular. The betting for the horse racing is usually done in well-organized sports houses where you can relax and enjoy the races, as well as have a cup of tea or cocktail. However, you need to be at least 18 years of age in order to participate in any form of gambling or enjoy an alcoholic beverage in Israel. The Israel casinos are greatly anticipated by both tourists and locals, as well, for they will add even more excitement to an already beautiful and exquisite land.

Among its many historical sights, Israel is well known for its diamond manufacturing skills, producing every year exquisite gemstones for tourists to bring back as souvenirs from their trip. With the Israel casinos being planned, all you have to do is hope that lady luck smiles at you too, and with the money you’ll win, you can invest in diamonds and other precious stones you like.

The Israel casinos that will open soon will be able to entertain their guests with all the international games such as blackjack, poker, roulette, and of course, the slot machines, which can keep you busy forever with just a handful of coins. Israel’s people strongly support the opening of the casinos for their own entertainment, but also for the tourists who will be able to experience a more exciting time while in Israel.

At the moment, if you still have the urge to gamble while in Israel, you can indulge in a cruise on the Mediterranean Sea; all cruise ships have casinos that are often open 24 hours a day, depending on the demand of the passengers.

However, the next time you decide to visit Israel and enjoy this beautiful country, it looks like you will be able to try your luck at becoming rich in the casinos, as well.

This article is the property of Israel Casinos

Online gambling can be traced back to the mid-90’s when the net first provided online sportsbooks and online casinos to gamblers in the United States. However, the first online poker room was not established until 1998, Planet Poker, which existed as the only online casino for a very short time. Since then, Planet Poker has fallen to the shadows of mega-poker sites such as PartyPoker.com and bodog.com.

Perhaps the one and only problem that online poker ever saw was in May of 2000 when the one time glitch in funds transfers occurred with Poker Spot. They were unable to take in players deposits or payout winnings and inevitably went under. Funds transfers capabilities were then sharpened and e-cash transfer services became stable vehicles for transferring money online.

As online poker gained popularity quickly, so did the televised tournaments that brought thousands of new poker players to the table. These two poker elements worked hand in hand to market each other, not to mention the poker legends that were born online and found their way to the final table at the World Series of Poker. One such player is Chris Moneymaker, who bought in on Party Poker for $40, won a spot at a live tournament, and ended up winning the World Series of Poker.

Perhaps the latest fate for online gambling is the most depressing. In September 2006, Congress passed a law to restrict online gambling in the United States. According to SFGate.com, “shares of the three companies, which all make most of their money from U.S. gamblers, tumbled, losing $7 billion in market value” the very week after the law was passed.

Some are still hopeful that the litigation is not final and there may be another chapter in the future of online gambling and online poker, but for now, pull out the old green felt table cause it’s back to the basement for passionate poker players in the United States.

Please visit http://www.officialpartybonuscodes.com for more information on Party Poker Bonus Codes

Are you interested in betting teasers in the NBA? You need to ask yourself a simple question – do you find betting teasers fun? If you do, and if you bet on sports largely to have fun, then betting teasers is a good idea for you. If, on the other hand, your goal is long-term profit and minimized house edge then you should probably avoid teasers in all but unique and specific situations. Don’t believe me? Let’s have a look.

First, what is a teaser? It’s a bet in which you take two or more teams and add a set amount of points to the lines of each team. In the NBA the most common teasers are 4.5, 5, and 5.5 points, with both higher and lower point totals available from some betting shops. Let’s say you liked the Lakers, who were favored by six, and Cleveland, who were two point underdogs. If you were to bet a 4.5 point teaser then those lines would become Los Angeles -1.5 and Cleveland +6.5. You bet both games on one ticket, and both results have to occur as you need them to in order for you to receive a payout on your ticket. You aren’t limited to just two games, either – you can add more games, and your greater risk is rewarded by a greater monetary return. Some books also have a super teaser that allows you even more points (often seven or more) at a lower payoff.

Teasers slash points off of a favorite’s point spread and add a further cushion to underdog’s, so they sound like a gift to bettors, don’t they? Wrong. So, so wrong. The problem is the house edge that you are sacrificing. A house edge is a fact of life in sports betting (unless you have a lot of degenerate friends you can wager with), but smart bettors look to minimize that edge in order to maximize their profit. Teasers certainly don’t do that. The reason for this is fairly simple to see.

Let’s look at a simple two team, 4.5-point teaser. That wager typically pays out at even money. Since you have to win both games in order to win the bet then, over the long term you have to pick 70.7 percent of games correctly in order to just break even. That’s because .707 * .707 = .50, so if you pick 70.7 percent of games correctly then you will pick both right half of the time. The problem is that a shift in spreads of 4.5 points does not, over the long term, cause the favorites to cover more than 70.7 percent of their games, nor does it cause the underdogs to cover more than that mark. By making this bet over the long term then, you are willingly accepting a losing proposition. The situation doesn’t improve as the points you add get bigger, either. A 5.5-point, two-team teaser typically pays 5-to-6. That means you have to win 73.9 percent of your games to break even. As is the case with parlays, the house edge also gets larger as you add more teams to your parlay.

Though NBA teasers are not profitable over the long run, it is not theoretically impossible that situations could exist where the bet could make sense. All you would need to do is figure out what the break-even point of the bet is and then find situations where the historical occurrence of an outcome comes at a higher rate than the breakeven rate. None come immediately to mind, but, for the sake of argument, let’s say that you were to discover that teams favored by four win 85 percent of their games at home on nights when there is a lunar eclipse. If you were to find a night where the moon and the sun were aligned, and two teams were favored at home by four, then you would have a very worthwhile bet. With a good deal of handicapping work it is feasible that situations like that could be found in the NBA, much like the Wong teaser has been shown to be profitable in the NFL.

Despite the long-term inherent lack of profitability in the NBA teaser, there may be specific situations where a teaser could be attractive. Say, for example, that your handicapping has led you to identify two solid favorites that you like, but which you are lukewarm about. If both teams were favored by seven, and you figure that they will win by somewhere between five and eight points, then you won’t feel confident betting on them on the point spread, but you also wouldn’t feel confident betting on their opponents. You could confidently bet the moneyline, but the return would be low given the size of the spread. By using a four-point teaser you could adjust both point spreads down so that the spreads are below your predicted score. That might be the best way to confidently maximize profit potential given your suspected result.

Teasers aren’t the best bet on the board by any means. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t play them, though. Some people love the action and excitement of the wager. You just need to know what you are betting, and what it is costing you. If it still seems worthwhile then go for it.

Check out Doc’s Sports’ 2007 NFL Draft page for an updated 2007 NFL Mock Draft and 2007 NFL Draft Prospects rankings not to mention daily updated content and winning sports predictions!

If you would rather pick winners in NBA games without worrying about the point spread then you are probably a moneyline player. If you like big payouts, and you don’t mind taking on a fair bit of risk, then you probably choose to play parlays. Though both types of bets are fairly common and well understood, people seem more hesitant to combine the two and play an NBA moneyline parlay. The biggest obstacle to making the bets for most people is the difficulty of understanding what the payout will be and what the risk is. Once you figure it out, though, it’s really not that intimidating. More importantly, the parlays can allow you to take advantage of positions you find favorable.

Before we look at moneyline parlays we should take a quick look at regular parlays. A parlay is simply a bet that several different outcomes will happen on the same ticket. In order for you to win your bet you have to be correct in all of the games that you have bet on. Though there are situations where parlays make good sense, they are not generally a good bet. The problem is that the payouts are lower than the odds of winning should dictate. That means that a bettor that plays parlays is sacrificing a much bigger house edge than he or she should be. For example, in an eight-game parlay there are 256 possible outcomes based on each team in each game having the potential to win or lose. That means that true odds on the bet should be 255/1. The problem is that the bet typically only pays out at 150/1. When you give up that much of an edge, making a profit over the long term is almost impossible. To a lesser but still almost insurmountable extent, the same problem exists in parlays of fewer teams as well.

The problems that make parlays unattractive in straight parlays aren’t necessarily as much of a problem in moneyline parlays. That is because the payouts in moneyline parlays are not fixed, but rather they are a direct multiplication of the odds of the involved events. If you are comfortable, then, with the payouts you would receive if you were to bet on each of the games individually then it stands to reason that you would be comfortable with the payout of a parlay. You’re still giving up an edge, because there is an edge inherent in every moneyline, but at least you aren’t sacrificing significantly more than you need to. That alone makes an NBA moneyline parlay more attractive than a point spread parlay in almost all circumstances.

Calculating the payout on a moneyline parlay seems daunting, but it isn’t particularly challenging once you understand how to do it. You can find calculators online, but it makes sense to do it for yourself at first so you understand how it works. Essentially, you need to figure out a multiplier for each game. Once you have the multipliers calculated, you just multiply the multipliers for each game you want to bet together, multiply the result by the amount of your bet, and you have your payout. If the team you are betting is the favorite (has a negative moneyline) then the formula for the multiplier is (1 + (100/moneyline)), and you don’t include the negative sign. If you are betting an underdog with a positive moneyline then the formula is (1+(moneyline/100)). A $100 two team parlay with a -180 favorite and a +220 underdog, then, would pay $100 * (1+(100/180)) * (1+(220/100)) = $497.78. The result of the calculation isn’t your profit – it also includes the original amount of your bet, so your profit would be $397.78.

One spot in which an NBA moneyline parlay can be particularly attractive is when you are dealing with underdogs. The payouts can be huge. In exchange for giving up the cushion of the point spread you can enjoy significantly higher payouts than a straight parlay. For the sake of argument, let’s consider a three-team parlay where all three teams are eight point underdogs. Three team parlays generally pay about 6/1, so a $100 bet would give you a $600 profit if you were correct. It would be much harder to win the bet if you played a moneyline parlay because all three teams would not only have to win but also cover. You would win the bet less often, then, but you would be rewarded handsomely when you do win. An eight-point underdog could reasonably be +280 on the moneyline, so a $100 moneyline parlay would give you a profit of $5,387.20. If your handicapping were to give you reason to believe that the underdogs are poised to win then an underdog parlay could make perfect sense.

A moneyline parlay could also be used to extract extra value from heavy favorites. Say we have two teams playing on a night which are -400 favorites. Assuming we have handicapped the game and there is no hidden trap to fall into then we might be reasonably certain that both teams will quite likely win their games. If you had a $100 bankroll, you could bet $50 on the moneyline in each game. When the teams won you would make $12.50 in profit on each game, for a total profit of $25. If you were to parlay the two games together you would be taking more risk, but the payoff if you are right about both games would be a profit of $56.25. You could earn well over double the profit for a situation that you could perceive to be relatively low risk.

Moneyline parlays have their problems, and they obviously aren’t for use in all situations, but if you get to understand them then you may find times when they are an ideal bet.

Check out Doc’s Sports’ 2007 NFL Draft page for an updated 2007 NFL Mock Draft and 2007 NFL Draft Prospects Rankings not to mention dailu updated content and winning sports predictions!

One of the less understood poker strategies is that of trapping. When playing poker, how many times have you been trapped by a more experienced or tricky player? We all fall into these traps from time to time… but why? How can we detect traps and avoid them? This article delves into poker strategy keys for setting traps, and detecting them.

First, what is a trap? A trap play is where an opponent with a strong hand represents weakness, luring their opponent into overplaying their hand. For example, I hit a nut flush (Ace-high flush) on the flop. I have the best hand at the table now, unless the board pairs (such that someone could pull a boat or four of a kind - not likely).

So, instead of betting it big, I might throw out a smaller bet or even check it (slowplay). Another player holding big slick (A-K) pairs up with an Ace on the flop, thinking he’s got the best hand so far. Another player has a small pair (e.g., 4’s) and picks up a set on the flop (assuming flop was something like 4-A-J).

Now, had I bet really big or raised back too early, the player holding the Ace would realize he’s trouble and the small pair would’ve likely folded pre-flop. Since I just checked it down, no reason to be afraid of me, since I’m obviously on some kind of a draw…

The person with the three of a kind (the 4’s) tosses out a bet of 4 times the blind. The guy with Aces calls it. After delaying slightly, I go ahead and also call it (why not, I’m getting decent enough pot odds).

So, I’m trapping them both at this point, letting them bet into me and just calling their bets. The same thing happens again on the turn, except the player with Aces drops out.

Now it’s just me and the set of 4’s. They bet big again, this time the size of the pot. Again, after a slight pause, I just call them “reluctantly”. Then comes the river, and they go all-in.

I immediately call them…oops! They’re sunk! What happened here?

These players never asked themselves two simple questions:

1) Why is he calling that raised pot (on the flop and turn)?

2) What hands might he be holding? What could he be
up to by calling my bets like that? Trapping? On a draw?

It’s crucially important to THINK before you ACT by understanding what the other players are actually doing. It’s also very important not to underestimate your competition, as there are some very wily players out there…

There’s a potential flush showing on this flop, and since I’m kind of “lurking” in this hand, it’s very suspicious behavior, and unlikely I’m on a draw calling those kind of big bets.

Unless you’re playing against a beginner or a drunk, there’s no reason to believe someone will likely call a raise that’s 4 times the big blind on a draw. That’s the first mistake - assuming another player has no hand and not realizing why they’re behaving as they are.

Second, the board is showing a possible flush - and both of these players aren’t holding it! Just because I didn’t bet on the flop does not mean I don’t have it!

Had either of these players slowed down and considered my betting (calling) behavior, and asked themselves these questions, they’d probably have realized what was going on. Whether the player with the set of 4’s could fold them is another story

Aside from a trap, what else could have kept me in this hand?

Traps aren’t easy to detect. When a good player calls a big bet, there’s a better than average chance they are trapping! You’ll also often see them delay for an unusually long time, as if they’re struggling to make a decision about calling your hand, then either call you, raise or go all-in. If this is indeed a good player, you now know almost for certain you’re being trapped (call) or warned (raise/all-in). If you don’t have the top hand at this point, you’re probably beaten.

This lengthy delay can be a great “tell” for traps and detecting strong hands, and is one you should learn to recognize. The delay is an attempt to make you believe they’re “struggling” to make their decision - do the opposite of what your opponents want you to do when there’s an obvious tell like this one.

Good players don’t usually call bets - they usually raise/re-raise with strength or fold. They don’t often waste their money on draws, so if they’re lurking in there with you, it almost certian it’s not out of curiosity…

If you aren’t spending twice as much time thinking about what your opponent’s hand might be, based upon their betting (calling) pattern and position and play history, you should be.

Your own hand strength is quickly and easily determined. Spend more time on your opponents, learning to read their normal betting patterns and skill level, then when they do something that doesn’t match their normal pattern, slow down and ask yourself why.

I hope this helps you become a better trapper (and avoid falling in yourself

Rick

Rick Braddy is an avid writer, Texas Holdem player and professional software developer and marketer for over 25 years. His websites and poker tools specialize in helping people become better Texas Holdem poker players. If you’re a poker player, be sure to visit his poker test website today and find out where your poker skills really stand, and where you need to focus to rapidly improve your game.

I suppose you know by now that playing tight aggressive in sit and go poker tournaments is the strategy of choice among those in the know. In fact some pundits have very strict starting requirements that include AA, KK, QQ and AKs in the first 3 rounds and NOTHING else! Wow, that is tight!

I have often agreed with this formula in my free sit and go video strategy series as well. By and large you cannot go too wrong playing tight and aggressive early on. Where I disagree with such tight playing pundits is that waiting for strong hands has huge disadvantages as well. Keep in mind here that most sit and go tournaments won’t have too much more than 100 hands played!

Firstly, it is much easier for your opponents to put you on strong hole cards if they see you playing a hand early in the tournament. It’s called open book poker, and the smarter players will be waiting to swallow you and your predictable play into a gaping trap. There are however ways to combat this as well.

More importantly though, is the distribution of playable hands. On their website, Pokerroom continuously tabulates how many times you will get dealt a certain hand in holdem. This is an actual game count over the last 500,000 hands dealt on their website. So it’s hard to argue with these realities.

You will get a pocket pair 5.89% of the time. Of those pairs, AA, KK and QQ will land in your hole 1.35% of the time. You will get AK 1.2% of the time. So based on the super tight recommendations you will be playing 2.5% of the hands for the first 3 stages. I play sit and go tournaments on many poker sites and that means over the first 30 – 40 hands, it is likely you won’t get dealt anything playable according to these guidelines. In adopting this strategy you will have to play an effective short game because by the simple realities of mathematics, you will be short stacked 4 out of 5 times after any given tournament loses half its players. Another thing to consider here is that those hands only usually win, not always win. So you could be waiting for KK, and a chump calls you all in with suited AT and sends you packing when an ace hits the flop. Have you been there? I am sure you have.

Simply put, you need to add other hole cards to your repertoire, or you are simply going to have slow growth or no growth in your bankroll playing too tight. But adding weaker holdings means you need to build other skills in your game such as reading your opponents, tracking their betting, understanding position, bluffing, and reading a board correctly.

You can increase your playable hands early by prudently adding connectors, AQ, AJ, AT, suited AX, suited KX, KQ, KJ, KT, and the like. These hands are more or less played during recognizable opportunities, because on hand strength alone, you can easily get in trouble. By adding quality opportunities to your game, your starting hand percentage can go from 2.5% to a high as 25% in the early stages. If you see someone playing more than this in the holdem indicator opponent stats, then you can be assured you are going to have some kind of fish for supper.

AA dealt: 13,010 (0.45%)
KK dealt: 13,182 (0.46%)
QQ dealt: 13,122 (0.45%)
JJ dealt: 13,069 (0.45%)
TT dealt: 12,886 (0.45%)
99 dealt: 13,092 (0.45%)
All paired starters dealt: 169,987 (5.89%)
AK dealt: 34,768 (1.20%)
Suited connectors dealt: 114,304 (3.96%)

Marty Smith is webmaster and a regular online poker player. He has a FREE Sit and GO Video Strategy Series on his website at http://www.PokerSitandGoReport.com He is also editor of http://www.PokerCalculatorReport.com