Here’s a guess post from my friend Allen.

It is important to consider some important pre flop strategies before you start betting in texas holdem.

The number of players in a texas holdem game constitutes the first important factor. With more players, be cautious, as the chances of someone else having a strong hand are very likely.

Another aspect in pre flop strategy is betting aggressively. If one player is raising every hand pre-flop, you’ll want to play tighter.

While playing texas holdem poker, you have to consider your bankroll. If you only have $2, then select you have a tough time having many buy-ins because the lowest buy-in table at most sites is $0.01/0.02 and you have just a buy-in for that, but then again, if you only have $2 I think you’re playing mostly for fun so jump right in and have fun .

With a larger bankroll, you can afford to take higher risks. Moreover, if you are in late position, you are able to influence the size of the pot considerably.

Your pre flop strategy will also determine your style of play; you may want to play more or less aggressively pre-flop depending on the table.

Today I woke up, lying there in bed, I felt incredibly weak. I wonder why, I drank a lot of water before bed so it couldn’t be dehydration. Maybe something I ate? Who knows.

Then I proceed to get a glass of water and it smells and tastes like some kind of raspberry concoction, and I’ve never drank something like that from that glass, so I have no idea what was going on.

It’s nice though, I enjoy those times when you don’t really understand what is going on and you’re staring at the wall trying to figure it out, then you just relax and enjoy the fact that you might be going insane.

That’s an awesome feeling.

I read a great article today on Leveling Up by Steve Pavlina. It struck a few inside my mind regarding poker and how hating poker isn’t going to get me anywhere, pretty obvious you might say, but I’ve found that it’s easier to say “yeah no shit sherlock” than to actually apply it when you’re sitting there at the table getting owned by some tardemperor.

Although those thoughts did cross my mind before I read that article. It’s interesting how coincidences happen.

I’m sitting there thinking about purple birds for three days and then someone like Steve Pavlina posts pictures about purple birds, it’s confirmation, someone is saying “yes sir, you are on the right path”.

Obi-Wan, is that you?

Alright, I couldn’t wait any longer. I love to hate.

1. You Can Meet Some Pretty Shady People

If you’re not careful!

Here’s one example. I had a coach which I came in contact through CardRunners about 1½ years ago. He was claiming to be winning 8ptbb/100 at $2/4NL so I thought okay I’ll try some coaching.

I sent him like $1,100 or something for a 10 hour-block and I did 3 hours of that block and then just thought fuck this, this guy isn’t teaching me enough stuff that I want to keep going. So I said, I want my money back, he said okay, I’ll send it to you as soon as I can.

Needless to say, 1½ years later he was been promising to send the money to me and nothing has happened. He still owes me $700.

I mean these kind of things just piss me off. What kind of morals do you have if you keep jerking someone around? I’ve been trying to be nice versus this guy but he’s just been avoiding me and saying he doesn’t have money, but my patience is very thin now.

If you’re a poker player, you should easily be able to pay someone their money back. I mean he had my money, what did he do? Spend it and never earn any money ever again? He should easily be able to send me $50-100 a month to pay his debt off but I guess he’s just hoping I’ll go away and forget about it?

This is sickening, why do people do this?

2. The Swings Can Be Brutal

I’m not going to lie to you and say that poker is a dance on roses and an awesome game where you win lots of gold coins and get the princess at the end.

It’s more like you get some gold and then get shafted by Shrek the green god of variance.

This is why it helps to have rakeback when you play, atleast then when you’re running like a paeorjafshzn you get some monies because you play!

I’ve been playing for almost 5 years and I’m beginning to feel like I want to do something else. Maybe coaching or something? I’ve been talking with Tommy a bit about this, but I am still not sure how to go about it.

My coaching would most likely be on the other things of poker, tilt, money management (not much needed there, have lots of money and you’re good!),  game selection and all that stuff. Basically the discipline side of the game.

A bit of a tangent there, let’s get on to the next point.

3. Addiction

I wish I was addicted to this game. It would be awesome to be addicted because I would make so much money. Wouldn’t it be awesome to be a winner and just want to play all the time? Money, money, money!

But if you think about it, nothing of value can be bought with money, pretty deep, right?

Oh yeah, addiction, trying to keep my focus here.

I guess some people who aren’t winners get addicted. My thinking is that if they don’t have poker to be addicted to it will just be something else. Maybe I just want to think that way because it makes it easier for me to justify all this and bla bla bla. Mind loops, they go on forever. Maybe I am really thinking that I’m thinking that or just this or that or whaat.

Here’s a picture of my gf’s dog, dogs are good for poker, they ease the pain of poker!

Until next time ORCS

I’ve been whining so much about poker lately, it’s time to go through some of the good things about gambling!

1. Gambling Gives Me Flexibility

I get to choose my own hours, my own vacations and my working space.

2. Gambling Gives Me Lé Challenge

It’s fun to bump heads on the poker table. It’s war! The chips are my soldiers and I’m sending them to the battlefield in order for them to recruit more chip-like-friends!

3. Gambling Is Profitable (FOR ME)

I make decent money playing only a few hours a day and it isn’t that hard. Atleast not from my perspective, it’s work of course but it flows naturally, I guess i’m used to it. For most people it isn’t profitable, but they aren’t working hard enough, oh and btw, if you’re thinking about becoming a professional gambler, don’t

4. Poker Rooms Offer Cool Rewards

Rakeback, VIP programs, travel packages to tournament, Porches (go pokerstars) are all cool. I especially like rakeback since it’s cash and you get it every month. I’m not so fond of the VIP programs that offer STUFF, I like stuff but I don’t like it that much, it’s too easy to just have tons of stuff all around the house and you never use 95% of them.

So I’ve decided to just not accumulate lots of stuff. I’m focusing on the money and investing instead!

I think that’s my list of the good things about gambling. I could probably come up with more but I won’t, you guys have to think for yourselves! Those are the main points and they should do.

And btw, people who think gambling is negative and should be banned are stupid and should go somewhere else. You can’t decide what people can and can’t do, if degens can’t give away their money at gambling or poker then they’ll do it at something else, like heroin? Who knows.

I’ll write an article on the negative effects of gambling soon but for now, focus on the good things about gambling!

I’m back with the information fresh in my memory. This article will serve me as a reminder as well as a good article for you, the reader.

The theme for the 3-bet coaching session: Keep it simple!

Some of the biggest winners at higher stakes have a very tight call 3-bet range in position. And I mean pretty tight, like AJs+, AQo+, TT+ and sometimes hands like JTs but that’s about it.

Out of position it’s even tighter, something along the lines of JJ+, AK, sometimes AQ and no going crazy post-flop, if you don’t hit you often just check-fold.

You don’t have to play crazy and call lots of 3-bets, it has been proven by big winners in the game. I know it feels shitty when you keep folding to 3-bets, I feel this way too!

It is the reason I sometimes spew off money in 3-bet pots. I’m going to stop doing it and see how things progress.

I used to be alot better in these areas, alot more patient!

As for calling 3-bets in position, how do you proceed?

Well you can bluffraise Axx, Kxx, Qxx sometimes Jxx flops but keep it at a low enough frequency where you’re range is atleast twice as much for value compared to bluffs. You do not have to bluff like a MF to win tons of money.

If you flop gutshots, underpairs, top pairs (sometimes) you can float the flop and see what happens. And if it’s checked to you on the turn you do not have to bet everytime, if you’re keeping your range mostly in valuespace people will give you respect.

So keep your 3-bet game simple and make lots of monies!

P.S. 3-betting someone is a totally different game, I’ll go into that another time.