The Life of One Amateur Poker Player.

THE MIND, HEART, & SOUL OF A POKER PRO.

2008-04-02T05:34:00.000-07:00

In following this line of thinkling as an amateur player, I have found that I get the best results by asking myself what I would do if a more experienced and/or professional player were watching and critiquing my every play in the background. I have found by balancing play on this and how I feel about a specific hand in any given situation.

It is a common thought that poker pro's play tightly and aggressively. And although they don’t play many hands, when they do play them, they play as if they had all the nuts. This is a nicely cooked-up saying and all, but it is for those who really don't know how to play and who just want to sound smart, like they've been there and done that. Case in point: It doesn't necessarily apply to no-limit games where a good, loose yet aggressive player can throw you off your game in a heartbeat. Therefore I ought to shed a triune light on what it really means to be a tight and aggressive poker player.

* Think Like A Pro: Do The Math
-------------------------------
Generally speaking, you will have about a 1 in 8 chance of holding a set in your pocket pair while you will have roughly a 1 in 3 chance of attaining a flopped flush draw by the river.

Likewise know your "outs" that give a percentage shot at hitting. (Count the outs, multiply them by two, and add one to give you an idea the likelihood of hitting.)

However, knowing your "outs" to calculate hitting percentages are useless unless you match them with the pot odds; your percentage chances of hitting should be no less than the amount you have betted in proportion to the total pot at the river. (Simply divide the size of what you speculate will be the pot at the river flop by the amount you have put in.) Having come up with a 25% chance of hitting/winning by counting your outs, and the bet to you is 25, make sure that the pot at the river will be greater than 100 to call. If it isn't, cut your (potential and likely) losses and fold.

* Feel Like A Pro: Psychological Skills
---------------------------------------
The latter part of the saying "keep your friends close, hold your enemies closer" is true of any competition. A poker pro is always on the hunt to get a good feel on what his opponent is trying to do.

- What does my opponent have?
- What does my opponent think I have?
- What does my opponent think I think he has? And so on.

Contrary to what you may think, the mindset of poker pro's is not about obliterating their enemies into utter and complete destruction. Often, it is a battle to use your opponents simply to discover your own strengths and weaknesses on equal footing with keeping your ego in check. Developing an understanding that you must empathize with your opponents helps you to answer the previous questions and empowers you to manipulate those answers, putting you at a superior level of game play.

If you have KK and your opponent has AA, and you both know what each other have, why play the game of poker? You have other tools such as bluffing, slowplaying, or fastplaying. Use your acting skills to complement your math skills and tip your opponents off balance.

* Be a Pro: Discipline, Discipline, Discipline
----------------------------------------------
Good poker players are consistent in their demand to seek advantages. A fish looks to get lucky, whereas a poker pro expects to win.

However, discipline is not to be confused with stubbornness. If a particular strategy is no longer working a poker pro will know how and when to change. A high level of alertness will clue him in as to whether he's on tilt or just being too cocky. If a mistake has been made, he will learn from it and move on.

Fundamentally, these three skills can be encapsulated into one word: awareness. Like in school you should be able to learn how to read by knowing your mathematical odds, write by manipulating your opponent's mindset, and finally to think for yourself when new or otherwise unknown situations arise. Once you grasp this triple-threat concept, success should be knocking at your doorstep.

Poker Instead of Surgery

2008-01-20T17:41:00.000-08:00

Tuesday was to include a trip to the hospital for surgery, but due to a scheduling conflict I am safe from the knife for a few more weeks! :) Due to allergies and other surgical concerns, I am required to be the first case of a surgery day. In this case, I was rescheduled as another patient has more serious conditions than I do. I am fine with that as it came too fast. So we are off to Solvang later this week to play poker and a few days of needed vacation!

Running Bad or NOT Running at ALL!

2008-01-03T16:39:00.000-08:00

In 1964, Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart tried to define what may or may not be considered obscene under US law. In the end, he determined that no definition existed, but that when it comes to obscenity, “I know it when I see it.”

The same holds true when you’re talking about running badly at the poker table. You may not be able to identify what’s going wrong, but you know its happening. As far as I’m concerned, there’s no single definition or criteria for “running bad” because it means something different to everyone. For some players, it’s posting 10 or 12 losing sessions in a row. For others, it’s losing a dozen coin-flips during a single session. “Running badly” depends on the individual and on the metrics they’re using to judge their performance.

Whatever the definition is, the fact remains that everyone runs bad at one time or another. What separates successful players from those who go bust is how they handle themselves and their bankrolls when their cards go dead. For me, running bad doesn’t mean having a few losing nights or taking a few bad beats over the course of a session. That’s variance and it’s an inevitable part of the game. In my mind, running bad is something bigger that happens over the long term.

If you’re not sure whether you’re really running bad or not, start by stepping back and analyzing your results over a statistically significant timeframe. If you see a consistent pattern of losing sessions over a matter of weeks or months, then it’s likely that you’re having some real problems with your game. The key to getting back on track is figure out what’s actually going wrong.

For many players, running badly is a vicious circle; they suffer a few losing sessions and begin to tilt, which leads them to alter their playing styles in order to change things up. Soon, they do actually start playing badly, which leads to more losing sessions, and a continuation of their downward spiral. They lose because they’re running badly and they’re running badly because they’re losing.

If you look at your game and believe that you’re actually playing well but are just getting unlucky, then maybe you are. Aces get cracked by lower pairs. Sets get beaten by flushes, and hands get drowned on the river more often than you might think. My advice in these situations is to walk away from the game for a while. Take a break, regroup, and come back when you’re mentally refreshed and are ready to start playing again. Don’t, however, begin changing your game to compensate for bad luck. Focus on the fundamentals, look for good starting hands, and try to play the most solid poker you can. In time, your luck will change.

Whatever you do, however, don’t try to step up in levels in order to try and recoup your losses. I’ve seen many players go bust at times like these because they’re too focused on trying to rebuild their bankrolls by gambling rather than by playing smart poker and moving down to play at a lower level. Think about it; if you’ve been losing, chances are that you’re playing on a smaller bankroll than normal, which means that you’ll be risking a higher percentage of your remaining funds by playing at higher stakes. With a smaller cushion behind you and more of your bankroll at risk, it doesn’t take long for things to go from bad to worse and for you to lose everything you had left.

On the other hand, by moving down a level or two, you’ll be risking less in the short term while you try to rebuild your bankroll. Sure, the pots you win may not be as big as those you win at higher levels, but weighed against the odds of going broke, it’s a trade-off I’m willing to make. What’s more, by moving down, I may only have to play at a lower level for a month or two to recover my losses whereas if I go broke after moving up, it could take me a year or more until I’ve recovered. That’s a pretty persuasive argument if you really value your time.

While I can’t tell you whether you’re really running badly or not, I can tell you that your mental state does impact your game. If you’re feeling good, chances are you’ll play well and, if you’re not, chances are you won’t. Rough patches are part of the game and learning how to handle short-term adversity without losing your confidence or your bankroll will make you a better player in the long run.

On a side note:

From experience, I learned early on not to let a series or even a session of several bad beats get to me in a way where I outwardly express my anger or show any displeasure over the situations at hand. If you always take in stride, you will have better results in the long run.

As we have all heard several hundred times, It's Poker!

Happy New Year!

I am taking a few days off this week after XpressTech's most profitable holiday selling season ever! Next week I am at CES and I am looking forward to playing in any many events at the 2008 WSOP Rincon Circuit Event which runs January 26, 2008 through February 7, 2008 if my surgery on January 22, 2008 in Torrance doesn't get the best of me.

Balancing Playing Poker with other Commitments

2007-09-20T11:42:00.000-07:00

The irony in the title of this post became very clear to me the other day when discussing, how business and other commitments were standing in the way of playing poker regularly.

Often how I play poker has came from experience gained in how I do business as well as the insights I have gained with successes and more importantly failures. In a recent Q and A in my column and marketing newsletter, I projected the following thoughts:

1. Poker play is about situations and how you relate to them with the information you have and experience you have with the game, the players and the action that has already occurred.

2. For me, doing business is much the same. Using your experience and information at hand as well as following the same formulas that have previously been successful should achieve the same results

3. Inexperienced poker players often make the same assumptions as inexperienced business people as misunderstanding either can effect results.

4. I have regularly said here and elsewhere that I don't have to be the smartest guy in the room and when I need the assistance of people smarter or with more experience than me, I am not too proud or afraid to ask.

5. In poker, I try and follow the same line of thinking by weighing all of the factors in playing a hand with an unknown or inexperienced player. Why risk tournament position fighting an unknown. You can't bet enough or take other action to force an inexperienced player out of the hand because they don't know any better. This isn't a bad beat analogy, unless you want it to be, but instead its a case for making better decisions all the time in every situation.

6. A good friend of mine often uses the illustration, explain it to me like I am a fifth grader not because that is the level she thinks, but instead because her experience helps draw out the details often overlooked. The analogy is you are not making it simple, by leaving out details, often the devil is in the details and that's what makes the difference. Absent experience, more information is needed.

7. I often experience people using big words to define a situation or claim they are calculating the odds as information in making a decision. If baffling me with antique or "farlexicon" (a) like vocabulary and/or expressing complex odds calculations in order to confuse me are your game, then good luck to you, because in either regard I learned everything I needed to know in grade school, but use a life of experiences in relating it.

(a) The lexicon is the internal dictionary, thus a farlexicon is an internal dictionary that is way out there!

The conclusion here is while I am "balance impaired" what I enjoy is an integral part of how I work and is the basis for everything else.

Favorite Los Angeles Area Casino

2007-06-16T14:23:00.000-07:00

After playing at all of the Casinos in Los Angeles, I have to say I have found a favorite.

After some very successful tournament play and some fun cash game play, my favorite is Crystal Park Casino.

I still play regularly at Harrah's Rincon and occasionally in Oceanside at Ocean's 11 and in Lake Elsinore at Lake Elsinore, but for the best tournament structure, Crystal Park is my handsdown favorite. It is also easier to get to than any of the rest and has the most flexible tournament schedule.

I can leave my house at 6:00 PM using the 73 toll road to the 4o5 and be at Crystal Park in under 50 minutes normally at the longest its taken is about an hour and 10 minutes.

They have the Summer Slam coming up July 19, 2007 and I plan to play every event of that tournament schedule.

I opted out of the 2007 World Series as my travel schedule this year is a direct conflict for the main event and being in the South Pacific for over 2 weeks takes a little more planning and strategy to be ready for.

I expect the Summer Slam will be a great work out for the 2007 Legends of Poker at the Bike coming up in August and September.

bill fillmaff

2007-03-24T11:46:00.001-07:00

Well, style or the lack of it could mean everything!

In Reflection of the 2006 WSOP

2007-02-26T19:17:00.000-08:00

In Reflection of the 2006 WSOP

2006’s WSOP was a lesson on the dramatic impact of variance. Variance, in simple terms, means that you will win a certain number of hands based on your holdings versus your opponent’s holdings over time. An example would be A-K versus Q-Q, which is basically a coin-toss situation. Math dictates that you will win with either hand roughly half the time, Q-Q being the slight favorite. Variance, however, could mean that you win with the A-K 20 times in a row, but over time, the Q-Q will slightly overtake the A-K in the number of times it wins. Variance also means that you could lose with the Q-Q versus A-K, a seemingly impossible and mathematically improbable number of times. And the bigger the fields, the more variance you will see in each individual tournament.Over time, it will even out, but it will always seem like you lose more times than you should in bigger field tournaments. The problem is that you have to survive many more coin-toss situations and survive against more draws than you would face in turnouts with fewer players.In this year’s WSOP, you had to negotiate record-breaking attendance and what seemed at times to be insurmountable odds. The number of coin flips and dramatic situations you faced increased over previous years. The luck factor also increased over previous years, simply because of the number of players in each event.

Combating big fields

A few years ago, pros talked about small-pot poker in their approach to the WSOP Main Event. Although it’s a sound theory, the problem with it in these enormous tournaments is that you will simply face too many situations in which your chips will be in jeopardy. This means that different tactics are necessary, unless you’re intent on leaving everything to chance, hoping to pick up huge hands when it matters.Odds say, however, that you will not pick up those hands exactly when you need them. That means you have to change your tactics and practice new things to combat the changing dynamics of these tournaments. Players are generally more aggressive now and aren’t afraid to gamble with you. They are overplaying their hands and overvaluing their holdings, forcing you into confrontation more and more. I can’t even tell you how many times players moved me all-in during the WSOP tournaments when I was sitting there with top set on a safe-looking board, only to beat me with some obscure draw. In a case like that, there is really nothing you can do but pray that your hand holds.To combat those inevitable situations, I feel you need to take risks early in a tournament, with the objective of getting chipped up to absorb the inevitable beats and drawing situations that players will force you into. This affords you the opportunity to make plays that your opponents cannot reasonably make. It also gives you the necessary cushion you will need to survive those situations where you are forced to go all-in to protect your hand or when an aggressive player puts you all-in while he is on a play or draw.

The Changing Face of WSOP Circuit Single Table Satellite Events

2007-02-18T22:30:00.000-08:00

The WSOP's decision to change the winner and payout structure of Single Table Satellites will dramatically effect the value of using satellite events to gain buy-in chips for featured events.

I am unsure if this is a change for the Rincon Event or if it is just sort of the advent of the impact that the anti-online gambling legislation is already starting to have on the World Series of Poker Brand. My gut feelings tell me this new program is the future

Now the standard level of play is to play down to the final 2 rather than going until there is a table winner. So now rather than playing to win, you are playing for position. A difficult feat due to the suck out factor and the small amount of starting chips.

In the first WSOP Circuit Event I attended, which was in Lake Tahoe last June, I was able to win about 1/3 of the Satellite Events I played which gave me a fairly good bankroll of event buy-in tokens. In other words, $1500 in buy-in chips cost me on average $400. Before when I won a $120 Single Table Satellite I won $1000 in buy-in chips and $100 cash. Under the new plan, first and second both earn 1 $500 buy-in chip and $50 cash. The same process was used for Single Table Satellites at the 2006 World Series of Poker and the September WSOP Circuit event in Lake Tahoe.

Under this new program winning one in 3 Satellite events as illustrated above earns exactly half as much as it did before. Simply making most single table satellite tournaments not a viable means for gaining featured event buy-in chips at WSOP Circuit Events.

The cash paid out to play the single table satellites, to gain chips just increased 100% thus making any featured event with a buy-in of under $1500, cheaper to just buy in to the event.

I won over $11,500 in buy-in chips from Single Table Satellite Events in 2006 between the June Lake Tahoe Circuit, The 2006 WSOP in Las Vegas and the September Lake Tahoe Circuit Event. My Total Cost $2600. This clearly illustrates the value of winning Single Table Satellites, before and their lack of value now. The same chips won would cost over twice as much starting cash outlay. Also simply the time to play that many satellite events to gain the chips is prohibitive at a Circuit Event as they only run for about 10 days and Single Table Tournaments due not run 24 hours a day.

I consider myself a fairly experienced Single Table Satellite Player with a proven success ratio and I believe this may be a terrible mistake for the continued success and growth of the WSOP Circuit Events.

All this being said, I had a great week of wins in other tournaments and cash games, so I can't say all was lost. Big Wins on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

I am also glad Harrah's Rincon has decided that Poker is not an after thought after all and has brought the Poker Room up to the standards of other Harrah's properties, something that they have taken years to do.

Watch for me on NBC early next month. The schedule will follow and be posted here as it becomes available and in upcoming commercials for online retailer XpressTech.

I am also in talks for a Poker based Reality Program on Satellite Radio. This Program will also be simulcast over the Internet and have some live call in contests. Details will follow when the contracts are inked and the promotions start.

I will also be promoting Sector Watches from Sector USA. If you see me, ask me for a Demo and I will give you a discount certificate off of your purchase of a Sector Watch from XpressTech. My Sector Watch is truly my favorite Poker Accessory.

Heads Up Poker In Los Angeles

2007-01-18T18:36:00.000-08:00

Lots of Poker coming up in February 2007. I just signed a deal to represent Xpresstech.US in the World Heads Up Poker Championship from February 5th through February 8. From my initial understanding, this event will open at The Bicycle Casino on February 5th for the Match-up Party and then move to Crystal Park Casino in Compton for the opening round on February 6th at 2:00 PM. Day 2 play resumes at 2:00 on February , with the Tournament concluding on February 8th, with one player standing. Maybe it will be me!

Other tournaments I am scheduled to play in are the LA Poker Classic at Commerce Casino in Los Angeles running Jabuary 25 through March 6, 2007 and the World Series of Poker, Circuit Event at Harrahs Rincon in Northern San Diego County.

Poker in January

2007-01-07T22:06:00.000-08:00

December is always a busy month, but selling electronics online and through our retail affiliation also makes it the busiest month of the year. I haven't played in any big tournaments since The 2006 Legends of Poker. The remainder have been smaller venues and lots of cash games. Many ups and downs, but at the end of the year I was still up.

This next week is CES in Las Vegas an I am looking forward to the cash games at Harrahs and Imperial Palace. Lots of people in Vegas means games running around the clock.

I am planning to play all of the events during the February WSOP Circuit Event at Harrah's Rincon in Northern San Diego County.

2006-12-16T21:59:00.000-08:00

August Poker and More

2006-09-14T14:41:00.000-07:00

For me August was a slow month for poker, especially when you consider I played nearly everyday throughout the entire 37th Annual World Series of Poker.

After finishing 953rd of 8773 in event 39, which is more commonly known as the Main Event or the $10,000.00 Buy-in No Limit Hold'em event, I spent the next several days playing in side games and in some satellite events. From what I can tell their is some great ESPN footage of me at the Table on Day 1A with James Garner and on day 2A after most of the well known and named pros were eliminated.

More information on my ongoing dispute with WSOP management and Harrahs Entertainment over chips that were missing from my chip count during the Main Event from day 1A, when I came in to play on day 2A can be found on www.pokerblog.com and on http://pokerati.com/ as well as other incidents of a similar nature. Dan Michalski has discussed this issue and its arbitrary handling by WSOP Management a number of times in his "Pokerati" columns. Despite the confusion and doubts over past events of this nature, one thing for certain is that the Nevada Gaming Control Board is investigating my dispute and has opened a case against the "Rio Hotel and Casino" and Harrahs Entertainment as a result. Since this dispute has little to do with the theme of "Willystyle77", I will provide most of the updates for these events at http://www.pokerblog.com/blog/86

In early August towards the end of the 37th Annual WSOP I was sponsored in Event 41 and Event 43 by Xpresstech.US and Xpress Holdings, Inc., in hopes of promoting their web presence for the upcoming selling seasons, more specifically Back to School and Christmas and based on the website traffic, it appears those endeavors were successful despite my poor results in those events.

In Event 41 I had Doyle Brunson and Jennifer Tilly at my table, Doyle coming in right after a well known European Pro was eliminated in the first hand. In late position I pushed all in after 3 limpers with pocket queens, only to be followed by a re-raise by the big blind and a re-raise by Jennifer Tilly. Jennifer caught the straight on the turn eliminating me and 2 others. Great catch and well played. Normally in the situation she was in, I would have been gone, but she saw the pot odds and had a made hand of sorts and hung in there for the win. Well played!!

I played online for a Championship seat to the Legends of Poker Event at the Bicycle Club on CD Poker and was eliminated early in the online qualifier mostly due to technical difficulties at the site followed up by some incredible suck outs by some crazy players. So much so I would not have believed it had it been a story I was told rather than witnessed it by my own experiences.

Ended up playing in several live Legends events and Satellites and made some money and accumulated alot of buy-in chips , but I had already decided that I was not going to play in the Championship event unless I won the seat outright as I had not felt well enough physically to get into another tournament potentially lasting several days.

While initially it appeared that the Legends Championship Event was going to be dominated by pros, it turned out that the winner Joe Pelton, while a great player was a relative unknown as was the second place finisher Frankie O'dell. In the case of both the first and second place winners, this was their largest ever reported wins. Third place went to well known Pro, Hoyt Corkins and several other pros finished in the top 20.

I know better than to play long sessions of poker when I don't feel well, but often I still do it and as you can expect the results are not good. These "summer cold" symptoms that I had started feeling back in June around the beginning of the Lake Tahoe WSOP Circuit Event, had gone away and returned now for the 4th and most severe time and now I was really feeling ill. Turns out it is the EBV virus and it's life span is 8 to 12 weeks, but hey, the good news is that it won't be back again.

So at the regular games I play in weekly I started experiencing such poor results, that it seemed either I had forgotten or never knew how to play poker. I am happy to say that I have broken that cycle and seem to have returned to my normal playing patterns.

Since the cycle broke and I am feeling better I am playing this week at WSOP Circuit in Lake Tahoe and the Heartland Poker Tour at beginning September 27, 2006 near Fresno, California.

2006-07-22T16:40:00.000-07:00

2006 WSOP Event 17 Finished 283 out of 2780

Finishing 283rd in anything is not an accomplishment I would normally be proud of, but when you consider the number of people who had to lose just to get to where I finished, it kinds of puts it on a totally different scale. Event 17 had the largest individual field of players ever in the history of the World Series of Poker.

2006-07-21T18:40:00.000-07:00

INSIDE THE MIND, HEART, & SOUL OF A POKER PRO

By: Will Everly

It is commonly thought that poker pro's play tightly and aggressively.

Although they don’t play many hands, when they do play them, they play as if they had all the nuts. This is a nicely cooked-up saying and all, but it is for those who really don't know how to play and who just want to sound smart, like they've been there and done that. Case in point: It doesn't necessarily apply to no-limit games where a good, loose yet aggressive player can throw you off your game in a heartbeat. Therefore I ought to shed some light on what it really means to be a tight and aggressive poker player.

* Think Like A Pro: Do The Math

Generally speaking, you will have about a 1 in 8 chance of holding a set in your pocket pair while you will have roughly a 1 in 3 chance of attaining a flopped flush draw by the river.

Likewise know your "outs" that give a percentage shot at hitting. (Count the outs, multiply them by two, and add one to give you an idea the likelihood of hitting.)

However, knowing your "outs" to calculate hitting percentages are useless unless you match them with the pot odds; your percentage chances of hitting should be no less than the amount you have bet in proportion to the total pot at the river. (Simply divide the size of what you speculate will be the pot at the river flop by the amount you have put in.) Having come up with a 25% chance of hitting/winning by counting your outs, and the bet to you is 25, make sure that the pot at the river will be greater than 100 to call. If it isn't, cut your (potential and likely) losses and fold.

* Feel Like A Pro: Psychological Skills

The latter part of the saying "keep your friends close, hold your enemies closer" is true of any competition. A poker pro is always on the hunt to get a good feel on what his opponent is trying to do.

- What does my opponent have?
- What does my opponent think I have?
- What does my opponent think I think he has? And so on.

Contrary to what you may think, the mindset of poker pro's is not about obliterating their enemies into utter and complete destruction. Often, it is a battle to use your opponents simply to discover your own strengths and weaknesses on equal footing with keeping your ego in check. Developing an understanding that you must empathize with your opponents helps you to answer the previous questions and empowers you to manipulate those answers, putting you at a superior level of game play.

If you have KK and your opponent has AA, and you both know what each other have, why play the game of poker? You have other tools such as bluffing, slow playing, or fast playing. Use your acting skills to complement your math skills and tip your opponents off balance.

* Be a Pro: Discipline, Discipline, Discipline

Good poker players are consistent in their demand to seek advantages. A fish looks to get lucky, whereas a poker pro expects to win.

However, discipline is not to be confused with stubbornness. If a particular strategy is no longer working a poker pro will know how and when to change. A high level of alertness will clue him in as to whether he's on tilt or just being too cocky. If a mistake has been made, he will learn from it and move on.

Fundamentally, these three skills can be encapsulated into one word: awareness. Like in school you should be able to learn how to read by knowing your mathematical odds, write by manipulating your opponent's mindset, and finally to think for yourself when new or otherwise unknown situations arise. Once you grasp this triple-threat concept, success should be knocking at your doorstep.

For most of us, this is a constant work in process.

2006-07-17T02:02:00.000-07:00

News Flash! Successful online crossbreading!

2006-07-14T18:56:00.000-07:00

NEWS FLASH!!
____________

Scientists at the CUATTHERIVER Poker University have successfully cross-bred donkeys and fish.

The result of this cross breeding has created your typical online poker player.

My 1st Cash in the WSOP

2006-07-14T04:29:00.000-07:00

My 1st Cash in the WSOP!

It's not that 283rd place is an accomplishment that I am normally proud of; but now with so many entrants and the fields are so huge, it is very difficult to make it in the money. There were 2,849 entrants in Event #17 the JULY 10, 2006 $1000 no limit hold'em event, so you see how many people had to lose just to get where I finished. There are a lot of people who go a whole WSOP without cashing, so it is also a small confidence booster. The stats aren't too bad: 1st cash (so far) in my first year of play at the WSOP. Anyway, the $1517 I cashed is hardly enough to brag about (or to break even with, having played 3 events); but I thought everyone might like to know. Event # 17 was the largest single day event in the history of the World Series of Poker.

I had a great coaching session with Poker Specialist Barry Tannenbaum the day before the event and I am certain it helped with my results. I also took some the advice I got from my good friend and tournament poker genius Alex Outhred.

Event 31, the $2,000 no limit hold’em event beginning on July 21, is in my sites now and I am focusing on what I need to do make a good finish in that event.

The Main event of the 2006 World Series of Poker is now only two weeks away. I am hopeful I will be in group A, which means my start date will be the 28^th and that I can focus on playing favorable situations which will allow me to build my chip stack and put me in good shape for my second day of play. This will give me the opportunity to relax and get some rest before my second day. Of course, this means I have play smart in order to make it through to the end of the first day of play. Each of the four groups of 2000 will continue play on the starting day until 800 players remain. This could easily mean that day one will be twelve to 14 hours of play with limited breaks.

CD POKER UPTO $500 Free and WPT LEGENDS COMPETITION

2006-07-14T02:49:00.000-07:00

2006-07-10T02:13:00.000-07:00

Confession of a Poker Player

2006-07-08T22:18:00.000-07:00

"Confession of a Poker Player”

“Poker will get you through times of no money, better than money will get through times of no poker.”

OVERCOMING LUCK AND BEATING THE ODDS

2006-07-06T00:43:00.000-07:00

OVERCOMING LUCK AND BEATING THE ODDS

By: Will Everly, Jr.

Luck is a huge factor in poker. Just to win a major event these days you must get lucky more times than you can count. You are going to have to win every race that you find yourself in. Skill is important, but you must be sure to overcome the luck and beat the odds.

With a lot of the new internet players hitting the felt, hand expectations have dropped. There are many players playing hands with marginal consequences. Because of this the luck factor in poker has increased. Even if you are going into an all in situation with the best of it, worse players are calling and sucking out. Even though it is impossible to avoid this, there are ways to keep the skill high and the reliance on luck lower.

Make sure you are playing the right hands. You shouldn't be getting involved with a marginal hand against an aggressive player. If you know you are going to get called, you shouldn't be wasting your chips to try and bluff. Now, if you know your opponent is weaker you can mix up your game more and play different types of hands. It is all about reading your opponent to decide where you stand in a hand.

Try not to go into any situation with the worst of it. Try to stay away from drawing situations, and don't get all your chips in the pot if you don't think you are ahead in the hand. If you are going into hands with the better percentage of winning then you don't have to rely on luck as much to help you win. You do, though, hope to avoid bad luck where the person sucks out on you! You shouldn't necessarily hope for good luck in a tournament, but hope that bad luck stays away. If you always play with the best of it then you won't need good luck.

If someone does suck out on you and you are still in the tournament you must make sure you avoid letting it get to you. You have to realize that this hand is done and you have to move on to the next one. If you are mad about something that happened at the table, you should never let your opponents know, because they will try to take advantage of that. You should act as if whatever happened didn't bother you a bit, and know that if they sucked out on you they may not be as good as you and you will be able to get your chips back from them later.

There is so much poker advice out there, but in general you should be playing tight but aggressive. You should have an idea of everyone's playing style at your table. Play the looser players tighter and the tighter players looser. Mix up your game and be sure never to get all of your chips involved when you have the worst of it. If you do this then you won't have to rely on luck, and you will find yourself beating the odds and hopefully becoming the next World Series of Poker Main Event Champion.

2006 WSOP Trial, Errors and Tribulations

2006-07-05T19:08:00.000-07:00

This year marks my first experience going to the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. I thought going to a WSOP Circuit Event (such as the one in Lake Tahoe at Harveys or at Harrahs Rincon) would help me be better prepared for what to expect and what I learned is nothing could be farther from the truth.

Since I already have my main event seat taken care of, I thought I would try my hand at some of the Single Table Satellites and 2nd Chance Events as I had done in Lake Tahoe in early June.

While it took me several tries in Lake Tahoe to actually win a Single Table Satellite, and believing that experience would give me an edge in the WSOP Single Table Satellites and 2nd chance events, I instead learned is that nothing except being there can prepare you for a room filled with several thousands of people playing in tournaments of various levels.

The most important lesson I learned is that playing tight aggressive alone, is not going to win very often in events where your starting chip counts are so low. I regularly ended up in hands where I had the best possible starting hand, (at a minimum top pair with top kicker) only to have all my chips in the pot and lose on the river. You will rarely hear me complain of a bad beat as in the end the best hand always wins, but the irony is that you need to win more than your share of races and enjoy some luck in your favor. More important than all that is that you need to keep from having bad luck as well.

I spent several days analyzing the hands played by different professional players in a couple of No Limit Events as well as the outcome of the play. I have concluded your intuition of where you stand in a hand can often have more value than the strength of your cards, especially when it is tied into your perceived table image.

One common thing I have seen throughout the last week, is that the only thing that can crush your intuition of the value of your hand is to misread the perceived value of your opponents hand. Misreading can be both in the positive and negative respects.

On two different occasions I actually had four of a kind. Pocket Queens and two more on the flop on the first occasion, where I raised 4 times the big blind and had a few callers. Also I had just moved to the table and was the big blind, so it was probably expected based on my chip stack that I would defend my big blind.

On the second occasion, I had pocket sevens and two more on the flop so I made a standard raise and everybody folded. Upon reflection, I know that I should have checked, leaving the betting to someone else or it being checked around to get another card, hoping the next round would give others a betting hand.

These examples go back to my statement of perceived hand values, I knew my hand was the best hand, yet I had not considered the hand values of others at that point in the hand which ultimately cost me money as the hand was over. Why was it my first nature to bet, when I knew my hand was not likely to be beaten?

Imperial Poker 101 Tournament

2006-07-05T12:59:00.000-07:00

Played last week in the Imperial 101 Poker Tournament at the Imperial Palace in Las Vegas.

Despite the fact that I finished just outside the money, I played some of my best poker ever.

The structure of this tournament was very good and there were some tough players. Approximatley 353 actual players when nearly 500 were expected. My table and seat assignment were excellent in that the table I was at on the first dau was the last table to break.

For the most part, I spent most of the first day just staying out of the way of the Big stacks and the calling stations. In the last hour of the first day I caught the right cards and managed to double up twice. At the end of the first day, I was 17th out of about 120 players remainining.

Day 2 began fairly uneventful and I continued to build my stack. About 3 hours in I caught pocket Kings and bet them up and got all of my money in to lose to a set of Jacks. Out in 31st place. The ironic thing is had I of pondered my hand another 15 to 30 seconds, I would have finished in the money as almost immediately after I went out three others were out from another table.

My nature is to constantly play to win, so I sometimes forget that getting my money back is a win of sorts as well, which is what I would have done if I had waited. I felt I had the best hand and I played it out and lost. This was a race of sorts and this time I lost. My hand was the best hand up until the river.

Congratulations to Allen Kessler winning first place of $51,619.00.

Carnival Poker Cruise

2006-07-05T11:21:00.000-07:00

Carnival Poker Cruise

1-800-817-4760 - 713-429-5567
The ships are filling up! It's time to get your room.
Brought to you by PlayersCruise and Carnival Cruise Lines
Just a short trip to Galveston and you are on your way to the vacation you have always dreamed of.Sail off to the Caribbean on a luxury cruise liner. Enjoy the entertainment, fine dining, night clubs,casino, and of course our professionally run poker room. While in port, go scuba diving, snorkeling,play on the beach, do some sightseeing, party at the local clubs, and go shopping.
Treat yourself, you deserve it!

Sail Dates: All Meals, Shows, Taxes, & Port Charges Included in Price.
4 Day August 31 - September 4
Labor Day Weekend Cruise
Starting at $410.25
Port: Cozumel, Mexico
Pro Instruction from Matt Dean

7 Day September 10 - September 17
Carnivals Largest Ship - Pictured Above
Starting at $649.10
Ports: Jamaica - Grand Caymans - Cozumel
Pro Instruction from Freddy Deeb

Rates:Rates are per person based on double occupancy
Rates include port charges, government fees, and taxes.Rates can go up as the ship fills up, so book early.
WHAT IS A POKER CRUISE?All the amenities of a Carnival cruise with a 24hr poker room.
We provide professional dealers, game hosts, & tournament
directors, just like your favorite casino.

Bring your whole family!!They will all have plenty to do while you are grinding away at the poker table ;^)Check our website for fun things to do on the ship, and in port.Game Hours:We will be open 24hrs while we are at sea.
Check the website for itinerary.Poker Events and Limits:We will have plenty of tournaments and cash games to suit your poker needs.Daily multi table, and Sit&Go tournaments, with a final Players Championship Freeroll.
Most tournaments will be $50 - $100 Freezouts (No Rebuys)
$.50/$1 $1/$2 $2/$5 No Limit and Pot Limit Hold Em Cash Games.
$2/$4, $3/$6/$12 & $10/$20 Limit Hold Em Cash Games.Other Games and Limits available by request.

2-3 weeks before we sail, you will be sent a survey asking what games you are
interested in. We will build our final schedule based on your needs.Free Lessons:Daily group table lessons.
Low limit learning tournaments.
Some cruises offer professional poker players & Seminars
Expected:
4 Day - Matt Dean - 7th Place 2004 WSOP Main Event
7 Day - Freddie Deeb - WPT & WSOP Champion.

FAQ:
How many players do you expect?
A minimum of 100 players per cruising.

Can my kids go?
Yes, There are a ton of things for kids to do on the ship.
Check Carnival's website for kids activities.

How old do you have to be to play?
18yrs or older.

Can I travel by myself?
Yes, BUT... All cabins are based on double occupancy.
You would need to pay for 2 people even if you go alone.
We always have players that have to travel alone.
We can help match you up with someone if needed.

Can we get 3-4 people in one room?
Yes, the rate is lowered for 3rd and 4th person.
Call us for a quote. Avg. is 3/4 the regular price.

Why is your price higher than the website?
It's really much lower. Carnival's website does
not include port charges and taxes which can
be as high as $200 per person.

When should I book?
Of course I am going to say NOW!!! ;^))
Our group rates are only held till June 25th
After that we have to beg for more time.
The rates will end up being the rack rate
you see on Carnival's website.

Do I have to play poker?
No, not at all. You pick the games, and times you
want to play. It's your cruise. Do what you want!
Need More info? Ready to Book?Call us at 1-800-817-4760 - 713-429-5567
or check our website at PlayersCruise.com

What a great week for Live Poker.

2006-05-13T21:54:00.000-07:00

What a great week for Live Poker.

My regular Tuesday night tournament game was a decent win for me for the 3^rd time in the last month. At present I am the leading cash winner and tied for second in points. My showing the week before was not near as enjoyable, but the game is always an experience I try not to miss.

Last night I played in a new higher stakes tournament game and it was a big win for me. The cash game before the tournament was a real confidence builder as we played Omaha and Omaha Hi/Lo (not my best games) and I managed to win some big hands as well.

And then the tide changed and the internet was not my friend.

Played today on Doyle’s Room and Bodog Poker in Multi-Table Tournaments for WSOP Main Event Seats and it started out with Doyle’s Room having system problems with their payment system, so players could not rebuy in a rebuy tournament (a serious problem, I am sure you can imagine) and ended up losing some large hands on Bodog with a King High Flush. It is time to take the rest of the day off from poker.

Tomorrow has to be a better day.

More WSOP Main Event Seats tournaments tomorrow, I am already going, but hey I will take another seat for a friend or the cash equivalent.

Lots of Casino Tournaments in Southern California this week, Both Commerce and Hollywood Park have big games and I expect to be there someplace.