Sean Poker

DUCY? is the upcoming book from David Sklansky and Al Schoonmaker from 2+2 publishing. Here’s the link to 2+2 website.

Not sure I will buy it, as I am afraid it might just be the authors’ opinions on various subjects with some rationalization using gambling metaphors, but I could be totally wrong.

Anyway, the title is pretty irritating, and I have had some fun with it lately while killing time. Thanks to El Gonso for the pics of the original cover (good job, by the way).

Click to read more...

When it comes to improving your game, nothing beats a good player watching you play, fixing your leaks and clearing many things up.

This is all the more true for PLO, as there is not a great deal of good resources both on the web or in the current literature; there are always forums, but the advice should often be taken with a pinch of salt, given that many players either play overly aggressive and tell you to shove every other hand, or only play the nuts with redraws.

By the end of 2008, after several months of CardRunners membership, I decided to take a coach. My PLO game was pretty rough and ABC, but I was used to 6max games and I didn’t nutpeddle anymore. One of my goal back then was to have a better control of aggression. So there I was, looking on the web for a PLO coach.

Click to read more...

In poker and many other games, a significant difference between the newcomer and the more experienced player is the ability to devise a plan and anticipate how the situation could evolve. Of course, one does not know (hopefully) what cards will fall or what one’s opponents will do, but it is not too complicated to categorize the various possibilities and figure out how likely each category is. This contrasts with the beginner who simply tries to find the “best move” in each situation (playing quiz poker), with no real plan. The same trait shows in chess, where beginners play mostly for tricks and tactics, and have little understanding of strategical requirements.

This lack of game plan generally translates into the inadequate use of available resources, ie. poker chips. Many beginners bring some chips at the poker table as though it was a second, temporary bankroll for the session. They don’t plan on putting it all at stake unless they have the nuts. Naturally, this is all wrong. Chips are like infantry on the battlefield: you must know how many men you have, and how many assaults you can launch. If a general “throw some forces” at the enemy and he realizes in the middle of the battle that he has no division left for the decisive onslaught, this is very poor planning. Same if he sends a few divisions in some murky situations, only to find out that he cannot back them up with the rest of his troops as he cannot risk losing too many men in such a mess.

In poker, you need to know how many “assaults” you can launch with your stack, and whether you risk getting caught in some predicament where you have already invested many chips in the hand but the situation doesn’t look good anymore. In other words, you should manage your stack adequately to make the most of it.

Click to read more...