Q & A's

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Dear CALVIN,

We've been getting a lot of questions here regarding
poker strategies. Because of our high subscription rate, it simply isn't
possible for us to get to everyone's question, so we've gone through and
filtered out some of the more commonly asked questions and answered
them below.

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THIS WEEK IN POKER:
* Why do I suffer more 'bad beats' playing online poker?
* What can I do to stay attentive?
* How do I know which poker room is best?
* What can I do to win with a hand I should always win with?
* How do I know if I have a tell?
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POKER FAQ'S (PART 1 OF 2)


Q. Why do I suffer more 'bad beats' playing online poker than I do in a
regular casino?

A. Large numbers of online poker players feel this way. Due to the fact
that online poker prohibits you from seeing your opponents, it makes it
more difficult to get a read on their style of play. This can lead to
you catching a larger number of bad beats. Online poker rooms are also
rife with amateur players who feel more comfortable playing with the
anonymity provided by online play. Because of this, you can find yourself
suffering bad beats related to higher volumes of amateur players at the
tables. Their bad call could cause your bad beat.


Q. I have a difficult time playing patiently online. What can I do to
stay attentive?

A. Online poker can be a real grind. When you're sitting at a casino,
there are a number of distractions to keep your attention in between
moments of play. You can spend time watching your opponents and looking
for "tells." When you play online, however, it can be more difficult to
remain patient, especially if you see a run of bad cards that cause you
to fold quite often. We suggest that you focus on raking 1 big pot
every hour. Don't allow yourself to become impatient by listening to music,
reading strategy information (such as your latest poker letter tips)
Make sure that you won't be interrupted and plan on devoting a designated
amount of time to attentive play. After a while, you can increase this
length of time until you feel that you are attentive and in control
without having to monitor your time of play. (Keep in mind that everyone
gets rattled, and that by getting control of yourself, you can gain an
edge on other impatient players at the table)


Q. There are so many poker rooms online to choose from. How do I know
which is best?

A. Cardschat (Im winking)SHERMSTICK.


Q. I never seem to play Aces right. What can I do to win with a hand I
should always win with?

A. Lots of players have a hard time playing with pocket Aces,
especially online. The first thing to take into account is your position. You
want a lot of action, but you don't want anyone to be able to catch a
lucky flop, dominating your hand. For example, you are the big blind and
you catch pocket Aces. A couple players call from early position and the
button raises. You should simply call instead of re-raising. It is
unlikely that all previous callers will call the dealer's raise, so there
is no need to force anyone else out or give the dealer anymore
information about your hand. For the same scenario, now assume that the dealer
doesn't raise, but simply calls. For this scenario, you should raise the
pot because you don't want anyone to be able to catch a lucky flop.

Make it clear that you are in a strong position, knowing that players
who will have position on you after the flop will likely call you. The
worst thing you can do with pocket Aces is scare action away.


Q. How do I know if I have a tell?

A. Anyone who has played poker has at one time been in the position of
wondering whether or not they have any poker tells. Although online
poker provides players with anonymity, it is still possible to have a tell
sign that other players can pick up on. It is very important to keep
notes on how you play certain hands in certain positions. If you allow
yourself to fall into a formulaic style of play, you will be easily
beaten time and time again. By taking the time to pay attention to your many
actions on a given hand, you will be able to notice any tells that you
might be giving off. Once you locate a tell, you can use it to your
advantage. If a player has been capitalizing on said tell, you can get
control of him/her by making them think what you want them to. Make them
think you're weak when you're strong; strong when you're weak. This
ability to play off your own tell has a limit, so make sure you capitalize
on it while you can.

SHERMSTICK