Hey Cardschatters!

I have been teaching playing poker for over 15 years and teaching it for 10 on my youtube channel. I absolutely love teaching poker and helping players improve their game.

I know first hand how frustrating it can be to have a question which you can't get the answer to and how much it can drive a mind nuts. So I'm here to offer my experience and services to help put your busy mind at rest and help you build confidence in your self and your poker game.

Over the past 5 years I have made 100 Q+A videos in https://www.youtube.com/user/gripsed...dd&shelf_id=18

If you've got a question that hasn't already been made into a video please post it here and I will give you a written response, and if you're lucky I might even make a video on it too!

Looking forward to being of service and helping you reach your goals in poker, be it to be the best player in the room, or simply to have more fun with your friends.

Let's Get Stackin!

Hi Evan,

It is really great for our forum to have you with us. Thank you so much for taking time to be here and participate.

Where do you mainly play poker these days (online/live; tournies/cash)? What do you consider your strongest game?

Hi Evan. I have great experience in live poker, but I'm a beginner in online game. What would you say is fundamental to what we should pay attention in online game as opposed to the live game?

Great idea for an AMA thread - we have never had 1 in Learning Poker.

Thanks!

Hi Evan,
fantastic idea, but I'll first check out youtube b4 asking the questions already answered there.

hi, Evan. I have a big problem with discipline. if I have AJ, AK, AQ, then in response to the raise I try to shove the whole stack instead of making a 3-bet. in most cases, it is a loss, but there is always hope of winning, because sometimes it works.
how to keep from this madness? thanks, Vlad.

Hello Evan, welcome to the forum I am glad you are here.

I browsed some of the videos the questions you covered are great and are a lot of what members ask on the forum regularly.

I definitely recommend that everyone check out them out.

These are great free resources and I am sure that everyone watching them will be able learn something that will help them improve their game and themselves.

Thank you for the videos and keep up the good work.

Thanks for the information!

Hi Evan!

As you know, having mastery of ICM is crucial for your success in Sit N Go. However, how do you properly study ICM?

Now, if I ask this in forum; they will say "You put the hand into ICMIZER, you see from those fancy graphic and you derive insight from that and you move on to the next hand." However, I think deep down insight we both know that doesn't work. I mean sure, you get to see if you were calling too loose, but will we remember that calling a shove with 15 BB with AJ against 88+, ATo+, ATs, KTs+ at a 8 handed table is too loose during the game? Of course not. Insight from ICMIZER is too specific for us to remember and sometimes too specific to be useful.

So a more proper question is probably how do I get insight when I study ICM?

Originally Posted by nabmom

Hi Evan,

It is really great for our forum to have you with us. Thank you so much for taking time to be here and participate.

Where do you mainly play poker these days (online/live; tournies/cash)? What do you consider your strongest game?

Hi nabmom!

These days the majority of my play is live cash at Niagara Casino.
I also play some at Brantford casino and a little bit of underground.

When I'm away from home I tend to play tournaments, this year I played Run it Up Reno, The Fallsview Poker Classic, and I'm off to the WSOP for the Main Event Next Week.

I do best in environments that reward patience and sustained focus. Live tournaments with good structure fit the bill, but given how taxing they are I prefer to only play 1 every 3 months of so.

Cash games allow me to play shorter sessions and due to the deepstacked (and usually full ring) nature of the game, they reward my patience.

My strongest game is definitely No Limit Hold'em, but I do have a strong passion for Pot Limit Omaha 8-or-better. And the more cards the better, so Big O is a +++++++

As for live vs online. I used to do well online, but in my 30s now and having really taxed my eyes and decision making over the years, I find multitabling to be extremely stressful on me, and even one tabling for 4-8 hours to be too hard on my body. So that's why online is kind of out for now.

I feel that online is more catered to the youth as high speed decision making is rewarded, and live is more catered to the wise as patience and focus are rewarded.

Originally Posted by vuk011

Hi Evan. I have great experience in live poker, but I'm a beginner in online game. What would you say is fundamental to what we should pay attention in online game as opposed to the live game?

If this were a year ago I would have said focus primarily on learning how to use a HUD and what the key statistics to pay attention to are. There is so much data you can gather with these tools and figuring out optimal strategies becomes very easy when you have people's frequencies in front of you.

i.e. fold to c-bet, fold to c-bet in 3 bet pot, fold to 2-barrel
and vice verse, c-bet, c-bet in 3-bet pot, check raise, donk bet

But with Party taking away HUDs and games going more anonymous it's hard to say.

In an anonymous environment having a strong understanding of frequencies and how to build ranges is the most valuable thing. Because that's where strong play starts at.

Ed Miller has a great book on this called Poker's 1% that is a very easy read.

That's where I would start if I were in your shoes.

Originally Posted by joeisi

Hello Evan, welcome to the forum I am glad you are here.

I browsed some of the videos the questions you covered are great and are a lot of what members ask on the forum regularly.

I definitely recommend that everyone check out them out.

These are great free resources and I am sure that everyone watching them will be able learn something that will help them improve their game and themselves.

Thank you for the videos and keep up the good work.

Thank you very much for these kind words Joeisi!

I've got to invest in some new lighting, but there's a possibility that some of these questions could get video replies instead of just typed replies.

Would you guys/girls be into that idea?

Originally Posted by bablovod

hi, Evan. I have a big problem with discipline. if I have AJ, AK, AQ, then in response to the raise I try to shove the whole stack instead of making a 3-bet. in most cases, it is a loss, but there is always hope of winning, because sometimes it works.
how to keep from this madness? thanks, Vlad.

Hi bablovod,

I invite you to take a look at your motivations for playing poker.

If your motivation is related to playing for excitement or playing for a rush, then this behavior makes complete sense. You're giving yourself a chance to win a big pot.

Likewise if your motivation is fear based, making plays like this is also common because it prevents you from having to think/act on later streets and potentially make more mistakes.

Thinking thru a hand takes a lot of mental energy, the same way keeping your willpower takes a lot of mental energy. When your mental energy is depleted we go back to our default behaviors (be it maniacal or mouse like). It sounds like you're more on the aggro side of the spectrum.

It's likely that discipline is not just an issue on the poker table but in life in general. I invite you to look at areas where you like discipline and look for simpler ways to build it up. i.e making your bed in the morning, following any kind of exercise routine, staying away from stimulating/addictive things, and so on.

Doing this will build the habit of discipline which will naturally carry over into your poker game. And building discipline will also build your ability to learn, at which point you can get into the finer points of strategy.

For now I would really ask yourself, why you play poker, what your motivation is, and where the easiest places to start building more discipline in your life would be. And from there enjoy the rewards that come with it if you choose to embark on that journey.

Hope that helps!

I think that would be a great idea.

I don't have any questions but I would definitely be interested in watching your answers to the questions other members have.

When it comes to learning I prefer videos rather than books.

Best of luck in the main event

Originally Posted by Evan Jarvis

Thank you very much for these kind words Joeisi!

I've got to invest in some new lighting, but there's a possibility that some of these questions could get video replies instead of just typed replies.

Would you guys/girls be into that idea?

Originally Posted by lonenlynobita

Hi Evan!

As you know, having mastery of ICM is crucial for your success in Sit N Go. However, how do you properly study ICM?

Now, if I ask this in forum; they will say "You put the hand into ICMIZER, you see from those fancy graphic and you derive insight from that and you move on to the next hand." However, I think deep down insight we both know that doesn't work. I mean sure, you get to see if you were calling too loose, but will we remember that calling a shove with 15 BB with AJ against 88+, ATo+, ATs, KTs+ at a 8 handed table is too loose during the game? Of course not. Insight from ICMIZER is too specific for us to remember and sometimes too specific to be useful.

So a more proper question is probably how do I get insight when I study ICM?

Great question!

I've always thought that the ranges ICMIZER suggested were too tight when looking at Nash. But once I learned to tweak the calling ranges and jamming ranges of the other opponents they started to become more accurate and valuable. This means putting in a bit more time into studying each hand but it also yields a greater amount of insight each time.

Another thing to note is that ICMIZER does a poor job of valuing the future value of your stack, and what you could do with say a big stack on the bubble. This is something Nick Petrangelo talks about in his ICM unmasked course: It's important to not adhere rigidly to what solvers/equilibrium's suggest because:

A) Many people are not playing Nash
B) The future game implications aren't valued enough

He suggests that it's important to think about things from a strategic perspective, and just consider how the future plays out if you take a close spot, is it worth the risk. I discuss that a fair bit as well in my video on when to gamble in poker tournaments

You Tube

BenCB also discusses the value of sometimes calling wider than Nash suggests because maybe you are 3 handed with 1 reg and 1 fish, and if you call-off against the reg and win you'll be headsup with the Fish and win 1st like 90% of the time. In this case it can be worth gambling more, whereas gambling with the fish to get headsup with the reg is not as valuable because your rate of hitting 1st place won't be anywhere near as high.

So this is where it really comes down to using your good strategic brain that you've got an adding your own feel/insight into the equation. The programs like ICMIZER are great for giving you a baseline, and adjusting the ranges beyond Nash gives even more insight, and it's so great that they tell you how +EV or -EV a play is in terms of BBs.

But it's your assessment of the situation that determines just how +EV in bb a spot needs to be to justify gambling, or if a -EV spot can be worth taking. Look at the table set-up, (who has position on who), the meta game between players, the payout structure, and if you can get the info, how meaningful the money is to each player. Then you're really considering all the factors (which a calculator like ICMIZER simply can't input)

Originally Posted by lonenlynobita

Hi Evan!

As you know, having mastery of ICM is crucial for your success in Sit N Go. However, how do you properly study ICM?

Now, if I ask this in forum; they will say "You put the hand into ICMIZER, you see from those fancy graphic and you derive insight from that and you move on to the next hand." However, I think deep down insight we both know that doesn't work. I mean sure, you get to see if you were calling too loose, but will we remember that calling a shove with 15 BB with AJ against 88+, ATo+, ATs, KTs+ at a 8 handed table is too loose during the game? Of course not. Insight from ICMIZER is too specific for us to remember and sometimes too specific to be useful.

So a more proper question is probably how do I get insight when I study ICM?

You may also find this video series to be helpful, it's from my friend who is an ICMIZER expert to show some of the finer ways you can use the program to gain insights: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBrNnyWekagN5Ch5cRcCWJL2rehmVd08r

If you like these kind of videos I can certainly ask him to make some more. Let me know!

Originally Posted by Evan Jarvis

Hey Cardschatters!

I have been teaching playing poker for over 15 years and teaching it for 10 on my youtube channel. I absolutely love teaching poker and helping players improve their game.

I know first hand how frustrating it can be to have a question which you can't get the answer to and how much it can drive a mind nuts. So I'm here to offer my experience and services to help put your busy mind at rest and help you build confidence in your self and your poker game.

Over the past 5 years I have made 100 Q+A videos in https://www.youtube.com/user/gripsed/playlists?view=50&sort=dd&shelf_id=18

If you've got a question that hasn't already been made into a video please post it here and I will give you a written response, and if you're lucky I might even make a video on it too!

Looking forward to being of service and helping you reach your goals in poker, be it to be the best player in the room, or simply to have more fun with your friends.

Let's Get Stackin!

Great to see you here Evan!

Originally Posted by Evan Jarvis

If this were a year ago I would have said focus primarily on learning how to use a HUD and what the key statistics to pay attention to are. There is so much data you can gather with these tools and figuring out optimal strategies becomes very easy when you have people's frequencies in front of you.

i.e. fold to c-bet, fold to c-bet in 3 bet pot, fold to 2-barrel
and vice verse, c-bet, c-bet in 3-bet pot, check raise, donk bet

But with Party taking away HUDs and games going more anonymous it's hard to say.

In an anonymous environment having a strong understanding of frequencies and how to build ranges is the most valuable thing. Because that's where strong play starts at.

Ed Miller has a great book on this called Poker's 1% that is a very easy read.

That's where I would start if I were in your shoes.

Evan, Thank you very much for the exhaustive answer! I currently play pokerstars and I do not use HUD, but I'll probably start to apply one. Given that I consider myself a "live player", this will be a new experience for me. I'll read the book for sure. Thanks again

My pleasure Vuk.

Here's a video on the HUD stats I find the most important/useful

You Tube

The key with HUDs tho is to start small and slowly add, otherwise it's overwhelming. Start with VPIP/PFR/3Bet/Fold to 3bet

Then add in the flop stats like cbet/fold to cbet/check raise/donkbet etc.

And work like, a month before adding stats kinda thing.

Also big thing is to trust your feel and intuition over the HUD in a lot of situations. when you first start using it you don't have a huge sample of hands and so it can lead to overadjustments. Especially with 'reg type' players.

The general rule is, it takes many hands to prove where a solid player has leaks in his game, but very few to spot where a fish has leaks. So when you see that VPIP was over 50% you know you've got a spot.

Slow and steady, looking forward to hearing about your continued growth and success.

Cheers!

Thanks for the info. I will go to your channel to see the videos since I have a lot to learn, I hope I can understand them. I am from Argentina
Greetings.

Originally Posted by Evan Jarvis

Thank you very much for these kind words Joeisi!

I've got to invest in some new lighting, but there's a possibility that some of these questions could get video replies instead of just typed replies.

Would you guys/girls be into that idea?

Love the idea!
I wouln't be surprized it becomes a big hit. pls give it a try.

Hey CardChatters,

Newbie here.. Just started playing poker actively for about a month. Have read the basics, but cant apply them, as i assume opponents dont bet relatively to their odds, or there are too much fish, bluffers. How can i improve my readings in online poker other then the time they spend on betting?

BR

Hello Evan,
When playing games with wild cards (baseball, 3 &9 wild) can wild cards be used as different suits to make a straight flush? Can a 3 of diamonds be used as a club to make a straight flush? Thanks in advance.

Im never sure what to do when i hace AK or AQ preflop and in the flop comes low cards but i keep raising and the oponent keeps calling.

90k going into Day2. Congrats!
have you ever cashed in the Main Event before?

In WSOP events, are you currently a net profitting player? Are you playing much online these days? If so, in what & where? (just curious, tks).

PS - I met you at WSOP a few years back & I used to play in some of the games you held online. It was appreciated... thanks.

Originally Posted by bilguunpkr

Hey CardChatters,

Newbie here.. Just started playing poker actively for about a month. Have read the basics, but cant apply them, as i assume opponents dont bet relatively to their odds, or there are too much fish, bluffers. How can i improve my readings in online poker other then the time they spend on betting?

BR

Hey Bilguun,

A great place to start is by learning the general ranges to be opening from each position. Once you have an understanding of that you can then learn which hands to play when facing a raise or limps from other players (typically some smaller range of hands than they are opening).

From this as the foundation the betting part becomes easier because you bet your best hands and your worst hands, and check the middle strength ones (generally)

Do you prefer learning via books, via video, or via courses?
There's lots of great beginner material in all areas.

If you're looking for free stuff check out https://www.gripsed.com/poker-strategy
The "Categories" are articles for reading, and the "training modules" are video courses.

All free!

If you're looking for something more, or want to make an investment in your game, feel free to send me a DM. I've been a member at just about all the training sites online and am happy to share my thoughts on each with you

Originally Posted by Darth Vahl

Hello Evan,
When playing games with wild cards (baseball, 3 &9 wild) can wild cards be used as different suits to make a straight flush? Can a 3 of diamonds be used as a club to make a straight flush? Thanks in advance.

Hey Darth Vahl!

I haven't played any wild card games in quite some time but my guess would be yes.

A wild card can be any card at all, it's like a Joker, which can be any rank any suit.

It would be good to confirm this with the people running the game, but I am 99% confident this would be the case.

Cheers!

Originally Posted by Libraero

Im never sure what to do when i hace AK or AQ preflop and in the flop comes low cards but i keep raising and the oponent keeps calling.

Hi Libraero,

For this it's important to not just think about your hand but think about your opponents range as well. Based on how loose or tight they are, and what position they called from are they likely to have high cards or low cards.

Building on that, if they have one pair, are they likely to call down 3 bets, or fold for the 2nd or 3rd barrel. Also, ask yourself are you trying to bluff them out, or are you betting for value because you think a worse hand will call.

I think you can greatly benefit from watching my short course on post flop play. It's free and available on my Youtube channel. I'll put a link to it right here too

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBrNnyWekagNYv_gR78DKHnIopFydVPEP

All-In it's about 90 minutes of theory content. And if you like it there's a preflop course as well on my youtube channel which is also completely free!

hope this helps

Originally Posted by Poker Orifice

90k going into Day2. Congrats!
have you ever cashed in the Main Event before?

In WSOP events, are you currently a net profitting player? Are you playing much online these days? If so, in what & where? (just curious, tks).

PS - I met you at WSOP a few years back & I used to play in some of the games you held online. It was appreciated... thanks.

Hey Poker Orifice, great question!

I've cashed the Main even 5 times, this was my 11th time playing it.
Farthest I've made it was Day 5 twice, cashing for $40k each time.

As to profitability it would really depend on the event I entered. In a $1500 or $1k buyin even I'm certainly a profitable player (as well as the main even because of how many satellite players there are) but I don't expect I would be profitable in say the $3k, $5k or other $10k events. (Which is why I avoid them, I only like to to invest my time and money in fields/events that I expect to show a meaningful profit.)

I'm not playing much online these days as I find the high speed of processing and sitting on my computer isn't what my body really desires. I much prefer to play live, enjoy a calm slow pace of play, get to socialize with interesting people and use my reading abilities as well.

I had considered getting back int online, but anytime I play 4 tables for even 45 minutes I find myself way to wound up and anxious afterwards and it's not a feeling I enjoy. Whereas in my earlier years I thrived on that 'high' of excitement.

I feel that online poker favors players in the teens and early twenties due to the high decision processing needed, while live poker favors those with a bit more age and maturity as it requires more patience and focus.

Glad you enjoyed the old games, they were a lot of fun and I had a great time hosting them!

Hi! Evan, I am having doubts on how to play low pocket pair cards from 9 to 2 both pre and post flop. Also how to play them when you do not get a set on the flop. I usually make a disciplined fold when I do not get a set on the flop when someone raises. If they check I will also check hoping to make a better hand,but once they raise and my hand has not improved I fold.

Usually pre-flop I will either check with really low pairs and raise double the big blind with higher pairs 7 to 10. Face card pairs I will 3 bet J, Q and 4 bet K and A bet pre-flop. Most times I will check the turn to the river and make a mid size bet.

I am not sure if I have made sense my explanation but your help with pocket pairs would be a great help to me.

Thanks in advance

Hello.i want ask you. How do you keep good mood after bad bet? thank you for your answer !

Hi Evan,

I am a big fan of your vids on You Tube.

I was having a discussion with my son about how you want to sometimes bet your draws on the come and sometimes you want to check, as it would be a shame to be blown of a hand with so much equity if you got raised.

What I was wondering is there any way we can some how narrow down when one is more appropriate than the other?

What is the correct way to play hands like A2 suited to A8 suited in position?

Hello! I have been playing poker for years and I love the game, I started when I was young with my Papa as cards was the only thing he really enjoyed at his age.

Recently I started playing online and I am struggling with how to combat these all-in players. Do you have any suggestions? It has gotten so I just fold to these people, so I can protect my chips, as more often than not they get a random full house or something...

I feel like it is killing the game for me and the enjoyment I use to get from playing.

What do you suggest?

Hi Joost,

From what I can tell your general strategy regarding playing pairs is pretty on point.
As always in poker, the situation and the opponents you are up against is the most important thing.

For example, when a very tight opponent has opened the pot I'm happy to call the raise with almost all pairs because the implied odds (potential payoff) are very good if I hit my set. Whereas when a very loose opponent opens I'm not as inclined to call because even when I hit they may not have a strong enough hand to pay me off.

On the other hand, against the looser opponents I'm more inclined to re-raise hands like 99, TT, JJ because they may call the re-raise with suited connectors and put in more money than they should when they flop a pair. Whereas vs the tight opponents in many games I will only reraise QQ, KK, AA.

So your preflop strategy is pretty solid, and if I were you I would add in 'who is my opponent, what is their playing style' into my criteria for when to raise vs when to just call, and evolve your game one level with that extra consideration!

In general I would also advise raising to 3x the big blind if you are playing a cash game, and 2.5x the big blind if you are playing a tournament. It gets more money in the pot and forces weak hands to fold out, which if you're playing a tighter style is preferred.

Here's a video that goes a bit more into sound basic preflop strategy

You Tube

One other thing to consider when making preflop decisions is who is left to act behind you and whether or not you are 'closing the action' (last to act). When you are closing the action you can call with pretty much all pairs and speculative hands like suited aces. However when you are not closing the action and there are aggressive players behind who my reraise, some of the weaker pairs should be folded, especially in early position.

As for postflop play, once again you're pretty spot on. It's important to not put in too much money into the pot with one pair hands, and pocket pairs are no different. Sklansky used to profess 'no set, no bet' and it's a great starting place.

With pocket pairs the question is how does your pair rank relative to the board? Overpair, pair between top and middle card, or lower. In most cases it's safe to put in a bet with 2nd pair or better, but once you are facing 2 bets most of the times it's better to fold (unless you are playing against a very aggressive opponent who will bet 2 or 3 times with a draw)

Here is a video that goes a bit more into planning your hand postflop

You Tube

You Tube

You Tube

And with that you should have a pretty solid strategy for how to approach these situations in the future. Once again, your overall strategy is quite sound, and if I were you I would just start considering who your opponent is in your decision making process as well as your hand strength. Then you'll be on the next level and really playing poker!!!

Thanks for this great question and I hope you find my response to be helpful.
Happy Stackin my friend!

Originally Posted by JopyJoost

Hi! Evan, I am having doubts on how to play low pocket pair cards from 9 to 2 both pre and post flop. Also how to play them when you do not get a set on the flop. I usually make a disciplined fold when I do not get a set on the flop when someone raises. If they check I will also check hoping to make a better hand,but once they raise and my hand has not improved I fold.

Usually pre-flop I will either check with really low pairs and raise double the big blind with higher pairs 7 to 10. Face card pairs I will 3 bet J, Q and 4 bet K and A bet pre-flop. Most times I will check the turn to the river and make a mid size bet.

I am not sure if I have made sense my explanation but your help with pocket pairs would be a great help to me.

Thanks in advance

Originally Posted by Sick_Wolf11

What is the correct way to play hands like A2 suited to A8 suited in position?

Hi Sick Wolf,

Your question is very similar to the previous one about small pocket pairs, and the videos I shared in the post just above this will be helpful to you as well.

Medium strength suited Aces can be played in 2 ways and it depends on the situation.

If you are in a game where players are very loose, playing any suited cards, suited connectors, and so forth, then playing passively preflop with these hands is a great strategy. Just calling and hoping to flop a flush draw (or a flush) when someone else flops a weaker flush draw.

You won't hit that often, but just like when calling to flop a set, the times you hit your hand and get paid off should make up for the times you miss.

A general rule to ensure this is the case is to have at least 15-20x the size of the opening raise left to play to capitalize on your implied odds. This is especially effective at small stakes live cash games where people play too many suited hands because they are bored, and are unable to fold medium flushes when they hit them because "that's what I've been waiting all night for, was to a make a 'big' hand"


The other way to play these hands is against loose/aggressive players in headsup situations. Vs players who open a wide range of hands, broadway cards, pairs and suited connectors these small suited aces are the ideal hands to use as a 3-bet semi-bluff. Why?

1) You could easily have the best hand against a wide opening range
2) You holding an ace blocks/discounts the likelihood they hold an ace
3) You can dominate their suited hands and set up a big pot for a cooler
4) Even vs a pocket pair you have a ~30% chance of winning, and you'll likely get paid off at least one bet if you pair your ace
5) Flopping an overcard and a flush draw will give you great equity vs top pair+
6) On the rare occasions you make trips/2 pair/the wheel your opponents are unlikely to expect it since they expected AK/JJ+ when you 3-bet, so you can get paid off nicely

The key criteria for this is to be playing against a loose opponent, and ideally being in late position. Even loose opponents often have tighter raising standards in early position, and with 5-7 unknown hands left to act behind you this should be respected. Thus this play is best executed from the button or cutoff when facing a late position open.

This play can also be executed from the small blind or big blind when facing a late position open, but it's much harder to both bluff and get paid off when out of position. So a lot of the time I will just call from the big blind with these hands especially when it's multiway.

For even more on this topic check out this video

You Tube

At the 11:00 mark I talk about the effect of stack size on strategy
and around the 22:00 mark I talk about specific holdings and when/how they play best

The main thing is usually who are your opponents and how are you most likely to make money off them?

a) by 'coolering' them because they can't fold decent hands after the flop
b) by bluffing them because they play too many hands, and cautiously post flop

Hope this food for thought gives you some good consideration about the ways to play these types of hands and what situations/opponent types lead to alternative strategies being best!

Great question, thank you for posting it

Originally Posted by Kyndrea

Hello! I have been playing poker for years and I love the game, I started when I was young with my Papa as cards was the only thing he really enjoyed at his age.

Recently I started playing online and I am struggling with how to combat these all-in players. Do you have any suggestions? It has gotten so I just fold to these people, so I can protect my chips, as more often than not they get a random full house or something...

I feel like it is killing the game for me and the enjoyment I use to get from playing.

What do you suggest?

If you are talking about play money players who just go all-in freely the answer it to play for real money, even if it is for small stakes, where people will take things more seriously.

If you're talking about real money games or tournaments then the answer is to call with hands you think are ahead of their shoving range. If they are moving in with any two cards, you can call with any ace, any pair, any 2 face cards and strong suited connectors T9s+ and have a significant advantage.

The one thing to consider with this is also how many players are left to act behind you. You can't call the all-in as liberally from early position as you can from late position, because there are more people who can wake up with a strong hand too and 'ambush' you. So the more players left to act behind you, the stronger your hand should be to call the all in.

It's profitable, but it's not really 'poker' as you're used to, and I understand that. The key to playing proper poker is to sit on tables where people take it somewhat seriously and you won't see this all-in all the time behavior.

If you do stay in these games, there is also nothing wrong with simply waiting for good hands and picking off their all-ins with say 55+ and ATo+ KQo+. You'll be a big favorite to win most of the time 60-70% and if you're that big of a favorite when you play for all your chips you'll be building stacks fast.

Hope this strategy advise helps!

Originally Posted by ChickenArise

Hi Evan,

I am a big fan of your vids on You Tube.

I was having a discussion with my son about how you want to sometimes bet your draws on the come and sometimes you want to check, as it would be a shame to be blown of a hand with so much equity if you got raised.

What I was wondering is there any way we can some how narrow down when one is more appropriate than the other?

Hi Chicken,

This is a great question and it has largely to do with stack sizes, your opponents hand/range strength and their play style. The strength of your draw matters too of course.

If you have a 15 out draw with 1 card to come and around 33% equity you can call a pot sized raise and still show a positive expectation, especially if they is money left to play behind. This is the bench mark from which we start.

A 11 or 12 out draw is around 25% equity can call a half pot sized bet raise profitably. And when you drop down to an 8 or 9 outter, you're looking at being able to call a third pot bet or raise profitably.

So with these draws, you can call pretty significant bets/raises so long as your draw is unlikely to be dominated "drawminated". Thus the Ax, Kx flush draws can call raises more liberally then 8 or 7 high draws.

The next consideration is stack size. Is your stack size such that it will be easy for your opponent to raise you all in for the next bet? If they have 2.5-3.5x your bet left in their stack then the answer is yes, they can easily check-raise you all in. Whereas if they have 4.5-9.5x or whatever it becomes much more 'awkward' to check raise you all in because they'll be risking a lot to win a little.

For this reason choosing your bet size well can give you a lot of control of the action. Here's a solid video I did on that topic.

You Tube

It's also a topic I'll probably do more videos on in the future cause there's so much to it

And finally we have to consider our opponents hand/range strength and style.

Based on how the hand has played out is your opponent likely to be holding a super strong/nutted hand or a marginal made hand.

If they're already heavily weighted to having something very strong then taking the free card to try and make your hand is often the way to go. You already know they have something good and will pay you off if you hit so there's no need to build the pot up.

If however they are weighted to having a medium strength hand than continuing to apply pressure is usually best. They will almost never raise you (especially if you can be holding the nuts and they can't) and you set yourself up for a profitable bluff on the end if your flop or turn barrel doesn't get the job done.

And then knowing your opponents style is key too... are they a tricky player... or a straightforward player? Would they ever make a raise on you without the nuts? If so, play more cautiously, if not, then you can bet pretty confidently knowing that you'll face a raise but 5-10% of the time, and even then you know you have the implied odds if you hit.

Hope that helps and here's a quick summary of they key factors to consider
1) The strength of their range given the actions earlier in the hand
2) Strength of your range (can you have the nuts while they can't?)
3) Stack depth and the bet size (is it easy or awkward for them to checkraise you all in)
4) Opponent play style (are they capable of making a big raise w/ a draw or as a bluff)
5) Implied odds (can you get paid in full anyway without needing to build the pot up now?)

Great question, may cue me up for a new project get me stackin episode!
Cheers,

Originally Posted by maximmaxim

Hello.i want ask you. How do you keep good mood after bad bet? thank you for your answer !

Hi Maxim,

Solid question and one I can relate to very well.

The main thing here is having proper perspective when playing poker.

You can't and won't win every hand you play, even when you have the best hand.
Losing is part of the game, as is getting unlucky. In order to play poker you must make peace with this.

Likewise, as much as you get unlucky, you will get the satisfaction of getting lucky on other people to balance this out. Having this understanding helps perspective too. In general the luck balances out and so we should try to desensitize ourselves to it.

The next thing to consider is the monetary/financial implications of the play. Money is directly tied to survival and thus to primal emotions. If you are playing with more money than you can afford to lose you will feel this in your body and over reaction is natural.

If you're playing with money that you can afford to lose and it's more for play then the feelings won't be as strong and it will be easier to attribute your success to the quality of your decisions (things you can control) rather than the outcomes they lead to (things you can't control). This is the professional's mindset for playing poker.

Coles Notes
1) Have a proper perspective on poker, lucky, and gambling
2) Focus on what you can control, judge yourself by that
3) Accept what you can't control, don't judge your performance by that

Remember "It's not whether you win or lose that matters, but how you play the game"

Thank you so much for the feedback. I have been playing micro tournaments for the last few weeks and this was happening a lot. This week, after reading your response I decided to step it up a little and play some mid level buy in tournaments. There was a vast improvement in the play and I am proud to say I placed 2nd in a tournament yesterday and placed first today in a KO tournament.

Thank you again!

Originally Posted by Evan Jarvis

If you are talking about play money players who just go all-in freely the answer it to play for real money, even if it is for small stakes, where people will take things more seriously.

If you're talking about real money games or tournaments then the answer is to call with hands you think are ahead of their shoving range. If they are moving in with any two cards, you can call with any ace, any pair, any 2 face cards and strong suited connectors T9s+ and have a significant advantage.

The one thing to consider with this is also how many players are left to act behind you. You can't call the all-in as liberally from early position as you can from late position, because there are more people who can wake up with a strong hand too and 'ambush' you. So the more players left to act behind you, the stronger your hand should be to call the all in.

It's profitable, but it's not really 'poker' as you're used to, and I understand that. The key to playing proper poker is to sit on tables where people take it somewhat seriously and you won't see this all-in all the time behavior.

If you do stay in these games, there is also nothing wrong with simply waiting for good hands and picking off their all-ins with say 55+ and ATo+ KQo+. You'll be a big favorite to win most of the time 60-70% and if you're that big of a favorite when you play for all your chips you'll be building stacks fast.

Hope this strategy advise helps!

I truly hate playing low pair 22 thru 66 as they cost me money
and to me it is just a waist of time what do you think

Originally Posted by Kyndrea

Thank you so much for the feedback. I have been playing micro tournaments for the last few weeks and this was happening a lot. This week, after reading your response I decided to step it up a little and play some mid level buy in tournaments. There was a vast improvement in the play and I am proud to say I placed 2nd in a tournament yesterday and placed first today in a KO tournament.

Thank you again!

Congratulations Kyndrea! That's awesome!!!

Originally Posted by MillvilleMan

I truly hate playing low pair 22 thru 66 as they cost me money
and to me it is just a waist of time what do you think

I think that it's important to understand implied odds to find profit when playing small pairs.
Most of the time you will indeed miss the flop and lose your preflop investment.

But about 12.5% of the time you will hit your set and if you are playing vs someone with a strong hand (or multiple opponents) you can potentially get paid off handsomely.

For this reason there are a few general rules for playing small pairs.
1) Only call the raise if you have at least 10x the size of that bet left in your stack (20x+ is better)
2) Call the raise when you are in late position or in the blinds
-In late position you are more able to get paid off (in position easier to get paid than out of position)
-In the big blind you are closing the action, meaning nobody can raise the pot behind you.
-The main thing is the fewer players left to act the less likely you are to face another raise
3) Call the raise more often when other people have called (more people who can pay you off)
4) Avoid being the first person to call the raise especially if you are in early position and there are lots of players left to act
5) Call raises from super tight players, don't call as much vs loose players

If you follow these tips I promise you, you will start seeing a profit on your pocket pairs, but you must realize it's the occasional big wins that pay for all the small losses/investments in missed flops.

Hope that helps!

Originally Posted by Evan Jarvis

I think that it's important to understand implied odds to find profit when playing small pairs.
Most of the time you will indeed miss the flop and lose your preflop investment.

But about 12.5% of the time you will hit your set and if you are playing vs someone with a strong hand (or multiple opponents) you can potentially get paid off handsomely.
If you follow these tips I promise you, you will start seeing a profit on your pocket pairs, but you must realize it's the occasional big wins that pay for all the small losses/investments in missed flops.

This is what I was looking for .. most players have a problem with playing small pairs. Thanks for such a detailed explanation.

any tips for countering 4bet pots without it getting stupid (flip no one wins site wins due to rake, which seems to be what happens more often than not) i just dont cant see how to make money there at all (i dont 4b much myself) but know certain opponents quite alot actually over do it (but theres still little chance they fold to shove ace rag suited calls to shoves etc and calling myself its volatile as its kinda just in on flops anyway, i dont call suited aces for what its worth well least not in my mind the crap ones worse would be ajs vs certain or from certain position) im just really blind here and just winning it feeling like no ones bloody got edge here either which way and were both just gambling, or maybe im just being thick myself and there is proper edges to be had here i dont know.
but i dont even know roughly how often you have to defend your 3bets to 4bets as feel whether in position or not the stack pot ratios so low theres isnt really much of a positional advantage to be had postflop so still defend tight nutty hands (well ones i perceive being so, which im probably way off as to what is nutty AKs to JJs mentally im a happy bunny with stacking them off, AKo always feels dirty, Aqs Ajs sometimes feels alright as a call and 88s to 10s i mix between calling vs some pushing all in vs others cause i rate my hand best pre way more often than not vs certain players that 4bet loads and loads from certain positions or out of position), yh im stuck.
i know i use to overplay all pocketpairs actually when started playing poker particularly 6handed as saw them all as essentially best hand pre currently ha so i use to over 4b myself when first started and 3b, i dont do too much of either now prefer it as the 3b 4b preflop wars im really crap at anyway so i raise for value relative to position im at with few junky but playable hands in there when 3betting when in position but out of postion im pretty tight just cause everyone calls defends in position anyway so i want to make sure my cards are a good chunk ahead of the crap there calling as near no ones fit or fold post (part from odd very face up opponent and everyone be they fish or reg is seeing a river and with king high gutshots underpairs anything feels like regardless of board texture anything ha, seriously was like that couple years ago without sounding like an arse was easier to range all opponents and just bluff quite alot value bet even in 3bet pots, now sort of feels pointless kinda why cut way back on 3betting in first place as there seems to be fatter mistakes post flop on certain streets or vs certain lines and you can still juice the turns rivers with nuts and bluffs basically ive moved street i bluff or value bet hard on i guess).

any help appreciated sorry for the ramble, just this area confuses life out of me with out me really over folding or least feels like i am

Hi there! I want to ask you how I can "level up" in my game. I think I'm pretty good against fish and beginners, but experienced players can read my movements very clearly. How can I make my game more "unpredictable" without throwing my money with bad cards?

I also have a question, how to be? If the tournament sits more than an hour, I start to put everything.Don't have the patience

Hello evan
How’s it going
I dont nkow how to play 10 10, what possion to play, when i need to go all in, do you have some videos how to play?
Thanks

I have a question about my bankroll I have $ 100 how to play tournaments or cash game

Where should a newbie focus his study time to get the most gains?