There is a benefit to helping other players. Poker can make you feel isolated due to the dog eat dog nature of it. Everyone wants your money and are prepared to lie, cheat and manipulate you in the various options available in poker to get it. The problem with poker is the long term winners tend to get all of the money. If you help players improve or look to improve then you can keep them in the game and increase your chances of winning. It can also lead to other opportunities.

Players look back to the days in 2004 – 2007 when there were thousands of new players and money was easier to win playing online poker and wish the online poker environment was similar today. They miss the fact that losing players will not keep playing bad poker forever. They will improve, seek lessons or simply stop playing after the pain and suffering of being a losing player for many years suddenly leads to an epiphany that they are not cut out for poker and they seek different, more profitable endeavours with which to dedicate their time and money. If they stop playing poker you stop being able to profit from them, so helping people can help you.

Helping a player learn keeps them playing when the despair of not understanding the concepts leads them to consider not playing. Even if they are a winning poker overall you may still hold an advantage over them so do not feel guilty in offering advice. Never encourage people to gamble and be ethical in the advice you do give. Do not say, “Keep playing you are a great player” when they are clearly not such a good player. Do say “You made a few mistakes tonight if you want a few pointers I might be able to help you improve a little”. Read the last quote carefully and offer any help after a poker game has finished.

Not every player who wants to learn goes away and puts in the necessary time and effort top become a great player no matter what help they get so you will not start producing unbeatable opponents just because you coach or help them. Poker coaching can be a nice additional stream of poker income that can boost your bankroll.

Away from the table having a successful poker website or series of articles regarding online poker sells you as a person of knowledge and authority on the principles of poker. This can help you approach a website for sponsorship. Some of the better known players get paid up to $35,000 per month to play poker. They are told to buy into events and promote the sites. Would that suit your lifestyle? A recent thread on a poker forum I participate we were all universally agreed that each of us would love this sort of opportunity.

As your status rises in the poker world opponents recognise you can play the game and this can help your poker strategy for getting through poker tournaments and acquiring chips. Would you feel good if Durrrr sat at your table online and started to play cash game pots with you? Most poker players would be a little worried when Tom sat down. As you are recognised as someone who understands the game despite the fact you offer advice when asked people realise that you know what you are doing. They will respect you and this gives you the advantage.

By Malcolm Clarke

The blinds were $0.15 and $0.25. I was dealt Kh 10h when I was in the cutoff. Some people then limped in before me, therefore I decided to limp in as well. Next was, button called together with SB while BB checked.

Eventually, the flop came 9h 8d Jh. It was great for I am on for a straight flush draw. After making a pot sized bet, button raised with his own pot sized bet. Just an information, the button is a solid player, but more or less he was on tilt at that instance because of some lost pot.

After the raise, I decided to move all in, hoping he will fold or call. Finally, he called in a flash and showed Qs 10c, ugh, he then flopped the nut straight. Quite expectedly, the board have turned to be 9h 8d Jh 10d 2h, thus giving me the flush on the river. Eventually, I’ve taken down a big pot. What do you think of my play? How about on how I’ve played the hand?

Please, I need clarity.

Thanks!

Blake

Blake,

Not only did you have a straight flush draw, but you had an open ended straight flush draw. You had 15 outs and a 60% chance to hit your hand before your opponent showed his hand. Then your outs dropped to 11. You had a 44% chance to hit your hand. I don’t think I would have moved all in on the flop like you did. When you opponent repotted you, you should have put him on a hand. The positive thing about the hand was that you had a big draw.

Your play was not horrible, but I think you played a more aggressive on the flop than needed, but with your draw, I can see why.

Well, I believe there are factors that could help players ascertain how much they should bet without risking their hand strength.

The first factor is the position. I believe that the better your position is, the smaller the opening bet should be. And that with good position, you can invite more people into the pot. But on the flip side, when you are in bad position, you will more or less long to force more opponents out early on.

Personally, the way I love to play is when I’m in early position, I will raise 4 BBs + 1 BB per limper. Then lower it to 3 BBs +1, and eventually bet only 2.5 BBs + 1 per limper in late position. Any comment on this?

The second factor on the other hand is the stack size. Well, I believe that it’s an advantage to have smaller stacks. By having smaller stacks, you will be feared by opponents, thus forcing them to play fewer hands. However, I also believe that at some point, adjustments should be made. So now, I’m curious if when should a player make some adjustments? If he or she have a 2:1 advantage in terms of chips or else if the advantage is totally more significant? Any suggestion?

Thanks!

Jessie

Jessie,

While position can be a consideration in raising, most pros recommend not varying your raising size too much. This does indeed give off information bout how you play. If you vary your raises based on position, this gives off the same type of information. Players like Gus Hansen, Gavin Smith, and even Chris Ferguson make the same type of raise when they raise regardless of position. This way an opponent doesn’t know if they are playing position, or holding rockets.

Your site has been a great help. Thanks!

I am a regular visitor of your site actually, but still, I have some questions in mind that up to now were not yet answered.

Can you explain to me the betting side of the game? What are the important things I need to know about it? It seems quite confusing to me.

Alexzander

Alexzander,

Before each hand, the two players to the left of the button put up forced bets known as blinds. The first player puts up a small blind, and the second player puts up a big blind. The small blind is half the size of the big blind. In a $1-$2 blind No Limit Holdem game, the small blind is $1 and the big blind $2.

The first player after the big blind is the under the gun position and has the option to either call, raise, or fold. If they raise, they must raise at least the size of the big blind. The same decision is faced by each person until the action returns around to the blind. If nobody has raised the pot, the small blind may either call the big blind, raise, or fold. If the small blind does not raise, the big blind then has the option to either raise or check.

When choosing to raise the pot, a standard raise is considered to be 3 and one half times the big blind. You do have the option of raising up to the total amount in your stack.

I’ve been playing poker for just some time now that’s why I exactly don’t understand what a low limit holdem is. Well, I’m not sure if it’s a part of fixed limit holdem or no limit holdem, or else both.

At some point, I thought it was low limit vs. no limit, thus implying that there’s a certain limit when it comes to the amount of money you can bet. I also thought it was a .25/.50 or $ 1/2 structure in a no limit game. Am I right with this or actually just making false conclusions?

By the way, is it possible in fixed limits to have low limit game?

Thank you.
Corbin

Corbin,

Low limit holdem is a term used for lower stakes cash games in general. It doesn’t matter whether the game is Limit Holdem or No Limit Holdem. Most Limit Holdem cash games below $10 – $20 are considered low limit cash games. For No Limit Holdem, most games below $5 – $10 blinds are considered low limit.