DTV Poker

When playing on Everest Poker, the short stack at the table is often overlooked. Because a player has a small stack does not mean he is not dangerous. Short stacked poker players can often cause chaos at the poker table. When encountering a short stack, one must keep in mind that the short stack is often committed early in the hand.

When coming up against a short stacked poker player, one must choose his moves wisely, as any misstep results in a competition for all his chips. Often if a short stack calls a second bet, he is committed to the pot. When making a second bet, it is often wise to put the short stack to a decision at the moment for all of his chips. This takes a tough decision and places it upon his shoulders, as opposed to yours.

Additionally, if you have a great read on the short stacked Pacific Poker player, you are often able to induce this player to shove all-in when he has missed his flop by simply checking. Showing any weakness can often induce a bluff or semi-bluff from a short stack, as his goal is to double through as quickly as possible. If he senses weakness, he is likely to take what is seemingly the fast track to obtaining chips.

Many people make the mistake of folding when on a draw against a short stacked player. This can be a mistake. Keep in mind; you are the player with the chips. The short stack player should not be able to knock you off of a profitable draw.

Finding yourself against a short stack can be frustrating. Adjusting your play to the short stacked player and to the situation is crucial. By making some small adjustments to your game, you can profit greatly against short stack players.

In no limit Texas Holdem, defending the blinds is a tough thing to do. Many players from the button and cutoff positions are trying to steal whenever the opportunity arises. Add to the difficulty of putting up a fight for your blinds that you will be doing so at a disadvantage, as you will be out of position. However, protecting your blinds is an important part of your poker game. Defense of one’s blinds should be aggressive and relentless.

How to Defend your Blinds

When a late position player on the internet poker sites that you play on raises preflop in what seems to be an attempt to steal, the best way to defend your blinds is to reraise aggressively. Be certain that you price in the fact that if you are called, you are out of position. Additionally, if you are able to make his decision more difficult by significantly upsizing your raise, then do so. Anything to make it difficult for the opposing player to decide how best to play is recommended.

Additionally, when moving to defend your blinds, be sure that the player who is stealing is capable of laying down a hand after actively showing interest in the hand. The player in question must have a decent size gap between the hands he raises with and those he calls a reraise with. By ensuring that the player is of this caliber, you will make your defense efforts more profitable.

What to Do if Called or Re-Reraised

If a stealing player calls your reraise, take the flop. If the flop hits you hard, and the stealer is aggressive, set your trap by checking. Should he bet into you, you can comfortably check-raise here, as you have already shown that you are not to be toyed with. He knew that before he bet into you. Odds are all of the chips end up in the center.

If the flop misses you, you can continue your preflop aggression here by making a bet in hopes of taking down the pot. Sometimes, firing a third barrel is necessary should this player call your continuation bet.

If re-popped preflop, do the math and figure out how your hand fairs against his hand range. Let the math and the projected hand range determine your course of action. Additionally, you should have sized the reraise in such a manner that this decision is simple for you.

While there are several variations of poker, Texas Holdem can be broken down into two main categories – tournament poker and ring game poker. Ring game poker, also known as the cash game can be profitable for the smart poker player. Here are a few reasons as to why one should play cash games.

Consistent Blinds

When sitting down at a cash game, the blinds typically remain the same throughout the entire game. If you sit down at a 1-2 no limit table, the structure of the game remains 1-2 no limit. This allows for consistency in the game. Tournament poker features a progressive blind structure where the blinds rise in an effort to pressure the average stack over time. When playing cash game poker, time and pressure do not come from the blinds. The only pressure cash games deliver are that which you naturally encounter at the poker table.

No Time Limits

In a cash game, you can rebuy or leave the table whenever you want. This means that you must have some bankroll management skills. You must know when to quit and when to keep playing. Unlike a poker tournament, you can sit down profitably with the intentions of making it a very short session. It makes little sense to get involved in a large online poker tournament when you only have an hour to spare.

Results Oriented

Cash game poker on Full Tilt Poker is more results oriented. A successful tournament player busts out more often than he cashes. Over time, this can take a toll on one’s morale. A successful cash game player is consistently profitable more often than not. In fact, a successful cash game player should book a profit seven times out of ten. It is easier to feel successful when booking a 70% win rate than it is to be comfortable cashing 20% of the time.

Cash game poker offers consistent games that are more results oriented and have no time limits. Next time you have an hour to spare, instead of getting into a tournament, give the cash games of your favorite poker site a try.

While both live and poker online players play the same game, a lot can be said about the distinct differences between the traditional live poker players, compared to the online poker player. Age, experience in terms of years, and playing style are some of the main differences between the live poker player and their online counterparts.

Age

Largely in part to online poker being newer than live poker, the average online poker player is far younger than the traditional live poker player is. Additionally, it is well known that the younger generations are more comfortable with the use of computer and the internet. This fairly transfers into an added level of trust for online transactions, such as those used at online poker rooms.

Playing Style

Poker players learning the game through the online channel tend to be a great deal more aggressive than the live poker players are. This is surely due in part to the tight-aggressive teachings early on from many of the major online poker strategy portals. Additionally, the increased level of aggression is partially due to the pace of the game online, as opposed to that of the live poker game. Live games tend to deal 30 hands per hour on average, while online poker games deal anywhere from 60 hands on up per hour – which results in faster play. Furthermore, it could be argued that the anonymity online poker provides allows for even the most timid of personalities to adopt an aggressive posture without looking someone in the eye. This is a luxury a shy, awkward individual does not have in the live realm, where his social ineptness may get in the way of running roughshod over his poker table.

Time in Poker

Another huge difference between the average live poker players compared to the average PokerStars online poker player is experience in terms of years. While the average live poker player has many more years of experience, generally speaking, the online poker player is able to condense many years of experience into a single year. This is due largely in part to the fact that the hands are dealt faster in the online venue, and additionally one has the ability to play several games of poker at once.

While there are many differences separating the online poker players from the live poker players, the fact remains that whether you play live or online; the game is the same.