How to Win a WSOP Bracelet (a book review)
That grandiose title is going to need some quick clarifications for an understandably skeptical reader. First and foremost, this blog post is a book review of poker pro Dylan Linde’s new book, 'Mastering Mixed Games: Winning Strategies for Draw, Stud and...
Forced Changes That Helped My Poker Game
Maybe you once experienced a big change in your life that had you stressed out but turned out just fine in the end? Maybe it turned out even better than before. Perhaps a job or career change, or perhaps you had to move to a different school, town,...
Do You Smell Something Burning? Someone just busted a tournament and sat down in a cash game
You know what I'm talking about right? Players coming to a cash game straight from a recent bust out of a tournament often don't have their head in the right place. Even if they aren't tilted it is hard to make the adjustments necessary. Here's a few things...
Where to Play Poker in the Seattle Area
The Seattle area has seen a lot of changes in the poker scene in the last year or so. The trend has been the increased dominance of the smaller, non-tribal rooms at the expense of the tribal poker rooms. A few factors have conspired to make it this way. The...
GTO Like a Six Year Old
Not to brag but I crush my wife at rock paper scissors. Somehow I pick up on her patterns and can employ an exploitative strategy that is +EV. So when my six year old wanted to play I imagined I would have similar success. I mean he's six, wtf does he know? To...
Poker Satellite Strategy
Dara O'Kearney's strategy book devoted to poker satellites is a great bang for the buck. The kindle version is only $9.99. If you are someone who plays satellites, particularly the larger super satellites to bigger events like the WSOP it is not unreasonable to...
You Belong at the WSOP
The 50th World Series of Poker is around the corner so it's time to start planning. I know some of you are regular attendees but some of you may think it's not for you. You are wrong. If you love poker then you should go, it's as simple as that. I think the...
The Last Poker Generation
Live it up, we might be the last poker generation. Poker in one form or another has been played for a couple centuries. Maybe you assume it will last forever? There is a realistic case to be made that the game won't outlast our lifetimes. You guys know the...
“That Pot is Worth a Nice House”, A Tale of Two Flush Draws at the WSOP Main Event
This is going to be the most surreal blog post I've ever written (even more than the one about the guy who stuck his finger in my mouth). The two biggest pots of my life both involved getting it in with a flush draw deep into the WSOP main event. Bizarrely,...
At the WSOP, tricks to save a couple bucks while playing for a million
It might seem contradictory to some but poker players are often quite frugal. We understand that you can flip for a $2000 pot but still get aggravated by $10 parking fees. If this sounds like you, here are a few of the ways I've nitted it up at the WSOP in the...
At the Poker Table You Don’t Need to Outrun the Bear
You know the old joke about the two campers who come across a scary looking bear. One guy starts putting on his sneakers. The other guy says, "What are you doing? You can't outrun a bear". To which the first guy replies, "I don't need to outrun the bear. I just...
Are You a Poker Pro in 2018?
We all play poker right? So who gets to decide who is a poker pro and what that even means? In my first few years of making my living exclusively from poker I was a bit embarrassed to tell people I was a poker pro but I made a point of being open about my...
Poker in Paradise During the Boom Years
Exactly ten years ago (the height of the poker boom) I decided to participate in the poker dream by flying to the Caribbean island of St Kitts for a series of poker tournaments. I'd won entry online, all expenses paid. Those opportunities were a dime a dozen...
Happy Halloween: Phil Galfond is so good these poker hands are just scary
If you love poker you have to watch these two hands. This is a heads up match between Phil Galfond and Jonathan Little in week 12 of the Global Poker League. Let me just say that I have personal experience playing against and getting coaching from Jonathan Little. The...
“Coffee is for Closers”
That’s a famous line from the brilliant play, Glengarry Glen Ross for which David Mamet won a Pulitzer. Mamet’s great insights into human nature come across in the characters he creates and in his sharp dialogue. Apparently Mamet also played (and quite likely still...
What Can You Learn From 25 Cent Poker?
Since my last blog post was about playing in the $10k WSOP main event, I thought today we'd take a look at the other end of the spectrum. Is there anything you can learn from 25 cent poker? The answer may surprise you. Low stakes "fast fold" online poker is very...
Some Hands Stick With You (WSOP Main Event 2017)
Bobbed and weaved but they finally got me in the last level of day 2c. I had a great experience overall during the main event and played lots of interesting hands. One hand really stuck with me. You know the one that leaves you wondering? It was early in day 2. Blinds...
Climbing the Ladder: ICM Pressure in Poker Tournaments
A fun thing happens as you get near the money in a poker tournament. You become keenly aware of the payout ladder and you are faced with a tough dilemma. When should you risk elimination (and a much lower payout or even worse missing out completely i.e. bubbling) for...