Winner's Question.
I often play online poker and have had a few live table games as well. What I seem to find is that when I make it to the final table and have built up a stack, I tend to tilt because I either play too many hands, or I try to bluff and bully my way through a hand. What advice do you have for players who actually make it to that long awaited final table as far as attitude and discipline go?
Shaun Kemsley
Answer
Hi Shaun, that is a good question. Unfortunately in most of the tournaments the blinds are very big by the time you get to the final table. This causes the need play a little looser or the blinds will just eat into your stack. However, each final table is different, and you have to evaluate your stack size in relation to the other player and in relation to the blinds. You also have to assess what the prize pool is and how big the money jumps are from place to place. You need to set yourself a goal within the final table and plan your strategy accordingly. If there is very little difference between 10th and 5th, then you need to be trying to get into the top 4 where most of the money is. Sometimes, if you are playing in a big tournament the jumps from place to place can be huge and you might decide that each place you go up is worthwhile, in that situation you might play tight and let the other players fallout.
In general though a good strategy is to be patient at the final table, wait for the 10th 9th and 8th places to fall out and then play aggressively from there to try and win it.
Good luck, I hope you get a lot of opportunities to try it.
Ryan "Rhino" Dreyer
Winner's Question.
Hi
Halo, can you describe, "ante"?
Regards,
Leonard
Answer
Ante: An ante is is a designated amount that each player must put into the pot before the hand commences. In tournaments, the Ante is normall about 10% of the big blind. SO if your blinds were 500 and 1000, the Ante would be 100. In other cash games such as 7 card stud, all players ante up before the hand commences.
Thanks and all the best with your poker!
Check you on the flop side!
Rhino
Question
As a professional player, what mannerisms and characteristics do you look for, or take note of, in your opponents?
Thanks for the great show,
Hayley.
Answer
When looking for tells, you have to watch a player intently. Physical tells are often misleading and you have to be 100% sure before you can use them effectively. The best place to learn about the physical tells is in a book by Mike Caro called Caro’s book of tells. In general however, if you spend time at the table with a certain player, you can watch that player and pick up on betting patterns and habits that they might have. This information is very valuable. It takes discipline at the table to constantly take the time to pick up on other player’s tendencies.
Catch you on the flop Side
Ryan "Rhino" Dreyer
Question
Why do we call it the ‘flop’, ‘river’ and ‘turn’? How did they get their names?
Answer
The origins of the flop the turn and the river are quite vague. Of the information I have read, I believe the flop gets its name from the dealer action. As the dealer puts out the first 3 cards they are flopped over. The turn is a little tricky. I have seen conflicting ideas of where this came from. Some believe that it the fact that the 4th card turns the tide of the hand, while others say it is much like a race track as the horses come round the turn before hitting the final straight. The river seems to be a little easier. It is believed that in the 1800’s when gamblers were playing poker on the river boats on the Mississippi, the cheaters would deal an extra card at the end of the hand. The penalty for cheating on these boats was that you were tossed overboard into the river. Thus the last card dealt became known as the River card.
Catch you on the flop side
Rhino
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