Daniel Negreanu's Advanced Poker Tips Part 3

The final part of the video shows how "smallball" is used in play.

Daniel Negreanu's Advanced Poker Tips Part 2

Daniel talks about pot odds, avoiding traps, setting traps, calling with nothing, and defending blinds.

Daniel Negreanu's Advanced Poker Tips Part 1

Daniel Negreanu explains the "smallball" poker strategy.

Playing Mid to Low Pocket Pairs

Many players have trouble playing mid to low pocket pairs and aren't quite sure how to play them. When deciding how to play them you always have to look at your position at the table, and how many players are at the table. Pocket sevens through nines I would consider to be middle pairs while sixes and below are small pairs.

At a full table in early position I would consider raising with nines and eights while probably just calling with sevens. In middle position I'd most likely raise with all of them. If another player raised I would simply call. In late position I would definitely raise if there were no previous raises. If there was a raise before it was my turn to act in late position I would call. When there's a raise and a re-raise preflop folding would most likely be the best play.

The low pocket pairs are a little trickier. With sixes or below at a full table I would fold most of the time from early position with fours and under while limping in with fives and sixes. From middle position I would just limp, and from late position I would mix up limping and raising. If I'm in late position with 2 or less players in the hand I'd probably raise. When someone raises before the it's your turn you should fold most of the time unless you can play for a cheap price and maybe only 1 or 2 others are in the hand.

Intimidation at the Table

Many times when an opponent is bluffing they will try to intimidate to force you to fold your hand. There are some pretty common techniques they use to do this.

One of these techniques is the stare. Your opponent will stare you down to make you think he's confident. The person bluffing knows liars usually won't look someone in the eye so in poker they do the opposite. They will stare you down to make you believe they're telling the truth when they're actually bluffing. This is a very common tell I see in nearly every game I play.

Another form of intimidation is when a player raises their eyebrows. This usually coincides with the stare. They will continually raise their eyebrows while looking at you to intimidate. If a player stares you down and starts raising their eyebrows they are most likely bluffing. They are trying to make you believe they're confident and strong but they're weak.

Also how a player puts their chips into the pot can be seen as a way of intimidation. When a player slams their chips into the pot they are trying to intimidate and show strength. They are just trying to bully you though as they are actually weak in this situation.

"Read 'Em And Reap" Review

"Read 'Em And Reap," written by Joe Navarro, a former FBI agent who specializes in non-verbal tells is the best poker book out there on tells. I breezed through this book in 2 days. There is so much valuable information in this book. I have read Mike Caro's book of tells as well and I have to say "Read 'Em And Reap" trounces it. It has the newest information and will definitely give you an edge over your opponents where ever you play. Not only does the book teach you tells to look out for but it teaches you how to conceal your own tells.

The book paid for itself the first time I went to the casino after reading it. If you play in live tournaments or cash games this is a must read! If not, the information in this book should help you dominate your home games. Any serious player should read this book. It's an essential read.

Food and Drink at the Table

When you see someone chewing gum or food at the table pay attention! The way they chew could provide you with some useful information in determining the strength of their hand.

Pay attention to how fast someone is chewing their gum. If they start to chew really fast it's most likely because they're excited and have a good hand. If your opponent suddenly stops chewing it could be because their hand just got worse after seeing a card that scares them.

Also pay attention to someone who is drinking at the table. When they have a big hand and get excited they tend to take more sips than usual to settle their nerves.

Playing Under the Gun

To be "under the gun" in poker means to be the player in first position or first to act. When you're playing from under the gun you should raise or fold almost every single time. The only time I might ever limp in under the gun is with aces or kings but that is only if my table is very loose. I would simply limp hoping someone else would raise so I could re-raise. Most of the time I will still raise under the gun with aces or kings.

When you're under the gun your hand selection should change. The entire table still has to act after you so you aren't going to want to be making raises with a hand like KJ or A10. You should fold those hands under the gun. I would even fold KQ most of the time under the gun at a full table. The chances these hands are the best at a full table are slim. Stick to playing premium hands under the gun.

Playing only premium hands under the gun will gain you more respect when you raise from that position. Then if you happen to be running cold at the table you could try and mix it up by raising with a marginal hand once in a while under the gun because your opponents will put you on a stronger hand than you really have. I would only try to do this against strong players though because they pay attention to position while a weak players do not.

Pros Talk "Lucky You"

I have yet to go see "Lucky You" but here's a video with some pro's giving their views on the film.

Pocket Jacks

Pocket Jacks.... the hand that looks nice but everyone hates to play it. Jacks are just one of those hands where you always find yourself getting in trouble.

With Jacks I would recommend getting extra aggressive preflop. Try raising 4 or 5 times the big blind instead of 3. Raising to a larger amount will put more pressure on your opponents to fold a hand like KQ which they would normally call for 3 times the big blind.

When you raise with Jacks and get called your opponents most likely have face cards higher than jacks. If the flop comes anything above a jack there's a very good chance you're beat so I wouldn't try to bluff too often in this situation. Be extra aggressive preflop to avoid the flop. This doesn't mean you should treat your jacks like aces though. If there's a preflop raise and then a re-raise before it's your turn to act don't be afraid to fold the hand.

Players to Watch out for at the WSOP

The World Series of Poker is only a few weeks away and there are a few players I will be keeping my eye out for once it begins.

Paul Wasicka - Last years runner up from the Main Event has been on absolute tear ever since. Wasicka has earned over $1 million dollars since then and some notable finishes include a 12th place finish in the Aussie Millions, a WPT Final Table, and winning the National Heads Up Championship. Don't be surprised to see him at some final tables this year.

Jeff Madsen - Madsen was last years WSOP Player of the Year. He made 4 final tables at last years World Series and won 2 bracelets. Since he's had some mixed results but he did have an impressive showing at the Bay 101 Shooting Star finishing in 8th place, which was good for $100,000. This year when Madsen returns to the WSOP he will no longer be an unknown so it will interesting to see how he reacts now that he's one of the hunted.

Phil Hellmuth - When you talk about the World Series you have to mention Phil Hellmuth. Hellmuth had a very strong showing at last year's World Series capturing his record tieing 10th bracelet and making 4 final tables altogether. Hellmuth was extra motivated last year and expect the same this year as he can pass Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan for sole possession of the bracelet lead.

JC Tran - No one in the game has had a better 2007 so far than JC Tran. Tran made 3 WPT Final Tables, won one, and also took down a preliminary event at the WPT Championship. Tran earned WPT Player of the Year honors for his success. Tran also has made 5 other final tables since last years WSOP and won 2 of them. He is one of the best players in the world to have never won a WSOP bracelet and this could be the year that changes.

Jamie Gold - Last years Main Event winner will try to prove at this years WSOP he's no fluke. Gold has not had any real notable finishes in tournaments since the Main Event but he also didn't play many tournaments. This year we will find out if Jamie Gold is for real. Apparently he's been practicing games besides Texas Hold'em online so we will see if he has any success in non-hold'em events.

Taking a Break

While going through a dry spell it's a very good idea to take a break from poker for a while. Take a week off to recharge the batteries. I'd suggest not even thinking about poker for about 3 days and just clear your head.

Then the next few days study poker. Read articles, and just soak up all the information you can. Even reviewing stuff you already know is very helpful. If you have poker books re-read them. After a few days of studying you will feel good about your game and be ready to play. Doing this usually helps me a lot if I'm going through a cold run of cards.

David Willams' Crib

A look at the home of professional poker player, David Williams.

Talk About Poker With a Friend

A simple tip that could help you improve your game is to talk about poker with a friend. Talking about your play is a good way to learn from your mistakes. Find a friend you trust and discuss your play with them. Be willing to exchange information with this friend. If you give your friend some useful tips or information they will most likely be willing to do the same with you. This is an easy and effective way to improve your game.

Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone

The pros discuss getting out of your comfort zone to improve your game.

Reading Players

The pros discuss reading players.

The Butterfly

The Butterfly, also known as the Four Coin Roll Down is one of the toughest chip tricks to do. This one takes a lot of practice to get down.

"How much was the bet?"

Have you ever been at the poker table and while it was someone's turn to act they asked, "how much was the bet?" This happens all the time, but what does it mean? From my experience's if the player has been paying attention throughout the hand you can be pretty sure their hand is strong.

The Knuckle Roll

The Knuckle Roll is my favorite chip trick. Like any chip trick it takes practice. You'll get it after a couple of days or perhaps sooner depending on how much time you spend practicing. Here's a video showing how the knuckle roll is done.

Knowing When to Quit

Realizing when to quit is one of the toughest things to do for a poker player. Just yesterday I was playing online at Full Tilt and had a pretty bad experience. I was playing in the $24+$2 19k guarantee. I had an average stack and the shortstack at the table moved all-in, I called. He had fives and I had sevens. My opponent hit a set on the flop. Then I became shortstacked, moved all-in preflop with AQs and was called by someone with A7d. My opponent hit his flush and I was eliminated. Yeah, that totally sucked, especially since we were close to the bubble.

After the tournament I decided to play a $.25-.50 cash game to try and make up for my loss. I picked up aces and raised preflop, everybody folded except for one person who moved all-in for his last $15. I called. He had AK with one spade. The flop came three spades, and he hit his flush on the turn when another spade came. I was left speechless after taking yet another horrible beat. This was probably the correct time for me to quit. I kept on going though.

Soon I picked up pocket kings. Someone in early position raised, I re-raised, and received one call. The flop came 10-9-6. I bet and was called. The turn came a 3. I made another bet and was called once again. The river was a 7. My opponent hit his straight. I bet, he re-raised and I smooth called. I lost a bunch of money on that hand. It was a pretty sick beat but I probably should have never been playing. In poker when your luck is bad it's just flat out bad. If you keep taking bad beats stop. Don't try to play your way out of it because you'll most likely dig yourself into a deeper hole.

Here are the pros thoughts on knowing when to quit.

Bubble Play

When you start approaching the bubble in a tournament you need to become more aggressive. Being close to the money most people tend to play more conservative and wait for others to get knocked out. Marginal hands people usually play they start to fold in these situations. This is where you need to become aggressive and take advantage of everyone else playing tight. This is the easiest time to steal blinds.

I would recommend using this same strategy in online tournaments as well except for single table sit and go's. In the single table sit and go's just making the money is an accomplishment so it might be worth sitting back and tightening up around the bubble.

Phil Hellmuth on Shortstack Play

The following video is an interview with Phil Hellmuth from cardplayer.com discussing short stack strategy in tournament play.

Anti Gravity

Anti Gravity, also known as the Muscle Pass is one of the coolest looking chip tricks there is. It is a very hard trick to do and you will beat your palm up in the process of learning it but once you get it down it will be well worth it. Here is how it is done

Don't Look at Your Cards Until it's Your Turn to Act

So many times I see people look at their cards right when they get them. Then if they don't like their cards they will pick them up slightly or hold them as they are ready muck. Do not do this! You are giving everyone else at the table information. If I'm in late position and I see someone holding their cards ready to muck I might raise even if I don't like my hand much because I know my opponent doesn't like theirs either.

Which leads me to players with card protectors. I played with a guy who every time he had a good hand put his card protector down on his cards before it was his turn to act and when his hand was weak he left his card protector sitting on the table. This information was very useful to me as I knew then if he planned to enter the pot.

The Chip Twirl

The first chip trick I learned besides how to shuffle chips was the chip twirl. My friends always made fun of my ability to shuffle a deck since I didn't do it in the prettiest fashion. I then wanted to learn something they couldn't do. That was the chip twirl. Here is a video of Antonio Esfandiari explaining how the chip twirl is done.

Final Table Strategy

The pros on final table strategy