December 16, 2005
The late Jack Strauss, who won the 1982 World Series of Pokerparty, was a man known for his creativity, flair and imagination at the poker table, as well as his willingness to risk all he had if he liked the odds. There'll be more moderately sage advice next issue, but for now, here another of poker's more storied bluffs; this one related by English author Al Alvarex, in "The Biggest Game In Town," a wonderfully accurate and insightful look at the World Series of Poker.
- Everyone starts somewhere. Usually that somewhere is nowhere near the finish line. If you're going to become a good pokerparty.com player, and savor all the opportunities and enjoyment that can be had in a public cardroom, you might just set your sights on continuous improvement. You'll find your abilities and confidence as a poker player will grow. Remember this. The toughest decision you will have made was that first one; the decision to play casino poker party.
- If you're used to those fun-to-play, jam-it-up kind of home games, you'll quickly realize that you just cannot play every Pokerparty hand. You need standards. This is true not only for seven-card stud, but all forms of poker. Bobby Baldwin, former winner of the World Series of Poker and now President of Las Vegas' Bellagio Hotel, reflecting about his early days at the table said that without standards "I was floating around, trying to figure out which hands were playable, which hands called for a raise, which hands should be thrown out."
- Poker Party .com etiquette suggests that you not abuse this privilege; particularly if you are in a game that has a time charge. It's not as cardinal a sin in a game that's raked, but players like their games fast and efficiently run, with few interruptions. Most players will cut you some slack if you're new to casino play. They'll also assume that your lack of familiarity with cardroom procedures means you lack poker skills too. Strong players can use their rookie status to advantage.
Often, there are only two or three Pokerparty opponents contesting a very large pot on the river. You might be in there with second pair, or perhaps top pair with a marginal kicker, and your opponent comes out betting. You're holding a hand that you'd throw away if the pot were small, but with all of that money in it, what should you do? Suppose that you're playing in a $3-$6 Hold'em game and the pot is $90 by the time you reach the river.
If you've got an open-end straight or flush draw, and you're up against two or more opponents, call any bet on the turn. However, if the board is paired, and there's a bet and a raise in front of you, be wary. You might be facing a full house. If you are, you're drawing dead. You might be facing a set or two pair. Once again, knowing your opponents will help you determine what they might be holding. If you're up against someone who never raises a three-suited board unless he can beat that probable pokerparty flush, release your hand.
You don't get these pokerparty hands very often, but when you do, you are a favorite from the get-go to win the pot. Both of my books contain a Start Chart that visually depicts starting-hand relationships. These relationships also are described in tabular form below. In a typical lower-limit game, you usually can play any pair of sevens or higher in early position, as well as 12 suited and six unsuited card combinations.
Because Hold'em players form the best poker hand by combining exposed communal cards in the center of the Pokerparty.com table with two hidden cards that are theirs alone, it is more difficult for an opponent to draw out on you than it is in a game like seven-card stud. For example, if you were dealt a pair of jacks and your opponent held a pair of nines, the presence of a pair of fives among the communal cards gives each of you two pair. But you still have the best hand.
