After seeing the Fundamental Theorem of Poker Sklansky and those of Morton and Zeebo in the first part of this article, we will approach those of Andrew “Balugawhale”Seidman, the Yeti and Aaron” aejones “Jones, all from the online poker in the years 2006-07 and who in their own way to revolutionize the way of playing poker at the virtual tables of the time.
The theorem BalugaWhale

Without doubt one of the most theorems is changing the way of playing online poker: “You should seriously re-evaluate the strength of your hand made ​​one pair facing a raise on the turn.” If you’ve never heard of, here is hand posted in July 2006 by Andrew “Balugawhale”Seidman himself to illustrate this principle:

“You (100 big blinds) in an intermediate position on a table 6max. UTG (100bb) limps, you raise to 5BB, button (100bb) and follows in turn follows UTG.

Three players see the flop (pot ~ 15bb):
UTG checks, you bet 12BB, the button changes and UTG call.

On the turn, the pot is about (pot ~ 36bb):
UTG checks, you bet 25bb and UTG raises all-in.

We pass. One pair is not good here. A draw will almost never plays that way. We must build this turn because we can not allow free fall and a picnic on the Ace is valued less well together. But once we re-raise, we can eliminate the worst aces and prints.
The theorem of the Yeti

“A 3-bet on a dry flop (especially if there is a pair) is always a bluff.” The idea behind this theorem is that a player with a strong hand on a flop of “dry” (without drawing) does not need to re-raise to pay for prints. If he has a good hand, it will often be in a situation “way ahead / way behind (ahead / behind, that is to say, is heavily favored, is already well beaten).

I would like to continue to explore a bit the concept of “range manipulation” or how our own actions affect the hands with which our enemy will give us the action and, therefore, the real value of our labor. Place today at the famous 3-bet, the modern name for the re-raise (bet, raise, reraise = 3bet, or 3b-on-bet-bet = 4 etc.).
The 3-bet and the unknown

If you’ve played thousands of hands against a particular player, you certainly have him on enough information to estimate what hands he likes to reraise and under what conditions. With the knowledge of each game, and enough hands to change its strategy, creating momentum that eventually will lead to unexpected 3/4/5-bet hands or, alternatively, to pay with 3/4-bet more or less largesse. Facing an unknown player, but this dynamic, with no history to lean on, it’s a different story.

As you know little about your opponent, and it showed nothing that sort of “standard”, assume that everyone 3-bet the top 5% of the hands (hands with yellow):

It will not always true. Some players do not like (or are afraid of) re-raise with (But re-raising can be more easily or ). Others do not like or While or have their own favors). But basically, this is the range of 3-bet basis. The one where you should put your opponent by default. Faute de mieux. Lack of information.

Some players will never get out of the top 5%. Others can open many more. And some locks even reraise fewer hands. By setting this range as a starting point against an unknown player, you’ll only rarely a problem (and almost never a big mistake). Free to you, then adjust based on what you learn from your opponents (this is to think of players who appear to be correct, remember that no rule of conduct applies fully to the “turkey “). Always attentive to the hands shown in the slaughter, but more in the pot-bet on it and you will be able to change your game plan!
Against the unknown, close ranks!

You raise the button and an unknown player, apparently tight, you re-raise from the blinds? Nothing easier, take your courage in both hands … and throw your trash!

OK, it’s easy. You raise almost anything in the button, it comes back on you, you drop. Obviously if you have a good hand as or …

Well throw too. If your opponent re-raises the top 5% of the hands, and are like other trash. Against an opponent re-raised so little, whatever.

Alex Wice havoc for both cash game tables in the tournament. He has already won $ 1.2 million in online tournaments and nearly $ 600,000 in ‘live’ with a third place finish at the EPT Deauville for almost $ 450,000. With PokerNews, it addresses a hand played during Day 1 of NAPT Mohegan Sun against Lee Watkinson.

Blinds: 150/300 with antes of 25
Action pre-flop

Wice raised to 900 in middle position with . Lee Watkinson call from the small blind.
It plays reasonably tight. I vote as a tight player but intelligent.

- PokerNews: On what range of hands do you put it, allowing it to level like that, out-of-position?

- Alex Wice: With the introduction of antes, he had to expand and can probably now pay raises with suited connectors. But, given our respective positions, I put on a pair rather served. In my opinion, it call with all pairs of two to Jack, Ace-Queen Ace-Jack and rarely. It may also be suited connectors, up from seventy-six King-Queen, Ace and some fine-matching, Ace-Ten or Ace-Jack, King-Jack, too. Sometimes he would simply pay with a pair of queens and will often even with ace-king. It is also possible that some call with suited connectors in a hole like Eight-Six.

- PN: Three times the big blind, your standard amount of stimulus in the tournament?

- AW: Yes, I usually play in a tournament early as part of a cash game. And as everyone is playing with more than 100 blinds, I raise three times the big blind.
Action on the flop

The flop comes . Watkinson and Wice check both.

- AW: Checker array as Sept déppareillés Six-Four, is standard in cash-game parties ‘Middle Stakes’ on the Internet because it’s a picture that lends itself very well to check-raise. If your opponent is good, make no hope of gain over two rounds of betting against a hand you beat. Bet on the flop is not absolutely necessary. It is true that we would normally make a continuation bet on a monochrome picture like that. Because my opponent may have a pocket pair and because this table is difficult bluffable by a player out-of-position. Besides, for the fairness of the pot, it becomes important to guard against runs. Important but not crucial. There are not many hands in its unpaired spectrum, a pocket pair or Ace-Queen or Ace-King. It does certainly not call out-of-position with King-Queen offsuit. Under these conditions, my 10-Clubs} {fared much better than what one might think at first.

It is important to remember all the space taken by pairs in his range. All pairs of two to Jack, AQ and AK often, and some suited connectors. There may be 10 colors, 30 connectors that have not found their color, 46 pocket pairs (some of which have a clover and others have found their trips) and about 25 overcards who have not found their color. I’m quite often in order to head bet, but I find that my hand was better able to defend with a check. Valid against opponents that check, I’ll checker also about half the time on a board with low cards, even some huge hands like King-King on a table Five-Six-Eight offsuit.

- PN: But you did not want to protect your equity?

- AW: It’s true that it is useful to protect but his range was strong enough that it may try to bluff me out of it. On this table Sept-Six-Four, he can check-raise with colors, all the pairs of three to eight, or its overcards with a shamrock in semi-bluff. It is still a lot of possible combinations that can check-raise me, and my hand is played very poorly against a check-raise.
Action on the turn

The turn is a . Watkinson 1,500 and up to 4,400 Wice recovery. Watkinson call.

- AW: Again, it immediately becomes very important to inflate the pot in case he has a good hand. And I really want to protect myself against a big clover or straight draw. Some people say that my recovery is dangerous. But these are people who have not yet fully integrated force of raises that do not restart until they have the nuts because, implicitly, they do not want to risk turning their raise bluff. Me in a spot like this, I did not feel that my recovery is ‘light’.

When putting, I think he has at least a small run or a shamrock. It will run in a rare move of this kind having no equity. He probably said that I do not checker after him on the flop if I had not a little equity. So if I think of fairness, the hands with which he is going to bet on the turn (in addition brelans and colors): AQ, AK with a shamrock (or even without clover sometimes), Nine-eight, sometimes ten, nine, eight, seven, eights, nines, a pair of five pairs of three. Recent hands are important. It is still 24 combinations of gutshots. For a guy who did a hundred combinations of pre-flop, it’s been quite a gutshot.

At that time, I tell myself it is still likely to have a great pair and, given his reaction when I re-raised, probably a set. He was to say that I was either a color or a bluff. Many players say that the others play like them. Had he played the shot the same way as me in my place, it would have color or anything. So he said that’s what I had to have. Me at this point, I’m pretty confident in my hand. I fear a little small color with which he would also bet-call on the turn. In all, ways, there is not much with which he can bet-call, if a set or a color.

And then my reraise on the turn is not so exposed it because we both have carpet yet deep. If he decides to place a new stimulus, it will not go beyond 10,500, my hand can afford. I do not lose much value it against a color, I can always bet on the river for value. And if a small set, the pot will become large enough that the destack.
Action on the river

The river is a . Watkinson Wice check and put 8,000.

- AW: To be honest, I thought I had a set or maybe seven or Eight-Six-Seven, and he believed me yet. In general, try to bet for value as often as possible, even when it is marginal. Because in doing so, we can afford to bluff more often while remaining technically correct. On paper, its range may be greater than my pair of tens, but I really saw him on a set.

- PN: If he had hit his draw to the river, is he would not bet the first to the river?

- AW: I’m not sure but I do believe. My river bet is super marginally in front of him. It will check-call with King-Queen of Clubs, the colors and set. My bet is therefore primarily based on my reading of the opponent. I have often thought the best hand even if the risk was great that I return a color.

He thought for a long time. At one point, I was alerted. But he ended up sleeping his hand and told me he had a pair of Sevens. I think my putting was good and that his fold was reasonable since I do not know. He said aloud that I had either color or anything. Of course, with this scheme in mind, sleeping his hand does not even discuss. He knows that most players play too passive to the river and has therefore said that I do not bluff often enough that his call to be profitable.

- PN: In hindsight, you still love all your river bet?

- AW: Well, against a very tight player I could opt for the check to the River. Now that I know he sleeps his set of seven, I see that my setting is “bad” in this case. But in theory it is good. Besides, from time to time, curiosity makes you commit indiscretions. And then it kind of blows that helps me to deploy my game because I will try to bluff as often as possible in spots where my opponent would normally pay a loser, even taking into account the likelihood of a bluff . All things considered, I like my layout. I always leave my opponents a chance to play the hero.

Omaha is a poker variant Texas Hold’em very close. While initially the differences are few, on arrival Omaha poker is the form of creating the most action and adrenaline at the tables. It is often the preferred alternative for high stakes players like Phil Ivey, Gus Hansen and Tom Dwan. Tournament is also a great way to build a bankroll. Many players making the mistake of playing in Omaha as in Hold’em, it is fairly simple to create an advantage. Reading this article will let you play your first Pot Limit Omaha tournament starting winning.
The basic rules of Omaha

The rules of Omaha are the same as Texas Hold’em, … with some exceptions. You receive store cards pre-flop after a series of auctions are distributed a flop, a turn and a river and finally the cards are returned to see who has the highest combination. So far nothing new.

The three differences between Hold’em and Omaha:
- Instead of receiving two cards initially, you get four cards. This allows a lot more action than in Hold’em because your four cards are six combinations of two cards. It is much more common to receive a pair of aces, flush draw or a set on the flop.

- It is mandatory to use two of your four hole cards to form your final hand. If four hearts out on the table, it is imperative you have two cores on hand for the color. If you do that in hand, you have no color.

- The bids are in “Pot Limit”. Unlike No Limit Texas Hold’em, where you can put all-in at any time, in Pot Limit Omaha (“PLO” to insiders) you’re not allowed to bet more than the pot . Namely, the “pot” is the amount of chips in the middle of the table over a mini-revival. If the blinds are 50-100 and you’re the first to speak, your recovery will be limited to the maximum amount of blinds plus a mini-revival, namely 350 in total. The button “Bet the pot is often quite useful.
Basic Strategy Tournament Pot Limit Omaha

Why tournament? Because it is probably the easiest way to become familiar with this variant. The PokerNews Strategy section has many items that will make you an expert. However, we’ll just do it here a summary which will let you play your first tournament Pot Limit Omaha in the next five minutes.

Concepts: In Omaha, you’re never far favorite before the flop as can be Hold’em. For simplicity, an all-in preflop confrontation in Omaha is reduced to a 60/40 – the player with the best hand will rarely more than 60% chance of winning.

Even with a good hand on the flop, it should still remain cautious. Remember that each of your opponents has four cards in hand and so many opportunities for improvement. In general, if you are opposed to multiple opponents, have the best hand on the flop is not enough. You must also have prints available for color and / or fifths (depending on the texture of the flop).

Starting hands in PLO
We can distinguish two types of starting hands: hands with big pairs and / or large cards and hand made small cards connected and matched.
Suited connectors: Hands Type , or hands are very popular in Omaha. They offer many opportunities for suites and / or colors. At the beginning of the tournament, we try to see flops cheaply whether our hand has the potential post-flop. In the final tournament, when we are left with a carpet shallow, they are also good hands to put all-in because they have good potential and are often dominated by the hands that follow.
Big pairs and big cards
In Omaha, large hands and pairs composed of big cards do not have the same value as in Hold’em. If the pair of aces is a very good hand, a simple pair of Jacks (especially if accompanied evil) is not a premium hand. A hand like is worth almost nothing if you do not touch the top set on a flop without a draw. Avoid wasting chips with.
Even a pair of aces must be well accompanied by: is a good pair of Aces. is a bad pair of Aces. Earlier in the tournament and the beginning of speech, it is better to throw preflop that engaging in a big pot against multiple opponents.
Hands like or are also very beautiful hands to see a flop, but if it does not bring you something very strong, like a straight draw at both ends more flush draw or a “wrap draw” (fits multiple prints) it is useless to get excited. A hand such as “top pair top kicker on the flop is worth almost nothing in Omaha.
False good hands
In Omaha, except at the end of the tournament when your stack has become so thin that you can not expect more from the hands of type , or are not good hands. They offer few opportunities to hit draws on the flop, when they flop a made hand, this is rarely the best.
A hand like may seem attractive: two color prints, drawings opportunities fifths. But if we look more ready, this is not the case. Maps “work” well together. If and two combinations are interesting to a certain extent, , , , contribute nothing.

This week’s column will allow me to introduce a very interesting software, Flopzilla, and put his finger on a fairly common mistake among regular players in small limits.

Let’s start with the bad news: Flopzilla, which has long been distributed as freeware, is now paying ($ 25, available here: http://www.cardrunners-ev-calculator.com/Flopzilla.html). It is still possible to try a free week. And believe me, if you enjoy to simulate not even a dozen cases a day, you should already significantly advanced in your game flop.
Flopzilla for Dummies

Flopzilla the principle is simple: you set a range and a flop Flopzilla calculates how this connects to flop range.

A simple example: you raise (eg ) And pays you a regular player from the small blind (SB). In the absence of 3b (Surelle), we will eliminate a few hands as and better and better . Our opponent was a regular player, arranges his defense SB will be quite limited. Probably any Ace Assorted and better and assorted broadways ( , …), Medium and small pairs ( and less), most suited connectors ( and better).