A fun cash game will likely be a more profitable one

MARCEL LUSKE

Your best profits lie in games where people are being sociable and having a good time. Players tend to play a bit looser in that type of environment and are definitely less focused. If you are trying to make money, you are far better off playing with people who are just there to have fun. If they’re recreational players who only have a few hours to play after work or before a show, they will be far less likely to wait two hours for aces and will be mixing it up more to get some action. Meanwhile, the guy who is making a living out of it is going to wait for better hands.

If you find a table you like and expect to be playing there for a few hours, it is best to create a pleasant ambiance. You can play a little bit loose and go after small pots at first, and perhaps end up losing some money. But eventually, you can change gears and create a big edge. Just because you are being friendly and having fun doesn’t mean you can’t play to win.

Often, people prefer to be social rather than cautious and will play a lot of hands so they can be a part of the camaraderie you have helped create. It is similar to a group of people going for a coffee. You may rather have a nice glass of orange juice, but you actually have a coffee because that is what your friends are doing. The same will occur in a cash game if people are enjoying themselves; they will play hands that they shouldn’t. Being aware of that phenomenon is one of the best ways to make money in cash games. The big difference between you and the other players is that you are going to make sure that the percentages are in your favor when the big money goes in.

Poker Radio Interview about WSOP

If you want some light entertainment:

My interview with David Dixon about tonight’s WSOP final table and some other general poker topics and tips on 107 fm Victoria BC.

Today at 2:33pm PST (Tuesday Nov. 10)

C-FAX 1070 – http://bit.ly/4A64us (just click the link)

Regards, Warwick

More Pot-Limit Omaha Tips

More Pot Limit Omaha Tips from Jeff Hwang’s books.

See my previous article for tip # 1-8. (These are my notes and a summary only. For a full understanding of the information, you should read Jeff Hwang before risking any money. Pot Limit Omaha is a complex game and can be expensive to learn and hard to simplify.)

9. Flush- Avoid putting a lot of money in without the nut flush.
10. Pairs should have connectors or a suited Ace to be playable.
11. Focus on drawing to the nuts.
12. Do not draw to a straight with a 2 flush on the board (unless you have the flush draw as well.)
13. 3 straight cards with a suited A – Great potential.
14. 3 straight cards with a pair – Good potential.
15. Playing danglers is marginal at best.
16. Draw only to the nuts.
17. Primary goal is to win an opponents entire stack, not many small pots.
18. We are looking to flop a hand that will be best at the river, not just best on flop.
19. Focus on quality of outs not just the number of outs.

Warwick Dunnett: Author of  Poker Wizards

Pot Limit Omaha Tips

Lately I have found some opportunity for increased profits playing Pot-Limit Omaha. It is an interesting game and lots of Hold em players make big mistakes (as I did for a while). To avoid those mistakes I studied Jeff Hwangs book Pot-Limit Omaha Poker. It is a good read with some very solid information that can make you a lot more money if you pay attention. Over the next few posts, I will post a few highlights from the book:

(They are abbreviated for my own reference and are not direct quotes from the book. Please forgive me Jeff!)

• Flopping the Nut Straight does not entitle you to the pot.
• Don’t play hands with a week structure.
• Proceed your straight with caution if there is a flush draw out.
• Sometimes it is correct to fold the nut straight on the flop.
• Only play hands with big play potential. (e.g. Possible nut straight with redraws)
• Bigger cards are a lot, lot better.
• The under-full is the most expensive hand. (Win small or lose big!)
• Avoid playing smaller pairs altogether to avoid bottom and middle set.

More on the next post.