The first step to improvement is analyzing or grading your current game. We have all been there on report card day sitting and nervously waiting and hoping that you don’t get any terrible surprises that could inevitably leave you grounded or in some serious trouble when you come home. I bring this up because you need to give yourself a “report card” for your game. Once you do this you will be able to realize what part of your game needs the most attention and will give you the best opportunity to take your game to the next level.

Criteria for the Report Card

(In parentheses is my grade for the subject)

Mindset– This is a very broad topic but can be the biggest hinder in your growth as a poker player. The mindset you take can refer to but is not limited to; attitude, desire, tilt-control, drive, ambition, confidence, exc. I list this first because it is the most important. You have to want to succeed and play. You have to have the ambition to be the best. Have the confidence and self control that is what makes the best players stay on top. (B-)

Pre-flop Play – How is your play pre-flop? The type of style you choose whether it is a TAG, LAG, or NIT is fine and all can be profitable so basically it will depend on whether you are playing too weak pre-flop. You shouldn’t be calling more than half of the times you raise (24vpip-12pfr is not good). How often are you three-betting? I would accept three-betting ranges from 5%-12%. It is a tight window to achieve but less than 5% and you are turning your cards up and any higher than 12% you are giving too much action into big pots. Are you positionally aware when you play? This refers to the fact you should be playing your button more often than any other position. (A-)

Post-flop Play – The answer to this play is going to depend largely on your pre-flop play. If you are LAG player you should depend on outplaying your opponents and stealing some pots that you otherwise have no business taking. If you are a TAG are you effectively playing your hand and getting the most value out of made hands while limiting losses on your losing hands. It is very important to consider your post-flop play in terms of your hand reading ability and making the right decisions in the big pots. (B+)

End Game – This focus is for multi-table tournament and sit-n-go players. The end game refers to your push fold game. The big money in MTTs are won in the later stages and it can be very important for you to focus on your ability to be as optimal in this category as possible. (A-)

Miscellaneous – This would include anything the previous topics did not include. The situations I would include would be volume and time. How many hands/tournaments are you playing a week? How much time can you put towards poker. You can include studying and playing as part of your poker time. Another issue is “quality time” I add quality to time because a lot of people don’t get the most out of their time because they are distracted. Do you play or do you play and surf the web, talk on the phone, talk on messengers, and the other billion distractions the internet provides. (B-)

So now that you have your criteria to grade yourself where can you make your biggest improvement?

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Originally coined by poker legend David Sklansky, the gap concept will help you decide which hands to play in different positions. Note the principles in the gap concept are very important. Although some of them seem rudimentary in the abstract – if you follow these rules carefully you’ll save a lot of money going all in at the wrong times.

The Gap Concept Preflop

In any cash game or online tournament (MTT Strategy), the gap concept and your table position tell you which hands you can play. For example, if you’re in middle position with AJ and there has been no raise in front of you, then opening the bet here is a good idea.

On the other hand, if you’re in late position, and an opening bet has already been made, you’re going to need a better hand than AJ to call in this situation. Regardless of other callers behind you, the gap concept stipulates you’ll need a better hand than AJ to call a bet from early position (early position bets carry more weight than late position). The chances are, if you call a bet of 2-4xBB from a player in early position or UTG, then you’re probably behind already to a hand like AQ or AK.

Playing Pocket Pairs and the Gap Concept

Many players in online tournaments (and sometimes cash games) prefer to go all in with medium or low pocket pairs preflop. However the gap concept states that if there has been any 3betting (re-raise preflop) than you’re low pocket pairs will be dominated. This is because the strength of hand required to re-raise an opening bet preflop is almost certainly going to be premium i.e. AA, KK, QQ, JJ. Your low pocket pairs are almost certainly going to be behind, and you should not consider going all-in in any situation when you’re in late position with 3betting happening in the pot.

Difference between Gap Concept in Tournaments and Cash Games

The implications and rules for the gap concept in tournaments and cash games vary. This is a mistake many cash game players in multi-table tournaments make. The fact is, because tournaments are so much more aggressive than cash games, the gap concept loses its value and principles in many respects. Value shoving for example, an ever present strategy in tournaments, distorts the important and principles of the gap concept. Someone can be raising with marginal hands like 45 suited or A9 preflop in tournaments in order to attack the blinds. Although this may happen occasionally in cash games; it is more likely the player simply has a better hand.

Related posts:

1. No Limit Hold ‘Em Starting Hands
2. Get Paid Off on Big Hands – The Value Bet Concept
3. M-Ratio Tournament Strategy

One of the most important theories relevant to the world of MTT strategy is the M-ratio – also known as the M-factor or simply “M”.

What is the M-Ratio?

Named after the player who invented it (Paul Magriel), the M-ratio is a measure for the size of your chip stack as a relative function to the blinds or cost of playing each hand. Ultimately the M-ratio provides a guideline as to what type of hands you should consider playing in a tournament; and more importantly the security and health of your stack in a tournament.

How to Calculate the M-Ratio

Calculating the M-ratio couldn’t be simpler. You simply take your total chipstack and divide it by the total forced bets before each hand. The latter includes the small blind, big blind, and any antes at the table.

Example: You’re sat at a 9 man table with a stack of 2000. Blinds 100/200, antes 50. Therefore, M = 2000/ {(100+200) + 50×9}. M = 2.6. This means you’ll be able to survive in the tournament at the current blind level for about 2.6 orbits (around 20 hands).

Why is the M-Ratio Important?

The M-ratio is important not only because it shows your stack’s relative health at a table, but also because the ratio can be a consideration into your starting hand strategy and the range of hands you should/need to be going all in with. For example, if M<5, then you have pretty much run out of time and will need to go all in to build your stack with whatever cards you get next. You won’t have time to wait for a better hand to go all in or value shove with. On the other hand, if you have an M of 20+, you’re easily in the clear and should only be playing premium hands or those you’re getting pot odds or value to call with.

M-Ratio Strategy

Dan Harrington developed the concept of the M factor in Harrington on Holdem; and defined several zones and strategies for playing certain hands in different M zone situations. For hands with M<6, he suggests your only option is to go all in – this is crucial for survival.

For hands where M is between 6 and 10, you should try to be the first to go all in with your hand. You’ll still receive some fold equity, but because you can’t raise the pot anymore, you’re still likely to get called at a table with reasonable hands.

For an M between 10 and 20, you should take more risk than if you had a healthy stack – play hands like suited connectors and small pairs for example. For M above 20, you’re basically in the clear and should play tournament strategy as usual.

Related posts:

1. Sit N Go (SnG) Strategy – Part I
2. Holding on to your big stack
3. Playing Small Ball Poker

All in all, the information players share with each other today, in terms of strategy did not exist. Because of that, play was not so standard. Professional players played poker by their instincts and basic math such as pot odds. After 2003 and after all of the poker books, poker training sites and online poker sites cam into existence, the way poker was played totally changed. Young kids now were playing poker at online poker sites and could play hundreds of thousands of hands in the time it took players like Doyle Brunson to play 1/10 of that amount.

These young kids were learning poker not only by some instinct, but they were learning the exact math behind every situation. And that is where the division occurred. Old school poker players like Doyle Brunson, Daniel Negreanu and Phil Ivey played poker by their gut feelings, and they believed that was the right way. The young kids thought that the numbers were all they needed to beat the game. So which is right?

Math vs Instinct

In every situation in poker, numbers do play a role. On the other hand, even when a player is getting 10-1 odds on a call, if that decision is for his tournament life, instincts must come into play. So which should players rely on, their instincts or the math? In truth, players nowadays must take both of these things into consideration when playing. Instinct guides a player towards hand reading, be able to feel what cards the opponent is playing and if he is bluffing or not.

The math will also guide the player by telling him how often he has to be right to make a call, raise or fold correct. While instinct is the raw skill the numbers will always be there, so players should know the math as well. Remember, poker is a numbers game and a people’s game, so knowing the math and having the instinct is essential to being a winning player.

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The idea of a value bet is to get your opponent to call your bet because you believe them to have a worse hand.

When to Value Bet

The first thing to realise before even considering a value bet on the river. Does the bet actually have any value. You need to work out what hands your opponent can actually have that he would call a value bet on the river with. In order to be able to this you need to run through the hand again in your head. Think about what type of player your opponent is. And also what type of player he thinks you are.

Once you have put your opponent on a range of hands. You then need to work out what percentage of the hands he will call a bet on the river. You also have to work out the percentage of hands he can have that can actually beat you. If the percentage of hands that he will call with is low you might be better checking. Also if the hands that can beat you is fairly high checking is also the best option. You also have to consider if he is capable of check raising on the river. However, if he never check-raises and also has a tendency to call a bet on the river, a river bet then has value.

Is their value in a bet on the river

This is what you have to run through your head before making a value bet on the river. Is their value if I bet the river? If the answer is yes, then you put in a value bet. If the answer is no. Then you check. You have to realise that some hands have more value in checking than actually betting.

For example, if you have top pair with an average kicker, you hand has good check value. This is because it is also possible that your opponent has a similar hand, which in the same circumstances wouldn’t bet the river, but will call a value bet.

Another example is when the only hand that is going to call you is a hand that is beating you. If you have a low end flush using only one card, the only value bet that is going to call you is a player with a higher flush. So there is no value in betting the river, as the only caller is going to be a player with a better hand.

The most important thing to consider before value betting is, what can he call a bet on the river with. If you can only come up with a better hand. You should check. Sometimes hands have more check value than bet value.

Related posts:

1. Get Paid Off on Big Hands – The Value Bet Concept
2. Bad Beats Happen, Deal with It!
3. Playing Small Ball Poker

These skills generally aren’t talked about because most players aren’t up to the level where they should be learning them. On the contrary, all poker skill should be known, but maybe not used. Yes, maybe a player does not have the hand reading ability yet to execute the advanced play, but he must know it exists so if someone tries the play on him, he knows what they are trying to do. Although there are many of these advanced plays, here are two good examples of intricate plays executed in poker:

Advanced Bubble Play

This advanced play needs a scenario first. Play must be on the money bubble of a tournament, otherwise this play cannot work. The hand goes like this: on the bubble, one player raises. That raise gets a call, and then another player re-raises. But it doesn’t end there. Then, a 4th player re-re-raises all-in. Now, given those circumstances, what would a player put the 4th player on?Obviously, nobody would think anything but Aces. However, some advanced bubble players would do this play with any two cards as long as they have the biggest stack on the table.

The reason is that all three players in the hand before he went all in could not think he has anything except aces. Not only that, but all three players would risk their tournament lives if they called him, since the player going all in has the biggest stack. Many times, the first 3 players are all going to fold since it is on the money bubble. This play can pick up a huge amount of chips with no risk.

Post Oak Bluff

This is an advanced play that occurs on the river. The play is actually a bluff that looks like a value bet on the river. For example, say a player has J-10 on a K-Q-4-K-Q board. The player was chasing a straight draw the whole hand, and in the end has 2-pair with J high.

However, on the river, the player makes a very small bet that looks like it can’t be folded to. Imagine the pot was 5000 on the river, and the player bets 750, who would think he is bluffing? Could anyone fold to a bet so small? Many people think exactly this way, so they DO fold!

Related posts:

1. Playing Small Ball Poker

Knowing Your Limits

There are different types of strategies that you can employ in any Sit N Go game. Starting with the most basic rule, you should enter a tournament or a game that involves only 1/20 of your bankroll. This is to ensure that you wouldn’t be going in over your head when you have a losing streak and your bankroll can still cover you. Another advantage of this is when the game has a high buy in which may cause you some uncomfortable moments. Your risk threshold in the game will also be a factor in your decision making so make sure your bankroll is large enough.

Structure of the Tournament

The second important thing that you should pay attention in any Sit N Go game is its structure. A Sit N Go game that starts with a large amount of chips and blinds that are slowly increasing are ideal for poker players that have advanced skills. On the other hand, when you have a small number of chips with a fast paced increase in blinds, it will mostly depend on how lucky you are rather than how skillful you are. There are many poker sites that have a great Sit N Go structure and Full Tilt Poker is one of them.

Observe Your Opponents

Observing your opponents is one of the best strategies that you can to your advantage when you play a Sit N Go. It is not always that you get a good hand in the beginning, so you will need to deal with learning how your opponents operate. Take note of the movement of each player on the table so you can create a profile of them for future use. Sit N Go’s usually begin at a slow pace so if you are comfortable, it is a good idea to play at least 2 tables. This will keep you alert and on your toes so you won’t be bored which can cause error in your judgment. It will also maximize your hourly winrate.

Related posts:

1. M-Ratio Tournament Strategy
2. Holding on to your big stack
3. A Few Advanced Poker Plays

The Theory

The Fundamental Theory of Poker says:

Every time you play a hand differently from the way you would have played it if you could see all your opponents’ cards, they gain; and every time you play your hand the same way you would have played it if you could see all their cards, they lose. Conversely, every time opponents play their hands differently from the way they would have if they could see all your cards, you gain; and every time they play their hands the same way they would have played if they could see all your cards, you lose.

Here is an example of this theory in action. A player raises under-the-gun with a pair of 9’s. Everyone folds to the big blind, who calls. The flop comes: A-K-Q. Now, if the player with 9’s KNEW his opponent had A-K, he would know he was beat, check and fold when the big blind bet. The big blind would not gain anything else from the hand, and in theory the player with 9’s would gain. However, if the player with 9’s, knew his opponent had J-8, the 9’s would know to bet enough so that the player with J-8 would not get sufficient odds to draw to a 10 or Jack. In this case, the 9’s would profit, and even if the J-8 calls the big bet, he would still be making the wrong decision and the 9’s would be profiting in the long-term. The point is, he is making J-8 play differently then it would have if it knew the hand it was up against was 9’s. (If J-8 knew it was up against 9’s, he would probably raise, knowing the 9’s would almost certainly fold)

This theory highlights the main goal of poker, which is to profit by causing the opponents to make incorrect decisions. If a player could play so he always made the right decisions and always played so his opponents made the wrong decisions, he would be playing “Perfect Poker” and would be a long-term winner. (Even though he might not win every hand he played).

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While using small ball poker strategy, a player will be playing a wide variety of hands in position. The players will be playing hands such as 64s, 22, AT, 98s, AA and KQ and all similar hands. The key is to play many hands of all different strengths in the same exact way. Since many different hands are going to be played, the table image of the player using small ball is going to be that of a LAG player. Opponents therefore will give you less credit for a big hand and be more willing to call you down and pay off big hands. Since with small ball the key is to see many flops in position, any player using this method of play must be a talented post flop player. Playing cash games is a great way to practice post flop play.

The betting of small ball is what makes this style able to utilize so many different hands, and it all starts pre-flop. Look at how the numbers at up:

Blinds 50-100 using normal raises

• Normal raise to 300 called by 1 player – Pot now 750
• C-bet of 500, called – Pot now 1750
• Turn bet of 1200, called – pot 4150
• River bet of 2500, called – TOTAL POT 9150

Blinds 50-100 using Small Ball

• Raise to 225 called by 1 player – Pot now 600
• C-bet of 250, called – Pot now 1100
• Turn bet of 450, called – Pot now 2000
• River bet of 800, called – TOTAL POT, 3600

As we can see, the total pot while using small ball was less than 50% of the total pot when using normal raises and bets. If played well, it can be a very effective game plan.

Related posts:

1. A Few Advanced Poker Plays
2. Get Paid Off on Big Hands – The Value Bet Concept
3. M-Ratio Tournament Strategy

Don’t get involved unless needed

So here is a good example of a situation I got myself into when I was big stacked. After two really nice hands, I knocked out two players in each hand, I was sitting on 140,000 chips with 12 players left. The average at the time was about 45,000 chips, and the second chip leader at my table was on 36,000 chips. So it’s my big blind and I had been using my chip stack well. Being aggressive against the shorter stacks on their blinds and slowly increasing my chip stack without risking much of my own.

So it’s my Big Blind and the most aggressive player at the table moves all-in for 28,000 chips on the button. Blinds at the time where 1000 – 2000, so the all-in move wasn’t that unexpected. But when I look down to see A-Q, I instantly call knowing I have over 100,000 chips behind. He shows 6-6 which stands and I lose 28,000 chips and double him up to near 60,000.

Now I didn’t need to call, but when I saw A-Q I assumed I was in front against the loose aggressive player. I wasn’t and it cost me. That player at the final table actually took another large chunk of my chips, thanks to me doubling him up earlier. But it left me thinking. Did I really need to call. It may have been a small percentage of my chips. But I could have used those chips in much better situations. Even if he had moved all-in on my blind with nothing, I am still only a small favorite to take the hand. So was I right to call. Probably. Would I do it again with the same chip stack probably not.

Should I fold Pocket Aces

So what if I had pocket Aces and the smaller stack shoves all-in? The honest answer is I insta-call. But pocket Aces isn’t A-Q. The point I’m trying to make is, even if you have a big stack and a good hand, you still don’t have to risk a good percentage of your chips even with those big hands. And especially when you are big stacked. Remember A-Q is only about 60-40 against even 4-5. And he is the one looking for chips fast not you.

Related posts:

1. M-Ratio Tournament Strategy
2. A Few Advanced Poker Plays
3. Understanding the Gap Concept