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 Run of a Lifetime

Just a few days ago, many people were hailing Isildur1 as one of the biggest gainers for this year. His rise went up to a whole 6 million ever since he came out on the high stakes tables. He got most of this amount from Tom “durrrr” Dwan, taking almost 2 million from the said player. However, he also lost a similar amount to Patrik Antonius in a series of battles, even losing the biggest online pot ever recorded to the said player. Antonius further shaved a costly amount from Isildur1’s bank account in the following days. Indeed, Antonius seemed to be the kryptonite to Isildur1’s superman. And it seems that adding Phil Ivey to the mix was enough to cripple the dark horse. Not being the type to back out of a game, Isildur1 was known to be one of the hardy players. After losing $3.3 million in a series of $500/$1000 PLO in six different tables with Ivey and Antonius, however, Isildur1 was keen to call it quits.

A Rapid Decline

The game started out quite normally. They were, in fact, just playing to pass the time as they played in a separate tournament. Nobody would have guessed that it was in that session that the largest online pot ever recorded – a whopping $1.35 million – would be born. Incidentally, it was again Antonius who took the honor of swooping up this monster pot and it was Isildur1 who offered it up. All in all, Antonius took $2.1 million from Isildur1. Phil Ivey’s earnings were not too shabby either, as he raked in $1.2 million from the said player. Isildur1 managed to win 2 of the 5 largest pots, but even these could hardly cushion his fall. In the end, Isildur1 had to concede defeat and say that he was done for a while. His six million had dwindled down to only 6-figures, a huge blow to the mystery player. Now, everyone is saying that the moment has finally come, the moment where Isildur1 goes bust. But whether that’s true or not is yet to be determined.

Related posts:

1. Isildur1 Wins $2.6 Million from Durrrr
2. Patrik Antonius Wins $2.9 Million Dollars from Isildur1
3. The “Durrrr” Challenge: Halfway Through

The Controversial November Run

Isildur1, as I mentioned before, appeared out of nowhere. Unlike some of the other players who built their poker bankrolls from scratch and did so in full view of everyone, Isildur1 appeared abruptly in the highstakes rooms and started wreaking havoc from there. He bravely played against the likes of Tom Dwan, Patrik Antonius, Brian Townsend, Cole South, and David Benyamine – and what’s more, he was able to hold his own. This is probably one of the main reasons why he has gained so much publicity in such a short amount of time. That, and the fact that he has remained so enigmatically anonymous all this time. All we really know about him is that he’s from Sweden and that he’s rich! In a little more than a month, Isildur1 climbed to the very top of the charts, reaching a total profit of $6 million.

This rocket-like ascent to the top was due in part to his very aggressive style which, due to his sudden appearance, few players have yet to study. Many have fallen to him, but Antonius has proven himself to be the most effective damper in Isildur1’s success. After beating the dark horse in the quest for the largest pot in online poker history, Antonius went on to take an astounding $2.9 million from the said player, effectively canceling out Isildur1’s winnings from Tom Dwan.

The Epic Session

Isildur1 and Antonius began the session with four tables, all of them $500/1,000 pot-limit Omaha. This, as many have noticed, is Isildur1’s weak spot. And in fact, Antonius quickly beat him at this game, earning almost a million with just one pot alone, the massive pot of $878,958, among other things. Having had the wind knocked out of him with such a massive loss, Isildur1 quickly asked for a switch to No Limit Hold’em. After lots of negotiation, the two sat down and played two $500/1000 heads-up no-limit hold’em tables and two $500/1000 heads up pot-limit Omaha tables.

This was a fairer ground for the battle, but it was still Antonius who took the field, earning $400,000 after just a few minutes of playing. By the end of their session, Antonius had won a massive $2.9 million from Isildur1, effectively delivering a huge sizing down to the mystery player, Isildur1.

Related posts:

1. Isildur1 Wins $2.6 Million from Durrrr
2. Patrik Antonius on the Durrrr Challenge
3. Isildur1 Goes Bust?

A Series of Unfortunate Events for Durrrr

It is no secret that Tom Dwan has been down in the dumps for these past few weeks. He has been losing millions over millions, shaving off a considerable amount of money from his net worth. The last few days have arguably been the worst for Dwan, as he lost over $2.6 million to the mystery player, Isildur1. Dwan played over 19,000 hands with Isildur1 in just two days – an irony, considering that it took him and Antonius months to reach that number. It seems, however, that Dwan will be helping the poker world reveal the identity of Isildur1, as he has issued a challenge to the said dark horse, inviting him to join the upcoming Full Tilt Poker “durrrr” Million Dollar Challenge – the live version of the durrrr challenge which will be held in London. Of course, it’s not yet certain whether or not Isildur1 will accept. But if he does, we finally get to know who he is.

A Lucky Pot of Gold for Isildur1

When Isildur1 first appeared, he was seesawing between winning and losing, even getting tossed around by some of the pros. He was down 1 million, and many were ambivalent about his actual talents. Still, the fact that he was lounging around in the high-stakes tables made him one to watch. Then, his luck turned around. In a very exciting heads-up match, five/six table no-limit hold’em and pot limit Omaha specifically, between Durrrr and Isildur1 that occurred during the wee hours of the morning, Durrrr lost about $1.22 Million. Not one to take defeat lying down, Durrrr once again played with Isildur1 in a 12,000 hand marathon session (now, if only him and Antonius would sit down and do something similar, eh?). But again, Isildur1 sent him packing, earning another $616,000 from the Full-Tilt Pro. Persistent as ever, Dwan came back for another session, and this time, he lost the third largest pot in the history of online poker – a whopping $694,953. If poker were a battle, Dwan would be bloody and battered, so it was such a surprise that he got up and challenged Isildur1 again. But alas, he was not to recover his winnings, and he quickly lost $705,000 to the dark horse. It was a tragic loss for Durrrr, but a very wonderful run for Isildur1.

Related posts:

1. Patrik Antonius Wins $2.9 Million Dollars from Isildur1
2. Isildur1 Goes Bust?
3. Dwan takes Lead, Durrrr Challenge at Halfway Mark

When facing a bet in No Limit Hold’em, or any poker game for that matter, you use pot odds to help you make certain decisions. This article will focus on situations where you are facing a bet on the Flop or Turn and are certain you need to improve to win the pot. Once you know how many outs you have and compare your “card odds” to your “pot odds”, you can then determine if it’s profitable for you to draw to the best hand.

Common Scenario

In a game of .10/.25 No Limit Hold’em you have the Kh and the 9h on a flop of Ah 4h Jd. The pot has $2.50 and you need to call a bet of .50 to see the Turn card. You have a draw to the Nut Flush which currently represents the best possible hand for this board. If the board pairs, you could potentially be drawing dead to a Full House. What you need to do now is determine if the pot is offering you the correct odds to draw to your flush.

The “Hard” Way

I use the word “hard” loosely as this is straight forward math and not too difficult. But when you are just starting out and are in the heat of the moment, or even multi-tabling, then you may find the following math cumbersome or time consuming to do in the short timeframe you have to make your decision.

Pot Odds: (total pot $):(call $)

You need to call .50 to win a $2.50 pot. This is represented as: 2.50:0.50 or 5:1 odds. (Divide 2.50 by .50 to get 5:1).

Card Odds: (cards left – outs):(outs)

To determine the odds against you hitting your flush card on the Turn is quite simple. Since there are 13 cards of each suit (13 hearts, spades, diamonds, and clubs), and 4 are already accounted for (the 2 in your hand and the two on the board)) then there are only 9 cards of those 47 remaining cards that will make your hand, whereas there are 38 cards that are another suit, and will not. So using the formula above we get 47-9:9 or 38:9 or 4.22:1 (Divide 38 by 9 to get 4.22:1).

In this case, the pot is offering you 5:1 odds and the odds against you hitting your hand are 4.22:1. Where the pot odds are greater than the card odds, you call.

An Easier Way

The Rule of 4 and the Rule of 2
There is a concept known as the Rule of 4 and the Rule of 2 which states that when you are facing an all in with two cards to come (all in on the flop) then you multiply your outs by 4 to get your approximate percentage chance of making your hand. If you want to know the percentage chance of making your hand on the next card, whether it’s the turn or the river card) you would instead multiply your outs by 2 then add 2.

This rough approximation is not without its shortcomings. When using the Rule of 4, the percentage chance becomes really unreliable with 10 outs or more. For instance: with 15 outs, the Rule of 4 gives you a 60% chance of making your hand when it is actually more like 54%.

To follow our example above we would multiply our outs (9) by 2 (plus 2when you have 8 or more outs) to get 20% to make our flush on the very next card. The bet we need to call, when represented as a percentage of the pot, is 20%. Based on this, our percentage odds to make the hand equal the odds offered by the pot so we call.

A Hybrid Approach: Mixing Solomon’s Rule and the Rule of Two

Solomon’s Rule: When Facing an All In on Flop
A more accurate way to estimate your percentage chance of making your hand when facing an all in on the flop is by using Solomon’s Rule. To use it, multiply the number of outs by 4 then subtract the number of outs in excess of 8. In the 15 out example above, Solomon’s Rule would be: ( 15 * 4 ) – ( 15 – 8 ) = 53%.

Rule of Two: When Facing a Bet on Turn OR River
The Rule of Two will be accurate enough to use when you want to determine your percentage chance of making your hand on the next card. It is made more accurate by adding 2 to the product of (Outs * 2) when you have 8 or more outs. So if you have 15 outs on the flop again and would like to know your percentage chance of making your hand on the turn: (15 * 2) + 2 = 32%.

Again, to follow our example above, and use the modifier, we now see that the percentage chance of hitting our flush is 20% while our call is just 16% of the pot to be won. An easy call.

A Note about Implied Odds

The scenario above is pretty straight forward but it doesn’t take implied odds into consideration. Implied odds are the odds offered by the amount you have to call against the amount in the pot plus the amount one stands to gain from bets made on future streets. If your opponent is likely to invest more money in the pot when you do hit your flush, then the strict call/fold guidelines according to straight pot odds (direct odds) can be loosened.

Common Pots Odds

Here is a chart that includes the actual odds and percentages for 1 to 20 outs. The Rule of 2 and Solomon’s Rule have been included to show its effectiveness.

Related posts:

1. Pot Odds and Implied Odds
2. Bad Beats Happen, Deal with It!
3. Value betting the river

A Stellar Reputation

You will be surprised to learn that Tom Dwan, one of the biggest names in poker today, has yet to acquire a WSOP bracelet. So what has he done, you ask, to deserve a position in Team Full Tilt? Simple. There’s no other player quite like him. Tom Dwan’s career is marked more by the pursuit of money rather than a pursuit of laurels. He’s one of the best and most formidable players both offline and online. This is because he has a unique playing style; he is aggressive and unpredictable, often making moves that don’t seem to make sense to anyone else but himself, and yet he can be docile and passive when needed.

Dwan is primarily an online player and is often seen playing Pot Limit Omaha in Full Tilt, but he still dabbles successfully in the world of live poker. Having already gathered a respectable reputation among pros, he appears regularly in shows like Poker After Dark and is also a mainstay in the most exclusive high-stakes rooms in Vegas.

Howard Lederer, a member of Team Full Tilt, has accepted Tom Dwan warmly into their elite posse, saying that “Team Full Tilt doesn’t take adding a team member lightly. But Tom Dwan has proven, through skill and dynamic play, that he will be a force to be reckoned with for many years to come. We are proud to count Tom as one of our own.

A Perfect Fit

Dwan’s addition to Team Full Tilt is something that, in much the same way that 1 plus 1 is equal to 2, makes perfect sense. Dwan has been playing in Full Tilt for the longest time, and has even used the said site to host his famous “Durrrr Challenge”. However, up until now, Dwan has chosen not to accept any contracts. So it really came as a surprise that when they announced the news. Of course, there is no information as to how much was paid to get him to jump into the bandwagon. But one thing’s for sure, it must have been a pretty huge sum. Now, Dwan has joined the ranks of the other members of the team, namely Phil Ivey, Howard Lederer, Jennifer Harman, Erick Lindgren, Andy Bloch, Allen Cunningham, Patrik Antonius, Gus Hansen, Chris Ferguson, John Juanda, Phil Gordon, Erik Seidel, and Mike Matusow. From here on out, Tom Dwan would proudly don the Full Tilt logo whenever he plays in a tournament. He’ll be playing on the Full Tilt Tables and will be dabbling in the Full Tilt Poker Academy. And to put the icing on the cake, he’ll even write his own personal blog on FullTiltPoker.com. Indeed, with this new addition to the team, Team Full Tilt has truly become a Titan in the felt.

Join Full Tilt Poker today and receive a 100% sign up bonus up to $600 on your first deposit! Use bonus code CPRPOKER to get your bonus during sign up!

Related posts:

1. Tom “Durrrr” Dwan Down in the Dumps
2. Dwan takes Lead, Durrrr Challenge at Halfway Mark
3. The “Durrrr” Challenge: Halfway Through

In the case of Single Table S&G’s, when you’re managing your bankroll, it is advised that you spend no more than 5% of your bankroll on your entry fee (not counting the rake for the tournament. In this particular format, a typical pay structure will pay the individuals that finish 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. For example, in a $2 Single table S&G, your investment would typically be a fixed amount of $2.25 ($2 for the buy in, and $.25 for the rake). The true benefit of the Single Table S&G, is that you cannot lose more than you’re buy in, and 33% of the field will receive a positive return on your investment. What this means is, you need to outlast only 6 other players to make money. The typical payout structure of a single table S&G would be, 50% for 1st place, 30% for 2nd place, and 20% for 3rd place. So for a $2 buy in, it would be typical for 1st to receive $9, 2nd, $5.40, and 3rd, $3.60. Since you’re investment is a fixed 11% of the total prize pool in a single table S&G, you’re receiving a positive return any time that you finish in the top 3 places.

For MTT’s and MTT S&G’s, this number changes. The payment structure is much more favorable to the players that finish deep in the tournament. MTT’s can range from 2 tables (18 players) all the way to 10’s of thousands of participants, and it is typical to pay only 10% of the field in an MTT. Since there is greater risk in MTT’s it is advised that you invest no more than 2% of your bankroll as an entry on these types of events. However, a 1st place finish in a large MTT for 2% of your bankroll can triple your total bankroll or more. Like the S&G’s, your buy in is fixed, so an MTT can be a fantastic way for you to make headway in increasing your bankroll by investing very little.

Because you’re playing in larger fields in MTT’s, you’re often going to be placing in the money on average about 10% of the time. Remember, poker is a game of variance, and eventually, the numbers hold true. It would be impossible to think that any individual could consistently win enough hands to beat 90% of the field, 100% of the time. But the really exceptional players find themselves cashing in MTT’s, anywhere between 12% and 14% on average. This is why investing just 2% of your bankroll becomes so critical. In many of the cashes that you will have, you will only be able to cash for the minimum payout, which is often just slightly above what your buy in is. If you don’t run deep into tournaments, you will see a negative impact on your bankroll nearly 86% to 90% of the time, which is why you must keep your buy-in’s low.

Related posts:

1. Bankroll Management – Part I: Cash Games
2. Why is Discipline Important in Bankroll Management?

The single most important aspect of playing regular poker, either live or online, is managing your bankroll. Knowing how much money to invest in your buy in, and when to walk away are key elements to the survival of a poker player. Because poker is a game of variance, you will both positive and negative returns on your investment from different sessions. Sometimes, that change takes place over the course of just a couple of minutes. But it becomes much easier to look at this game from a successful/unsuccessful venture if you employ a few easy bankroll management rules to abide by.

First, your bankroll must begin with a number that you are ok with losing. If that number is zero, then you should probably be playing poker either in play money tournaments or freerolls only. If you’re playing over your head, your play style will change. Scared poker players become broke poker players. You have to be comfortable with losing in order to fully embrace the result of winning.

Once you have an established number that you’re willing to invest in poker, you need to manage that figure by playing at stakes that will allow you increase your bankroll, and not bankrupt you because of regular variance. Because there are natural ebbs and flows to the game of poker, and having to be willing to accept the losses with the wins, you need to buy into games that will not cripple your bankroll.

For cash games, it is best to invest not more than 5% of your bankroll in a single session for your buy int. What this means for a $100 bankroll, is that you should buy into ring games where the buy in is $5 or less. Most sites have “Micro Stakes” where you can buy into a game at $5, and the stakes are blinds of $.02 for the small blind, and $.05 for the Big Blind. Here, you are risking very little of your bankroll each time you make a rotation around the table. But be mindful of how much money you’re investing at the table. If you go bust, then you should only re-load your chip stack to $4.75, as this will be the new amount of 5% of your new bankroll ($95).

Also, I would advise leaving the table at anytime the amount that you have on the table, is at, or exceeds 10% of your total bankroll. So let’s say that you’ve had a great run, and you’ve been able to double your stack and then some to $13. Well, the $13 in front of you accounts more than 12% of your new total bankroll (you’re new bankroll is $108 – the $95 in your pocket PLUS the $13 on your table). If you get your money all in, and lose, you drop more than 12% of your money on a single hand. That’s too risky. In this scenario, its is best to walk from the table if you’ve reached $10.55, and then find a new game at $5, or at no more than $5.28, which would be 5% of your new bankroll.

Related posts:

1. Bankroll Management – Part II: SnG and MTT’s
2. Why is Discipline Important in Bankroll Management?