Ask Phil
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Q: What poker rooms do you like in Las Vegas? I guess by that I mean which have the easiest compitition with novice players that will make mistakes? |
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A: like the Palms for low limits, Bellagio for high limits, and Venetian for middle limits.
If you want to take a short road trip off the strip, check out the excellent poker room at the new Red Rock Casino, or try my "local" casino, Green Valley Ranch. The fish are so numerous at these local casinos that you need a neoprene SCUBA suit to sit down at the tables.
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Q: What are the odds (or percentages) of one person at a table of 9 or 10 being dealt Aces while another is dealt Kings? |
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A: Good question.
I'll answer an easier question, though.
You are dealt K-K under the gun at a 10 handed table. What are the odds someone has A-A?
There are 50 cards left in the deck, 50*49/2 combinations of two cards, 6 of which are A-A. 1225 combinations. Any one opponent is about 0.49% to have A-A. 0.49% * 9 = 4.4%.
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Q: Do you play suited connecters? And do you have a favorite (not common) hand that you play? Doyle was lucky with 10-2, but come on, who can really get away with that besides him? |
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A: Of course I play suited connectors! I don't really have a favorite uncommon hand, though.
And Doyle "getting lucky" with 10-2? Very simple to explain: heads up, almost every hand is playable before the flop.
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Q: At a full table, what is the best way to play low and mid pocket pairs? |
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A: Get in cheap, flop a set.
Seriously, small pocket pairs are very difficult to play profitably. From early position in a full ring game or tournament, I'm very likely to just fold. If you've read anything I've written, you know that I am a big fan of raising before the flop if you're the first player to voluntarily enter the pot -- raising with these hands is sometimes a problem, so I'm likely to fold.
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Q: Phil, I'm playing at .50/1 NLHE. Yesterday I was sandwiched by two aggressive players with plenty of $$$, and they were raising and re-raising at any time by any amount of money. How should I proceed when this happens again? |
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A: Change seats. Believe it or not, your seat selection will have a huge effect on your win rate at these low limits (and at higher limits as well). A game that is hugely profitable in one seat might be hugely unprofitable in another.
In general, put the maniacs on your right and the tight-ass predictable players on your left.
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Q: How do I know when to move up in limits? |
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A: Move up when your bankroll can handle the bigger games and you have confidence in your ability to win. If you do move to the higher limits, realize that you won't be the best player at the table and that you'll very likely need to temper your expectations. Play tighter than normal, and look for the players at the table that are worse than you.
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Q: It seems that I'm making more money playing poker than at my day job. Is it time to go pro? Should I delcare my winnings? |
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| A: Going pro is tough. In my book, Poker: The Real Deal, I give you an extensive "checklist" for how to know if you're ready to go pro.
As far as declaring your gambling
winnings, check with your tax attorney and pay your taxes.
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Q: How do you adjust your play against a recklessly loose and aggressive player? |
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A: I tighten up, and if I make a hand I'll often let him bluff himself to death. Realize that you have to check and call more often against this type of player.
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Q: When is it appropriate for you to show your cards to the table? |
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A: I never show unless they pay for me to show. Why give them
additional information they didn't pay to get? I'd rather have
them guessing than give them information.
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Q: How often does a world class player usually finish "in the money" when playing tournaments? |
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A: When I'm playing in a $10,000 buy-in tournament, I think I'll finish
in the money about 1/4 times if they are paying 1/10th of the field.
I believe my equity is about 3-4x my buy-in. In a 100 person field,
I think the best player in the world will win about 1 out of 30 times.
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Q: Why is raising and aggression so important in poker? |
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A: There are multiple reasons why I raise, here are the main ones:
1) Limit the competition
2) Take control of the betting
3) Make opponents define their hand
4) Steal the blinds
5) Conceal strength of my hand
The alternative of check/calling and playing passively yields none of the above benefits.
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Q: What does the term "Dominated" mean in Hold'em? |
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A: Player 1 has Player 2 dominated if they have one of the same hole cards, but Player 1 has a bigger kicker, for instance AK vs AQ.
Also, a pocket pair dominates all lower pocket pairs.
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Q: What is the "Gap Principle"?
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A: Coined by David Sklansky, the Gap Principle says that some hands which you would bet or raise with as the first person in, you would actually not want to call with if someone makes a bet or raise in front of you. An example is AQ in middle position. The reasons why are explained in detail on the DVD.
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Q: Do you ever limp in early position with pocket Aces or Kings in no-limit ring games? |
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A: No, I don't ever limp in NL Hold'em tournaments or ring games. If my hand is good enough to play, its good enough to raise.
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