March 05, 2008
1. A-A: Pocket Aces are the best hand in poker but because of that simple fact they can be tricky to play. You could go the route of trying to limp in and trap players or you could simply make a raise. Either way, you need to do what needs to be done to isolate.
How to Play: Do whatever you have to do to get the pot down to 1-2 other players. Aces win against a random hand around 85% of the time but that number decreases ridiculously fast the more people are in the pot. The value of aces depreciates greatly in a multi-way pot so play accordingly. Raise them based on table position and not their strength, ex. raise more in later position.
2. A-K: Big slick is another hand that I see a lot of players have trouble playing and I see a lot of people busting out of tournaments because they overplay the hand.
How to Play: The hand should be a raising hand in most situations but occasionally you should limp in with this hand just to mix up your play. In early position you should obviously raise with it, same for middle position but in late position and the blinds this is a good spot to occasionally limp. Now if you raise with it and your hand misses the flop you should make a continuation bet (a bet around 1/2 the pot) to try to take the pot right there. If you get called or encounter raising or a lot of fighting back then get away from the hand. Remember, if you don’t hit a pair with A-K all you have is Ace-high, learn to fold the hand when it misses if you face resistance when you bluff with it.
3. K-Q: This is a hand that I place in a group of hands called “Trap Hands.” These types of hands get a lot of beginner and intermediate players in trouble because they treat these like premium hands when they really are just high suited connectors and should be played as such. The reason this hand gets players in trouble is because they often enter raised pots against true premium hands like high pocket pairs, A-K and A-Q and when you hit a pair you face kicker issues from facing A-Q or Big Slick. What you really want is to flop a straight or flush draw with this hand.
How to Play: In early position, you can call with this hand if you’d like, the suited variations of this hand are particularly strong and I consider them raising hands but offsuit variants should be either called or folded in early position, preferably folded if you’re at a loose table. In middle position K-Q is again a calling hand but if an early position player raises or calls than your fold percentage should increase meaning you will throw it away more. In late position I would call a standard raise or a call from middle position and sometimes early position players depending on the dynamics of the table.
4. A-10/A-J: These two hands are another two hands I consider “trap hands.” Most players treat them like premium hands and again they simply are overplayed and overvalued horribly by the average poker player. A-J suited is the only hand that I consider any real strength and A-Jo and A-10s and off-suit are just calling hands. Treat them like calling hands and you’ll be good, you don’t want to enter raised pots against premium hands, hit your ace only to loose all your chips because someone holding Big Slick had you outkicked.
How to Play: Unless you have A-Js these are simply calling hands. I wouldn’t advise entering raised pots with these hands very often. Once in a while you should raise with these just to mix up your play but you have to be very cautious with these hands if you get called. You are really looking to hit a straight or flop two pair so you don’t have to worry about kicker problems because if you’re in a raised pot and you hit your ace your ten kicker is very vulnerable.
5. K-K: Pocket Kings are pretty tricky especially if you play against weaker players. Phil Hellmuth describes this situation the best “I know i’m going to pick up kings and one of you idiots is going to call me with ace-deuce.” That just about sums it up, weaker players are going to call your raise with ace-rag and if the ace comes out you’re going to have a difficult decision.
How to Play: Raise aggressively pre-flop regardless of table position, your bets still should vary based on position however. The closer to the button the higher your raise should be, but don’t get ridiculous cap it off at 5-6x the big blind unless there’s a lot of limpers. If there’s no ace on the flop then bet hard unless its a very safe board (all low cards, no straights, no flushes) but do NOT under any circumstances give a free card for a player to outdraw you. The only way you give a free card is if you flop a set and are trying to trap. If an ace comes on the flop and you encounter resistance than be done with the hand as hard as it may be to throw away a sexy hand like K-K.
Honorable Mention: Low-Middle Pocket Pairs: These aren’t that tricky but I felt the need to mention them at the end here. These are tricky because a lot of players like to enter raised pots with these and they get in trouble a lot by overplaying them. I’ll try to give you some basic guidelines.
How to Play: I limp a lot with 8s and below often and follow a strategy called “set or die.” This means you check/fold unless you flop a set or the board is all unders with no flush possibilities. This is a surefire way to keep from losing a lot of chips. If you set than analyze the flop and slow play if its a favorable situation or make a bet and hopefully you’ll get paid off big time. For just about any pocket pair thats not paint (face cards) basically just lay it down if there’s overs on the board and you don’t set. You can raise with 7s and up in late position if you want, maybe even middle position but it is usually advised to limp in early with them.
Congratulations you now know how to play the top 5 trickiest hands in Poker.
Eager to learn more? Maybe one of these pages will provide more help.
- Starting Hand Requirements & Table Positional Play
- Playing Trap Hands, Slow Playing & More
Don’t need anymore and ready to play? Check out one of these top poker rooms fully reviewed and broken down so you know which is the best to play at.
- Titan Poker Review (Non-Us Room)
- Full Tilt Poker Review
March 05, 2008
So I’m playing tonight and I knew it wasn’t going to be my night anyway. Early into the tournament I picked up wired Kings and threw in a hefty re-raise to a raiser… Of course an ace comes on the flop and the girl insta-jams. I fold and she shows A-8 off suit I was like “one of those nights….”
Later on I’m in the small blind with 9-8s of clubs and I call then check dark. The flop comes 2-9-8 rainbow and my dark check is set up perfectly for a check-raise. Its me, Under the Gun and 2nd to act in the pot…. UTG checks and 2nd to act goes all-in. I go all-in over the top and the under the gun thinks for a while then calls.
UTG Reveals 10-10 and 2nd to act reveals A-Jo (yeh wtf was he doing?)
The turn comes an 8 and gives me 8s full of 9s so I’m thinking “sweet I’m good now, nice triple up.” Then the river comes out a 10 giving the under the gun guys tens full of 8s eliminating me out of the tournament.
While I’m used to these horrible beats on Full Tilt and am used to being victimized by them at least 3-4 times a tournament but I haven’t had a bad beat this bad live in a long time so I decided to write about it.
Here’s a digital representation of the hand.
March 03, 2008
1. Develop strong starting hand requirements. Choose what hands you play and stick to them as best as possible. A tight player should only play mid-to-high pocket pairs, high suited connectors and high suited face cards. Loose players can play more hands but unless wreckless play is your playing style (which in my experience isn’t very profitable) you need to buckle down on your starting hands.
More on Starting Hand Requirements.
2. Take into account your position at the table relative to the dealer and the blinds. If you act within the first two to three positions after the big blind than you should play your tightest game here. Play the lowest number of hands in this area of the table because you will be out of the position the rest of the hand and will have to act with minimal information about your other opponents. Once you enter middle positon which are the two to three spots after first position you can loosen up a little bit but still keep it fairly tight. Once you reach late position which is the button and the one or two spots to the right of the button, you can play your loosest game here to take advantage of your position. In the blinds I suggest playing similar hand requirements as late position but if it folds around and only the dealer calls or its just you and the big blind fold only the worst of hands.
More on Table Position.
3. When you make a raise pre-flop do not ever raise based on the strength of your hands (ex. raising 5x the blind with aces but 2-3x with 10s). Your raises should be based on table position and the amount of players in the pot. If its a family pot, it is going to take a bigger raise to drive them out due to being offered pot odds. In earlier position you can safely raise less and as you get to later positon your raises can get to the 5x the big blind range. I wouldn’t suggest going higher than 5x the big blind unless its multiway and you have a monster that you don’t want a lot of players against. Remember, you don’t want aces or kings in a multiway pot, try to get it down to at most 2-3 players.
More on Pre-Flop Betting.
4. After making a pre-flop raise, if the action checks to you it is wise to make a bet around 1/2 the pot (make sure to vary it just to keep opponents guessing) whether or not your hand hits, that way your opponents can’t think “He checks when he misses and only bets when he hits.” This strategy is called making a continuation bet. For example, you have A-K the flop comes 2-5-9 you make a bet. Make a similar sized bet even with a flop of A-2-7. That way opponents won’t know when you have it and you are more likely to get paid.
More on Continuation Betting.
5. When you flop a monster hand like trips, straight or flush its often a profitable strategy to check it to your opponents and let them bet then smooth call when action comes back to you. Repeat this on the turn and then if you think your monster held up you can either bet if you think your opponent will check the river or check it one more time then put in a value raise over the top to try to get a little bit more out of it. This strategy is known as slow playing or trapping. Be cautious though, if you flop trips or a straight and theres better draws on the board like two hearts or even three hearts than you may want to speed up and price opponents out from getting a cheap card to make their flush.
More on Slow Playing/Trapping.
6. When you think or know you’re beat then fold. Unless you’re being offered ridiculous pot odds to call than just discipline yourself and make the fold. Great players learn to lay down great hands. If you have trouble knowing when you’re beat than perhaps you should play a very tight game until you improve so that way you are ahead of opponents most of the time.
7. Do NOT ever give a free cards when you make a hand on the flop. The only exception is if it is a very safe flop for a monster hand that is unlikely to be beaten on later streets. You don’t want to give a free card that beats you when a bet might have gotten them off the draw.
Congratulations, you are now almost ready to DOMINATE the poker table.
Before you go sharpen up your skills even more by visiting the tips section of Mega-Poker.Net - Poker Room Reviews - Full Tilt, Titan and More - Poker Coaching, Strategy, Tips & More
February 28, 2008
1. Any hand containing a face card most definitely is the nuts, even though you don’t know what “the nuts” means yet, you must certainly will have it. Yeah I know there’s three all-ins and you have jack-deuce, call with confidence!
2. If there is one strength of being a complete donkey it is this: you will not and cannot be bluffed… EVER!
3. Flopping bottom pair definitely is the strongest hand at the table. Call down to the river when everyone else but you knows you’re hopelessly defeated.
4. Even though you have nothing you continue to call bets hoping to get your card on the turn or river. As a matter fact, you call your opponents bet after the river to try to catch your card on the river… but it’s too late and you can’t figure out why your seven high didn’t win.
5. Aces in the hole… No problem, just throw all your chips in the pot right there because you have the best hand in poker. But wait, there’s 5 people to act before you and you just broadcasted to the entire table that you have Pocket Aces… But it doesn’t matter because there’s probably another idiot like you at the table that will call you with king-rag.
6. Two suited cards, you definitely have a shot at a straight here. Yes you still think five suited cards is called a straight but it doesn’t matter because you’re definitely going to hit it. Even with a rainbow flop you call any bet because god willing you will hit your “straight” on the river.
7. Ace-deuce off-suit is definitely a premium hand. Call any and every bet you face because even if you miss the board your ace-high is definitely superior.
8. Get excited and gitty any time you look down at King-Four offsuit under the gun. You don’t know what under the gun means nor have any concept of table position but it doesn’t matter because you have a FACE CARD!
9. Call all the way down with A-K even when you have nothing just because A-K is a good hand and you feel like you should win with it every time because its one of the few hands you know that you should raise with.
10. You have a flush or a gut-shot straight draw, this definitely is better than anything and a favorable situation for a donkey. Call all the way down and then if you miss and face a bet after the river just call anyway. Who knows, your straight or flush draw might be good. Right?
Congrats you are now a certified Poker DONKEY.
WARNING: This story is found on a variety of social networks (sweet!) so I should keep up on entertaining my fellow poker enthusiasts by offering you guys other viewing options:
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Donkey’s please get poker coaching here
February 23, 2008
I just made over an hour of poker strategies and tips to teach you guys some various techniques and tips to take to the poker table. To access them just sign up for the newsletter over at the main site at http://www.mega-poker.net and you will receive one in each e-mail sent out.
February 20, 2008
I’ve read dozens of poker literature and don’t remember a whole lot of play on making moves “in the dark.” I’ve been using it more and more during live play and against weak to moderate players it is very effective in throwing off their reads and normal moves because it completely conceals the strength of your hand.
A strategy to try out is to call the small blind with a connector or whatever and when the big blind checks announce that you check dark. What you’re looking for here is to flop a huge straight draw or two pair, that way if anyone bets you set yourself up for a perfect check-raise situation and most opponents I’ve used it against couldn’t even put me on a range of hands.
I also utilized a form of this against a calling station/maniacal player that would go all the way with any piece of the board. I wanted to protect my hand so right after he called my post-flop bet I put in a huge bet in the dark before the turn. I got lucky and hit trips on the turn and a boat on the river that ended up doubling me up because the board was K-4-10-K-9… I held K-9s and he called me down with jack-four off (complete donk).
While this move can backfire if you make a dark bet and the next card hurts your hand and/or improves another. I use it very often in the small blind to make up for having to be out of position the rest of the hand. It prevents me from having to show weakness by checking AFTER seeing the flop from first to act post-flop and allows me to see what everyone else does before making a decision. Since it covers up your hand strength so well players will often bet at you and you will often have to fold but when you flop a monster with this strategy you should certainly get paid off big a lot of the time.
February 20, 2008
Hey guys,
It has been a while since I last wrote, I just got home from a sweet tournament victory ending a month-long slump of getting turned or rivered in every all-in situation. I played in a few earlier today and got some awful beats, picked up aces in the big blind, the entire table called big blind, I raised from 100 to 800 and got 5 callers. Flop comes Q-8-2 and I bet about half the pot. I get called by one guy, the next guy reraises, it folds around to me… I go all-in, the caller folds and the re-raiser calls and shows Q-9o. I was like “hell yeh double up” then the turn gave him trips and I was gone. So I play in another one and I was at a table with a very aggressive player that liked to splash around and re-raise with next to nothing. I got a good read on his betting patterns and entered a pot against him in late position with K-9 suited. The flop came 10-9-3 and he bet 200, I put him on Q-9 or J-9 so I raised to 800. The guy puts me all-in so I trust my read and call, he shows J-9 and the turn reveals a J and I am dealt another sickening beat… It’s alright, it’s poker and thats the name of the game…
So I entered the next upcoming tournament earlier tonight and I got a double up very early. I had an awful calling station at my table that would call any bet with any draw or any pair. I again had K-9s and hit top pair. I decided my strategy against this guy was to play my hands very hard and very aggressive against him. So I bet the pot and as he called I went all-in dark before the turn. The turn revealed another king so I knew I was good, he called my all-in anyway and mucked when I showed my trip kings.
So I’m up to like 25-30x the big blind at this point and am sitting pretty. I continue to play a super-tight yet aggressive game until I got moved to another table. Once there I entered a very risky situation and this is what started the luck run. I picked up A-Q of spades and under the gun raised 3x the big blind. Playing most of my hands a lot harder than normal I raised him from 2000 to 10000 and he immediately pushed for a few thousand more. I called and he flipped over pocket aces. I was like shit…. until I flopped broadway and knocked him out… He was the 2nd big stack at the table behind me. At this point I’m sitting pretty and have a pretty big stack.
So a few hands later I get A-Q of spades yet again and I’m feeling it once again, so it folds around to me in the small blind and I raise which prompts the big blind to move all-in. I call and he shows A-J… I flop the nut flush and he’s gone.
Now I have a monster stack and have room to play big stack poker. Three or four hands later I pick up 7-10 suited and decide to play it, this hand normally is very far out of my starting hand requirements and I never consider it, but I was in position and had everyone covered probably 5-to-1. The flop in this hand comes A-K-7. It checks to me and I bet, it prompts a re-raise from a small stack that was probably a little over twice my bet. I decide to test the waters and I call, he shows A-5o and I”m like “shit” until I hit trip sevens on the river to knock out another player.
Now it’s the final table and its a pretty tight table, so I steal the blinds a few times, I snuck into a raised pot with 9-10, flopped top pair and insta-pushed to represent tremendous strength and stole a huge pot. I start getting a run of hands like K-10, Q-10, J-9 and fold them to small stack all-ins that are increasingly frequent.
I pick up Q-10s on the button and I call, the big blind who was the 2nd biggest stack besides me pushes all-in in big blind. I go on a whim and call, this was a very debatable call because I really try to avoid calling all-ins with high suited connectors or two face cards but it was too late. He had A-Q and I was dominated…. until the river when I hit a ten and take over the 2nd chip leader’s chips, now I got things dominated. So the hand goes on, I knock out the 4th and 3rd place guy and i’m now heads up. We go back and forth for a while exchanging blinds and I doubled him up once trying to make a move with K-8s. I picked up A-2o and pushed because I still had him covered big time so he called with J-8s and I spiked an ace on the river to win the tournament.
So to those of you that are getting awful card runs and sick bad beats, stay confident in your game or switch part of your game up a little bit… if you’re playing too conservative, too loose, too aggressive make adjustments and see if you can find success.
February 16, 2008
So I starting thinking about what I can do to provide more poker help to players that have already read through the strategy, have looked at a book or two but are still have loads of trouble at the table. I got the idea to start a coaching service within the site to provide one-on-one personal coaching sessions with visitors to provide individual strategies and form my advice based on your playing style and tendencies. So for those of you that are fans of the site and need some help at the tables check out the coaching section of the main site.
-The M
February 10, 2008
Hey guys,
Just fixed up some stuff on the site to make it more organized. Since I use the same menu on each page to keep load times reasonable I worked out a script to allow me to put a title that more closely corresponds with the page instead of a highly generic title.
I’ve been busy as heck with projects but more posts to come
-Matty Fresh
January 30, 2008
Check out the miscellaneous tips section over on the main page. Here’s a link Miscellaneous Strategy. Its over 4,500 words of unique strategy for you guys just on the topics of slow playing and playing trap hands.
I remember when I first started playing and I was getting crushed online and live playing KQ, QJ, KJ and A10 and couldn’t figure out what was going on or why they weren’t working out for me. So I studied and analyzed the game and my personal game further and after some reading I developed a new mindset for these hands. Check out this section I wish I had this section before I knew how to properly analyze and play these hands.
The slow play section is similar to the low pocket pair post on the blog, but it has a lot of great examples and is a bit longer and more detailed. Enjoy it guys… Hope it helps.
-The M
