Limit Holdem at Spin32

At risk of ruining the secret so many Limit Holdem players have coveted, including myself, for some time now, I feel it is right that people should be aware of the incredible Limit Holdem games there are running at most times on Spin32 Poker, with a great mix of nationalities, styles and personalities at the tables, with tables ranging from micro-stakes to 5/10 and even sometimes 10/20 games. These games can also, while not being too heavy for your bankroll, be a great way to earn cash playing poker without having to risk your bankroll by making one bad decision. These games are not always ABC; there are ways of playing limit that can really get your opponents in a state of mind that will give you the edge. Knowing how to play good Limit Holdem is actually more profitable and long-term will give you a greater gain than even the best No Limit players can really claim to have in the long run.

Even Puggy Pearson, the legend of poker and proposition bets, known for not letting the stakes get to him when making a bet, even he was prone to agreeing that poker players can only really make a living playing limit poker. High Stakes limit poker is what the majority of pros play, because pros who are grinding out a living every day, at whatever stake, not that luck can turn bad and minimizing ones losses in those situations is what makes a profit. Learning discipline at Limit will also greatly enhance your No Limit game further down the line. Patience is, of course, both No Limit and Limit’s one common skill-set needed to make a consistent profit, and without it you will soon find that you are losing at both. Having the discipline to lay down a hand in limit for just one more bet takes a lot more steel than laying down a hand to half the pot bet, just as making a small value can make a bigger difference in limit than making a bluff in No Limit. It is all relative to what your long term expectation is, and it is much easier meeting Limit expectations than it is trying to meet targets at No Limit.

WPT (World Poker Tour) 2010

The World Poker Tour, now that the WSOP frenzy has settled down, is fully underway, kicking off with the Legends of Poker. Held in the Bicycle Casino this is one of the events few pros want to miss, especially the large pool of LA regulars.
Phil Collins (no, not that Phil Collins) steamed ahead on Day 2, but it is now the relatively unknown Jonathan Little who has made the headlines with an unstoppable bout of Knock Outs, bringing 60 down to 15 - which is where is currently stands.
Interestingly enough those players getting knocked out in 45th are unlikely to be too fussed due to the very flat payout structure, meaning that for an extra 30 places you will only earn an extra $5k. So unless players are looking for finishing stats the last stages would have been a pretty loose game, giving players the confidence to get busy knowing they were only playing for final table glory or a pretty standard payout.

As seems traditional with the majority of LA Poker Events, there may not be a large bank of world famous pros making the money, but the LA poker scene is pretty tight knit and the locals are celebrities in their own right, so we may see some local favourites at the final table, which will make for some great viewing and atmosphere.

WSOP 2010

So after an interesting potential lineup on the WSOP final table, we still have a pro remaining to hold the torch. Michael Mizrachi, who had somewhat fallen into semi-obscurity in the past couple of years after an incredible run at some WPT events including a win, is strong at the final table and will be able to make more of an impression given that the chips are much more evenly divided than Darvin Moon’s huge percentage of chips last year, when Ivey was forced to go all in (he actually lost to a three-outer).

There were many more pro-highlights along the way, with Johnny Chan looking set to steal the limelight as he remained chip leader or close for much of the run up to the final table. But blinds at that stage can be crippling and it does not take much for a few misplaced bets and you find yourself busted.

Another pro, although less a legend than Chan of course, is the young internet pro Tony Dunst, who has come under attack many times for not performing to the standard he writes about in his famous blog or following the rules he sets himself in his coaching videos. But when looking at his online results it is easy to see why he ever made a name for himself, racking up countless 1st. 2nd and 3rd places on many online poker rooms. And now, finally, he can put the naysayers to rest with this high finish in the WSOP 2010. Undoubtedly he will still be disappointed given that he was chip leader for a time and looked set to have a great run. But things went dead near the end of the tournament and he was forced to push with some marginal hands and inevitably went to the rail easier than expected.

But while they may have fallen short Michael Mizrachi is still reaching for the ultimate achievement, not only to win the 2010 WSOP, beating the final nine in November, but to chalk this up with the High Roller 8-game event he won at the beginning of the World Series, something that will be a first in the poker world.