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Limit Holdem at Spin32

noreply@blogger.com (JackSpin) — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 10:13:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (JackSpin) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 10:56:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (JackSpin) — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 14:19:00 +0000

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.

Greatest Tournament Player?

noreply@blogger.com (JackSpin) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 08:08:00 +0000

As the final days of the WSOP approach we can still see some potential legends of the game up in the top tiers, and most notably Johnny Chan is shunting along with a huge chip count. Anything can happen in the later stages, and with around 1200 players remaining nobody can be called a clear winner. However, if anyone has a fighting chance above the rest then Johnny Chan is the man to rise above the rest. Having famously won the main event consecutively in 1987 and 1988 and so very nearly beating Phil Hellmuth for 1989’s title Johnny Chan is one of those players that give poker the rightful reputation as a skill game.

It will be interesting to see if we once again have a certified legend and master of the game at the final table, and with Phil Ivey’s unlucky performance last year could Johnny Chan finally take the pros back to the limelight?
With Ivey, Brunson, Negranu and the majority of notable pros out by now it is left to these few stars to prove the mettle of well hones, seasoned live players to take a stand.

The truest proof of a player’s worth is always when, like Chan, they are able to win an event more than once. With Chan almost being the first to win it three times in a row he would have been the indubitable champion of all players, but Stu Unger – three time winner – still holds that title, and Chan has to share his accomplishment with Doyle Brunson who also won it twice consecutively. More recently Dan Harrington has had the most impressive stats, making the final table two times in a row against thousands of runners and incredible odds.

For someone like Chan to make an impressive run, even without winning the event, would make history and if he won it there would be no doubt he would be crowned the greatest tournament player of all time.

WSOP Main Event

noreply@blogger.com (JackSpin) — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 08:33:00 +0000

For the past 2 years, with attendance steadying around the 6,500 average mark, the title of youngest WSOP ME winner has been broken, first with Peter Eastgate beating Phil Hellmuth's perennial record and then only one year later Joe Cada took Peter Eastgate's title and became the new youngest winner of all time, as well as one of the top money earners. Pitted against the unpredictable Darvin Moon Joe Cada managed to suck out and outplay many of the opponents, and his greatest rival Phil Ivey was sucked out on - with a 3 outer - by Darvin Moon.

Phil Ivey's appearance at the final table last year and his bracelet win this year has further fuelled the discussion as to whether skill of luck is needed to win big events like this. Of course the answer is, simply, you need both. Phil Ivey is able to push himself into positions where the luck element is diminished, which is the difference. Often he will only be going into a pot as a favourite and will rarely jeopardise all of his chips unless he is in a strong position.

Many players go into the WSOP ME with the attitude that it is a crapshoot, that with so many players it is only worth doubling up a few times, playing a few coin flips and then tightening up in the later stages. It is not the worst strategy, but the problem is that too many players tend to approach it as if they are already defeated, given the odds of making the final table. Howard Lederer's advice is no better used that in a situation like this, ''don't pay attention to player counts or where you are, just play one table and one hand at a time.'' If anything the WSOP early stages are the ultimate endurance test, because to be patient in those early stages will likely make the difference between going into the later stages weak or strong. A do or die approach is more likely you will lose your chips in this case than it is to earn you chips, as players will be calling a lot and trying to double up for the next days. We will see this year if the same faces make it deep, and I hope Dan Harrington backs up my view of WSOP attitude and strategy by making another final table!

Huck Seed – Champion of Champions

noreply@blogger.com (JackSpin) — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 10:25:00 +0000

One of the most publicized events of this year’s World Series has been the Tournament of Champions. A group of 17 Pro Players were publicly voted to play for a 1st play payout of $500,000 plus the bragging rights to call themselves Champion of Champions.

Among the voted stars were Phil Hellmuth, Howard Lederer, Johnny Chan, Joe Hachem, T J Cloutier, Daniel Negranu, Barry Greenstein, Jennifer Harman, Annie Duke – and they were just the ones that cashed for a minimum of $25,000 up to 4th place.
It was very nearly Howard Lederer’s day when it came to heads up. Heads-up play was predictably choppy, with both players keeping pretty level until this hand occurred:
Howard Lederer raises 40,000 pre-flop with pocket tens and Huck Seed makes the call. The flop comes down an unimpressive 6 diamonds, 5 clubs and the 3 hearts. With that flop Howard led out for 60,000 which got raised all-in by Huck. Howard called and flipped over his over pair and Huck tabled his 9-6. The turn came a dangerous looking 8 and the river and even worse 7 for Howard, which gave Huck Seed the straight and the chip lead 2-1.

It was not long before Howard Lederer was all in with Q8 versus Huck’s A3 spades pre-flop. With a scary turn, giving Howard and open ended straight draw and Huck a flush draw, it was to make no difference when an Ace came on the river to make Huck Seed the Champion of Champions and walk away with $500,000.

WSOP Update

noreply@blogger.com (JackSpin) — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 09:56:00 +0000

It has been an eventful WSOP so far, to say the least. We have had our Phil Ivey moment - he won the small HORSE Event. Overheard asking ‘who much does this pay’ we can be sure Ivey won much more than the $300k+ 1st prize in side bets.

Tom Dwan, reputed to have up to $20,000,000 in side bets for winning a bracelet is making another run at it. Painfully missing out on the chance when he came 2nd in a NL Holdem event early on in the series, Tom is now a huge chip leader in the Pot Limit Omaha $10,000 Championship event. Sitting with a mountainous $1,000,000 in chips Tom Dwan has many high stakes pros fearing for their bankrolls as it once again looks like a real possibility he may walk away with a bracelet and an estimated $15,000,000 in side bets. Even the first prize for this event will mean something to Dwan. This is one of the last events that Dwan could have earned himself the side bet fortune in as the series draws closer to the Main Event in which even the luckiest and most skilled will need something special to make the final table. We will know soon if Dwan will become one of the wealthiest poker players and make more than 1st place in the Main Event. Bets will be on for a 2nd bracelet if he pulls off what seemed impossible.

HORSE $1500 Event underway

noreply@blogger.com (JackSpin) — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 15:33:00 +0000

Events like the High Roller 8-game event really sort the pros from the pros, and it can be easy to see who sticks to holdem and who knows there stuff in Bobby's room, so mixed games can really give a good indicator as to overall skill. So when it comes to the smaller buyin HORSE Event, the $1500 event currently underway it is a great way to see which pros and novices alike can have a handle on the alternative games.

As it stands there actually very few big names in the chip leader list, although it is still early days. But making an appearance again is Tom Dwan, determined to outdo his 2nd placing in the $1500 NL Holdem Event, where he would have won an additional $12mil minimum for winning his first bracelet aside from the $300k+ first prize he earned.

So it will be interesting to see how he fares in the later stages, and even for someone with the mettle of Dwan this is a situation in which he could both massively boost his bankroll and make some of the top names a little poorer, and judging by his close finishes so far it does look like there is all the chance in the world that it could still happen.

People will be watching the progress of Phil Ivey and Tom Dwan with extra attention this year around.

Making a comeback at WSOP

noreply@blogger.com (JackSpin) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 12:10:00 +0000

Dutch Boyd, made famous for his colourful appearance in the WSOP in which Chris Moneymaker took first place and created a tidal wave of poker hopefuls, made a comeback this year winning the $2500 Limit six-handed event at the WSOP. This is Dutch Boyd's second bracelet and will do a lot to give his reputation a boost, as recently we have seen little of him and people have speculated that he was really a flash in the pan. But for anyone to win two World Series of poker bracelets, that accusation quickly vanishes.

The World Series Of Poker is where players are made, or rather where players are made into well known names. Without the high tension and prestige of the WSOP there would be very few star players and it would be safe to say the poker economy would be significantly poorer.

The year in which Boyd got knocked out by Moneymaker (when Moneymaker called down all Boyd's chips, nearly all of his chips too, with just a pair 3s on a low board. It was an audacious all-in that would have worked 80% of the time, but Moneymaker at that point was out to win - which he famously did.) But for Boyd better and worse things were to come. He won a bracelet, lost a fortune, tried to set up a poker site, failed but has now come through and won a second - cementing his place in poker history. And there is still a long way to go for Boyd and it will be interesting to see how this will boost his performance for the Main Event. Will we see a second deep run for Dutch Boyd?

Dwan and the WSOP

noreply@blogger.com (JackSpin) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 08:13:00 +0000

For pro players that are playing for millions daily online and offline in cash games, the prospect of winning a few hundred thousand in any one of the WSOP side games is not as alluring as it is for regular players. The way they combat this disincentive is to proposition bet each other incredible sums that even exceed the WSOP Main Event 1st place prize.

For example, if Tom Dwan had fared just slightly better in the Omaha hi/lo event recently where he made the final table, if he had won he would have not only taken away the fairly insignificant (for him) $300k+ but he would also have netted around $12,000,000 is collected bets from fellow players. This would be his single biggest payday of all time and nearly double what many WSOP ME winners have got in the past.

Recently Dwan was involved in another high stakes prop bet which involved wagering Phil Ivey $1,000,000 that he would could not go without meat for one year. After only a few days Phil Ivey bought himself out of the bet for $150,000. This means, essentially, that Dwan earned $150,000 for doing.... nothing. He simply told Ivey he couldn't go without meat and was proven right days later for the sum of a pretty decent house.

The history of prop bets is pretty amazing and is often much more interesting than the poker game itself. The most famous and successful prop bettor is the infamous Amarillo Slim. Besides hundreds of other prop bets my favourite was his ping pong challenge. He bet fellow gamblers that with two weeks training and his choice of paddle he could defeat the world champion of ping pong. They all agreed without any second thought. However, when Slim arrived he went to the vending machine and took out two classic stlye bottles of coca cola, emtpied them and handed one to his opponent. Having worked out that there was only one spot on the the bottle with which you can hit the ball he went on to whitewash his opponent and collect a healthy payout.

Live Seat Tournaments London Poker Classic 2010.

noreply@blogger.com (Spin32Poker.com) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 18:28:00 +0000

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WSOP Updates

noreply@blogger.com (JackSpin) — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 13:48:00 +0000

So, it was not to be Doyle's day after all. Just missing the money the event became the property of some young guns but was already set to make history. The only other brother act to make a WSOP final table were Barney and Ross Boatman who made the Main Event table a few years ago. But this year it was to be Michael and Robert Mizrachi's turn, and although it was not the final table it was an event that probably had as big if not a bigger prizepool than the Main Event in those days. At the $50,000 Highroller event it would finally be Michael Mizrachi's day.

There will again be some controversy over whether or not the table would have turned as much in Michael's favour had it not been a TV friendly Holdem exclusive final table, although nobody could discredit his win, coming back from a 4/1 deficit to take the title of the 2nd most coveted bracelet in the entire World Series of Poker.

In the $1,500 event one player once again refuted the luck element of poker when he continued and incredible run. Praz Bandi has been a ubiquitous presence on the poker circuit for the past few years, winning his first bracelet in 2006 and just missing out on a 2nd in the WSOPE event last year. Let's wait and see if Praz can pull of a Lisandro this year around and consolidate his place in the poker hall of incredible poker feats.

$50k HORSE Event

noreply@blogger.com (JackSpin) — Mon, 31 May 2010 09:02:00 +0000

Although it is still running, with just over 10 players left, the players that had the biggest fan clubs, and the players that had the most riding on this event have sadly gone.
Many hoped that Doyle Brunson would take this title and the new bracelet record, finally beating Hellmuth and Johnny Chan.
Also put forward as a real contender for this event was Daniel Negranu. Daniel was card dead for the event, much to his disappointment. In his blogs it was this $50k 8-game that Negranu had really fixed his sights on, as it is a game that not only has the highest buy-in, but also the fact that it consists of all the popular games means that the winner of this event is crowned an all-round player, something that seasoned pros hold in high esteem. To be a great holdem player like Hellmuth is one thing, but to be the best in all games brings with it the respect of every player of every level.

Still strong in the running are David Oppenheimer with a big lead and David Mizrachi, brother of the other more famous Michael Mizrachi.

Players that have been knocked out of the $50k event are either playing in the $1000 NL Holdem event or the Omaha Hi/lo event. It will be interesting to see how these larger fields play out and if players like Negranu can make more of an impact on such a softer field.

The Main Event 2010

noreply@blogger.com (JackSpin) — Wed, 26 May 2010 08:18:00 +0000

Bets will be on this year for another top pro to reach the final table. While many lament the fact that rarely do pros find their way to the big money anymore, and consequently create good TV, they are wrong. Last year we had two known pros, Phil Ivey and Jeff Shulman attending the final table, and only two years before that we have Lee Watkinson and Tuam Lee fighting for first place and only one year before that Allen Cunningham consolidated his place among the top money earners at the WSOP - topping even Phil Hellmuth in prize money for cashes (not overall prize money), in which he eventually took fourth place.

The problem is, and the problem seems to have been since Robert Varkonyi beat Julian Gardner and then Chris Moneymaker took down Sam Faraha a year later, the odds on favourite never seems to win. It has been a close but not cigar moment for pros since 2003. There are some obvious reasons for this, although there have also been some massive blunders. To begin with, and what may have been the worst decision, was in 2003 when John Shipman over-thought a hand and called off the majority of his chips with AJ against Varkoyi's JJ. It was a stright forward fold that would have cruised Shipman into the final three, but he obviously decided that the inexperienced Varkonyi was making a move. First of all it would be very unlikely since Varkonyi is such an ABC player (and not a great one at that), and secondly Shipman's AJ, even up against any two live cards, is not a big favourite. There were so many better spots to get his money in, but alas, it seems to have sealed the fate for final table pros ever since.

In 2003 the key pot came when Sammy Farha misread Chris Moneymaker's bluff, after missing a spade flush, to be strength. It was more that he did not want to risk all his chips my calling all in with top pair. If he had really thought the hand out and studies Moneymaker (who looked extremely jittery) he probably could have made the call and broke the curse. Instead he folded and created a phenomena!

Perhaps this is the years the curse will be broken and we will see Negranu, Ivey or (please, please) Doyle Brunson take down his third title.

Let's hope!

Event # 55

noreply@blogger.com (JackSpin) — Mon, 24 May 2010 12:14:00 +0000

Omaha has fast become the close runner to Holdem, racing closely behind as the 'Buick' of poker, a fast, monsterpotten building game that many pros play instead of Holdem.

Evidence of Omaha growing dominance is, ironically, seen in the fact of how much harder it is for seasoned Omaha players to make easy money. Texas Holdem players have caught onto the edge factor, whereby learning a game like Omaha well gives you a far larger edge than if you were to stick to holem in which the edge is getting thinner and thinner, until only a very small percentage of players can precariously perch in that place. So although there were once many more Omaha players able to command an edge over their opponents, this is becoming more and more rare simply because there are more and more good Omaha players.

The Omaha $10,000 Event at the WSOP is one of the events that all players really want to win, along with the $10,000 Main Event and the High Roller mixed Events.

An Englishman, John Kabbaj won it last year, earning a lot of respect and a sponsorship with a top UK poker and bookmaking site. He won $633,335 for this event, and it is sure to create as much as a buzz this year as last year.

Although there are many great Omaha players around today it is still a game that to be good at brings many rewards, and to be a cut above the rest will most probably ensure your bankroll is more consistent than at holdem.

Event #51

noreply@blogger.com (JackSpin) — Fri, 21 May 2010 07:19:00 +0000

Rebuys at the WSOP are a controversial issue. Daniel Negranu has stoked the issue further by constantly debating it in public. Negranu's own opinion is that it should be one or the other, that for him and other pros rebuys are a good thing because they can chase a bracelet based purely on their bankrolls - whereas for non-pros that do not have a bankroll rebuy events severely. So really it all coems down to a question of whether you can afford it or not, and more often than not the answer is no. Perhaps for $10 rebuys are acceptable to the averae poker player but it it comes down to $1500 the difference is significant.

In event 51, the triple chance $3000 NL Holdem tournament, the organisers have made the only exception this year but also ensured that the ability to rebuy in this event will not lead to multiple rebuys to muscle out the less wealthy competition - since it has been wisely decided to make it a triple chance tournament only, meaning players can only rebuy for a maximum of 3 times. This means that for players like Daniel Negranu having these extra rebuys really does not enhance their chances of winning.

Although rebuys will continue to be a debating topic it does seem that for any major tournament series the rebuy per se is dying out.

Event # 46 Omaha Hi/lo $5000

noreply@blogger.com (JackSpin) — Thu, 20 May 2010 07:28:00 +0000

Celebrated by many top pros as their game of choice, Omaha hi/lo split is one of those games players either love or hate. For the reasons many players hate it others love it. For example many players feel frustrated when they are not able to win the whole pot, whereas others like the fact that with either a lo or hi hand you are able to win a portion of the pot, lessening the chances of getting bad beats or going broke in marginal situations.

Last year the winner of this $5000 event was Roland De Wolfe, a plaer that has made a real name for himself in the past few years, first as a poker journalist then as a player. In is now indubitable that Roland is not a lucky holdem player but an all around poker player, as netting $246,000 for this event proves - pitted against final table foes such as Andy Bloch and Andy Black. Players rarely ever get lucky playing Omaha Hi/lo so we can always assume the winners of these Omaha hi/lo events are seasoned pros.

Being able to play games like Omaha hi/lo competently really does improve our other skills at other games. After a session of Omaha hi/lo Texas Holdem and Omaha hi seem relatively simple and you will find yourself not over-thinking those marginal situations where in games like this it would be a no-brainer. By fine tuning your all-around game you will sincerely get better at the simpler forms of the game.

Event # 45

noreply@blogger.com (JackSpin) — Wed, 19 May 2010 14:00:00 +0000

Event 45, the HORSE $10,000 is for many players the events that means the most. For seasoned pros being able to adapt to Holdem, Omaha hi/lo, Razz, Seven card stud and Eight or better is the difference between a mediocre but good Texas Holdem player and an all-around, world class pro.

Since Holdem became everybody's special game, spawning hundreds of thousands of players who all think they have a slight edge on one another in the past few years, few of those players have tried to get to grips with the other forms of poker- which in the long run is where any existing edge really lies. In the bigger games in Vegas very few are just holdem, and it is only for the benefit of the cameras in shows like High Stakes Poker and The Big Game that top pros are playing Holdem only. In the Big Game in Bobby's Room in The Bellagio, where the legends of the game still reside - Greenstein, Brunson, Negranu, Hansen - they play a mixed game consisting usually of triple draw, holdem, omaha, omaha hi/lo and stud games. Sticking purely to Holdem is not effective for players of that calibre.

Along with the highroller event the winner of the HORSE event gets a lot of kudos from peers, and it is for good reason. To have the stamina to keep up with all the games, make the right decisions through the entire tournament and not make one wrong move - that is the stuff of great poker players.

Event # 35 HU

noreply@blogger.com (JackSpin) — Tue, 18 May 2010 09:45:00 +0000

Heads Up Poker has become an art in itself, almost independent of traditional poker strategy principles. Many players find that they are either very good at Heads Up naturally, usually in the case of an aggressive player, or they need to spend a long time honing new skills to adapt to Heads Up play. It is also often the case that the player that has fought through hundreds of players without making one wrong move find themselves stuck when it comes to trying to play one-on-one, mano-en-mano.

There have been some legendary heads-up matches throughout poker history. The Highroller event between Andy Bloch and Chip Reese took a record breaking 12 hours before Chip Reese finally took it down.

Heads up poker is also susceptible to much more variables than any other form also, and it is not always the better player that wins a tournament. Even Doyle Brunson in both of his successive WSOP Main Event wins was actually all in with the losing hand on both occasions with 10 2, but on both occasions managed to catch up with a runner runner full house. Even Doyle would brazenly admit that Heads Up play, while often displaying the most skill, also evidences the biggest luck element in poker. This is why it can also be the best part of any poker tournament to watch.

Let's hope this year we see some fireworks when it comes to playing HU for the biggest Prize of all time.

Event # 33

noreply@blogger.com (JackSpin) — Mon, 17 May 2010 14:19:00 +0000

Pot Limit games are not given the sort of respect they really deserve. Ask No Limit players and they will say it is too restrictive, ask limit players and they will tell you they are too risky. Ask Pot Limit players and they will tell you that being able to control the pot size is much more beneficial at PL than NL, and you would be surprised at the size of pots generated at Pot Limit tables compared to NL tables. This is for two reasons. One reason is that in order to protect their hands players often bet the Pot regardless, and secondly the pot is often not big enough to start with to block everybody out which creates monsterpottens.

In Omaha PL is common of course, but Event number 33 is a PL Holdem and Omaha mixed game, and it is one of those events where the pots are often memorable and it is easy to see who the NL, Limit and who the real Pot Limit pros really are.

Last year's winner Rami Boukai is one of those players that has a string of near-the-final-table results in previous years but finally brought it home with the Mixed PL event. It takes a controlled type of player to really make the most of Pot Limit and it takes some self-control to consider whether betting the pot is always a good idea, often the downfall of many players.

Event # 23

noreply@blogger.com (JackSpin) — Mon, 17 May 2010 10:56:00 +0000

6 handed poker tournaments have become more and more popular since online poker introduced it on a mass scale, and for online players - getting more hands more frequently - it is only a good thing.

For younger players 6-handed events are geared for them, they feel as though they often have the edge (Johnny Chan winning one recently does not give much weight to that argument)as they have the instint of knowing which hand ranges suit 6-handed play better than 9-10 handed. But in reality the old timers and veterans have just as much chance to take down these 6 handed events given their live experience.

Incredibly one player, John Brock Parker, a little known part time player won event 14 - the $2500 6-handed NL Holdem event, netting him $223,697. Then just 3 days later he went on the win event 19 - also a $2500 6-handed NL Holdem Event! This amazing feat will be one to beat and is almost on the Jeff Lisandro scale of incredible poker feats. Let's see how he does in this year's 6-handed events and if he does as well perhaps he knows something we don't!

It really is a fixture along with Shootouts and Highroller events now though - the 6-handed event - and adds to the diversity of the WSOP which is only a good thing. The more events, the more diverse and the more diverse skill sets it attracts only adds to the excitement and attracts more and more to try their luck and be Poker's next big thing.

Event # 19

noreply@blogger.com (JackSpin) — Mon, 17 May 2010 08:17:00 +0000

For many 2-7 lowball is the ultimate poker game and few people know that it was very nearly the game chosen as the Main Event game. Imagine how different things would have been if instead of the WSOP NL Texas Holdem ''Cadillac of Poker'' Main Event we had the WSOP 2-7 Lowball Main Event. Things certainly would have been different. Given that Holdem is almost tailor made for TV we could only guess that either there would never have been a poker boom or the WSOP would eventually have converted to Texas Holdem.

But 2-7, along with its sister game 2-7 triple draw, is still a popular game. Draw games are not as popular as they once were, they are seen as relics of the Cincinnati Kid era, but they are making a comeback.

Abraham Mosseri was last year's winner, not a well known public player but well known within the poker world and predominately in cash games. He is known among poker fans more for coming second to Hoyt Corkins in a WPT Event a few years ago and folding a big hand (when he really shouldn't have) which could have won him the title.

But with games like 2-7 it becomes much more obvious than in games like holdem who are the seasoned pros and who are not, so let's wait and see who makes it through to the final table this year and if Mosseri can make a name for himself as a 2-7 specialist.

Event #10

noreply@blogger.com (JackSpin) — Mon, 17 May 2010 07:11:00 +0000

Event number ten on the 2010 WSOP schedule is one of the games that is played by few but for those few that do play it, it is usually their game of choice. 7-stud hi/lo split is a real specialists game and it takes some getting used to when accustomed to holdem or even the sister games, 7-stud and Razz. Getting used to taking both the low and high into account can often be daunting and takes a little more mental concentration. One of the great benefits of stud games is that you can read your opponents board, meaning in a game like 7-stud hi/lo split you can really determine whether your hi or lo is good, and when you are good on both fronts you should know it meaning you can be hyper aggressive when it comes to betting.

Last years winner of the event was not Jeffery Lisandro - he took pretty much every stud event but this one, last year's winner was Daniel Alaei. Daniel's stats for the WSOP are extrememly impressive, having won a total of $1,608,923 in WSOP and cicuit earnings, which include 4th in the 2009 $10,000 Limit Holdem event, 1st in the 7-stud hi/lo split 2009 and in 2006 he launched his WSOP career winning 1st place in the $5,000 2-7 lowball event. This is just a sample of his results but Daniel Alaei is an example of a poker player that can play the alternative games and make it work for him and get consistent result after result. Let's see how he follows up 2009 in 2010.

Event #10

noreply@blogger.com (JackSpin) — Fri, 14 May 2010 13:32:00 +0000

Event number 10 generally sees a real mix of old time veterans and younger players competing with equal skill. One of the oldest and most popular poker games and Phil Ivey's game of choice (''you can be more aggressive''), 7-card stud is the grandfather of Texas Holdem and considered one of the first real forms of poker.

Event 10 is special because it is the first of a series of $10,000 buy-in events. So this is where we really find the cream of the crop in terms of 7-card stud pros and experienced amateurs.

Last year's winner was something of a dark horse, search for Freddie Ellis online and you will find no photo, no previous playing history and a record of one WSOP cash, one WSOP bracelet and one career earning of exactly $373,751. If it really is the case that this was his first and only poker event, it certainly says something about his hidden 7 stud ability.

Of course the following 7 Stud winner is much better known and became an even bigger name after winning not only event #16 - the $1500 7 Stud game, but also following it up with the Seven card stud hi/lo event #37 with a $10,000 buy-in, and then following in the stud format by winning event #44 - the $2500 Razz event. This is a feat yet to be beat, and it will be interesting to see how Jeff Lisandro does in 2010.

WSOP Event #6-7

noreply@blogger.com (JackSpin) — Fri, 14 May 2010 12:01:00 +0000

Some of the events that have been added in the last few years have been genuinely innovating, such as Event number 5, the $5000 Shootout event. This event has really come about because of its popularity in online poker rooms, and it has certainly spread in the live arena too.

Partly the reason it has taken off is because players can apply a sort of Sit and Go strategy to these events and there are so many seasoned SNG players around now that this is almost tailor made for their particular skill set. And whereas SnG's do not always offer rewards of any great value in themselves, these sorts of events give SNG players incredible value and the chance to compete using these same skills just in a much larger field.

Along with the $50,0000 8-game event, the 6-handed events and the other shootouts this is one of the events that will, or certainly should, remain a fixture on the WSOP schedule.

Event #7 is what could well have been the Main Event if things had gone a little differently in the late 1960s on the WSOP's inception. Triple draw 2-7 was very nearly chosen as the WSOP Main Event game. Imagine how things would have been different. ''The Cadillac of poker'' would have taken a second seat to .... (I don't think Triple draw has a fancy name like Cadillac). But the game is gaining popularity all the time. With the surge in popularity for 8-game and with it an interest in the alternative games like Razz and Omaha Hi/lo, Triple Draw has really taken off and looks set to get even more popular.