Heads-Up Poker
Saturday, July 25th, 2009
Heads-up poker is one of the fastest growing formats on the Internet and an essential skill for players who want to win tournaments. Paul Wasicka, 2007 heads-up champion, not only presents the theory of how to win but gives practical no-nonsense advice on controlling the action. Wasicka shows how to use aggression to dominate opponents and keep them under constant pressure. Readers learn how to play waek and medicore hands for profit, how to push around passive players, and how to manhandle and trap aggressive ones. Wasicka presents each concept painstakingly-such as pot manipulation, aggression vs. aggression, attacking limpers, the three-and four-bullet bluffs, getting maximum equity, playing short and big stacks-so that readers can immediately and exponentially improve their heads-up game.
In the exciting world of poker, arguments break out by the minute in card rooms across the country. There are scores of rules concerning fairness and etiquette, and they vary from place to place. There are some rules that are generally accepted, but sometimes card room managers and tournament directors just don’t know them or fail to make their policies known. Typically, tempers flare and cards go flying. Finally, here’s the solution.
The popularity of online poker has skyrocketed over the past 5 years and Texas Hold’ em is at the forefront of this movement. There has never been a better time to master this game! The Guide To Winning Hold’ em Online teaches players how to create a true winning system that is sure to generate a steady stream of income. This book covers every aspect of the online game including common scenarios, online poker tells, techniques, strategies, online player types, and rules for success. Whether you are just starting out or looking to improve, this book will take you to the next level!
Like a secret society, poker has its own language and customs — its own governing logic and rules of etiquette that the uninitiated may find intimidating. It’s a game of skill, and playing well depends on more than just a good hand or the ability to hide emotion. The first step toward developing a style of play worthy of the greats is learning to think like a poker player. In a game where there are no absolutes, mastering the basics is only the beginning — being able to pull off the strategy and theatrics is the difference between legendary wins and epic failure.
Widely regarded as the world’s best poker player, Johnny Chan has been beating the highest buy-in tournaments and big money cash games everywhere for the past twenty years. Because he worked his way up to the top of the poker world by starting in the smallest games, Johnny is the perfect person to teach you how to do it. Whether you are a beginning or intermediate player, this book will help you on your way to expert status. All of the popular casino poker games are covered in a clear and easy to understand fashion.
Poker is a game which many people play, but in which few excel. To be successful requires a great deal of work and study, and a deep understanding of those concepts that govern winning play. Yet it is fairly easy to win at poker. All you need to do is learn to play tight, and stick to easy games — usually those prevalent at the low limits. But there is a problem with this. While this is a winning formula, it won t allow you to do much better than minimum wage. But there are a small number of players who do much better than this. These are the experts who have mastered the proper skills and have done their share of thinking.
The invitation-only Professional Poker Tour is strictly limited to the top 200 players in the world. David Apostolico is one of the elite, and he found that going up against other poker masters every day was like attending an incomparable seminar. He takes you through specific hands that he either played or observed, giving detailed analyses that will teach you how to think like a pro. Assessment and adaptability are key factors for survival and success in fast-moving games with experienced players. Smart strategy is your greatest asset, and by studying the extensive hands in this book, you-ll learn the tactics and approaches of legendary winners.
A big part of poker’s appeal is that, at its essence, the rules are same everywhere. For the most part, you play with a deck of fifty-two cards, four suits, and thirteen ranks. The best five card hand takes the money. There are (some wild home game variations notwithstanding) only five combinations of actions: check, bet, call, raise, and fold. The purpose of this book is to provide a uniform set of rules for the most popular poker games spread in public cardrooms. Some rules apply to all games. Some apply to particular games. In deciding upon which rules to use, the rulebooks of nearly every major cardroom in the country have been consulted. Where rules differ, the authors have given preference to the rule that best serves the interest of fairness in the game. Indeed that is one of the first rules of the game: that all rules should be interpreted with the spirit of the game in mind. Beyond the issue of fairness, which is paramount, the next greatest weight has been given to the efficiency of the game–getting more hands out per hour benefits everyone: players get more hands, the house gets more rake, dealers get more tips. After fairness and efficiency, the next most important factor is simplicity. All other things being equal, where there is a simple and a complicated way to do things, the simpler rule has been chosen. Lastly, tradition has been considered. The game has a great history, and the aforementioned variables being equal, the traditional rule has been given preference. Fairness, Efficiency, Simplicity and Tradition: the foundations of the Rules of Poker. An additional factor in establishing rules is inducing action. Although it is not as important as the other influences, action is important to the game. Rules can be constructed and interpreted to encourage action, or to inhibit it. All other things being equal, when one rule would limit action and another would induce it, the authors have given preference to the rule that will encourage players to get involved and play the hand. That said, there are other reasons for preferring one rule to another. When several different rules applying to a certain situation meet the tests of fairness, efficiency, simplicity and tradition, the preferred rule is listed first, and an alternate rule–or rules, if there are several–are listed afterward as Alternate Rules. At times, explanatory notes and/or examples are added after a rule. When interpreting a rule, the explanatory notes and examples should be taken into consideration. These notes and examples, together with the Definitions and Appendices for suggested procedures at the end of the Rules, are the components of Cooke’s Rules of Real Poker. While some players and cardroom managers may not agree with all the rules included, it is hoped that the comprehensiveness of Cooke’s Rules of Real Poker will result in it being used as a standard in cardrooms across the country. The inclusion of alternate rules that may be used in lieu of the preferred rule at the discretion of cardroom management is an attempt to address the legitimate differences of opinion regarding exactly what rule should be in force at a given establishment. Cardrooms will have the choice of adopting Cooke’s Rules exactly as they stand, or Cooke’s Rules as modified by house policy. There are many thousands of variants of poker, however, this book is limited to those which are commonly spread in public cardrooms: Texas Hold’em, Seven-Card Stud, Seven Card Stud High-Low Split, Razz, Five-Card Stud, Omaha Hold’em High, Omaha Hold’em High-Low Split, Draw and Lowball. Five-Card Stud, Draw and Lowball are not frequently spread any more, but they are included because they have an important place in the development of the history and rules of modern poker. Also, Draw is a variation of the game most Americans are quite familiar with, and it can be useful as a reference point in understanding the
Tips and strategies to keep all serious players on the winning side of the game.