Have a look through the rest of this episode of Poker After Dark on YouTube, but the last one really cracks me up, Phil Laak looking for love… I’m not sure how they concentrate on their poker with all that talking going on.

I could watch this programme over and over, just for the entertainment, all the comments and side bets on the side, they just seem to have such fun on this series.  Don’t get me wrong there’s some damn good poker going on.  Its also good to watch the very best of poker and learn from how the pros play poker, what they do in each situation.  You will not get better than Poker After Dark.

Dear Poker Guide, please can you tell me what makes a truly great poker player?  What are the attributes that separate the good players from the great ones?

There are many things that make a good poker player, but I think the one aspect that stands out for me is the ability of knowing “when to do what”.  Or, in other words… of reading a situation, reading the play and reading players at a table and then knowing what to do in each situation.

It is also, not about keeping to one style of play, but adjusting all the time to the situation – Flexibility.  Aggressive play works sometimes, but it also pays off  to sit tight sometimes.  No-one can teach you that, it is an ability either someone has or develops.

That’s the poker guide’s words of wisdom for today…

Reading about Matt Hawrilenko in CardPlayer magazine, the Capture the Flag interview.  I was quite impressed by the young fella and his rise in the world of poker.

What I really liked about what he had to say was.. the stuff about learning to read your own hand first before you try and read your opponents.  Look at the hands you play and how you played them, go back and analyse them over and over until you find flaws in your decision making.  Then fix the flaws, be conscious of what your tendencies are and don’t keep doing them.

He seems like a sensible hard working guy, that although he is bright he has put in the hours to develop his game.

Also, what he had to say about balancing your life outside of poker and not getting caught in the grind.  Having goals that are separate from his poker life, running the Chicag marathon and working out to keep himself fit.

Its a good read, with some wise words from the young man.

It doesn’t matter what you want to call it.  But giving away your chips at the poker table, by not following some basic poker tips is just a waste of money.

Here are some examples of how to waste chips and leak value:

- When you are determined to call, just to make sure they have what they say they have.  Don’t do it unless you are absolutely sure it is a bluff.  If they get lucky, don’t pay them off, just check and fold… get out of there, because everyone gets lucky sometimes and there is no point in you paying for their luck… just get out.

- Trying to play a hand when you are out of position.  They will wait for you to make your play and then better it.

- Not working out the odds. What is your payout compared to the risk that you take?

- Calling as you go along, only to find your opponent has the goods.

I was playing poker the other day and one of my opponents suddenly said to himself, “where am I again?”, meaning what was his position relative to the dealer.

This reminded me of an important lesson for my poker guide post today… it pays to remember where you are and what information you can get from the other players – who still has to play? and what cards do they have?  Even when you are playing internet poker there is information coming your way, so stay tuned and watch what people are doing.  Many beginners temporarily forget their position, but the pros will always make a mental calculation of where they are, for every hand.

Its tricky at first but after a while if you do it regularly, then it becomes second nature – like driving a car…

In the July edition of Card Player, Evan Roberts writes an article about Ace high often being the best hand.  I’m not so sure that I would agree with him on this one.  For the particular flop that he was demonstrating, he was right to follow through with the betting and realize that Ace high would win.

But I personally have never had a lot of luck with Ace high, so when I am holding an Ace in my starting hand and  no other Ace comes out on the flop to give me my pair, I get nervous and I am never really confident about betting out.

I know the point that Roberts is trying to make, players get stuck on the fact that pairs are only good enough to bet on, when actually a lot of the time Ace high is good enough to win the pot.  And, this is a good point, players do play more confidently when they hold a pair.  But actually in some cases, Ace high, has just as good a chance of winning.

What do you think, is Ace high your friend?

Showing aggression before the flop can be a tricky poker skill to learn.  Everyone is different in their style of play, you will develop your particular poker style as you progress.  And remember no-one is ever too experienced or too good to learn more about poker!  As you develop your style of poker or the way you play, you will learn to use different amounts of aggressive tactics at different times during the game.

On one side, you have an ultra aggressive player like Tom Dwan, who often raises before the flop, sometimes even with nothing in his hand, just to test the players and maybe hope he will get lucky on the flop.  Sometimes this will pay off and sometimes you gonna burn… thats poker!  Sometimes you will just scare everyone off and only collect that blinds… if that is what you want…

Then you have more cautious, tight players like Howard Lederer or Daniel Negreanu who may be a little more careful pre-flop, depending on their starting hand and depending on whether they want to force the play a bit, mix it up, stir the pot…

Showing aggression before the flop can pay off, but it can also backfire on you and cost you, especially if you get unlucky with the community cards and someone else at the poker table gets lucky… once again thats the fun of poker!

The problem with pre-flop agression, is that you commit yourself and you commit chips to the pot.  It is usually better to keep raising and playing aggressively, once you make the decision to make an aggressive move.  If you get caught in two minds, players will pick up on your indecision and punish you.

Another good guide to poker aggression is to always think what hands, players may have and what hands players may think you have.  Look at the board and think of all the possibile hands, then choose the most probable hands… once again poker odds and probabilities come into the game… you have to know them by heart.

Its no good being aggressive when someone is sitting there with a nut hand and they know they have the nuts!  They will be only too happy for you to throw in more chips and collect them from you.

Tight aggressive poker is the way to go.  Use your aggression in a controlled clever way, dont over do it.

and now for some more High Stakes Poker Play…

Passive poker does not win the money… the young guns are very aggressive and really take it to the older established poker players.  Very true Phil Lark…  Nice mix of new players and the older regulars.  The young Italian takes a few nice pots.

You have to pray to the suited connector gods – don’t you know??

And then there are some huge bluffs!!

Oh boy this clip of High Stakes poker just cracks me up!

..as usual there is a lot of talk around the poker table and this time its about movies, just love the line, “poker players think that any movie with a hooker in it is a love story…”.  Ha just cracks me up!!!

We all dream of playing poker against the big name poker pros and trying to beat them.  But in reality we would come second every time!!!  I have to say I am impressed with Nick Cassavetes and how he handles himself.  Sam Simon, the Simpsons producer/writer didn’t really do much in these last few episodes, but Cassavetes has had presence at the poker table has handled himself well and had the poker pros guessing!  Pulls a very nice poker bluff against the Prof, Howard Lederer in this clip, now that cant be too easy, but he manages it.

In fact I’m sure Howard Lederer didn’t enjoy watching this on tv afterwards… because he folds and pulls out more than once

Daniel Negreanu pays hima compliment and calls him the rockiest, nittiest, supposed amateur I have ever seen… (what is nittiest????).

What about that call from Patrik Antonius with a pair of fours to win $287,000 now thats guts!!!!