If you have only just began to play Texas Holdem online the thought of sitting down at more than one table probably scares you half to death. Whilst the thought of playing multiple tables simultaneously can be quite daunting at first, once you have learned how to do it efficiently and effectively you will wonder why you were so worried in the first place.

The first thing you need to do is to take your time and add tables gradually. If you attempt to go from playing a single table to play four at a time you will quickly become overwhelmed with the increased number of decisions you need to make, more likely lose money and quit your quest to be a multi-tabling regular in an instant poker is here for the long term so there is no race to add extra tables. Start by adding an extra table and once you are comfortable with two add a third and so on, until you reach your maximum.

Ensure that you have no distractions around you such as the television in the background or your favourite messenger service on your laptop. Playing multiple tables requires you to concentrate fully so minimising anything that can take away some of your brain power needs to be done before you start playing.

Increasing the number of tables you are playing will reduce your ability to obtain reads on your opponents so using poker software such as Holdem Manager or Poker Tracker is essential. These programs take the hand histories that the poker site writes to your hard drive and displays them in a database format so that you can view all your statistics and those of your opponents. Whilst this in itself is worth the price of the software, the Heads-Up Display, or HUD, is the crown jewel as it takes the aforementioned information and displays it on your screen in real time. This allows you to instantly know exactly how your opponents are playing and some say having a HUD is better than having a dozen reads on your opponent.

Until you have observed that your opponent is three-betting lightly then the best action to take is to simply fold and wait for a better spot. This may sound weak but unless the person three-betting is doing so lightly and is a poor player post-flop, you risk losing a large pot when you call and then hit one of your cards. Also, your passive play by simply calling means you have to hit the flop in order to win the pot so you will generally only win a small pot when your opponent is bluffing or lose a large one when you pair one of your hole cards but your opponent has a dominating one.

As an example, imagine you raise preflop with AcJc, get three-bet and call. Both you and your opponent see a flop of Ad5hQs and although you have flopped top pair, you are in a difficult spot as your opponent could easily have flopped a set of aces, kings, queens or hold a better ace such as ace-king or two pairs with ace-queen.

One option to consider is to re-take the initiative and make a four-bet. This would almost certainly be the default play with a premium hand in poker cash games but with hands such as ace-jack can be troublesome at best, especially if your opponent then shoves on you. Because with hands such as king-queen and ace-jack you are rarely four-betting for value so you may as well be doing it with hands that could potentially hit the flop very hard, such as nine-eight suited and similar.

The only other real alternative is to tighten up in that particular position or if the three-betting becomes too much simly stand up and find a different table!

When discussing hands you have played the most obvious detail you should begin with is the type of game you were playing as there are distinct differences between what the optimal play would be in a cash game or in a tournament scenario. The second piece of information required would be the stakes that the hand took place it. This is because as you move up in stakes players are generally more skilled and therefore require a different approach to a player at lower stakes. Would you play a hand at the World Series of Poker the same was as you would in a $1 rebuy tournament online? I sincerely hope that you would not! Whilst the example here is very polarised, even a slight change in stakes can alter people’s views on how a hand should have been played.

Once the game type and stakes have been outlined you should start by mentioning the position, in relation to the dealer button, each of the active players, including yourself, were seated. This is because it is standard to play tighter in early position and looser when near the button, a raise from under the gun should be given more credit than an open-raise in late position.

Stack sizes are also important, especially so in a poker tournament. Again this is to do with a player’s range of possible hands as a short-stacked player moving all-in should be given less credit for a strong hand then someone with a more substantial amount of chips. Stack sizes are also needed to see if you or your opponents had the implied odds to call a bet.

Before you even mention any hole cards you need to describe the table images of both yourself and the active players in the hand. As with all the previous elements, knowing if a player is loose, tight, passive or aggressive helps to make a more accurate picture of their possible holdings. Knowing how the table perceive you is also extremely important as if you have been caught bluffing your bets and raises will get less credit, whilst if you have been tight then your opponents will probably adjust and play a narrower range of hands against you.

Finally, now you can mention your hole cards! You should see here that although important in the game itself, your cards and those of your opponents are just a small part of what actually makes up a typical poker hand.

There are also quite hundreds of websites with online resources where you can search and learn about how to start and even more online poker rooms where to start practicing. Many websites include full poker sessions with comments and analysis. Poker is a very interesting game, and nowadays beginners have at their disposal much, much more than those before them. They better take advantage of this!

The term isolate refers to a raise you make in order to attempt to get into a one-on-one situation with the player you are trying to isolate and is more common in a cash game than in a poker tournament. This strategy is extremely effective against habitual limpers or very loose players who are raising preflop with a wide range of hands.

Isolating is effective in that you will often win the pot preflop when the limper or initial raiser folds, you will win more than your fair share of pots when they call you and you make a continuation bet and when you are called you will have the best hand the majority of the time anyway.

The biggest downfall to isolating is the fact you will have extra money invested in the pot, particularly if you have three-bet preflop, which could put you in a very difficult position if someone left to act after you makes a further raise, though these situations are usually quite rare. If you play Texas Holdem at mid-stakes or higher and are frequently isolating players then expect the better players to make this move, also known as re-isolating, on you from time to time. In situations like this one any notes you have on the player in question become extremely valuable.

Solid, aggressive plays are key to becoming a successful poker player and praying on weakness is one such play. As you progress through the limits, weak players become more and more scarce so being able to locate them and then get them heads-up is very important indeed.

These prices are beyond a significant percentage of poker players and even those who can afford them are rarely willing to put such a large amount of money on the line for a single tournament. So how come most of these events, the WSOP Main Event in particular, often attract thousands of players? The answer is satellite tournaments.

Satellites are tournaments that do not pay a cash amount, instead they award a certain number of seats instead. There are a number of different tyes of satellite, usually in based on the format and they include multitable tournaments, double and triple shootouts and basic sit ‘n’ go tournaments.

Game selection is important when you are entering a satellite tournament and I would urge you to stay clear of double and triple shootout events. This is because by their very nature they converge all the better players together at the final table so it is unlikely you have an edge over the field, whilst some weak players will go deep in a 1,000 event that awards 40 or 50 seats.

Although many satellites are played in a multitable tournament format you must remember that satellites are all about survival and not chip accumulation. If there are 50 seats available then it does not make any difference if you have a single chip or one million chips when the prizes are awarded so you should not be worried if your stack reaches 10-12 big blinds, you should sit tight and start moving all-in at a lower level such as five to seven big blinds.

Tight, almost nitty play will often be the best strategy to follow, especially in the early and middle stages of a satellite event. There is no need for fancy play because as mentioned previously you are simply looking to survive, not add chips to your stack.

Finally, satellites are one of the very few tournaments where folding Aces preflop is correct. Say you have a decent stack with the bubble approaching and a larger stack than you moves all-in. You estimate that even if you fold every hand you are dealt for the next 30 minutes you have a 90% chance of winning a seat then you have to fold aces as you will only be an 82% favourite to win at best.

If you’d like to know what are the best hands in Texas Hold ‘Em poker, here’s a quick reference list. When your two hold cards have been dealt, if you hold any of these hands, be sure to stay in the game. You have a very good chance of winning.

Poker Starting Hand #1. Ace-Ace

Everybody knows this is one of the best poker hands one can hope for. It wins more than any other hand. Other names for the Ace-Ace are American Airlines, bullets or pocket rockets.

Poker Starting Hand #2. King-King

After two Aces this is the next strongest hand. Being the second best hand, this is still extremely strong. A pair of kings are also knows as ‘cowboys’.

Poker Starting Hand #3. Queen-Queen

Holding two queens may not be as strong as holding a pair of kings or a pair of aces, but you can pretty much beat anything below.

Poker Starting Hand #4. Ace-King

Ace-King is generally a strong hand in online poker, but just how strong it is will depend largely on the flop. If the flop is able to provide you with a pair of aces or kings to complete your set, then you have a winning hand.  A suited Ace-King is typically stronger than an unsuited Ace-King, because reaching a flush is easier.
5. Jack-Jack
Holding a pair of Jacks gives you a fair chance at winning. Unless the flop reveals an ace, king or queen, you’re definitely a front –runner in the game.

Poker Starting Hand #6. Ace-Queen

Ace-Queen is also a strong hand. If suited, it should win 20% of the time during the game.

Poker Starting Hand #7. King-Queen

If you are dealt a King-Queen, it will definitely work to your advantage. This hand is only at risk if an Ace is shown in the flop.

Poker Starting Hand #8. Ace-Jack

An Ace-Jack is another great hand, especially when suited.

Poker Starting Hand #9. King-Jack

If you hold a King-Jack, you do have a fair shot at winning, especially if you are in later positions in the game and also if the King-Jack is suited. Remember though, it can be beat by the other strong hands and if a big raise has been made, your smartest move would be to fold.

Poker Starting Hand #10. Ace-Ten

Ace-ten is another decent hand to have. If you’re lucky enough that the flop holds a King, Queen and Jack, then you’re on your way to winning poker games.

He is a first class cash game specialist and can be found playing High Stakes Poker on TV as well and the biggest cash games in Vegas. He also has $2 million in tournament wins.

He is in the Guinness Book of World Records for setting the Poker Endurance record by playing a marathon 115 hour long poker session at the Bellagio in June, 2010.

Phil Laak’s Personal Life

Phil Laak was born September 6th, 1972 in Dublin Ireland. His family moved to Massachusetts, U.S.A. when he was just four years old. This is where he was raised and went on to earn a Mechanical Engineering Degree from the University of Massachusetts. Upon graduating, he decided to travel the U.S. from coast to coast on his motorbike. He worked as a stock trader and played backgammon professionally before discovering poker.

Phil Laak is currently in a long-term relationship with well-known actress Jennifer Tilly, who has also turned poker pro. Together they are poker’s most famous couple.

Professional Life of Phil Laak

Phil Laak was one of the 1st poker players to become a household name with the launch of the World Poker Tour. In the time from 2003 to 2005, he would make five WPT TV appearances, which include winning the WPT Invitational and a 6th place finish at the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic Main Event.

Laak also has eight World Series of Poker cashes including two final table appearances. In 2005, he finished as the runner-up to poker legend Johnny Chan in the $2,500 Pot Limit Hold’em Event. He would make a final table again in 2008, finishing 9th in the $10,000 World Championship Pot Limit Hold’em Event.

He recorded his biggest tournament win by finishing 1st in the William Hill Tournament Grand Prix in 2005.

Although poker tournaments have made Laak rich and famous, his specialty is in the cash game format. He is known to play in the highest stakes games including the big game at Bobby’s Room at the Bellagio and is a regular on the hit poker TV show High Stakes Poker, where he takes on the best in the business. If you are still looking for informations about Phil Laak visit the Phil Laak Fansite #1 Phil Laak Poker…

We will all have faced this type of player during poker careers and they are especially noticeable if your choice of discipline is the cash game. They will call preflop regardless of the size of the raise made before them and they will be almost impossible to push off a hand, even one as weak as bottom pair.

How many times have you raised a limper preflop with Ace-King, seen a flop of A-9-6 and managed to get it all-in only to find that the limper was limping with nine-six offsuit? They show up with so many crazy holdings, and it often seems like they flop the weirdest two-pair hands when you have top pair top kicker that they can put even the most patient and controlled poker player on tilt.

If you come across one of these players the first thing that should enter your head is that they are almost always losing players, in fact if I were to hazard at a guess I would say over 99% of this type of player is a losing one, simply because you cannot cheat the mathematics of poker for too long and playing like this will soon see you go bust. You need to say this over and over again in your head if they are constantly sucking out on you to stop you going on tilt as you will get your money back from them eventually, as long as you do not tilt it off to someone else at your table that is.

The best approach for these players is to simply continue to play your usual game against them, although limit the bluffing post flop in my opinion. Preflop you should attempt to isolate them with a wide range of hands and try to get into a heads-up pot with them so when you do flop a strong hand, even one as weak as top pair, you can value bet it to the maximum and hope to stack one of the weakest player types there is.

Also bought in for the first 1000 no limit holdem tournament.  I had 20 dollar last longers with all the greats and past champions.  Joe Cada, Jerry Yang, Chino Rheems, Jeff Madsen, and Steve Tapakis AKA (The Big Show)  He finished 12th at the Aussie Millions main event.  Not surprisingly to me, they all busted out in the first level.  As they rolled by my table to pay me my money, the other players were like

“Who the Fuck are you?”

And I was like, “Fuck that shit, you better recognize”.  I played great on day one.  Never got any real hands or into any trouble.  Just stole and value bet everything and was able to slowly chip up when necessary.  At the beginning of the day we starte out with 2601 players.

After 10 levels of play we finished with 276.  I had 44k in chips.

Thought i had only 42, but 44k was what i somehow had when i stacked my chips up on Monday.  Sundays 1b field was alot smaller.  They had 1800 or so.  So the total amount was 4481 players.  When we combined for day 2 play, There were 481 left, and we were 40 from the money.  The small stacks started falling off right away and the big stack motherfuckers who had no business being there in the first place were donkey their chips off right and left.

I got involved in a big hand when I was the big blind with K2 of spades, and this cocksucker who was chip leader at our starting table kept minraising with dick all.  Blinds were 500 and a 1000, and we were 1 from the money.  So he makes it 2k.  I call.  Why the fuck not?  Flop is AQ2.  I check, and idiot fag checks behind me.  Turns a 2.  I bet out 4k.  He raises to 16k.  I’m like “We’re one from the fucking money, what are you doing man?  So I call.  I check the river, because now I’m thinking this little bitch probably has a boat on me, and it’s not worth me finding out.  He pushes all in, and I’m like “you little cocksucker, we’re one from the god damn money, and you’re pulling this shit.”  Then the floor guy gave me a language warning.  So i’m steaming.  I’ve got trip 2’s, and I’m not gonna be knocked out on the bubble, but this little bastard has been playing like a retard.  So I fucken call.  He turns over 10 2.  I turn over my K2 and show he’s out kicked.  We’re in the mother you motherfuckers.

HAHA.  Eat that shit.

And now I”ve a pretty good chip stack too. I grind away the rest of the day, and just try to avoid bad beats and coin flip situations, but as the day wears on, I’ve got no choice but to start getting involved.  in the 8th round, the fagget to my right is in the small blind and looks as if he shaved his ball hair and glued it to his face.  Not a good look by the way fella’s.  He gets a little desperate and goes all in with 33k in the small blind.

I’ve AK in the big blind.

I didn’t want to call, because i hate coin flips.  I think for a minute and give my whole you’re an idiot speech to this cat, then i call.  Fag nut in seat 4 is like “That’s a slowroll” where I replay “you would probably call pocket 22’s a slowroll fag.”  Small blind turns over J6.  I dont seem to do very good against that hand.  Fucken flop is a jack.  Normal.  Fucken normal.  So i double this little bitch up.  The very next hand.  I have 10’s, and this little bastard ships it again on the button.  So I call.  Again he has a Jack, but with an 8 kicker, and hits his fucking Jack.

Just like that, i’m down 100k.  I’m down to 80k, and starting to feel the pinch.  The guy ships my chips all over the table, which is no shocker.  That’s just normal stupidass luckbox pocker at my expense.  I grind away and just float and somehow hang around for 2 more levels.  The 2nd to last hand of the night, i fold QQ to KK preflop.  Guy in seat 3 limps in and it was suspicious, so i just called, and the dude to my left who has been running hot all day raises to 70k, and seat 3 ships it. I instant muck, but i showed the drunk idiot to my right my hand before I do.  Seat 3 has KK, seat 8 has AK.  And he rivers an Ace.  I’m in seat 7 and seat 6 is like, “how do you make that fold.  You’re the man.”

I am the man.  So I get and give my high fives and we go to the last hand of the night. I’ve only 140k left in chips and we’re starting the next day with 6k and 12k.  So seat seven raises to 25k and i look down at 10’s again.  I look at him and say I’ve got you beat.  And I move in.  He thinks about it for a while and says, you lay down QQ and move all in when i raise.  Then he calls with AQ.  Fucken AQ.  Such a fag.  I tell you, in fields that Goddamn big, there are so many idiots that just get lucky again and again and again.  They put their whole tournament life on the line with coinflips.  I hadn’t won one yet.  Flop is a Q.  I’m out in 42nd place.  12600 is my payday for that suckout.  Such a dissapointment, because you make all the right moves and get none of the results when it matters most.  I do get to play my way through as many events this year as possible now.  But damnit, just 41 players were between me and a bracelet.

I’m waking up in a few hours to play the 1500 no limit. Jerry Yang, and Steve Tapakis have last longers with me again.  Ricki Lake gets in in a few hours and we’re gonna root each other along. Will update my facebook and twitter pages to let everyone know how i’m doing, if you even care that is.  This is the WSOP baby.  Fuck all you’ll.  I’m here representing, and I’m here to win. And for all you haters out there, Suck my Black Dick and gargull my nutsack.

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