€50,000 Cash Drop (May 4-31)

Sometimes something good just falls right into your lap, and this is what happens during our €50,000 Cash Drop promo – every five minutes we’ll be ‘dropping’ €5 into a player’s account, at random, for the rest of the month!

Numbers-wise, this will mean giving away €40,000 in total by the 31st, and to be eligible to receive a cash drop the criteria isn’t rocket science: simply play at our cash tables. All our promotions are fun and interesting, but this particular one is fantastic in its simplicity because our players benefit by virtue of the fact that they’re just enjoying themselves playing cash poker.

It’s also important to note that this is very player-friendly in that poker fans who play a single table are equally likely to be the recipient of a cash drop as those who multi-table!

Meanwhile, if you’re wondering what the other €10,000 of the promotion is for, there’s another element in the form of a €10K Cash Drop Leaderboard. With each cash drop received you’ll earn one point towards the Leaderboard table, and at the end of the month those who have accumulated the most points will win a share of the booty – the more cash drops you get, the bigger your ultimate prize. And that’s not all – to spice proceedings up a bit we’ve added two special additional prizes: a €1500 MPNPT Package and a €550 MPNPT Seat will be awarded to the winner and runner-up respectively.

So, if you’re already a cash games player, then carry on doing what you do best and, if you’re new or inexperienced as far as cash games go, remember that we have bankroll-friendly limits as low as €2 max tables.
Have fun, good luck and see how many cash drops you can collect between now and the end of May…

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Vienna 9: €32K Cash Game Adventure

Vienna 9 – be there or be square. It’s a LIVE cash game, in Vienna, with a massive €30,000 at stake, and you could be part of it simply by doing no more than you usually do at 32Red: namely having a great time playing poker!

We like promotions to be fun, but this one has an ongoing incentive as well as the top prize because it’s based around our popular ‘cash drop’ theme. Here’s how it works: we’ll be making random Cash Drops of €2 at cash games, literally every five minutes, every hour, every day from December 16th until January 6th in our special Virtual Cash Drop promo.

As well as qualifying as one of the Vienna 9 for this big money cash game – which will take place 25th January 2017 and be streamed online on Twitch from the Montesino Casino – you can also win a €1,500 MPN Poker Tour package and a €550 MPNPT seat. The idea is that there will be three free entry qualification tournaments for which you earn the right to play in simply by collecting these (random) virtual cash drops. With each drop your starting stack for a freeroll increases by 1,000 chips, so that a couple of cash drops earn you 2,000 chips, six drops make a starting stack of 6,000 etc. It couldn’t be easier, and all the while at the tables there’s a chance, every five minutes, that money will be added to your account (to be used immediately).

Here’s the freeroll tournament schedule:

To win an all-expenses paid trip to the Vienna 9 Live €30,000 cash game you need to finish in the top three places in a qualifying tournament, with the eventual buy-ins awarded according to final placings as follows:

And there you have it. Win a place at Vienna 9 by playing cash games, seeing money drop into your virtual lap and then qualifying via one of three freeroll tournaments.

Good luck, and have fun!

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Sit & Go Strategy: Changing Gears – Be the Bully

While even one-table Sit & Go tournaments have a multi-table flavour, a key difference is that we’re effectively being fast-forwarded straight into final table mode as soon as we sit down. Thanks to the more rapidly increasing blind levels than we experience during the much, much longer course of a MTT, much of the strategy specific to S&G poker is related to both the blinds and the limited number of prizes. Read more

No Limit Heads Up Cash: Introduction

No Limit Heads Up Cash: Introduction

If you’ve not yet tried out the Heads Up tables at 32Red, here’s a brief strategy guide that should help. Not surprisingly the key factors in HU are position (even more so than usual) and aggression, and often we need to make the most of both. In this game the Dealer is the small blind and acts first pre-flop, but then has position for the rest of the hand. Therefore we should be looking to exploit position when on the button with aggression. The point is that once the flop appears our opponent is out of position, in the dark, and has most likely failed to make a hand strong enough to withstand pressure, while we – having assumed the initiative, and in position – are free to represent the best hand. Unless the opponent has something (or thinks we’re bluffing), then what usually happens is that we get to take the pot right there. Most people avoid complications when out of position because the very next hand it’s their turn to be the aggressor, and it is this mentality that we must be seeking to exploit regardless of what cards we have as the accumulation of all those small pots where both players have missed makes all the difference.

When out of position we are at a considerable disadvantage but all is not lost. There’s nothing to stop us being aggressive here, too, as long as we don’t overdo it and leave ourselves vulnerable to traps against the more observant opponents. However, because it is only pre-flop where we act second it makes sense that it is during this betting stage that we must show aggression with all but monster hands. And of course bets should be big enough to induce a fold, rather than modest raises which simply leave us out of position post-flop. The aim is to both pick up ‘extra’ pots and put our opponent off correctly assuming the initiative when he is in position. This way, by reducing the opposition’s button raising frequency, we get to see more flops with potentially good hands.

While this forms the basis of a solid HU strategy, we also need to take into account how our opponent reacts in certain situations, as well as how our own play is perceived. Some bet the river only with a very strong hand for fear of being raised off the pot, others are non-believers and will call with an underpair. Over time, if we become too predictable, we might notice that the flow of the game seems to be against us, that this or that way of playing a hand no longer has the positive outcome we enjoyed earlier in the session. One action is to simply leave and find an opponent less able to adjust; another is to adjust ourselves and – at least in the short-term (which could be all we need if we manage to win a big pot) – use our ‘predictable’ play to set up a trap by changing tactics.

Throwing in the occasional check-raise is another good way to disrupt our opponent, especially as this introduces an element of uncertainty to future checks (and raises).

Remember, too, that because there is just one player to beat it is not necessary to have a big hand to win, so we should have more faith in – and be aggressive with – lesser made hands than is the case against multiple opponents.

Finally, be prepared for being on the wrong side of all-in pots, so play at an affordable level, especially while getting to grips with this intriguing form of poker.

Good luck at the tables!

Angus Dunnington (AngusD)
32Red Poker Ambassador

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No Limit Cash Games: Loose Tables II

No Limit Cash Games:  Loose Tables II

Following on from the Loose Tables introduction, here we feature how different types of loose players make for quite different tables, each requiring very different strategies. These are Loose Passive and Loose Aggressive.

A Loose Passive table has a number of players who have a tendency to limp/call pre-flop with all kinds of hands. This results in a much higher frequency of smallish multi-way pots than is usual.

Significantly, loose passive players, as the name suggests, are unlikely to re-raise us pre-flop, meaning we will get more opportunities on this type of table to get to the flop with hands that offer very good implied odds (such as suited connectors and small pairs) under the radar by joining the limp-fest. These holdings are perfect for multi-way pots. If we miss the flop we’ve had a good value punt, while the trick when hitting big with this or any strong hand is to avoid betting too big post-flop in order to derive maximum value from the passive callers who have caught some kind of (lesser) hand. The ideal scenario is to gradually build the pot and subsequently induce calls at each stage. Remember that with draw-heavy boards we need to bet sufficiently big with our made hands – passive players shouldn’t be given cheap draws any more than other players! If we have a drawing hand ourselves we should take the free card (which we’ll be able to do often) rather than run into potential trouble with a bet.

Playing strong hands pre-flop on a loose passive table, on the other hand, means having to put in hefty raises. Even a conventionally acceptable pre-flop raise of 3xBB might still not prevent loose passive opponents from anyway lining up to see the flop with a collectively wide range of hands, which is very bad news for pocket aces, for example. Instead we need to adopt a betting strategy specific to this situation in order to minimise potential banana skins, namely raising at least 5xBB to properly thin out the opposition.

Loose Aggressive tables are a different animal entirely. Here we have players keen on raising and re-raising pre-flop, the result being larger pots that don’t have as many contenders as a loose passive table. Consequently we won’t be able to liberally enter pots with speculative hands due to the large amount of (re-)raising going on. It’s fine to call a raise with such a hand in late position when it is unlikely another raise is coming to price us out, but a big mistake is to immediately call the opener’s raise with a small pocket pair, for instance, when the table has been routinely seeing re-raises.

As for premium hands like big pairs, then here, too, we can bet strongly. As well as thinning down the field – preferably down to a lone opponent – our big raises are no different to the table style and thus serve to well disguise our hand, and the loose aggressive table character also brings with it the not unlikely possibility that someone will dive in with a re-raise or even an all-in. On a loose passive table we worry a little that we might not be able to get the most out of our big pairs, but against loose aggressive players the action can drag us along to paradise.

Obviously we need to have a decent appreciation of the table dynamics and the players but this is not difficult to get to grips with. Good observation will also help us for the post-flop phase, and we know that on a loose aggressive table we can expect players to pay through the nose with draws, for example. Consequently we should bet very big – we can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs, and while we will lose some big pots against flushes and straights, if we succeed in helping the opposition remain true to their loose aggressive tendencies we will profit in the long-term. Being too tricky by checking monsters can often backfire on loose aggressive tables because these players can be quite wary of sudden checks and, importantly, by turning down an opportunity to build the pot we sacrifice making increasingly bigger bets as the hand develops.

Conclusion

On loose passive tables we need to bet extra big with premium hands pre-flop (to thin down the field), not too big with made hands post-flop (to keep the passive caller calling), and take free cards rather than bet.

On loose aggressive tables we should also not be afraid to bet big pre-flop, but should maintain the aggression (when in Rome…) with made hands post-flop.

Good luck at the tables,

Angus Dunnington (AngusD)
32Red Poker Ambassador

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No Limit Cash Games: Loose Tables

No Limit Cash Games: Loose Tables

For the sake of simplicity, cash games can be described as loose, tight or somewhere in between, and players tend to have a preference for the kind of table at which they feel the most comfortable. Of course as people come and go during a session, the nature of the play can change, sometimes quite drastically from one extreme to another. With this in mind it’s worth acquainting ourselves with these morphing table characteristics in order to be able to adjust and alter our strategy accordingly.

Not surprisingly, those tables with the most potential for significant gains/losses due to the higher variance are populated mainly by loose players. A loose player is someone who is quite willing to play (and in doing so pay for) far more hands than normal. The wider the range (for some so wide it can incorporate just about anything) the looser the player, and when a few sit together the result is a table where there is considerable multi-way action, often post-flop and even at showdown.

A good guide when searching for loose tables can be found in the Lobby by looking at the number of players who stay in for the flop – the P/F column – and (to a lesser extent) the average size of each pot – Av.Pot (see image below). In the modern game, due to today’s strategies featuring more aggression, it is quite normal for the majority of tables to have a P/F average percentage in the forties. While this seems more loose than not, a reliable rule is that anything over 45% can be considered loose, while there will usually be a few tables at all levels with a P/F of over 55%, and even higher (albeit rarely will a table consistently have more than 70% of players per flop over a prolonged period). At the other end of the scale, anything less than 40% could be considered ‘tight’ in today’s game. Note that for 6-max tables, for example, we should be looking only at those with at least five players – preferably six – for a decent indication of how loose the play is.

Aggressive loose tables obviously produce bigger pots than passive tables, so keep an eye out for high figures in both these columns. However, this is where we need to make a distinction between two quite different types of loose table, namely Loose Aggressive and Loose Passive. The former is populated mainly by players who like to raise and re-raise before the flop, with larger pots and not quite so high P/F. Loose Passive tables see more players limp/call pre-flop with a wide range of hands, generating smaller pots that have more players.

Clearly, despite both being considered ‘loose’ it is necessary to adopt quite different strategies, which we’ll investigate in future articles. In the meantime, if you want to get a feel of different kinds of table, I suggest dropping down a level or two to better concentrate on focusing on playing styles and so on rather than the usual concerns of profit.

Good luck at the tables!

Angus Dunnington (AngusD)
32Red Poker Ambassador

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No Limit Cash Games: 3-betting

No Limit Cash Games: 3-betting

Just as we see our results improve as we get used to continuation betting, incorporating 3-betting (raising an opening pre-flop raise) into our game is an equally positive development that should help us reach a new progress plateau.

Nowadays the high frequency of the pre-flop raise is part of the game at all levels, the ‘standard’ such aggressive play being from late position. The development of poker – particularly online – is such that the need to be aggressive has led to a tendency to raise pre-flop a little too liberally, and while we must be aware that raises can of course be indicative of hand strength, a raise from the cut-off often says more about players simply adopting a certain strategy, especially as we are urged to wade into a pot in order to assume the initiative.

Therefore, given that players in the cut-off could well be raising with any kind of hand in the hope of either picking up the pot or stepping into the Button’s shoes by forcing him out, then not only should we be looking for opportunities to exploit this typical so-called TAG play when we‘re on the Button, but we should be happy to do so with suited connectors.

Indeed 3-betting in position with a hand like 78s is an attractive option for a number of reasons. First, a loose raise-happy type will already be put under pressure if this was yet another pre-flop raise from the dirty end of a wide range, and we might pick up a ‘bonus’ pot uncontested (cumulative pots make a big difference compared to a strategy that involves never 3-betting in this situation).

Meanwhile, calling isn’t a sensible option for them either, out of position, no longer with the initiative and (as far as they are concerned) probably trailing way behind. Even if our opponent has a decent hand, this same fear combined with our positional advantage means our aggression affords us good fold equity on all manner of flops when we throw in the (consistent) continuation bet. Note also that by 3-betting with a hand like 78s we can c-bet both dangerous looking flops and ostensibly innocuous but actual monster flops like 887 with equal aggression. Moreover, should we win a massive pot in a spot like this, opponents are more likely to call us down with weak(er) holdings later down the line (remember we’ll also be 3-betting with premium hands, too).

To sum up, 3-betting ‘light’ will ideally pick up the pot (making the raiser’s future pre-flop decisions more awkward in the process), but brings with it post-flop advantages as long as we execute it properly. While 3-betting light out of position isn’t an absolute no-no, it’s much better to be in position, and ideally against late position raisers. So if we don’t steal the plumped up pot, 3-betting in optimum conditions leaves us well placed when called.

Good luck at the tables!

Angus Dunnington (AngusD)
32Red Poker Ambassador

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Bankroll Management

Bankroll Management

It’s time to revisit the important subject of Bankroll Management, so here are some guidelines. Obviously different people have different attitudes to risk, but while we should find criteria specific to our personality, it’s sensible to have a realistic minimum number of big-blinds or buy-ins (and it is reckless not to).

There are all sorts of theories and opinions, so the recommendations below are aimed at providing a starting point for those players yet to give bankroll management serious consideration, as well as those not happy with how they currently approach their poker quest. Bankroll requirements depend on what type of game(s) we prefer as some formats of poker generate more variance and so on than others, while a Fixed Limit cash game, for instance, is a completely different animal to a massive multi-player No Limit tournament.

For Fixed Limit cash games I would suggest a bankroll of at least 300 big bets, preferably closer to 500 or 600 if possible. After seeing only No Limit tournaments on TV, many new players assume Fixed Limit cash games offer great security due to the betting restriction, but big downswings are a part of the game, in fact.

As for No Limit cash games, some experienced players might be happy with a mere 10 buy-ins, but even 20 buy-ins is cutting it a bit short. Instead, having a bankroll of 40 or 50 buy-ins offers both greater security and flexibility, so that it is easier to move down levels if necessary, or step up for a shot at a higher level.

The world of Sit & Go tournaments is quite different again, with anything from 30 buy-ins necessary to help withstand the inevitable variance. The ‘V-word’ really makes its presence felt, however, in multi-table tournaments, which is why it is quite feasible if you intend to concentrate heavily on the rough and tumble of this exciting but often frustrating format to play in tournaments costing only 1/100th of your bankroll. Remember that there are various tournament types, with few or many participants (each requiring it’s own style), and note also that if this level of caution seems restrictive, a decent win can sky-rocket the bankroll in one evening!

Generally, be prudent and make adjustments when appropriate, and keep in mind that the whole process could take time, during which the cumulative experience will anyway augur well for when the time comes to move up a level. And somewhere along the line don’t be too proud to move down levels in order to maintain more comfortable bankroll control.

As in life, patience is key…

Good luck at the tables!

Angus Dunnington (AngusD)
32Red Poker Ambassador

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No Limit Cash Games: Value Betting

No Limit Cash Games: Value Betting

It goes without saying that, in order to make the most of online poker’s money-making opportunity over time, we need to make as much as possible when winning a hand and lose as little as possible when ending up behind. To help us with the former we should get acquainted with value betting, where we determine how much to bet in order to achieve maximum long-term profit from good hands.

This aspect of the game tends to be overlooked as we concentrate much of our effort and preparation on what to do with good hands and how to actually win a pot and, consequently, many of us are simply not getting the most from favourable situations. Clearly, if we haven’t given value betting enough thought away from the game, then when we find ourselves getting lucky on the river, for example, it won’t be easy assessing the situation in the limited time available. Moreover, value betting is a long-term consideration aimed at extracting value over time rather than treating each hand individually, so we need to get used to seeing bet sizing as an automatic, ‘big picture’ decision-making process.

Here’s a typical example that should help get to grips with this sometimes confusing subject.

Let’s say we have QJ on a board of Q257 and a welcome J arrives on the river. We are confident that our top two pair beats our lone opponent, who (based on what we have picked up from their previous play) we believe has one of three possible hands: top pair, 88/99/TT or AK.

With the pot at $10, and first to play, we have a number of choices regarding bet size, and must consider which bet would in the long-term bring the best return based on the feasible calling frequency of the opposition’s three likely hands.

A small bet of $2 is likely going to be called every time, giving us an expectation of $2. A half-pot bet of $5 should induce a call from both the top pair and pocket pairs, in which case we will make $5 on the river 66% of the time, our overall expectation being $3.30 ($5 x 0.66). Finally, with an ostensibly over-sized bet of $15 only top pair will call, for an expectation of $5 ($15 x 0.33). It is significant that poker psychology suggests that most people would be worried that a bet as big as $15 here would scare the opponent off (and earn nothing), and many would opt instead for the smallest bet, yet we see from this example that despite the much lower calling frequency the biggest bet offers the most value. This is why we might have noticed certain players getting ‘lucky’ when their large river bets are called by lesser hands – this is no coincidence, rather these players have a good grasp of value betting.

This is just one hand (with deliberately convenient numbers) but it is nevertheless a situation we often find ourselves in and, importantly, is a good example of how we should be thinking in terms of bet sizing and expected value.

It is important to take previous play into consideration in order to best estimate possible hands and calling frequency against different sized bets, so that against a passive player we might need to bet small to eek out anything at all, whereas a big bet may well reap rewards when facing someone who has thus far been happy to make ‘brave’ calls.

Of course we must also remember to take into account how we are perceived so that our bets are consistent with what has been seen already.

Hopefully this will help players make more from their good hands, as well as better appreciate that poker is a long-term game.

Good luck at the tables!

Angus Dunnington (AngusD)
32Red Poker Ambassador

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No Limit cash games: Value betting

No Limit cash games: Value betting

While the subject of value betting in Fixed Limit is simplified somewhat by the cap on the bet amount, in No Limit cash games it can be difficult finding the right bet size to get the job done. Remember that we are looking to earn as much as possible from what we expect is a winning hand. In poker, as in life, some level of balance is required – even a modest extra call from the opposition on the river is preferable to a fold, but we don‘t want to get into the habit of betting too small when strong due to a fear of scaring our opponent off the hand.

Of course each situation is different from the next, so we need an overall strategy that serves us well in inducing the calls we want. Recently we dealt with getting used to trying to determine our opponents’ starting hand distributions with a view to using what range we assign them in our decision making process. This is key here, because the more accurate our assessment the more likely we are to extract maximum value.

Given that we are able to execute this part of the puzzle reasonably well, it is also necessary to have an idea about what kind of player we are up against when value betting, particularly with marginal hands. It is not thanks to good fortune that strong players seem to have their hefty bets called with the (near-) nuts while also further adding to their profits by the accumulation of smallish bets which are called by poor hands. Indeed this ability is what sets the more skilful players apart from those who do well but fail to sufficiently take into account the opposition’s likely holding and style and so on when bet sizing.

Thus some people play in rather simplistic fashion in that they focus almost exclusively on the actual strength of their hand, in which case we must be careful to keep the bet small enough to illicit a call if we suspect they have a weak hand, yet bet big if we have a monster and suspect they have a strong but inferior connection to the board.

Life becomes much more difficult against stronger players. For example an experienced and strong player will approach the situation quite differently, turning the tables on us by factoring in what he believes we are holding. This means that we must consider not only what we think his cards are, but also what he thinks we might have, which in turn calls for a specific kind of analysis that, with only limited thinking time, it is imperative we get the hang of if we are to make the most of our bets.

Good luck at the tables!

Angus Dunnington (AngusD)
32Red Poker Ambassador

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