Flush Royale Progressive Jackpot

Thanks to the success of the new Bad Beat Jackpot, with a lower ‘winning’ hand threshold, more frequent wins and a well distributed prize pool, another jackpot that promises to be great fun is the Flush Royale progressive jackpot. This revolves around a nightly multi-table rebuy tournament (with a buy-in of only €3+0.30) so that, as well as gunning for the jackpot as we hunt for a royal flush, everyone is also in the running for the prize money paid out to the top finishers. At least with two bites at quite different cherries we know that even if we’re nursing a short stack there’s still a chance to pocket – or earn a share of – the jackpot.

The quest for poker’s best, magical hand starts every night at 9pm UK time, and the aim of the game is to show down a Royal Flush, of any suit, using both hole cards. Manage this, and you win a share of the Flush Royale progressive jackpot.

Here’s how it works: 50% of the entry, rebuy and add-on fees goes towards the jackpot to keep it ticking along until it is hit, at which point the payout consists of 50% to the player making the Royal Flush, 25% split between the rest of the players at the table and the remaining 25% seeding the next jackpot.

Of course we need to remember that as well as keeping our fingers crossed that Lady Luck helps us find a royal flush (or at least that we’re sitting at the table where the jackpot is triggered), we’re also playing in a tournament, although we could do worse than invest some of our chips in any suited cards 10 or over.

Good luck at the Flush Royale tables!

Angus Dunnington (AngusD at the tables)
32Red Poker Ambassador

Free card/semi-bluff raise

While raising (in late position, especially pre-flop) in order to scare the opposition into checking the next round doesn’t give us a free card, per se, it can confer on us more than one advantage. We ‘force’ out players by thinning out the field, determine which players might have strong enough hands to justify their paying to stay in contention and, of course, we pump up the pot.

Once the flop has arrived, it can be a good tactic to throw in a bet when we have four to a flush or an open-ended straight draw. We very likely don’t have the best hand at this point but aggression gives us the chance to win the pot without a fight, while we have two chances to fill our draw (as well as the opportunity – should we wish to take it, depending on the board and the opposition’s play – to fire another barrel). This semi-bluff aspect makes this strategy feasible even with lesser draws, or when we have a medium pair plus an overcard to the board after the flop (again, each situation should be judged on its individual merits).

Other scenarios, obviously, will dictate that we play quite differently. For example, if we have a strong but beatable hand (usually through a draw) we absolutely don’t want to be giving anyone free cards (unless we flop a monster, in which case we should step back in the hope that someone catches up a little and is strong enough to fight it out). When ahead we should bet high enough to force opponents to pay through the nose to stay in.

There will also be times when raising with a draw can backfire on us and perhaps should be avoided, typically when a straight draw is on a board with two suited cards so that hitting might have filled someone’s flush.

Generally we should be looking to make these plays with certain hands and in appropriate circumstances (it helps to think of position as an imperative) and incorporate semi-bluffs and free cards into our overall strategy.

Good luck at the tables!

Angus Dunnington (AngusD at the tables)
32red Poker Ambassador

No Limit: Playing an Underpair

Calling a pre-flop raise with a medium pair against a single opponent is clearly a decent play and tends not to be too difficult to handle when the flop comes because the combination of the board and the opposition’s action (or lack of it) gives us quite a bit of useful information.

Facing a bet from the raiser on a flop containing an ace or king isn’t good news, but at least we can give up the chase with a clear conscience (we could be up against a random pre-flop raise and subsequent continuation bet but – particularly at the lower levels – it wouldn’t exactly be a shock to be up against top pair).

But what happens, for example, when we have called with 99, there’s a queen-high flop such as Q 7 2 and our opponent opens with a bet? This is indeed something of a poker conundrum. Of course there are numerous factors to take into account that will be specific to the situation, but this is one of the many scenarios that we can contemplate in advance to make life so much easier.

It is possible we are dominated by aces, kings, AQ, KQ and even QJ, which is why previous history can be important. But if we are dominated by a pair of jacks or tens, a hefty enough raise should be enough for us to steal the pot. We will also take the spoils if our opponent has thrown in a c-bet with AK (again, more than a fair share of similarly aggressive plays will help us come to this conclusion).

Either way, with a flop that doesn’t quite tell us as much as we would like in terms of where we stand, a call here might very well not be the most practical of our options.

Good luck,

Angus Dunnington (AngusD at the tables)
32Red Poker Ambassador

Punishing Tight(er) Players (Part 2: In for the Kill)

Having covered general bullying in Part One, now we turn to digging a hole big enough to catch these players for the maximum payout. After continued bullying, raising both their limps and their attempts at pre-flop raising, we should be succeeding as time goes by in ruffling their feathers. Note that sometimes this strategy results in intimidating a player to such an extent that they withdraw into severe passivity or even stop playing altogether – this is by no means a disaster because we’ve managed to steal their money along the way.

At some point, most likely after venturing as far as the flop (and paying for the privilege by calling our [re]raise) and being bet into, they will be really struggling with the fact that we can’t have caught enough of the flop every time. It’s only human nature for the constant bullying to have a cumulatively negative effect and, inevitably, there comes a point at which they’ll snap or, quite feasibly, decide to punish us.

As we gain experience we learn to recognise this tipping point, and at this stage we need to adjust our strategy so that at the next opportunity (and subsequent spots thereafter, should they not bite – during which time we’re still collecting their money) we raise with a big hand. In the meantime it’s worth stepping back a little when they limp and raise so as to add to the tension while narrowing down our range…

Ultimately we’re hoping that the two worlds that are the opposition’s frustration (and consequent poor decision making) and our finding strong hole cards collide in an all-in situation. This might arise via our reraising pre-flop, betting to their check and them pushing all-in, or a raising war pre-flop.

Of course this won’t always work – and there’s no guarantee we’ll win the big pot – but such a strategy against the right kind of player can be profitable over time regardless of whether it reaps maximum reward.

Good luck at the tables!

Angus Dunnington (AngusD at the tables)
32Red Poker Ambassador

Punishing Tight(er) Players (Part 1: General Bullying)

Overcoming those players weaker than ourselves should rarely be too complicated a strategy – usually (by definition) they will be responsible for their own downfall simply by putting their chips in the middle without proper justification. In this case our cards matter.

However, it is the more knowledgeable players who show some caution when it comes to committing their chips who we want to concentrate on because, if we put enough thought and effort in, we should be able not only to bully them but even to seriously punish them.

Bullying, importantly, forms the foundation of setting this type of player up for later (Part Two).

First we need to find our target by determining which player – preferably to our right – is suitably predictable. Ideally we’re looking for someone who focuses too much on both their cards and what they perceive others’ hands to be, as well as how they evaluate their prospects based on these restrictive parameters. They have a predictable range and, subsequently, aren’t difficult to second guess both pre-flop and once the cards arrive. Crucially, they don’t like to take risks and are not afraid to back down in the face of aggression. They invest however many chips they feel their hand (and the situation) justifies.

Armed with this information, we then single them out and plug away. When they limp, we raise all hands that can put up some kind of fight, which include any pocket pairs, suited connectors, any ace, picture cards and even 1-gaps. Being tight and too cautious, our victim tends to either fold (they believe us) or call pre-flop. In the event of a call, given that they will have missed most of the time, then on most flops they are going to check-fold. Note the significance of position.

Taking this strategy a step further – when our target opens with a raise we are going to re-raise but, critically, with an even more liberal range than above (it’s even possible to do this with any two cards). Remember that these players aren’t afraid to play per se, rather they consider themselves capable of being prudent. They’re not only raising pre-flop with massive pairs but are willing to have a go with other hands, too as long as they don’t have to risk too much. Consequently, knowing that most of the time they are going to miss the flop, they’re going to assume – especially because they are aware of their tight image – that we are re-raising them with the goods. Most of their pre-flop raising range (such as AT) can’t justify being out of position in the face of a re-raise, so we can expect enough folds to make this tactic a profitable one.

Furthermore, we are setting in place the foundations for a bigger payout… (see Part Two).

Good luck at the tables!

Angus Dunnington (AngusD at the tables)
32red Poker Ambassador

Representing a Made Draw

Given that drawing possibilities crop up so often in No Limit, we really need a trick or two up our sleeve, and one such is exploiting a potentially profitable situations that arises when the draw hits the board.

Let’s say we’re up against a player who, thus far, has been pretty solid and not prone to anything too imaginative. The board is Qc 6c 2s, and we have Ac 9c, with a juicy nut flush maybe waiting for us. Our opponent bets and we call, and the turn brings the 7c . Bingo. Our opponent checks, we bet €6 into the €16 pot in the hope of either inducing a raise or at least extracting some value with our nut flush. Instead we’re met with a fold. Is that bad news? Not really, because what we missed in the €6 we’d have made from getting a call we gained in the form of information – our opponent appears to surrender to (what they perceive to be) made draws.

With this in mind, we need to approach future drawing boards with the intention of giving them the chance to continue in this same cautious mode. And, of course, the crucial point here is that it doesn’t at all matter what we have, rather that we represent having the draw. We see on TV and in films about ‘playing the people, not the cards’ and sometimes it seems like an exaggeration, or at least something that we’re afraid is too difficult to pull off. But if we can’t bring ourselves – once we have recognised a weakness such as the one in this example – to make the most of these situations, then we’re just not getting enough money out of the game.

Keeping in mind what our opponents could well be thinking – which of course includes what hands they put us on – should eventually be second nature as we gain in experience, and clearly this ability opens up considerably more options than being restricted to making decisions based only our hand and how it might relate to the board.

Note that any kind of feasible looking out on the river is going to be enough to engineer a scenario – usually through a show of strength on the turn – in which we can induce a fold when the out appears (which isn’t to say we should necessarily put the brakes on if it doesn’t, given the opposition’s propensity to believe).

It should go without saying that we can also find ourselves on the other side of this kind of play, which means keeping a lookout for those players capable of setting up this kind of bluff, and letting them do so when we have a hand.

Good luck at the tables!

Angus Dunnington (AngusD at the tables)
32Red Poker Ambassador

Online Tells and Chat

Those new to online poker could be forgiven for thinking the whole subject of so-called ‘tells’ makes little sense when we can’t actually see our opponents physical behaviour. Why should a comment in the chat box be indicative of how someone is feeling or of what kind of hand they hold? Does it really matter how long a player takes to act? Should we allow ourselves to react when abuse is directed at us?

In fact each of these questions is quite relevant and, while it’s far from an exact science (and we must be bear in mind that, whatever our perceptions are, others will be aware of them and attempt a bit of psychological trickery), there are certain aspects of chat and timing that we learn to recognise as pretty reliable tells, particularly at the lower limits.

The key is to already have a decent read on a player in order to better interpret their behaviour. For example, if an opponent has routinely checked through a hand until the river, at which point distinct hesitation precedes a big bet, then this could be either a lesser experienced player who has caught the magic card and is busy thinking how big a bet to make or, conversely, an experienced player who wants us to believe they have hit when they’re really bluffing to steal the pot. Both scenarios are plausible, so it boils down to how they have been playing thus far.

A more obvious and very common online tell is the use of the ‘check/fold’ facility to save time, especially ‘useful’ for multi-table fans. Once we have established who does this it’s not too difficult to recognise the times when their aggressive play does indeed indicate a strong hand – sometimes it is that obvious and easy.

In terms of chat, when the incessant chatterbox suddenly goes quiet, or the chat continues but the tone changes, this usually means either a strong hand or the preparation of a bluff – again a certain level of history makes a big difference in determining which it might be.

Generally, while it’s wise to avoid chatting because there’s a danger that in trying to distract other players we’re doing more damage to our own game (it’s impossible to keep shifting our gaze from the chat box to the table and maintain proper observation and concentration levels), it’s worth keeping chat switched on in order to gradually learn which players use it, and in what way.

Finally, as well as being wary of how we interpret tells, we should also use our own to mislead others…

Good luck at the tables!

Angus Dunnington (AngusD at the tables)
32Red Poker Ambassador

Luck in Poker…

We all interpret luck in different ways. Some of us choose even not to acknowledge it. This isn’t just a fault of poker players but is experienced across all sorts of sports and games (by players and loyal fans alike!).

When we’ve had a particularly profitable cash games session or have done well in a tournament, there’s a tendency to conveniently forget our good fortune and put the success down to skill. If we were being honest, we could all admit that somewhere in our fondest poker memories lies a great result that we have grown to associate with our prowess when, in reality, it was good luck.

Meanwhile, when things go wrong we don’t hesitate in looking back on events to search desperately for some poor fortune upon which we can blame our losses; we’re also prepared to see bad luck that never existed as a phantom factor in our demise.

It’s not coincidental that experiments have shown our opinions regarding our expertise can change even as a result of a 50-50 coin tossing game! Despite the fact that, in a game of 100 spins, for example, someone is going to win due to a 50-50 score being so unlikely, people tend to attribute such a meaningless victory to an ability to make predictions. This, in turn, can lead to favourably reassessing their skills in decision making – a dangerous attitude indeed!

We can’t avoid luck in poker, of course, and if we have a healthy level of optimism (as opposed to an unhealthy negativity) we should welcome it when it goes our way and simply accept it when it doesn’t.

Good luck at the tables!

Angus Dunnington (AngusD at the tables)
32Red Poker Ambassador

Sit n Go Promo at 32Red Poker

Thanks to my being without an internet connection for a week or so (which seems like an eternity when being online is a professional imperative; plus the fact I was missing out on poker fun…) I missed the beginning of 32Red Poker’s new Secret Agent Sit n Go promotion, which runs until February 15^th and features a range of prizes.

These include five iPhone 5’s, 10 TAG Heuer Aquaracer watches (each worth over €1300!) and a whopping 1500 tournament (€20 + 2) tickets.

The idea is to earn scratch cards by playing in the special Secret Agent Giveaway Sit n Go tournaments that have numerous formats and buyins from as little as €1+0.10 (or 147 Redbacks) – 1 scratch card is awarded for every 10 tournaments played.

If you don’t strike lucky on a scratch card you’ll be automatically entered for the 2^nd Chance Tournament which takes place on February 17^th, where the five iPhones and any watches and tickets that weren’t won by the end of the promotion will be up for grabs. Also, with each non-winning card you earn you’ll receive 100 starting chips for the tournament!

Note that this promotion is perfect for those yet to try this exciting tournament format as the buyins available are reassuringly low for Sit n Go newcomers, you can pick up scratch cards as you navigate your way through the learning experience and there’s also the usual prize money to be won, too!

Good luck at the Secret Agent tables!

Meanwhile, at the time of writing the Badbeat Jackpot has reached nosebleed levels, and it currently stands at over €648,000 and rising! You’ve got to be in it to win it…

Angus Dunnington (AngusD at the tables)
32Red Poker Ambassador

Decision Making on the Turn (Part 2: Decent hands and Draws)

Part 2: Decent hands and Draws

Having considered how we should treat both poor and less than average marginal hands with a healthy dose of caution when contemplating the potential efficacy of a battle plan from the flop to the turn/river, we can now put our minds to dealing with genuinely good hands on the flop (for strong hands see Part 3).

Remember the fact that we have connected with the flop to the extent that further action looks justified means being careful to not get too carried away, so interpreting actions with a degree of accuracy is imperative.

Typical hands that fall into this category of essentially being too good to routinely surrender without a fight, but not big enough to throw the kitchen sink in with are, for example, top pair with a good kicker, bottom two pair and as yet unmade but potential winners in the form of strong flush and straight draws. Of course we should automatically take into account such things as stack sizes and position (very important!), while flop texture is obviously going to have an influence on our actions depending on what kind of hand we have. With a made hand and possible draws in play we need to accordingly hike up the price for others to stay in contention.

It gets a little more complex when we have the draw as position assumes maximum significance. The more information the better because, as well as being better able to determine the right pot odds for the draw, having good position affords us semi-bluffing possibilities under the right circumstances. Typically situational, much will depend on others’ actions (including previous history) because such a tactic can backfire. Has the opposition shown signs of being more than just an unimaginative ABC type player? Are they likely to be slowplaying a monster? Without overcards we might well have only eight outs, and so on. With poor position it’s essential to tread very carefully indeed but there is still room for manoeuvre. For example if we raised preflop and now have a strong draw, a bet that represents a made hand both gives us a chance of remaining in the driving seat and sets us up perfectly in the case of hitting (especially against those players prone to bluffing).

With these hands we need to plan constructively but realistically, with a view to maintaining a level of pot control. Position is often crucial, which should serve as a reminder to generally respect this would-be golden rule, especially when we don’t hold strong hands, which will be the subject of Part 3.

Good luck at the tables!

Angus Dunnington (AngusD at the tables)
32Red Poker Ambassador

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