3rd August 2007

Welcome to Hold or Fold - The UK's only Poker E-Letter dedicated to
helping YOU become a better player!

In this week's E-Letter -

       *Small Ball Poker for the advanced player

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Hiya there and how have you been this week?

To be honest - I've had a house full of visitors, family and friends - and with school holidays starting - I've not had much chance to play this past week - but I have qualified for the Poker Stars Sunday Warm-up so I'll see how I get on there.

If you have had any poker situations you want to share with everyone - please feel free to email me - all details below.

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Poker Tips from Daniel Negreanu

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I've not got a particular hand to highlight this week as I've just spent a very enjoyable half an hour watching Daniel 'Kid Poker' Negreanu's three video clips of Poker Tips and I thought I would share these with you - just for a change.

Daniel discusses how to play Small Ball Poker - in other words - putting small jabs in rather than knock-out blows.

He does have a disclaimer whereby he quotes that: " Small ball is an extremely advanced strategy and should only be used by players with a good amount of experience."

In other words - this week's e-letter is really aimed at players who have alot of experience
rather than the beginner.

You have to be able to play post-flop well to keep Small Ball to your advantage -
if you are just starting out - or not confident in your game - then stick to playing premium hands for now.

The key points are:

Small Ball: An Overview
*The goal is to increase your stack with low-risk play -
*Small Ball gives opponents the perception that you are a maniac -
*For advanced players, the most crucial decisions come post-flop.

Blind Stealing
*Attack blinds aggressively - but only raise 3 x's the Blind -
*Don't steal the Blinds if someone else has called in front of you -
*Steal with hands that have the potential to hit BIG -
*Avoid trash hands.

Playing Position
*Position and aggressive betting will help you win lots of small pots -
*Bet 1/2 - 3/4 of the pot -
*When you miss the Flop, take one more stab at the pot.

Poker Math/Pot Odds
*Calculate Pot Odds before making big decisions -
*Compare your Pot Odds to the Odds your hand will win -
*Drawing to 'Gut Shots' can be profitable if the payoff is huge.

Avoiding Traps
*Keep faith in the system by folding marginal hands when raised -
*Don't play big pots unless YOU have the upper hand -
*Small ball is effective if you are disciplined to fold good hands.

Setting Traps
*Small ball is a trap all by itself -
*Play 'Small Bet Poker' to lose a little but win a lot -
*Stay aggressive -
*Play your good hands as you would your bluffs.

Calling with Nothing
*With position, your hand is often irrelevant -
*If the board gets scary, represent what scares your opponent -
*Look to take the pot with a bluff on the Turn.

Defending your Blind
*Make your opponents know you'll defend the Blind -
*The Math is on your side - in the Blind, you get a discount to call -
*When you miss the Flop, don't feel obligated to bluff.

Tells
*When a player glances at their chips, he is thinking of betting -
*Strong, exagerated motions reveal an opponent with a Weak hand -
*'Actors' give off 'False Tells' -
*Look for any strange or peculiar behaviour.

Going Pro
*Confidence is maintained by believing in your game -
*Learning never stops - constantly work on your game.

You can view these video clips at:
Daniel Negreanu Advanced Poker Tips (part 1 of 3)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xeeozbb2_FQ

Daniel Negreanu Advanced Poker Tips (part 2 of 3)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4d1VQLjZVVE&feature=related

Daniel Negreanu Advanced Poker Tips (part 3 of 3)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ur7BDUq3lww&feature=related

Daniel explains a bit more at:
http://www.fullcontactpoker.com/poker-forum/index.php?showtopic=72694

Another good piece of advice in playing Small Ball Poker is at: http://pokerwannabe.blogspot.com/2005/07/playing-small-ball.html


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Well I hope you have a good week - may the cards be with you and I'll see you again next Friday.

All the best

Meg Arana
Hold or Fold