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Interview with Mike Matusow

admin — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 04:36:13 +0000

Interview with Mike Matusow
by Steve Marzolf Mike Matusow, a card-carrying member of team Full Tilt, has been around the pro poker circuit long enough to earn his nickname as “The Mouth” a few times over. Most recently, he took third in the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star Main Event, pulling in just under $370k…and talking some serious smack in the process. But when we caught up with him, he had an ironic message for players out there: “Calm down.” You almost took it all at Bay 101 – what was that like? I’ve only played three WPTs in two years – one last year and two this year. I went down there and played really hard. I went down there hungry and wanting to win, and I played really well. But I wish I would have caught some cards against the lunatics, the ones who were raising and re-raising every hand. Tell us about that three-bet that took you out. I mean, he was just raising at every button, and I thought I had a pretty good read on him. I’d been re-raising and shoving on him left and right. I shoved on him with 2-9. He didn’t have to call me with K-Q. It was still 25 percent of his stack, even if he’s ahead. Most of the time, I’m going to have a pair or an ace there. I didn’t really mind the call, cause once it got down to three-handed, they were playing really carefully against me. They knew that if they opened too much, I’d just keep shipping on them. So they started folding a little bit and limping, and it looked like there was going to be no way I could get chips – especially as card-dead as I was. So I didn’t mind just shipping on him every time he opened the button. I was looking at his face and how he reacted to his cards. I shipped on him six times before, and he insta-folded all six. So I thought I had a tell on him. Maybe that time I just rushed it. You’ve consistently had good showings at WPT games. Yeah. I don’t play many. I don’t chase the tournament circuit anymore. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a losing proposition. It’s $750,000 a year to play on the tournament circuit, and you’ve gotta finish at least second in one tournament to make any money. You’ve been in the game a long time – what are the biggest changes you’ve seen? I mean, these kids play pretty good, but when it’s a deep-stack tournament, they’ve gotta know when to slow down. We were playing 100 big blinds deep, and they’re going raise, re-raise, re-raise, trying to outplay each other, playing four-handed. I was just hoping to pick up 8-8 or anything, but I didn’t even see a playable hand. I think the best hand I saw was K-10 offsuit. If I’d picked up any hand behind them, I’d have gotten all the chips. It was the greatest spot in the world – I was like in heaven – but then I was looking at 2-7 offsuit for like eight hours. What spurs that aggressive play? They’re all used to playing online where you have to 3-bet and 4-bet all the time to stay alive when the blinds get up there. When you’re playing deep-stacked, you’re supposed to just play solid and pick your spots. But these guys were ridiculous. They were so hyper-aggressive it was a joke. It fit perfect into my style. I had two playable hands in 154 hands, and I finished 3rd. If I’d won the hand I went out on, then I’d have 30 percent of the chips and who knows what happens? Where do you think the game is going long-term? I don’t know – there’s just so many good players. I think if they just want to keep running $100,000 buy-in tournaments, they’ll have everybody broke within a year. I’m not a big fan of those tournaments. Then, I was saying the same thing four years ago about the $10,000 buy-in tournaments. Everybody would have gone broke on those too, if they hadn’t been satelliting so many people in. You’ve been at this a long time – what are the biggest lessons you’ve learned? Everybody glorifies these people who play heads-up and win millions of dollars, but they’re going to lose it, too. Ain’t nobody who’s better than anybody else playing heads-up poker. Poker’s about playing and beating bad players. There’s definitely less bad players now – and there’s a lot of good players. It’s tough to win now; it’s a lot harder to make a living. Lucky for me, I don’t have to depend on it anymore. I wouldn’t be happy if I had to grind and make a living online or even live nowadays. It sure wouldn’t be easy. Have cash games in Vegas gotten tougher, too? The mixed games are still good, but the no-limit games are all dried up, unless you get invited to a house game. Poker has become a showdown contest. That’s all it is. It’s just because everybody tries to outplay each other. When I came up, it wasn’t like that. It was about making correct decisions, playing solid, attacking blinds and weakness…just playing good and solid. Now it’s all about three-betting, four-betting, five…Come on man. Tell me about your nickname – how often do you hit your opponents with the trash talk? Not much anymore. Though I did it down in Bay 101. Because I just got hot and started making hands. When people play bad against me, I talk a lot of shit. I catch some cards, I’ll rub it in their face. At the WPT, I had a hand where the guy raises under the gun, and three people call so I call in the big blind with Qd-4d. Flop comes 2-4-Q. I lead out the pot, and the guy who raised under the gun calls. The two who came in behind fold. The turn card is 7d, and I have queens and fours on the flush draw. I bet $4800, he makes it $11,000 so I move all in. He calls and shows me three sevens. And I said, “You gotta be kidding me.” Then it’s a 3d on the river, and I start screaming: “That’ll teach you to play bad against me, motherfucker. You get what you deserve. You’re an idiot.” Then I start berating him something fierce. I lead out into four people with a Q-4-2 rainbow. What do you think I’m leading out with, complete air? Like two sevens are any good there. What have you been playing lately? I don’t play. I went to Australia and won about a quarter million. Then I went to L.A. and played the cash games there for a couple weeks and won another $250,000 there. Then I went down to Bay 101 and cashed $370k there. So it’s been a good year.

Strategy with Kristy: Andrew Robl Discusses Televised Cash Game Hands

admin — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 16:54:09 +0000

Strategy with Kristy: Andrew Robl Discusses Televised Cash Game Hands
October 27 2011, Kristy Arnett Related Articles Strategy with Kristy Podcast: Olivier Busquet Discusses Tough Spots Strategy with Kristy Podcast Part 2 with Tommy Angelo Strategy with Kristy Podcast Part 1 with Tommy Angelo Related Players Share It Tags Andrew Robl, Cash Poker, High Stakes Poker, Lex Veldhuis, PokerNews Podcast, PokerNews Strategy, Poker Strategy Print Andrew Good2cu Robl is known for both his cash game and tournament skill. He’s played in a number of televised cash games, and the cameras have caught plenty of interesting hands for viewers to discuss. For this edition of Strategy with Kristy, Robl sits down with Kristy Arnett to discuss a few of his most-talked-about televised cash-game hands. To view the hands as they played out on television, check Arnett’s latest blog post. Here is a snippet from the interview, in which Robl discusses a hand from High Stakes Poker [game details and action of the hand are written separately]: Game Lex Veldhuis straddled to $1,600. Phil Ivey raised to $7,000 from the cutoff. Robl had on the button and called. Patrik Antonius looked down at in the small blind and reraised to $30,400. Ivey folded. Robl moved all-in for $113,900 and Antonius called, making the pot $299,600. Why did you decide to flat Iveys raise? I mean, I could have raised. I just didnt want to reraise and have Ivey four-bet. Id be in a tough spot and not really know what to do. Its kind of a hand where I dont really want to get it in if I three-bet, but I dont want to fold either. Its also very deceiving if I flat there. You wouldnt normally put me on this type of hand when I flat. You said that its kind of hard to put you on this type of hand since you flatted on the button so Antonius move kind of looks like a squeeze. Were you thinking that he might do this with a pretty wide range? Yeah, I mean, Antonius is a good enough player that youre never going to really know exactly what he has when he reraises one time. Its not like hes going to have a super-tight range of hands. He and Ivey were super deep. So, hes not going to be reraising strong hands like ace-jack and ace-ten offsuit because it would get him in trouble playing deep with Ivey out of position. I do think he reraises with a lot of hands, though. Once he reraises, theres already like $50,000 in the pot, and I only have another $100,000 left. You continued playing in the game after losing this pot. How do you, personally, recover and continue playing well. I dont know. Ive played a lot of poker. Sometimes you lose. Sometimes you win. I definitely wasnt happy, but things like this have happened to me a lot in my poker career. Theres no reason not to play your A-game and give money away after that. Want to know what else Robl told Arnett? You’re going to have to listen to the podcast: Podcast Powered By Podbean Tune in every Thursday for new episodes of Strategy with Kristy and feel free to send in questions, ideas or suggestions for the podcast to kristy@pokernews.com. Also remember to follow us on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news. Follow Kristy Arnett on Twitter @KristyArnett Comments

I’m the Russian Billboard Ad

admin — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 20:36:14 +0000

Im the Russian Billboard Ad

I came to Moscow to check out the games. A few years ago the games were so good I thought Russia was opening up and poker would be bigger there than anywhere else in the world. Now it’s like the world turned upside down in Russia and gambling is just not going to happen
not [...]

PokerNews Interview: Josh Cranfill

Without online poker
the American handicapped community is struggling to play. Josh Cranfill
a victim of Werdnig-Hoffman Disease disease
explains why.

What Are You Doing You Dafty Old Cow?

Today marks the one year anniversary of the passing of a PokerPlasm Legend
Handsome Eddie LeFrancois. Known for his crude
unrelenting
and derogatory poker playing style
he was a breath of fresh air in a poker world filled with donkeys
self-appointed experts
and Euro trash. He was always there to listen and give his opinion. [...]

Poker Pros Understand Fold Equity

admin — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 16:36:12 +0000

Poker Pros Understand Fold Equity
A level of online poker aggression that rarely gets discussed
but yet is quite prevalent and a large part of Texas Holdem poker games is fold equity. Fold equity is an advantage that the poker pro creates for himself by betting and raising
rather than just calling
with the intent of making his opponents fold their hands.

Poker Pros Play Live and Online
Poker played at online poker sites is the way that many professional poker players are playing poker today but it is not the only way. Professional poker players still choose to play at regular land based casinos for their poker action. Some players even do both. Is the game played the same online as it is in local cardrooms?

Poker Professional Reality
With the huge increase of people playing poker online and in casinos
the thought of becoming a poker professional always enters peoples minds. As appealing as becoming a poker professional might be to you
it is not easy to become a poker pro.

The Correct Way To Utilize The All-In Bet In a Tournament

admin — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 19:36:03 +0000

The Correct Way To Utilize The All-In Bet In a Tournament
It’s hard to talk about no limit poker and not discuss the All-In bet in detail. This is what sets this game apart from all other games. The ability to put someones entire stack at risk at any given moment. This is a very powerful tool and, utilized effectively, can really help a player control [...]

Poker Professional Reality
With the huge increase of people playing poker online and in casinos, the thought of becoming a poker professional always enters peoples minds. As appealing as becoming a poker professional might be to you, it is not easy to become a poker pro.

New William Hill Poker Bonus Offers

admin — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 04:54:08 +0000

New William Hill Poker Bonus Offers
British gaming site William Hill
which features everything from a sportsbook to casino games to bingo to poker
is offering various bonuses to poker players. The company has been around in various forms for over 70 years and has been online since 2008. It's fast becoming one of the premium poker rooms on the Internet. read more

2010 WSOP
It's that time of year. The time when the poker world turns it's eyes to the Mecca of gambling and the site of the annual World Series of Poker (WSOP)-Las Vegas. The first gold bracelet was won on Saturday read more

Bankroll Builders
Vol. 10: 135-man Rush Poker SNGs
Part 1

Not every poker player can enjoy the flexible lifestyle of an online pro. Lets face it; most of us have day jobs and after a long day at the office you may not have the necessary stamina to make it through a large-field tournament that can take…

Poker Pros Play Live and Online

admin — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 23:18:18 +0000

Poker Pros Understand Fold Equity
A level of online poker aggression that rarely gets discussed, but yet is quite prevalent and a large part of Texas Holdem poker games is fold equity. Fold equity is an advantage that the poker pro creates for himself by betting and raising, rather than just calling, with the intent of making his opponents fold their hands.

Online Poker – Everything You Need To Know To Get Started

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:36:29 +0000

Poker includes various card games that are played by at least two people who take turns betting on the value of their hands. Online poker consists of the same games, played against other players over an internet connection. There are numerous web sites set up in which the players can create accounts and play poker with other players, these sites are typically called online poker rooms.

The most commonly played online poker game at the current time is Texas Hold ‘em. The game has a few variations including a no limit version and a pot limit version. The limits apply to the amount players are allowed to wager. Other games are gaining popularity online, including 7 or 5 card stud, Omaha hi, and Omaha low.

Some of the most popular places to play online poker include:

PokerStars.com
Poker.com
Absolute Poker
Bodog
Full Tilt

Each of these online poker rooms offer the option to play for fun, with no real money being wagered, and the option to play with real money. You fund your account with the poker room and then can play in tournaments or cash games. If you lose in a real money game, you lose the amount of money you have paid to play in the tournament or the amount of money wagered in a cash game. A good way to try a new poker room is to play for fun first. This allows you to test out the software the site uses, and test your skills. For strategy and tutorial articles, online poker and casino site promotions and the latest news in the industry, visit jacknoir.com. The site is updated daily and is the online poker and gambler’s best friend.
Understanding the value of the hands is essential to playing any variation of poker, online or off! Here are the poker hand values, from highest to lowest:

Royal Flush: All of the cards are the same suit, and includes the cards 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace.
Straight Flush: All cards are the same suit, and are in a sequence (2, 3, 4, 5, 6).
Four of a Kind: Four cards are the same.
Full house: Three cards that are the same, and two cards with a second rank. (3, 3, 3, 6, 6).
Straight: All cards are in a sequence.
Three of a Kind: Three cards are the same
Two Pair: Two sets of cards that match. (5, 5, 7, 7, anything)
One Pair: Two of the cards match.
High Card: When there are no real hands in poker, the person with the highest ranking card in their hand has the high card and wins that hand. Starts with Ace, moves down the ranks to 2.

If you know how to play poker around the table with a deck of cards and some friends, you will not have difficulty transitioning to the online poker environment. Easy to use options are included with every poker software- allowing users to decide whether to check, fold, call or raise with their hand. If the world of poker is completely new to you, starting online is a great place for you to learn the rules of the game!

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Poker After Dark – Hard to Read (source: launchpoker.com)
All the players at Poker After Dark’s the Cash Game show admitted one thing: Durr was hard to read. In the $100k buy in event Phil Hellmuth, Allen Cunningham, Guy Laliberte, Mike Baxter, and David Peat were playing with a crafty player better known for his… (source: launchpoker.com) – RSS and RSS Feed on Feedzilla.com

Casinos Earnings Down, But Better than Analysts’ Expectations (source: Pokernews.com)
Several publicly traded casino companies have posted their second-quarter earnings over the last couple of weeks. While results were mixed, Wall Street loved the news, sending almost every gaming stock higher on the results… (source: Pokernews.com) – RSS and RSS Feed on Feedzilla.com

Poker After Dark – Big Man Straight (source: launchpoker.com)
When Poker After Dark started their new season, they started to bring in some new blood as well. In the Cash Game episode, where players paid $100k to play, Phil Hellmuth, Tom Dwan, Allen Cunningham, Guy Laliberte, Mike Baxter, and David Peat were invited … (source: launchpoker.com) – RSS and RSS Feed on Feedzilla.com

Poker Strategy? A Way to Demolish the Competition!

admin — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 03:54:28 +0000

Like at all realistic tag games in the sphere of the society these days, poker is indeed the the largest part multifaceted miscellany of skill, providence, strategy, scheme, and personality. The theories involved in the sphere of the in performance of the game possibly will not be present applicable to everybody. Near are instances with the aim of things might give birth to worked in support of a precise band of those but possibly will give birth to undeniably botched with the others. However, the largest part poker experts still contend with the aim of feasible poker strategies and tips are still decisive elements of winning the game.

The largest part poker players assert with the aim of they look a group of strenuous choices on many situations. Normally, they give birth to to deal with inspection, making a bet, raising, or else folding. For the reason that of these, the largest part players believe with the aim of they need to equip themselves with applied poker strategy and tips so having the status of to institute the appropriate expectation in support of each probable move of the players. By liability so, they command know how to pretense appropriately in the sphere of return.

In the main, psychological poker strategy is a crucial move basically for the reason that in performance poker involves supplementary psychological activities. A player ought to know how to read cards of the other players and have to be present well adept in the sphere of comprehension the measures and reactions of his playmates. The greatest poker strategy is to know how to interpret body language and chatter of the players. Both of these things can divulge a group of the strengths and weaknesses of the hands.

A useful poker strategy besides requires a player to vary his poker attitude. This income with the aim of near ought to be present era with the aim of you know how to purposefully ruse a game. This, in the sphere of good turn, command succeed other players give birth to a problematical clock comprehension your cards or else predict your subsequently moves.

However, bluffing ought to by no means be present a eternal poker strategy. This ought to solitary be present used once the need arises. Constant and unfailing bluffing possibly will eventually command to hefty losses.

A useful poker strategy is besides roughly allowing for the dispense strength. A player have to not solitary master the rank of hands but besides their next of kin strength in a poker game. In support of case in point, a gorged igloo possibly will be present a useful dispense with the aim of command be present far supplementary likely to be present the greatest dispense compared to a 7 important or else the lowest on the cards dispense.

Consequently, precise poker strategy possibly will vary depending on the poker variant being played.

Like in the sphere of a stud poker game, it is advisable to prefer a seven-card-stud poker as a replacement for of a five-card poker. At this time, five-card can bequeath you partial opportunity to benefit your skill having the status of it is large if you give birth to a stanch originator dispense.

In the sphere of a Caribbean Stud Poker, a good poker strategy deals with once to lay a wager timely and appropriately. A useful poker strategy command require you to look after a brace or else better. In the sphere of the event with the aim of the dealer showed 10 or else a smaller amount and matches lone of yours and you give birth to and Ace-King or else better, don’t hesitate to lay a wager. You can besides lay a wager with confidence each time the dealer’s tag is a smaller amount than your fourth highest tag and you give birth to an Ace-King or else better; or else if the dealer’s tag is an Ace-King and you give birth to a brace of six or else better.

Bear in the sphere of mind to compute the odds counter to you such with the aim of if the profit is greater than the odds, succeed the lay a wager. So to have a word, once the odds are in the sphere of your bolster, lay a wager having the status of powerfully having the status of you can.

But the the largest part of great consequence poker strategy of all is: By no means form a pattern of show. Being able to disguise your show possibly will be present the the largest part valuable poker strategy you may well give birth to but after that you have to remember to apply them having the status of varied having the status of on the cards. This way, you escape being accepted to your opponents by this means decrease the likelihood of bringing up the rear large bets.

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How to Play Texas Holdem – a Beginners guide (source: poker-skool.com)
Learn to play Texas holdem, Omaha hi/lo, rules of the games free download, then find the best online poker sites to practice what you’ve learnt (source: poker-skool.com) – RSS and RSS Feed on Feedzilla.com

2008 World Series of Poker Final Table Payouts (source: about.com)
Tonight on ESPN is the final night of pre-recorded coverage of the 2008 World Series of Poker Main Event. You’ll see the final 27 players battle it out for a… (source: about.com) – RSS and RSS Feed on Feedzilla.com

How-to-play-7-5-cardstud – Courtesy of Poker Skool (source: poker-skool.com)
How to play 7 and 5 card stud poker, where are the best places to play 7 and 5 card stud, can you play for free, how much will the casinos pay you to play. we show you how and where. (source: poker-skool.com) – RSS and RSS Feed on Feedzilla.com

The Best Poker Cities in the World

admin — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 02:54:01 +0000

Poker players will travel to the ends of the Earth to find a great game, and sometimes they will literally do just that – shipping off to far-off locales where the poker chips are real clay and the stakes are always high. To help you plan your next “poker vacation” we’ve compiled a list of some of the finest poker cities in the world – each one chosen because of the available action there – and a commitment to the greatest card game in the known universe.

The Top Cities for Poker Players

1. Las Vegas, Nevada. No surprises here. Las Vegas is, and likely always will sit atop the poker stratosphere. When you’re home to the best players in the world, the best shopping for poker accessories, countless poker rooms that line the Las Vegas Strip…AND host the annual World Series of Poker you don’t have to worry about relinquishing your number one spot for quite some time.

2. Atlantic City, New Jersey. A short drive from New York City, Atlantic City is home to some of the largest Casinos in the world. With names like Trump and Harrah’s rising above the skyline, it’s easy to see why the area draws millions of gamblers each year (despite the rundown nature of the city itself). The online poker boom inspired many of these casinos to build massive Texas Hold ‘Em rooms – which even in tough economic times continue to be filled by East Coasters looking for some real action.

3. Los Angeles, California. Only a hop skip and jump from the glitter of Hollywood exists a series of the most well-respected poker rooms in the United States. That’s right, poker has come to Los Angeles, and thanks to Larry Flint’s Hustler Casino, The Hollywood Park Poker Rooms and the Commerce Casino (and several more) serious players will never fall short of places to play after they’ve hit the beach.

4. New York, New York. You won’t find many glittering casinos and poker rooms in the Big Apple, however if it is rough-and-tumble back room games you’re looking for, you have come to the right place. The most populated city in the world is also home to more poker games being held in the back of bodegas, record stores and bars than anywhere else in America. It is a throwback to the outlaw days of poker – and despite the Internet, Atlantic City and discount flights to Las Vegas, it has never quite left.

5. Dublin, Ireland. Dublin was recently named the top poker city in Europe by a panel of card-playing experts. In addition to being home to the Irish Open, one of the largest and most well-respected poker tournaments in Europe, it also has a rich community of poker players living there. These poker-playing families have passed the game on from generation to generation – ensuring that the game will continue to flourish here for years to come.

6. London, England. The United Kingdom takes a more laid-back approach to gambling than other countries, and with that permissiveness has come some of the finest luxury poker rooms in the world. London is a place to play high-stakes poker – without having to worry about the authorities knocking your door down.

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Poker & Pop Culture: Poker-Playing Presidents (source: pokernews.com)
Americans head to the polls today to elect their 44th president. It has been a long, arduous, hotly-contested battle, and those reporting it have seen fit on numerous occasions to employ a variety of poker metaphors along the way… (source: pokernews.com) – RSS and RSS Feed on Feedzilla.com

Poker News Digest 8/30/2008 – 9/2/2008 (source: PokerSourceOnline.com)
The Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville,