If you are finding yourself playing this hand, you qualify as playing too many hands.

Playing too many hands is the basic problem. A bad player is going to limp in with any two cards. They want to see the flop in case they hit it. A really bad player is going to limp in and then call with any bit of the flop. The problem with this strategy is two fold.

The first problem is that a bad hand will not win enough of the time. Limping in with 3x8x is not profitable. You will never flop trips enough to make the call profitable. The most common situation is that you will limp in and check fold when you miss the flop.

The next problem with this strategy is that limping in puts you in a bad spot. If you are in early position and limp in with a weak holding you are going to have to fold to a raise. If someone in later position makes a raise you will want to fold. Limping with trash hands is bad; calling a raise with trash hands is terrible.

Once you understand that you do not want to limp in with trash hands, you have to think about pot odds. If you have a pocket pair then you will want to see the flop, but you have to consider stack sizes.

Suppose you are sitting in a cash game and have 100+ big blinds and you have pocket 3’s. A tight player who has around 40 big blinds makes a raise to 10x the big blind. They are essentially committing themselves to the pot. You do not have odds to set mine.

Suppose you do call an oversized raise from a short stack. What do you do if someone behind you, who has you covered, makes a re-raise or shoves all in? You do not want to get a pair of 3’s all in for 100 big blinds in a cash game, so you fold.

The ideal situation to set mine is to limp in when there are no short stacks behind you, and no players who are hyper aggressive. Then you can see a cheap flop. The same can be said for suited connectors. You want to play with an awareness of stack sizes and pot odds.

Do not call with incorrect pot odds. When you are making preflop decisions you need to factor in the opponents ranges, as well as your implied odds. It is correct to call a raise with a pocket pair if the raiser has enough chips behind. The deeper the stacks, the more hands you should play.

Theoretically, in a really deep-stacked game, you could limp in with any two cards. However, normal games are rarely more than 100-200 big blinds deep. This means that trash hands have to be tossed out and pocket pairs should be played for a small price.

The most important thing to avoid is the desire to see the flop every hand. The player who limps in every single time is the player who will crack Aces with 2c8d when the flop comes 2xJx8x, but they are also going to be a losing player long term.

Don’t make the mistake of having to see every flop. Don’t get committed to hands. Aces and Kings can lose you a lot of money if you can’t let them go. Lean these two concepts and you will eliminate a major leak that plagues beginner poker players.

Related posts:

1. Poker Mistakes and Ways to Avoid Them If you are a new poker player, realize that you’re...
2. Free Texas Holdem Poker Games at Bwin What’s the quickest way to a World Series of...
3. WSOP and ESPN Holds Pre-November Nine Conference Call Earlier Wednesday, ESPN and the WSOP held their pre-November Nine...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Robert Varkonyi is considered one of the biggest luckboxes in WSOP Main Event history.

Robert Varkonyi

Varkonyi seems to get on many poker players nerves. He did not have the grandiosity of some of the other amateurs, but nevertheless he makes the list. During his Main Event run his play was considered so bad that commentator Phil Hellmuth declared that he would shave his head if Varkonyi won.  The next year, Varkonyi went out on Day 1 of the Main Event and former two-time champion Doyle Brunson even commented on how fortunate Varkonyi was to have won the prior year based on what he saw of his play.

Varkonyi was an Investment Banker before turning to poker full time. Since his Main Event win he has had some decent success but nothing to match his first time out.

Joe Cada

Joe Cada got lucky, very lucky. He was also a good player. Unlike some of the people on this list, Cada has made a lot of money in online tournaments. It is his quiet demeanor and lack of charisma that strikes some the wrong way.

There were many in the poker world praying that Darvin Moon would take the title. Moon seemed to be another Moneymaker figure who might bring in a whole new demographic. Cada was just another Internet kid shipping his stack light and getting lucky.

Jamie Gold

Jamie Gold is certainly recognized as one of the more popular figures. His could be said to be notorious. His “top-top” comments, his questionable table talk, and his insane run of cards all make people talk.

Unfortunately, Gold may be remembered more for failing to honor his deal with a backer after the Main Event than for the good he done after winning.

Gold might actually be said to be good for the game. He appeared on many cash games and never nitted it up. In addition, he has used his celebrity to benefit many charities with charity and celebrity poker tournaments.  He is a lively and talkative person, even if he was not a world-class player.

Jerry Yang

Jerry Yang makes most peoples list of the worst Main Event champs. His overbearing personality is almost entirely the reason. He strutted around the stage like a demented preacher calling on God to assist him with his poker win. This struck some as offense and others as ridiculous.

Yang almost became a caricature of himself during the final stages of the event. His constant talk about charity, religion, and God’s personal interest in his poker success rubbed many the wrong way.  In addition, Yang’s failure to really embrace the role of poker ambassador made him disliked by those in poker.  While many found him an inspiration due to his morals and charity, many in the poker world were disappointed in his win.

Russ Hamilton

Hamilton is, without a doubt, the worst Main Event champ. This has everything to do with his association with Ultimate Bet. While some players might not have helped the game, Hamilton seriously hurt it.

Not only did he outright steal money from players via the super using scandal, he caused irreparable damage to the image of online poker in the non-playing population. Hamilton is not only the worst Main Event champ, but is also considered one of the worst people in the entire poker scene.  His Main Event banner is no longer displayed during the WSOP.

Related posts:

1. Five Greatest WSOP Main Event Champions The WSOP Main Event is the title all poker players...
2. 2011 WSOP Main Event Day 1d Recap – Field of 6,865 Third Largest in WSOP History Day 1d kicked of the 2011 WSOP Main Event kicked...
3. John Riordan Becomes Youngest Circuit Main Event Winner in WSOP History History was made on Tuesday when John Riordan became the...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Doyle Brunson (left) and Stu Ungar (center) are the two most storied WSOP Main Event Champions in history.

There are Main Event Champs who are considered to have won simply because of dumb luck and then there are those select few who are considered the greatest. Below are the five greatest Main Event champs.

Doyle Brunson

The fields were not as large when Doyle won his back-to-back championships, but his wins are still one of the most impressive accomplishments. He won the title in 1976 and 1977. Brunson went on to become one of the driving forces in the popularization of poker. His book Super System revolutionized the way in which people played poker. Brunson has also won bracelets in Stud 8, Razz, H.O.R.S.E., Seven Card Stud, and Lowball.

Johnny Chan

Chan won back-to-back Main Event brackets in 1987 and 1988. He got heads up against Phil Hellmuth in 1989. Chan has also won more bracelets than anyone other than Phil Hellmuth. Chan has won bracelets in PLO, Lowball, Limit Hold Em, Seven Card Stud, and Pot Limit Hold Em. Like Brunson, Chan is also a big winner in cash games.

Phil Hellmuth Jr.

Hellmuth won the title in 1989. Though he has only won the Main Event once, he is certainly one of greatest. Hellmuth himself calls himself the greatest No Limit tournament poker player in the world. His knack for self-publicity along with his 11 bracelets certainly qualifies him for inclusion in any list.

He is arguably the most famous poker player in the world. His behavior and self-aggrandizing attitude has created a huge following. People love him, hate him, and love to hate him. All of his bracelets have come in No Limit Events. Even when the game changed, and the tournament fields grew larger, Hellmuth continued to have success winning titles.

Stu Ungar

Stu Ungar is recognized as a gambling prodigy. He first made his mark in the Gin Rummy games of NYC. Then he took on poker. He won the Main Event back to back in 1980 and 1981. Unfortunately, Ungar also had a drug problem. He became addicted to cocaine and was also caught up in sports betting. He returned to win the Main Event in 1997 in what is one of the great comeback stories in poker history. Sadly, Ungar died the next year before he could win another title.

Johnny Moss

Johnny Moss is the only other player besides Stu Ungar to win 3 Main Event titles. Moss won the first two Main Events (1970,1971) and also won it in 1974. Moss went on to win 9 bracelets. This places him behind only Hellmuth, Brunson and Chan.

Moss is also remembered as one of the biggest and best cash game players in the world. The heads up match Moss had with Nick The Greek is possibly the largest one in poker history. The match took place in 1949 and lasted several months. Moss is said to have won several million dollars.

Related posts:

1. 2011 WSOP Main Event Day 2b Recap – Alexsandr Mozhnyakov Chip Leader and Two Former Champions Advance Day 2a of the 2011 World Series of Poker Main...
2. WSOP Announces Main Event Rematches in Made for TV Event Back in 2003, Chris Moneymaker changed history when he was...
3. 2011 WSOP Main Event November Nine Recap – Pius Heinz is Poker’s Newest World Champions After months of anticipation, the 2011 WSOP Main Event final...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Will Caesars use online poker in Nevada as a makeshift satellite location?

Some think that it will cause an influx of players moving to Vegas to play online poker. While it is possible that some will do so, one must remember that players will only be able to play online poker with other players within the state of Nevada. You will not be able to login to PokerStars and play in their normal events.

However, what this will allow is for regular online sponsored games to run from casinos in Nevada and from other entities. What you may see is several casinos put up some promotions for the WSOP and other events held in the state.

It is not clear how residents will be verified, but many assume that they will have to come up with some type of proof of residency. This shouldn’t be a problem for too many as there are regularly apartments and subleased rooms available in the city. As far as funding the accounts, will US banks be used or will there be other payment processors. One suggestion may be to offer players the option of going to their local casino and depositing there. The casino could then do a transfer into their account.

In the short term, I don’t think you will see a significant jump in the traffic to the WSOP as a result of online poker in Nevada. However, what would be cool is if Caesars could setup some type of WSOP themed promotion in conjunction with one of their sites. Perhaps they could even run satellites for preliminary events online. This could potentially drive some traffic during the summer.

Overall, I don’t think that there will be a massive demand for online poker in Nevada, at least not in the short term. The benefits long term will be that the state can be used as a model for other states considering online poker legalization and maybe even for Congress as they debate the issue.

Related posts:

1. Online Poker Legalization in America Could Cause Massive Growth for the WSOP Online poker is appearing to be heading towards a crossroads. ...
2. Will Caesars Become the #1 Online Poker Site Once the US Legalizes Poker? The Nevada state legislature passed a law earlier in the...
3. Annie Duke Says On National Television Online Poker is Illegal WSOP bracelet winner Annie Duke was a guest on Monday...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Jonathan Duhamel - 2010 WSOP Main Event Champion

Duhamel began his career playing cash games online at PokerStars. At the time he was working at an indoor golf course in Canada. He was also attending University. Duhamel originally began by playing one table at a time. As time went by Duhamel became more comfortable with the game and started added tables. Soon he was playing 10 tables at a time. He began making consistent money and decided to give poker a shot and so he left his job at the golf course and dropped out of University to go Pro.

Even though Duhamel was primarily a cash game player he did occasionally play tournaments. He learned to focus on one area while playing online. If he was going to play tournaments, then he focused on that. He kept a strict rule that he would not mix cash games with sit-n-go’s or multi-table tournaments.

He stated with the large field multi-table events on PokerStars and then moved to playing live events. His first live cash came in 2006 at the Empire State Poker Series. The tournament was a $200 entry. Duhamel came in 37^th and walked away with $369 dollars. This modest win would pale in comparison with what was to come.

In 2008 Duhamel took 10^th in the 5K No Limit Hold’Em event at EPT Prague. He won $54,904 for that win. His next large tournament would be the 2010 WSOP Duhamel cashed in two events. He took home $ 37,276 for coming in 15^th  in Event #50 ($2,500 No Limit) and pocketed $5,724 for coming in 50^th in Event # 16 ($1,500 6-Max No Limit). The big prize would come in the Main Event.

Duhamel would be made famous on the WSOP coverage for the brutal beat he gave to Matt Affleck. Affleck got all of his chips in on a board reading Td-9c-7h-Qd holding Aces. Duhamel had pocket Jacks and caught an 8d on the river to bust Affleck.

Duhamel would go on to beat a final table including Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi and eventual runner up John Racner. Duhamel took home $8,944,310 for the win along with the coveted bracelet.

Duhamel then went on to come in 4^th in the 2011 NBC National Heads-Up Championship. He took home $125,000. The win confirmed that Duhamel was a force to be reckoned with. Later that year, Duhamel would cash twice at the 2011 WSOP Duhamel was also signed on to represent PokerStars as a sponsored pro.

Related posts:

1. 2011 WSOP Main Event Day 1c Recap – Hellmuth and Duhamel Advance, Song Leads Day 1c of the 2011 WSOP $10K Main Event kicked...
2. 2010 WSOP November Nine Profile – Martin Staszko – The Czech Raiser Martin Staszko, 35, is from Trinec, Czech Republic. Staszko started...
3. 2011 WSOP November Nine Profile – Anton Makiievskyi – The Kid Anton Makiievskyi, 21, is from the Ukraine. He is a...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

The first thing that sets PokerRoom apart from other online sites is their experience in the industry.  They were one of the first sites on the web and they know how to create a user experience.  This is evident as soon as you load the software.  Controls are straight forward with clear labeling allowing players to find the cash games or the tournaments that they want to play.  Graphics are fantastic and give a much more realistic feel than the typical “do it yourself avatars” of many sites.  Check out the video below to see a demo of the site:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Next, what’s your game?  Most of you will reply Texas Hold’em.  However, for those that are well rounded poker players, PokerRoom has options for you.  In addition to the customary Texas Hold’em games, PokerRoom offers Omaha and Omaha 8 or Better, Seven Card Stud, Stud 8 or Better, and Five Card Draw.

Tournament players will be pleased at the selection of tournaments available on PokerRoom.  Tournaments are available in all variants of poker spread on the site and start with buy-ins as cheap as just $1.  If you don’t have the time to play a multi-table event, you can try our PokerRoom’s Sit and Go tournaments.  With some starting under $1, you should be able to find a game at most bankroll levels.

How about the traffic you ask?  Cash games on the PokerRoom network range from 2,000 to 5,000 players daily and if you factor in tournaments, there can be as many as 40,000 players on the network at any time.  The best part is that the competition is relatively soft throughout the site.  You aren’t going to sit down to a table of sharks ever time you play, meaning you have a legitimate chance to grow your bankroll.

Are you a newbie to poker?  Great!  PokerRoom has plenty of resources for those of you either new to the game or looking to learn a new poker variant.  Rules for online Texas Hold’em and every game spread on PokerRoom are available at their website.  Also, in the PokerRoom community, you can access poker strategy articles and discuss the game with others in the community.

As you can see, PokerRoom.com has a ton of features that separate it from other online poker rooms.  In addition, you get top notch support available 24-7.  To join the PokerRoom community, head over to their website and sign-up today.

Related posts:

1. PokerRoom is the Place to Play for Home Game Players Home poker game players tend to be cautious on entering...
2. Will Caesars Become the #1 Online Poker Site Once the US Legalizes Poker? The Nevada state legislature passed a law earlier in the...
3. Online Poker Indictments Affect WSOP Television Programming On Friday April 15th, the top three online poker sites...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

PokerRoom is a great source for cash games on the internet.  Whether you play Hold’em, Stud, Omaha, or Draw, you will find plenty of action on the site.  If you have a small bankroll, you can start at micro stakes tables which begin as low as .01-.02 blinds.  Small and mid stakes tables are also available for those with a little more to risk.  For those of you that have grown quite a considerable bankroll, you may even want to consider the high stakes tables to prove your online poker chops.

If you play poker tournaments, then you should check out PokerRoom.  Whether you play single table Sit and Go’s or multi-table tournaments, you have plenty of choices at each bankroll level.  In addition to standard tournaments, you will find turbo tournaments, six-handed tournaments, deep stacked tournaments, and even heads-up tournaments.

For those of you that would prefer not to deposit online, you have the option of freeroll tournaments.  Freerolls offer you the chance to enter into events that are free to enter but pay actual cash to those that finish “in the money.”  It should be noted that freerolls often play a smaller percentage of the field than a normal tournament, but if you cash, that money can be used to help you grow your bankroll.

If security is your concern, PokerRoom is one of the oldest and most trusted sites on the internet.  Back in online poker’s infancy, PokerRoom was the first site to be awarded a seal of approval by eCogra.  ECogra is now one of the most famous ecommerce regulators in the world.  PokerRoom is also fully licensed and regularly monitored to ensure safe, honest gaming.

Finally, if you ever have a problem, PokerRoom support is available 24-7.  If you have a simple question, you can check out the FAQ section on PokerRoom’s website.  If the issue is a little more complex, you can contact support either by email, phone, or chat with them over your pc.

For those wanting to switch to cash poker online, PokerRoom should be your first stop.  With a strong spread of games, top notch support, and award winning security, you will be hard pressed to find a better site on the internet.  Register for your account today and start playing online poker within minutes.

Related posts:

1. Poker Hall of Fame Needs a Permanent Home On Tuesday, Barry Greenstein and Linda Johnson were inducted into...
2. WSOP Circuit a Good Fit for Tournament Players Back in 2006, I was at a point in my...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Caesars will easily be a top 5 site once online poker is legal in the US. However, they won't be #1.

While Casesars will indeed become a major player in the online poker industry, chances are it will not become the top dog. Pokerstars will likely retain that title, much like it has for many years now. Also, chances are that PartyPoker will rise to become the #2 site in the world once that the United States allows poker to be played legally.

The main thing that you can expect from Caesars with online poker legalized in the United States is continued growth of the WSOP brand. Not online will players likely be able to easily satellite into WSOP and WSOP Circuit preliminary events, but you will see Main Event numbers grow by leaps and bounds.

Also, do not be surprised if you see the WSOP come up with an online poker series or maybe a World Series of Online Poker complete with their own bracelets. With such major brand recognition already, the WSOP brand will drive traffic to the sites and likely make Caesars a top 5 site, if not top three.

The reason that I don’t see Caesars becoming the top dog is that their main draw is the WSOP, and while that is a big draw, it will not prove a big enough draw to trump the established mega sites of PokerStars and PartyPoker.

If Full Tilt could somehow revamp their site and get past all the issues from Black Friday, there is a chance that they could skyrocket up to the top of the lists as well. If that were to happen, Caesars would probably drop to #4 at least on the list.

Caesars will indeed be a major player in the online poker industry once the US market is finally opened for online poker. However, it will not be able to topple the current major players. I doubt that they will be too worried, because even being the #4 or #5 site in the world will draw them hundred of Millions a year in revenue or more.

Related posts:

1. WSOP Champion Jamie Gold Starts Online Poker Site Jamie Gold, the 2006 WSOP Main Event Champion, has now...
2. Online Poker Legalization in America Could Cause Massive Growth for the WSOP Online poker is appearing to be heading towards a crossroads. ...
3. Annie Duke Says On National Television Online Poker is Illegal WSOP bracelet winner Annie Duke was a guest on Monday...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

While Rincon is a beautiful property, it has performed horribly as a circuit stop in the past.

First, I would love to see a WSOP circuit event somewhere in West Virginia.  Hollywood Casino in Charles Town, WV would be a great spot.  They have a solid poker room and would be a great midway event for those between Atlantic City and Tunica.  Personally, I am about 3 hours from the casino and close to 7 from AC.

Next, I still do not understand why the Reno area does not have a circuit event stop.  While it is not as big as Las Vegas, the venue would clearly draw in more players than Rincon, Biloxi, and maybe even Council Bluffs.

Speaking of Rincon, when are they going to finally drop that venue from the schedule.  Is there some type of super secret clause that forces them to stay with this venue.  It is historically the worst circuit stop and has set the record twice for the lowest field in circuit history.  It had the poorest attendance of all the circuit events last year, so what sense does it make to continue with the venue.

I know that the WSOP lost money on the circuit last year, or at least that’s the line they are feeding us. If that’s the case, why not drop the #1 spot that is performing badly.  My only guess is that there is some special agreement in place that forces them to stick with the property, and that is fine, but it would be nice to know the official reason.

Finally, if you have never been to a circuit event and are inclined to do so, check them out.  You do not need to have the full buy-in to play in the events as single table satellites run all the time starting as low as $65.  These tourneys are great ways to build a bankroll and start to get yourself noticed.

Personally, I got my live tournament start at the circuit stop in Tunica.  I didn’t cash in any events, but I made about $3k in satellites.  It was a ton of fun and I highly recommend you to try out the events.

Related posts:

1. WSOP Adds Circuit Stop in Los Angeles The WSOP announced last week a new WSOP circuit stop...
2. WSOP Circuit a Good Fit for Tournament Players Back in 2006, I was at a point in my...
3. 2011 – 2012 WSOP Circuit Schedule Released WSOP officials on Friday released the schedule for the 2011-2012...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Will players one day compete for an online WSOP bracelet?

Now that it appears that online poker legalization may be a reality in the near future, one has to wonder what that will mean for the World Series of Poker.  If poker is legalized in the United States, that will reopen a market to all the major websites in the world as well as give casino giants like Caesars the opportunity to reach customers as never before.

First, I believe that you will see a spike in the number of players for the Main Event. That number may be anywhere from 500 players to as many as 2,000.  Within two years of online poker being legalized, I can see the Main Event growing by as many as 5,000 players.

Also, one has to wonder if a rumor being throw around a couple of years ago may come to reality.  Some suggested that the WSOP may someday offer an online bracelet.  If the US market gets reopened and the WSOP has their own online poker site in the US, it is not unreasonable that this development could occur.  Depending on the event and the buy-in, you could literally see tens of thousands of players competing for a single gold bracelet.  That is a far cry from the days when certain events were lucky to draw 10 players.

Essentially, the United States legalizing poker will mean a tremendous growth spurt for the WSOP.  I expect that by 2014, we will see American playing online poker and that will be the year of the second poker boom in North America.

Related posts:

1. Annie Duke Says On National Television Online Poker is Illegal WSOP bracelet winner Annie Duke was a guest on Monday...
2. Online Poker Indictments Affect WSOP Television Programming On Friday April 15th, the top three online poker sites...
3. Barney Frank and Greg Raymer Renew Call for Federal Online Poker Legislation The poker world has been abuzz since the announcement Tuesday...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.