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	<title>BeatNoLimit.com &#187; Poker Strategy</title>
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		<title>SNG Strategy: The ICM Concept</title>
		<link>http://www.beatnolimit.com/poker-strategy/icm-concept.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.beatnolimit.com/poker-strategy/icm-concept.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 05 Mar 2010 02:12:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Poker Strategy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Texas Holdem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tournaments]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[intermediate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SNGs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[strategy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.beatnolimit.com/?p=1567</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[What is ICM?
<p>The ICM concept (Independent Chip Modeling) is an extremely important tool for playing sit and goes at the $50 level. In essence, it’s a way of calculating your SNG equity during any part of the game, taking into account your stack size, the stack size of the remaining  ... <a href="http://www.beatnolimit.com/poker-strategy/icm-concept.htm">more</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h2>What is ICM?</h2>
<p>The ICM concept (Independent Chip Modeling) is an extremely important tool for playing sit and goes at the $50 level. In essence, it’s a way of calculating your SNG equity during any part of the game, taking into account your stack size, the stack size of the remaining players, and the payoff structure.</p>
<p>All long-term SNG players should take the time to learn ICM, as it increases your expected value by helping you decide when to call, fold or shove against opponents, along with the hand ranges required for doing so.</p>
<h2>Calculating Your Equity</h2>
<p>Example: You’re playing in a 10 man sit and go, where the top 3 players get payoffs of 50%, 30% and 20%. There are five players left and you have 70% of the chips. What this means is that in a normal SNG where everyone is the same skill, you’d have about 43% equity.</p>
<p>This long term calculation is based on the amount of chips you have, the payoff structure, and the chips of others. Although you have 70% of the chips, you’re still not guaranteed to come first, which is why your average equity is only 43%.</p>
<p>To put this idea in contrast, if the same situation happened in a winner takes all tournament, your 70% of chips on the table would directly represent 70% equity of the prize pool (since that is your chance of winning in the long term if everyone were exactly the same skill).</p>
<div style="border: 1px dashed #C60; background-color: #ff9; text-align: center; padding: 3px;">
<p>Best SNG Poker Site:</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.beatnolimit.com/go/fulltilt.htm" target="_blank">Full Tilt Poker</a></span></p>
<p>Use the referral code <strong>HOOKMEUP </strong>for a $600 deposit bonus</p>
</div>
<p><h2>Importance of ICM in the Bubble</h2>
<p>The concept of ICM probably seems confusing at the moment, so I’ll show you how it can be used in your game.  Basically, knowing your ICM allows you to make calculated decisions risking your stack that takes into account the rewards/risks of making a move with complete respect to your equity.  If you risk your stack during an SNG, you need to know whether the rewards in expected equity from a move outweighs the risk taken.</p>
<p>For example, imagine there are 4 players left (including yourself), and the top 3 places get paid.  One of the players has a 1BB stack.  You hold a great hand like AK or AQ and a player with double your chip stack shoves in front of you.  Even if you know you have him beat, ICM will virtually always tell you to fold.</p>
<p>This is because folding here will keep you on a higher equity than calling and risking your stack in the long term. If you fold, the chances are the player on 1BB will go out soon and you’ll be in the money. ICM states that calling would be wrong because even if you were, say, a 60/40 favorite, you are still risking your tournament life. If you lose the hand, you would drop to zero equity.</p>
<h2>How to Calculate Your ICM</h2>
<p>The best way to calculate your ICM is to use SNG software such as SNG Wizard.  The best way to improve your ICM game is to look through your history and see where the software suggests you played the hand badly.  By scrolling through your hands, you might see you’re calling too often, or not folding enough, not pushing when you should do, or something else &#8211; with regards to risk/reward equity decisions.</p>
<h2>How ICM Affects Your Decisions</h2>
<p>Using ICM affects your SNG play in three main ways.  Firstly, it makes you call with far fewer hands, especially when you’re approaching the bubble.  This is because the negative equity of losing chips is usually greater than the positive equity of gaining the same amount of chips (if that makes sense).</p>
<p>Secondly, because it makes your play much more mathematical, players aware of ICM will be tighter overall, and only call all-ins with stronger hands then they normally would.</p>
<p>Thirdly, ICM makes it much more advantageous to call a player’s all in if you have him stacked, rather than someone with 5 times your stack.  Calling the former means if you win, you eliminate him and significantly increase your equity. When you call the former however, even if you win, your opponent is still in a healthy position (thus your expected equity would be greater if you folded, than if you took the risk of losing you entire stack).</p>
<p>This article was written by <a href="http://www.mosesbet.com/" target="_blank">MTT Strategy</a><strong> </strong></p>
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		<title>Rush Poker at Full Tilt Poker</title>
		<link>http://www.beatnolimit.com/poker-strategy/rush-poker-at-full-tilt.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.beatnolimit.com/poker-strategy/rush-poker-at-full-tilt.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 11 Feb 2010 20:22:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Online Poker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Poker Rules]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Poker Strategy]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Real Money]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.beatnolimit.com/?p=1553</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>I’ve been hearing about Rush Poker for a while now but finally got around to trying it out for myself today. I have to say, this is very cool. If you haven’t yet had a chance to try Rush Poker, you have to try this out. Rush Poker completely eliminates  ... <a href="http://www.beatnolimit.com/poker-strategy/rush-poker-at-full-tilt.htm">more</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I’ve been hearing about <strong>Rush Poker</strong> for a while now but finally got around to trying it out for myself today. I have to say, this is <em>very</em> cool. If you haven’t yet had a chance to try Rush Poker, you have to try this out. <em>Rush Poker</em> completely eliminates all waiting in between hands.</p>
<div style="border: 1px dashed #C60; background-color: #ff9; text-align: center; padding: 3px;">
<p><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.beatnolimit.com/go/fulltilt.htm" target="_blank">Play Rush Poker at Full Tilt Poker</a></span></p>
<p>Use the referral code <strong>HOOKMEUP </strong>for a $600 deposit bonus</p>
</div>
<p><h2>How Rush Poker Works</h2>
<p>As soon as you push the fold button, Full Tilt Poker instantly transfers you to a new table and deals you in instantly. There’s no more waiting in between hands. In fact, you don’t even have to wait <em>during</em> hands. If you start out with a junk hand, you don’t even have to wait for it to be your turn. Just hit the quick-fold button and Full Tilt will move you on to the next table.</p>
<p>To get started, click on the “Rush Poker” tab inside the poker lobby. You’ll then be able to choose from the different games available. Individual tables aren’t listed like in normal ring games. Instead, the rush poker lobby tells you how many people are playing in total and gives you the option to join in.</p>
<p>Once you join, you’ll catch on to what’s going on pretty quickly. You’ll be dealt in to tables just like normal until you fold. As soon as you fold or hit the “quick fold” button, you’ll be taken to a new table. Don’t like the crappy hand you have? No worries – just fold and move on to the next hand.</p>
<h2>Rush Poker Strategy</h2>
<p>Rush Poker is a different beast than any other type of poker. You can get away with playing tighter in Rush Poker because the other players can’t keep as close track of you. On top of that, you can play tight and still make a decent hourly return because as soon as you fold, you are taken to a new hand.</p>
<p>At the same time, you can also get away with stealing more. The other players aren’t as tempted to defend their blinds or play crappy hands because they know they can always fold and move on to a new hand. In Rush Poker, there are a lot of blinds up for the taking.</p>
<p>One thing I would suggest you do is invest in Holdem Manager so you can keep stats on your opponents. The games move so fast that you’ll see familiar names but not remember anything about those players. With the aid of Holdem Manager, you’ll eventually get a basic idea of how some of your opponents are playing.</p>
<h2>Rush Poker and Bonuses</h2>
<p>Players who don’t already have an account at Full Tilt can sign up for a $600 deposit bonus. The bonus was already easy to clear but it’s now even easier thanks to Rush Poker. You can play many more hands per hour in Rush Poker and earn Full Tilt Points much faster than normal.</p>
<p>When you sign up and make a deposit at Full Tilt Poker, you’ll be asked for your Full Tilt Poker Bonus code. Use the code <strong>BeatNoLimit</strong> and you’ll be tracked to receive a 100% bonus on your first deposit there. There’s no easier or faster way to double your money than by getting a bonus and clearing it with <strong>Rush Poker</strong>.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.beatnolimit.com/go/fulltilt.htm" target="_blank"><strong>Visit Full Tilt Poker Now</strong></a></p>
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		<title>Live Poker Strategy</title>
		<link>http://www.beatnolimit.com/poker-strategy/live-poker-strategy.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.beatnolimit.com/poker-strategy/live-poker-strategy.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 25 Dec 2009 07:27:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Poker Strategy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.beatnolimit.com/?p=1505</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>The rules of poker are the same whether you play online or live but the two games are completely different. Making money in each game requires two different approaches. Online poker is based more on betting patterns, volume and statistics. Live poker uses those things as well but there’s more  ... <a href="http://www.beatnolimit.com/poker-strategy/live-poker-strategy.htm">more</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The rules of poker are the same whether you play online or live but the two games are completely different. Making money in each game requires two different approaches. Online poker is based more on betting patterns, volume and statistics. Live poker uses those things as well but there’s more of an emphasis on squeezing out as much money as possible from each person at the table.</p>
<p>When you first make the switch to live poker, you’ll notice a few differences that might trip you up. I can still remember the first time I played live. I was a mess. I was nervous, I acted out of turn, knocked my chips all over the place, lost track of the size of the pot and more. The funny thing is that I was used to having $8,000 or more on the table at a time online but as soon as I bought in for $200 in a live game, I became a nervous wreck.</p>
<div style="border: 1px dashed #C60; background-color: #ff9; text-align: center; padding: 3px;">
<h2><a href="http://www.beatnolimit.com/go/pokerstars.htm" target="_blank">PokerStars</a></h2>
<p>Use the marketing code <strong>PSP11467</strong><strong> </strong> for a $600 deposit bonus</p>
</div>
<p><p>
Once you get used to the way live poker flows, you’ll improve dramatically. In fact, you’ll find live games to be ten times easier than online games. The general quality of play online has improved greatly in recent years. Live games are still extremely soft, though, so it’s worth getting used to live play and checking out the live poker games every once in a while.</p>
<p><strong>1. Learn how to play live at lower stakes</strong></p>
<p>You’ll do a lot better live if you start out playing lower stakes than what you’re used to. You can consider the first couple times playing live as learning sessions. Use these first sessions to learn how to keep track of the pot size and how to avoid acting out of turn. If you’re used to four color decks online, these first few sessions will be good for you getting used to two-color decks.</p>
<p>With all the new things going on, starting out at lower stakes is a smart idea. Your goal in the beginning isn’t to make $400 an hour. All you need to worry about is getting to understand the general structure and etiquette of live games.</p>
<p><strong>2. Don’t overemphasize tells</strong></p>
<p>Tells aren’t as big a deal in live poker games as the movies like to make them out to be. Tells are fine and all, but they aren’t good for basing entire decisions on. Like all other sources of information, tells are just one piece of the overall puzzle. When making decisions, don’t forget the basics: position, table image, stack sizes, betting patterns, notes and recent history.</p>
<p>Now that we have that out of the way, here are a couple basic tells that weak live players often exhibit:</p>
<ul>
<li><em>Shaking Hands</em> – When a player’s      hands shake after making a big bet, it’s not because that player is      bluffing. It’s because that player has a big hand and is nervous/excited      at the same time. You’ll know what I mean the first time you get a big      hand in a live game.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><em>Strong Means Weak</em> – If a player      makes a big bet and then stares you down as if challenging you to call      that bet, it means that player is weak. If that person really had a strong      hand, he wouldn’t try to stare you down and intimidate you out of calling.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><em>Weak Means Strong</em> – When players go      to exaggerated lengths to appear weak, it’s usually because they have      strong hands. Some players will sigh loudly and then place a big bet.      Others will place a big bet and then look down at the flop with big,      scared puppy-dog eyes.</li>
</ul>
<p>Just remember that no tell is a 100% thing. The above tells are common among new players but that doesn’t mean they are correct very often. You have to note what kinds of hands your opponent show down and then look for patterns in their mannerisms. Even when you do pick up a tell, remember that it’s just one piece of the puzzle.</p>
<p><strong>3. Don’t give off tells</strong></p>
<p>The easiest way to avoid giving off tells is to practice turning into stone after betting. Choose a point somewhere in front of you and stare at that point every time you make a big bet. Concentrate on keeping your breathing in control so that you breathe the same way whether you have a monster or a complete bluff.</p>
<p>Some players will try to talk to you or ask questions after you make a large bet. You don’t have to answer those players or acknowledge them in any way. Just practice your stone face and let them decide. Witty little responses won’t help you any more than remaining completely still and unreadable.</p>
<p><strong>4. Remember that live players are fishier than online players</strong></p>
<p>For the most part, live games are way softer than online games. You don’t have to be very tricky in live games to make a profit. A simple, straightforward strategy will take you a long ways in most live games. Fold your weak hands, bet your strong hands and stay away from weak draws.</p>
<p>If you play an extra tight game and are worried people will notice, try talking to the table. A little table conversation will make you look like a fun, possibly loose player. When you talk, don’t draw attention to the fact that you play tight with comments like “I’m not getting <em>anything</em> tonight!” Just stick with whatever you consider normal conversation.</p>
<p>Live players tend to play with an extremely passive style. If they catch something strong, they won’t always bet it right off the bat. Sometimes they’ll catch a hand like top pair and just call all the way down. You have to be careful with your marginal hands against these players because they will occasionally surprise you with something stronger than you expect.</p>
<p><em>Don’t even think about bluffing live players</em> unless you know for sure that it’s against a person who knows how to fold. Most live players are so passive that bluffs are a –EV play. You’ll just end up losing money trying to bluff complete fish.</p>
<p><em>Value bets</em> will take you a long ways in live games. Every time you catch a decent hand, use value bets to make the most money possible. Live players make big calls more often than online players so go ahead and bet with every good hand you get. Just be careful when betting with marginal hands – those live players will sometimes call down with very strong hands and let you hang yourself.</p>
<p><strong>5. Keep a healthy bankroll</strong></p>
<p>Live play requires a huge bankroll because the games are fishier (which means higher variance for you) and because you play fewer hands per hour. A 10,000 hand downswing online might only translate to two weeks of poor earnings. A 10,000 hand downswing in live poker will last for 42 days, assuming you play 8 hours a day.</p>
<p>The fishy players in live poker will also put more stress on your bankroll because they’ll hit you with more bad beats. You’ll make a lot of money off these players, but your earnings will fluctuate widely in the short term. A larger bankroll will provide you with plenty of cushioning to deal with the days/weeks where things don’t go your way.</p>
<p><strong>Practice online first at my favorite poker site: <a href="http://www.beatnolimit.com/poker-site-reviews/pokerstars-review">PokerStars</a></strong></p>
<p>Related Articles:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.beatnolimit.com/poker-strategy/fish-are-not-your-enemy.htm" target="_self">The Fish Are Not Your Enemy</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.beatnolimit.com/poker-strategy/10-live-poker-tips.htm">10 Live Poker Tips</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.beatnolimit.com/poker-strategy/pot-building.htm">Building Pots with Made Hands</a></li>
</ul>
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		<title>Fish Are Not Your Enemy</title>
		<link>http://www.beatnolimit.com/poker-strategy/fish-are-not-your-enemy.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.beatnolimit.com/poker-strategy/fish-are-not-your-enemy.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:47:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Poker Strategy]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.beatnolimit.com/?p=1394</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: left;">You wouldn’t believe how many e-mails I get and conversations I have with poker players who are upset about the fish in their poker games. It’s very common for me to hear people say they don’t like to play online because there are so many fish who call  ... <a href="http://www.beatnolimit.com/poker-strategy/fish-are-not-your-enemy.htm">more</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: left;"><img class="size-full wp-image-1401 aligncenter" title="Fish" src="http://www.beatnolimit.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Fish1.jpg" alt="Fish" width="284" height="109" />You wouldn’t believe how many e-mails I get and conversations I have with poker players who are upset about the fish in their poker games. It’s very common for me to hear people say they don’t like to play online because there are so many fish who call down with crap and suck out on them.</p>
<p>It’s understandably frustrating at times to play against fish but remember that the fish are not your enemy. The fish are your friends. These are the people that make poker a profitable game for those of us who play it more than just recreationally. The fish are your entire source of profit. Without fish, poker would be a highly unprofitable waste of time.</p>
<h3>Getting Sucked Out On</h3>
<p>When you play in fishy poker games, it’s true that you get sucked out on more often. There are more players calling your bets and chasing their draws so you’ll see more suckouts. It might sound crazy but that’s actually a <em>good </em>thing! You want people to chase their draws against the odds and make stupid plays. The math eventually catches up to them and it sends their money in your direction.</p>
<p>Sure, you have to deal with suckouts in fishy games but that’s made up for the fact that you win bigger pots more often. In fishy games, you get more action on your strong hands. In non-fishy games, people are more likely to fold to your bets. I can’t think of many other ways to win money in poker other than to get people to call your bets.</p>
<h3>The Schooling Effect</h3>
<p>Sometimes there is so much fishiness in a game that it actually creates a schooling effect. What that means is when enough players chase draws at the same time, it becomes mathematically correct for them to call because there is so much money in the pot. It’s sort of like the fish are accidentally colluding with each other to give themselves the right odds to make the calls they make.</p>
<p>This does not mean you shouldn’t bet your hands. On the contrary, you should bet your strong hands even more aggressively when lots of players are calling. With strong hands, you want to build big pots and win lots of money! Yes, you will get sucked out on occasionally but that’s how poker goes. As a serious poker player, it’s necessary for you to learn how to shake off bad beats.</p>
<h3>Moving Up to Avoid the Fish</h3>
<p>I also hear a lot of players say that they feel like they should move up in stakes to where the opposition knows how to fold. This is a flawed idea because you make money in poker by getting players to call when you have strong hands. Every time you move up in stakes, the competition gets a little tougher. These players are less likely to call when you have strong hands.</p>
<p>On top of that, you should never move up in stakes if you can’t beat the stakes at which you play now. If you can’t beat the stakes you play at right now, it means your game isn’t quite ready for you to move up in stakes. The only thing moving up will do is put strain on your bankroll.</p>
<h3><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-1396" title="FishLure" src="http://www.beatnolimit.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/FishLure.jpg" alt="FishLure" width="119" height="65" />How to Beat the Fish</h3>
<p>Before you can learn how to move up in stakes and beat the players there, you need to learn how to beat the fish at your current level. The fish are the easiest players to beat but don’t feel bad if you’re having trouble beating them. Everyone has to start somewhere. The first time I played poker, I barely knew which hand beats which.</p>
<p>In order to beat the fish, you need to play a tight, patient and straightforward game. Bluffing is pointless in games where nobody folds. Just sit back, wait for strong hands and bet them when you get them. That’s all there is to it.</p>
<p>I still sometimes hop online and play micro stake games and if you watched me, you’d laugh at how straightforward I play. All I do is sit back, wait for strong hands and then bet when I get them. That’s all there is to it. Anyone who knows basic poker strategy can beat small stakes games. It’s not so much a matter of knowledge as it is a matter of discipline and patience.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Fishiest Poker Site:</strong></p>
<div style="border:1px dashed #C60; background-color:#FF9; text-align:center;  padding:3px;">
<p><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.beatnolimit.com/go/aced.htm" target="_blank">Aced Poker</a></span></p>
<p>Visit now for a $1,000 Bonus</p></div>
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		<title>10 Reasons Why You Suck at Poker</title>
		<link>http://www.beatnolimit.com/poker-strategy/10-reasons-why-you-suck-at-poker.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.beatnolimit.com/poker-strategy/10-reasons-why-you-suck-at-poker.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 12 Oct 2009 23:19:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Poker Strategy]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.beatnolimit.com/?p=1369</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Even if you’re a winning player, there are still things that you do every day that cost you money. These mistakes are called “leaks” because they act like a leaky faucet in your bathroom. Sure, you still get water when you need water, but the plumbing isn’t working at its  ... <a href="http://www.beatnolimit.com/poker-strategy/10-reasons-why-you-suck-at-poker.htm">more</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1376" title="jerk" src="http://www.beatnolimit.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/jerk.jpg" alt="jerk" width="110" height="148" />Even if you’re a winning player, there are still things that you do every day that cost you money. These mistakes are called “leaks” because they act like a leaky faucet in your bathroom. Sure, you still get water when you need water, but the plumbing isn’t working at its full potential. It raises your water bill and costs you money.</p>
<p>These 10 common mistakes are geared more towards players who have a basic understanding of poker rather than complete newbies. This is not a list that includes things like “you are chasing too many draws.” Most of you already know it’s bad to chase too many draws. These mistakes are harder to catch and are therefore much more dangerous in the long term.</p>
<p>In the spirit of The Rich Jerk, I present to you the 10 reasons why you suck at poker. Don’t be a wimp, I’m only kidding. Read this article, laugh at it and learn from it. Enjoy.</p>
<p><strong>10. You make too many continuation bets</strong></p>
<p>This is a mistake that plagued me for a very long time. I knew how to play poker, I knew that continuation bets were important but I didn’t know how to properly utilize them. I played an aggressive style and made continuation bets every single time I raised before the flop. The only time I skipped a c-bet was when 3 or more people were in the pot with me.</p>
<p>It’s easy to get stuck in a rut and make a continuation bet every time but you shouldn’t be doing that. Pay attention to your opponents’ playing styles, your table image, your cards and the board texture to decide when you should place c-bets and when you should pass. Although you should bet the majority of the time you raise before the flop, you shouldn’t bet every time you raise before the flop. Check out this useful article about <a href="http://www.beatnolimit.com/poker-strategy-guide/flop-play">continuation betting</a>.</p>
<p><strong>9. You don’t make enough continuation bets</strong></p>
<p>Whereas some players make too many continuation bets, you don’t make enough. Some of you only bet on the flop if you hit your hand. That strategy might get you by in small stakes games but it’s hardly optimal and it’s probably costing you all kinds of potential earnings. If you miss your hand on the flop, it’s OK to take a stab at the pot.</p>
<p>You can get more details about continuation bets in the article I linked to on number 10 up there but here’s a very quick guide for betting on the flop if you were the raiser before the flop:</p>
<ul>
<li>Bet if      there is only 1 person in the pot against you</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Don’t      bet if there are 3 or more people in the pot</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>If      there are 2 people in the pot, bet if you are in late position and they      both check</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Look      at the board texture. If it looks unconnected, bet. If it looks like it      could have hit the types of hands people like to play (such as AT, KJ, TJ,      89, etc), don’t bet.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Bet if      there are two low cards and an ace. You will look like you just connected      with your AK.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>8. You play pocket pairs like a fish</strong></p>
<p>Pocket pairs are sweet hands and they are even sweeter when they turn into sets. But even the possibility of hitting a set doesn’t make it worth playing pocket pairs every single time you get them. There’s a common myth that you can call a raise up to 10% the size of the smallest stack between you and the raiser.</p>
<p>Stop playing your pocket pairs just to hit sets. If you limp in with a pocket pair in early position, you are playing that pocket pair wrong. Either come in with a raise or fold it. In late position, you can limp in behind other players. Don’t call raises from late position stealers with pocket pairs and then fold if you miss your set. Those people are trying to steal the blinds and they probably don’t have much. Either re-steal the pot or get out.</p>
<p>Check out this article about <a href="http://www.beatnolimit.com/poker-strategy/pocket-pairs.htm">pocket pairs</a>.</p>
<p><strong>7. You play when you’re drunk, depressed and unfocused</strong></p>
<p>Your mindset has a profound affect on how you play. Whether you’re playing after a night of partying or first thing in the morning in a dirty, cluttered room, you’re not playing under optimal conditions. Before you start a poker session, clean up the area around you, clear your mind and take a shower. Yes, I just suggested you take a shower before playing online poker.</p>
<p>It sounds crazy but trust me, poker is not the same as playing video games in your underwear on Saturday morning with a bowl of cereal in your lap. Poker is a form of self-employment. I know all about being self-employed and let me tell you that it’s vital that you treat it like a real job (that you enjoy). Take a shower, get focused and play under the right mindset.</p>
<p>Remember also that your mindset can change randomly in the middle of a session. I’ve even had it happen during great sessions. For example, I got off to a great start one time and couldn’t shake this feeling that I was about to suffer a bad beat. I quit the game. Not because I’m superstitious but because I knew it was affecting my play. If you get a bad feeling that you can’t shake or start surfing the web while you play, you need to quit the game.</p>
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<p><p><strong>6. You turn into a mindless robot</strong></p>
<p>After a while, poker turns into a grind and it’s easy to become a mindless robot, no matter how much money you have sitting in front of you. The same situation comes up time and time again and you can play 8 tables without breaking a sweat. The robot part comes into play when you stop focusing on your tables and just start making decisions because you’ve seen the same situations so many times.</p>
<p>In one way, this could almost sound like a good thing but it’s not. Poker is never a concrete game, no matter how many times you see similar situations. You need to stay sharp, watch your opponents and take notes. There’s no way to quantify how mindless play affects your bottom line but it does. You need to stay aware and awake at all times.</p>
<p><strong>5. You spend your money like a teeny bopper at the mall</strong></p>
<p>A large determinant of your success in poker is how well you manage your bankroll. Not only does this include playing at the stakes for which you are properly rolled, but it also includes how often you cash out and what you do with your poker money.</p>
<p>If you like to make cashouts to buy bottle service at cheesy clubs and mad bling to show off to your poker-newbie friends, you are absolutely <em>destroying</em> future earnings. It’s OK to make the occasional withdrawal to reward yourself but you should keep it at a minimum. The money you save can be used to move up in stakes and earn even more money. Every time you make a withdrawal, it has consequences that extend far into the future.</p>
<p><strong>4. You can’t control your temper</strong></p>
<p>In poker, a temper problem doesn’t have to include things like punching the monitor, kicking the puppy or going all-in every hand. A temper can cause you to make other costly mistakes such as <strong>playing for revenge</strong>, failing to leave bad tables and not quitting when you should.</p>
<p>Call it “soft rage” if you want. What I’m talking about isn’t as obvious as holes in the wall. This soft rage is more like a slowly burning cigarette stuck in your gut. You don’t feel super pissed, but you make decisions that aren’t optimal. You can be anything you want outside of poker but when you’re sitting at the tables, you need to be as emotionless as a brick wall. If the game sucks, move to a new table. Don’t stick around to prove it to anyone or to get your money back from someone.</p>
<p><strong>3. You tell the fish how to play better</strong></p>
<p>OK seriously, this belongs on the “Top 10 mistakes for newbies list” but you just can’t quite seem to get it right. You probably already know what this bullet point is all about but here it is anyways: if a fish makes a stupid play, don’t berate the fish! Why do you want the fish to play better? Are you trying to make the games worse for everyone else, including yourself? Speaking of which, why do I even run this strategy website?</p>
<p>It’s frustrating to lose a pot to poor play but remember those are the dues you pay to keep the fish coming back for more. If the fish never got lucky, they’d never play. Instead of inflating that vein on the side of your neck and smashing out poorly-spelled obscenities on the keyboard, try congratulating the fish for winning a nice pot. That will probably encourage them to give the money back faster than rattling off a bunch of math stats.</p>
<p><strong>2. You suffer from a disease called Fancy Play Syndrome</strong></p>
<p>Fancy Play Syndrome, also called FPS, is a common mistake in which poker players play strong hands with too much of an emphasis on needless deception rather than betting for value. One of the most common forms of FPS is slow playing strong hands.</p>
<p>It’s OK to slow play strong hands for a street or two if the board looks like crap but most of the time you should bet your strong hands. Why? Because the object of poker is to win money. It’s a proven fact that if you have a strong hand and get money in the pot, you’ll usually win that money. Also, sometimes the most deceptive tactic is to play your hand straightforward. That way it will be difficult for your opponents to distinguish between your bluffs and your strong hands.</p>
<p><strong>1. You lie to yourself</strong></p>
<p>Honesty to others isn’t exactly a winning virtue at the poker tables but honesty to yourself most definitely is. Be honest with yourself when you analyze your current state in poker. Are you sure you’re a winning player at the stakes you play at? After moving up, it can be difficult to admit the fact that you’re being outplayed. This also applies to other situations such as playing heads up matches against better players or differentiating between bad luck and poor play.</p>
<p>Be critical of yourself at all times. It’s OK to admit that you’re not the best player in the world and need to improve in certain areas. Nobody is the best player in the world. It’s not possible to be the best player in the world. You can <em>always</em> improve and there will <em>always</em> be someone who can beat you. Admit it to yourself and then move on with your life. When you learn to be 100% honest with yourself, you’ll feel liberated. Who cares how many people are better than you when you’re swimming around in cash and can buy a new car whenever you feel like it?</p>
<p><a href="http://www.beatnolimit.com/">Click here to learn how to play poker</a></p>
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		<title>Omaha Poker Starting Hands</title>
		<link>http://www.beatnolimit.com/poker-strategy/omaha-starting-hands.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.beatnolimit.com/poker-strategy/omaha-starting-hands.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2009 19:09:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Poker Strategy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Omaha]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[strategy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.beatnolimit.com/?p=1266</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Choosing the right Omaha poker starting hands is a valuable skill and one that is often overlooked by recent converts from Texas Holdem. The problem is that as ex-Holdem players, we make the switch over to Omaha thinking that our skills will translate right over without any problems.</p>
<p>With every hand  ... <a href="http://www.beatnolimit.com/poker-strategy/omaha-starting-hands.htm">more</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Choosing the right Omaha poker starting hands is a valuable skill and one that is often overlooked by recent converts from Texas Holdem. The problem is that as ex-Holdem players, we make the switch over to Omaha thinking that our skills will translate right over without any problems.</p>
<p>With every hand getting 4 cards at a time, it’s easy to find strong card combinations in almost any hand. But just because a hand has a couple of strong cards it doesn’t mean it’s a strong Omaha hand. The key to picking the right starting hands in Omaha poker can be summed up in one line:</p>
<p><strong>Strong Omaha poker hands are ones in which every 2-card combination of cards work together.</strong></p>
<p>For example, a hand like QQ72 only has one strong combination of cards: QQ. Every other 2 card combination is weak unless you hit a miracle flop. Q7, Q2 and 72 are all junk hands. The only thing you have going for you with this particular hand is the chance of hitting a third queen. But even then, a set is far from a guaranteed win in Omaha poker.</p>
<p>Let’s look at a different starting hand: 8-9-T-J double-suited. First, every combination of cards works well together. This is the kind of hand that can give you huge draws because it has a ton of straight and flush possibilities. Even though you won’t make a nut flush with this hand, it can at least make small flushes and maybe even block the flush outs your opponents need.</p>
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<p><p><strong>Big Pair Starting Hands</strong></p>
<p>Big pairs are always a welcome sight but it would do you well to remember that strong starting hands in Omaha aren’t nearly as powerful as they are in Texas Holdem. This also applies to starting hands that contain big pairs. In an average Omaha game, it requires close to the nuts to win a pot so even if you have a hand like AAKQ, you’ll usually need help from the board to win the pot.</p>
<p>Omaha starting hands that contain two aces are good hands but they don’t guarantee anything. You need to play them extremely cautiously and only add money to the pot if they get help from the board.</p>
<p>You can also evaluate the helper cards to determine the strength of a high pair starting hand. For example, if you have AA67, it would be a much more powerful hand if each of the Aces shared a suit with one of the smaller cards. In that case, you would have the big pair, flush possibilities and even a couple of connectors working for you.</p>
<p>Even better than that are hands that have <em>two</em> big pairs. A hand like AAKK is great and even better if double suited. The best thing about having two big pairs is that you once again have all four combinations working together. Even if you don’t use the pairs, you still have two different versions of AK working together.</p>
<p>When you make it to the flop with one of these hands, you will know pretty quickly if it’s worth continuing on with the hand. You’ll almost always need help from the board to win the pot so if you don’t have anything promising develop right away, you should be looking for excuses to fold, not to keep playing.</p>
<p><strong>Small Pair Starting Hands</strong></p>
<p>Small pairs are awesome in Holdem because they can hit sets and break your opponents but they are worthless in Omaha. Those small pairs are more likely to break you than anyone else.</p>
<p>The problem with small pairs in Omaha is that they don’t make the nuts. If you play a small pocket pair, hit the bottom set and get any action, it’s almost always going to be from someone with a better hand than you.</p>
<p>Omaha players know not to give action with weak hands and if they have a hand that your low set can beat, they will probably have already folded that hand a long time ago. Set over set situations are rare in Texas Holdem but you’ll see them all the time in Omaha if you play small pairs.</p>
<p><strong>Top 20 Omaha Starting Hands</strong></p>
<p>To give you an idea of the types of hands you want to play in Omaha, here’s a quick list of the top 10 Omaha starting hands. Remember that these hands are better when they are double suited.</p>
<p>1. AAKK</p>
<p>2. AATJ</p>
<p>3. AAQQ</p>
<p>4. AAJJ</p>
<p>5. AATT</p>
<p>6. AA99</p>
<p>7. AAXX</p>
<p>8. 89TJ</p>
<p>9. KKQQ</p>
<p>10. KKJJ</p>
<p>11. TJQK</p>
<p>12. KKTT</p>
<p>13. KKAQ</p>
<p>14. KKAJ</p>
<p>15. KKAT</p>
<p>16. KKQJ</p>
<p>17. KKJT</p>
<p>18. QQJJ</p>
<p>19. QQTT</p>
<p>20. QQAK</p>
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		<title>Basic Omaha Poker Strategy</title>
		<link>http://www.beatnolimit.com/poker-strategy/basic-omaha-strategy.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.beatnolimit.com/poker-strategy/basic-omaha-strategy.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:24:34 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Poker Strategy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.beatnolimit.com/?p=1256</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>If you’d like to expand your horizons and learn a new poker game, Omaha is probably the best place to start. It’s close enough to Texas Holdem that if you have experience as a Holdem player, a lot of your skills will translate over to Omaha.</p>
<p>But just because you have  ... <a href="http://www.beatnolimit.com/poker-strategy/basic-omaha-strategy.htm">more</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you’d like to expand your horizons and learn a new poker game, Omaha is probably the best place to start. It’s close enough to Texas Holdem that if you have experience as a Holdem player, a lot of your skills will translate over to Omaha.</p>
<p>But just because you have some Holdem skills it doesn’t mean you can jump right in to Omaha and think you’ll crush the games right away. Many high stakes Holdem players have made the same mistake and paid dearly for some harsh lessons. When you make the switch, you’re going to have to humble yourself and start from the beginning with <strong>basic Omaha poker strategy</strong>. But this time around it won’t take as long.</p>
<p><strong>Omaha</strong><strong> Hand Reading</strong></p>
<p>Texas Holdem converts have to be especially careful in reading their Omaha hands because in Omaha, you have to use exactly two of your hole cards and three of the community cards to make your poker hand.</p>
<p>In Holdem, you were able to use one, two or none of your hole cards in combination with the community cards to make your hand. If your mind has been trained in that way, you’ll find it difficult to un-train your mind. For example:</p>
<p>In Texas Holdem, if you have one spade in your hand and there are four spades on the board, you would have a flush. If you had only one spade in your hand in Omaha and there were four spades on the board, you would NOT have a flush. The problem is that you have to use exactly two of your hole cards. So in the Omaha hand, you would end up using that one spade, plus another non-spade card from your hand and three community cards. No flush.</p>
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</span></p>
<p>Use the bonus code <strong>EasyMoney </strong>for a $500 deposit bonus</div>
<p><strong>Omaha</strong><strong> Starting Hands</strong></p>
<p>Each player gets four cards to choose from, which means each player can have up to six different hands. There’s a lot of competition out there so you have to be very selective in choosing your Omaha starting hands.</p>
<p>The best Omaha hands are the ones that work together no matter how you arrange them. For example, the hand AAKK is strong no matter which two cards you pick. A hand like AK29 only has one powerful hand (AK) but the rest are trash, which means this hand is trash.</p>
<p>Some of the top Omaha hands include:</p>
<p>AAKK</p>
<p>AATJ</p>
<p>AAQQ</p>
<p>AAJJ</p>
<p>AATT</p>
<p>AA99</p>
<p>JT98</p>
<p>KKQQ</p>
<p>KKJJ</p>
<p>KQJT</p>
<p>These hands become even better when they are double-suited. Double-suited means they are hands in which the two highest cards share suits with the two lowest cards. For example, if the hand AAKK consisted of an Ace of diamonds, Ace of hearts, King of diamonds, King of hearts, it would be considered double-suited.</p>
<p>You’ll also want to keep in mind that there’s not as much of a gap between good premium starting hands and other hands in Omaha. For example, a pair of Aces in Holdem will win more than 80% of the time against a single opponent but AA isn’t nearly as powerful in Omaha. As a result, you’ll see many more players enter the pot in Omaha than in Holdem.</p>
<p>The strategic adjustment for that is to draw a distinct line in your mind between preflop play and postflop play in Omaha. You can still make preflop raises with your strong hands but you can’t expect that preflop power to carry over to the flop every time. You’ll need help from the flop to win the hand no matter what you start with.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.beatnolimit.com/poker-strategy/omaha-starting-hands.htm">More about Omaha starting hands here.</a></p>
<p><strong>Play for the Nuts</strong></p>
<p>Hand values go way down in Omaha compared to Holdem because each player has so many cards to choose from. You can’t call an all-in bet on the river with the middle set in Omaha like you can in Texas Holdem. Well, I guess you <em>can</em> but you shouldn’t unless you have a good reason to do so.</p>
<p>In low limit Omaha games, you shouldn’t call big bets on the river unless you have the nuts or very close to it. In full ring games, someone almost always has the best possible hand at any time. Be patient and wait until you have a super strong hand before you get involved. Even hands like the bottom full house are easily beaten in Omaha.</p>
<p><strong>Bluff Less in Omaha</strong></p>
<p>There’s a lot less bluffing in Omaha than in Texas Holdem. You’ll have to play a more straightforward game because there are so many cards out there. People call more often in Omaha because they either have the hand you’re representing or they have a powerful draw.</p>
<p><strong>Draws Are Bigger in Omaha</strong></p>
<p>Draws are a lot more powerful in Omaha than in Texas Holdem. If you thought a 9 out flush draw was great in Holdem, wait til you get a 20 out wrap in Omaha. Here’s an example:</p>
<p>You hold 6-8-T-J on a 7-9-Q board.</p>
<p>Your outs are:</p>
<p>Four 5s</p>
<p>Three 6s</p>
<p>Three 8s</p>
<p>Three Tens</p>
<p>Three Jacks</p>
<p>Four Kings</p>
<p>Some draws in Omaha have so many outs that it’s more likely for them to hit than to miss. It’s tough to recognize these draws at first but as you get used to the game, identifying them will become second nature.</p>
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		<title>The Squeeze Play in Poker</title>
		<link>http://www.beatnolimit.com/poker-strategy/squeeze-play.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.beatnolimit.com/poker-strategy/squeeze-play.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 03 Aug 2009 01:26:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Poker Strategy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Texas Holdem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tournaments]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[advanced]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[holdem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[strategy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.beatnolimit.com/?p=1210</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>The Squeeze play is an advanced bluff that you can use in both tournament poker and no limit cash games. It’s a powerful move but like all powerful moves, it comes with a significant amount of risk, especially for tournament players.</p>
<p>Used at the right time, however, the squeeze play is  ... <a href="http://www.beatnolimit.com/poker-strategy/squeeze-play.htm">more</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Squeeze play is an advanced bluff that you can use in both tournament poker and no limit cash games. It’s a powerful move but like all powerful moves, it comes with a significant amount of risk, especially for tournament players.</p>
<p>Used at the right time, however, the squeeze play is a great way to add a lot of chips to your stack. It only takes one successful squeeze play to turn the tide of your tournament or add to your win rate in cash games.</p>
<p><strong>Mechanics of the Squeeze Play</strong></p>
<p>The squeeze play is implemented during the preflop betting round when one player has already raised and one other player has called that raise. This is when you come in with an even bigger raise and steal the pot from both players.</p>
<p>Example:</p>
<p>In a no limit Holdem tournament with 75/150 blinds</p>
<p>Player 1 raises to 450</p>
<p>Player 2 calls 450</p>
<p>You push all-in for 3,500</p>
<p>Players 1 and 2 fold and you collect 900 chips plus 225 chips from the blinds.</p>
<p>You just increased your chip stack from 3,500 to 4,625 with a single move.</p>
<p>You can also use the squeeze play in cash games but that requires an even more delicate touch. The difficulty in cash games exists because the blinds are a lot smaller in comparison to the stack sizes.</p>
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<p>Use the referral code <strong>BeatNoLimit</strong> for a $600 deposit bonus
</div>
<p>
<p><strong>Why It Works</strong></p>
<p>When the squeeze play is successful, it’s because your raise says you have an extremely powerful hand. One person has raised, another person has called that raise and you’re so confident in your hand that you’re willing to push all-in on top of that with an even bigger raise.</p>
<p>The original raiser could have any number of hands but the player in the middle has told you something with his call. He thinks he has a decent hand but it’s nothing great or else he would have raised instead of called.</p>
<p>Your big raise puts pressure on both of the opponents. The original raiser has already been called by one person and re-raised by another. If he doesn’t have a really strong hand, there’s not much  he can do he except fold. The person in the middle feels the pressure because he probably has a mediocre hand (refer to the above paragraph) and can’t call your all-in raise.</p>
<p>The cards in your hand don’t matter a big in the squeeze play. In fact, it’s assumed you <em>don’t</em> want a call, or else it wouldn’t be called a squeeze play; it would be called a value raise.</p>
<p><strong>When to Use the Squeeze Play</strong></p>
<p>You have to pick the perfect spots to use the squeeze play or else it’s just going to cost you a lot of money. There are four conditions that should be in place before you use the squeeze play:</p>
<p>1. The original raiser is a player who raises more often than most players</p>
<p>2. The person who called the raise knows how to fold</p>
<p>3. You have a tight table image</p>
<p>4. Your stack is big enough to get folds</p>
<p>You want the original raiser to be a loose raiser because it means he is more likely to hold a hand that will fold to your squeeze play. But you don’t want him to be so loose that he’ll call with anything. The reason you don’t want to try this against a tight player is because it means you’re more likely to be up against a legitimate hand.</p>
<p>The player caught in the middle has to be just the right type of player as well. He has to be smart enough to fold to a big raise but he can’t be so smart where he recognizes the squeeze play for what it is and snaps off your bluff.</p>
<p>You have to have a tight table image because you want your raise to actually get a little respect. If you have a loose image, people are just going to think you’re trying to steal the pot again and they’ll be much more likely to call your raise.</p>
<p>And last, your stack needs to be big enough that it makes people think twice before calling. If you’re short-stacked in a tournament and your raise is only double or triple what the opponents have already put in, they’re going to call you without even blinking an eye. Your stack needs to be big enough to where it could do either one of them some serious damage if they call and lose.</p>
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		<title>Full Tilt Poker Academy</title>
		<link>http://www.beatnolimit.com/poker-strategy/full-tilt-poker-academy.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.beatnolimit.com/poker-strategy/full-tilt-poker-academy.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 29 Jul 2009 00:26:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Online Poker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Poker Strategy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.beatnolimit.com/?p=1172</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Full Tilt Poker recently gave a pleasant surprise to the poker world by opening a completely free poker training school called the Full Tilt  Poker Academy. As a member of the Academy, you’ll get access to poker training lessons, videos, podcasts, quizzes and more &#8211; all led by some  ... <a href="http://www.beatnolimit.com/poker-strategy/full-tilt-poker-academy.htm">more</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.beatnolimit.com/go/fulltilt.htm" target="_blank"><img class="size-full wp-image-1176 alignleft" title="Full Tilt Academy" src="http://www.beatnolimit.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/FullTiltAcademy.jpg" alt="FullTiltAcademy" width="114" height="121" />Full Tilt Poker</a> recently gave a pleasant surprise to the poker world by opening a completely free poker training school called the<strong> Full Tilt  Poker Academy</strong>. As a member of the Academy, you’ll get access to poker training lessons, videos, podcasts, quizzes and more &#8211; all led by some of the biggest name pros in the world.</p>
<p>Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson, Allen Cunningham and many other big names contribute regularly to the Academy’s knowledge base. Whether you want to learn about cash games, multi-table tournaments or SNGs, you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for.</p>
<p><strong>How Do I Join?</strong></p>
<p>To get a Bronze membership, all you have to do is <a href="http://www.beatnolimit.com/go/fulltilt.htm" target="_blank">sign up for a Full Tilt Poker player’s account</a>. You don’t even have to make a deposit. Just sign up at Full Tilt and then you can log in to your Academy account any time using the same login.</p>
<p>Upgrading to the Silver or Gold membership is easy as well. All you have to do is earn 10 Full Tilt Points to get a Silver membership and 500 Full Tilt Points to get a Gold membership.</p>
<p>Once you earn enough points to upgrade your membership, you’re in for life. These points are also retroactive so if you already have a Full Tilt account, any points you’ve earned so far count towards your membership level.</p>
<p><strong>What Do I Get?</strong></p>
<p>Members of the Full  Tilt Poker  Academy get access to some of the internet’s best poker training tools including:</p>
<ul>
<li>Lessons      from over 100 Full Tilt pros</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Video      lessons that include both strategy talk and videos of the pros actually      playing at tables and explaining their moves</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Special      challenges, much like the achievements system on the Xbox 360. As you      complete these challenges, you’ll earn Academy Credits, which can be      exchanged for cash, tournament tokens, poker gear and more</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Podcasts      from the pros</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Sit-N-Learns      – interactive video quizzes that will help you improve your knowledge of      the game</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>If you      score well in the Sit-N-Learns, you’ll be given entry to special freerolls      every month</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Access      to the “My Account” feature which keeps details statistics of your game      play, player ratings and challenge progress</li>
</ul>
<p>Texas Holdem is the main game at the Full Tilt Academy but you’ll also find lessons for every other poker type. You can watch Chris Ferguson play a real $25,000 heads up match or sit in on Andy Bloch while he plays high stake H.O.R.S.E. games.</p>
<div style="border:1px dashed #C60; background-color:#FF9; text-align:center;  padding:3px;">
<p><span style="font-size: 16px; font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.beatnolimit.com/go/fulltilt.htm" target="_blank">Join Full Tilt Poker Now to Get Access<br />
</a></span></p>
<p>Use the referral code <strong>BeatNoLimit</strong> for a $600 deposit bonus</div>
<p><strong>Overall Quality</strong></p>
<p>So far I’ve been impressed with the level of quality offered by the Full Tilt Academy. Some of the text based lessons are on the basic side, but that’s fine because the Academy was designed for all players of all skill levels.</p>
<p>Once you dig in to the videos and some of the advanced lessons, you’ll find all sorts of in-depth strategy material. The most useful content is probably the videos where you get to watch the pros play and explain every action they take at the tables.</p>
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		<title>How I Built an $80,000 Bankroll</title>
		<link>http://www.beatnolimit.com/poker-strategy/how-i-built-an-80000-bankroll.htm</link>
		<comments>http://www.beatnolimit.com/poker-strategy/how-i-built-an-80000-bankroll.htm#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 26 Jul 2009 17:05:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Online Poker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Poker Strategy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bankroll]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.beatnolimit.com/?p=1163</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Increasing the size of your poker bankroll will increase your profits to levels you would have never before believed possible. I can remember when I first dedicated myself to building a massive bankroll. It was back when I was playing $.50/$1.00 no limit with $100 buyins and was making maybe  ... <a href="http://www.beatnolimit.com/poker-strategy/how-i-built-an-80000-bankroll.htm">more</a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Increasing the size of your poker bankroll will increase your profits to levels you would have never before believed possible. I can remember when I first dedicated myself to building a massive bankroll. It was back when I was playing $.50/$1.00 no limit with $100 buyins and was making maybe $20 an hour at poker.</p>
<p>$20 an hour seemed like a great income for a poker player but I wanted to move up in levels and start bringing home the real cash that could lead to $10,000 months. So I made a goal to get my bankroll up to the point where I could play $5/$10 no limit with $1,000 buyins.</p>
<p>At first, it was a rough road but as I dedicated myself to <a href="http://www.beatnolimit.com/online-poker/fastest-poker-bankroll.htm">building a bankroll</a>, it created a snowball effect that was almost unbelievable. I turned a $2,000 bankroll into $4,000 over the course of several months and then suddenly that $4,000 bankroll grew to about $10,000 in just a few weeks.</p>
<p>Soon after that, I was playing $2/$4 no limit and brought in an additional $10,000 that next month, pushing my bankroll up above the $20,000 mark. This was all on <a href="http://www.beatnolimit.com/poker-site-reviews/party-poker">PartyPoker</a>, by the way, when they accepted players from the United States.</p>
<p>Anyways, when I reached the $20,000 mark, I was still a little short-rolled for $5/$10 even though I had 20 buyins for the game. $5/$10 no limit has always been an aggressive game and I knew the swings would be wild up there so I hung around at $3/$6 no limit for a while and improved my skills.</p>
<p>The $3/$6 game was really tough back then, and probably still is now, but I learned a lot of great things there while playing on a comfortable bankroll. It seems like it would take forever to make that kind of money but when you’re playing with $600 buyins, the money comes in a lot faster than you would imagine.</p>
<p>I built up the bankroll at $3/$6 for a couple weeks until it broke the $30,000 mark. It was a great feeling but the battle was nowhere near over yet. I decided to give $5/$10 a shot when I hit the $30,000 mark and then things really took off.</p>
<p>$1,000 no limit was a tough game but the competition brought out the best in me. I got into so many memorable battles with some of the most talented players in the world. Old names like loloTRICKDu and BldSwtrs were terrors to play against but they also helped me take my game to new levels.</p>
<p>I was lucky enough to also go on a hot run at the time and that $30,000 roll turned into $40,000 within just a few days. At that level, it still seemed like a lot of money to me but it was actually only a 10 buyin upswing.</p>
<p>At the $40,000 mark, I decided to take a small shot at $10/$20 no limit. If $5/$10 is a tough game, $10/$20 is even worse. Not only was $10/$20 an aggressive game, but the players there knew when to play tight, when to fold and when to push you off a hand with huge bets. Building a 300BB stack wasn’t too difficult, but playing against other players with deep stacks who weren’t afraid to lose it all was a nightmare.</p>
<p>I initially got killed at $10/$20 and came back down to $5/$10 after losing a few buyins there. The money still felt too big for me and I knew I couldn’t play my A game when thinking about it in terms of dollars rather than in terms of big blinds.</p>
<p>So with my $35,000ish bankroll, I went back down to $5/$10 and started crushing those games. I started to get detached from the money at $5/$10 and was able to play as aggressive as necessary without worrying about losing the money.</p>
<p>That $35,000 soon turned into $50,000 and I was feeling invincible. I made $5/$10 my main game and played it all the time, whether at school on my laptop or at home playing 8 tables at a time. Another 30 buyins later, and I checked my PartyPoker cashier and saw that magical $80,000 mark.</p>
<p>Now I spend a lot of my time working on websites and writing poker strategy articles. Hopefully I’ll be able to tell you all one day about how I made a million dollars with websites. No, that&#8217;s not a joke; I&#8217;ll tell you all about it and how to do it.</p>
<p>Until then, keep on reading and keep on playing. Don’t forget to join my strategy newsletter (on the left side of the page) to get strategy articles and poker updates sent straight to your e-mail box. If you join, you’ll also get a free preview from my <a href="http://www.beatnolimit.com/poker-e-book">Kill No Limit e-book</a>.</p>
<p>Good luck and thanks for reading!</p>
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