George Epstein

Longtime professional poker player and coach Jonathan Little has earned the respect and praise of the poker world as one of the game's preeminent personalities. His writings, coaching and musings, suite of training material at Pokercoaching.com along with his winnings at the tables (over $7 million in live earnings), are outstanding. Recently, Jonathan asked his audience the question: “Which Type of Player Do...

What is human nature? How does it play a role in the game of poker? People are inclined to have certain characteristics – personal traits. Generally speaking, we look at human behavior as the result of the psychological and social qualities that characterize mankind, especially in contrast with other living things. Not all human behavior is ideal. There are both good (positive) and...

Since I started playing hold’em in the free online PlayWPT poker game, I have had some interesting experiences. Have you ever been counterfeited during a hand? It can easily cost you the pot. And that’s no fun! (Note: I much prefer playing at the casino, but will wait out the coronavirus pandemic.) What is counterfeiting? I can see where there could be...

Did you know that flashers play poker? There are several definitions that describe a flasher, including a person who exposes his body. That’s not quite the case at the poker table; here, we consider a person a flasher if they shows their hole cards so that other players can see them. Knowing your opponent’s hand is the best information you can hope for....

As you glance at your hole cards and study the board on the River, how often have you asked yourself: “Should I bet, check or raise?” Checking means “no bet;” but it also tells your opponents that your hand is not strong enough with which to raise. You may have had lots of good outs before the river, but now those outs no...

You are playing $4-8 limit hold’em and are dealt a reasonable starting hand – not the best by any means, but it offers good possibilities of connecting to a hand that could win the pot. In the cut-off position, you are dealt 10d-9d. You and two opponents call the Big Blind to see the flop: 8d-Qc-Ac. You have a shot at catching one...

It’s one thing to win at poker; it’s another thing to win CONSISTENTLY – well beyond your fair share. No matter how skilled you are, the element of luck (probability) is bound to get involved. You may be highly skilled but luck is beyond your control. However, you can influence it. That can be important. For example, suppose you are playing low-stake limit...

A poker tell is a change in a player's behavior or demeanor that can give a clue to his/her hand. A player gains an edge if s/he observes and understands the meaning of an opponent’s tell, particularly if the tell is unconscious and reliable. There is a vast range of tells, and there are false tells and reverse tells that a deceptive player...

My favorite poker game is $4-$8 limit Texas Hold’em. The casino has a minimum buy-in of $40, which is 10 times the lower limit. Most recreational players buy in for that amount or a bit more. Personally, over the years, I have increased my buy-in to $100 – a full rack of chips. But now, I am considering upping it to two...

The Esther Bluff is bound to improve your bluffing success while playing poker; and it can often help on other occasions when playing deceptively. Created by my granddaughter when she was a teenager, it entails playing with confidence and self-assurance. Indeed, when she raised my bet, I was convinced she had a big hand. It was the expression on her face accompanied by...

One of my favorite poker authors is renowned poker psychologist Dr. Alan Schoonmaker. Years ago, in Poker Digest magazine, he published a series on “Selecting and Adjusting to Different Games.” His views on loose-aggressive games merit comment. With two or more loose-aggressive players (Maniacs), expect frequent raises and three-bets,...

I always look forward to reading the poker column in the Sunday issues of the Los Angeles Times. They are usually interesting. Unfortunately, it seems they are only written for the pros and other high-stakes players. It would be appropriate to have a few columnists for us recreational players who prefer low/middle limit hold’em and represent the majority of poker players. At...

Back in June 2002, the memorable Poker Digest magazine was published biweekly by an incredible couple, June Field and her husband, Phil. It always carried a number of fascinating articles about poker. One that I will never forget was titled “What Type of Player Should I Fear? Who are the 'dangerous' players?" Written by Art Santella for his “Arty’s Poker Q&A” column,...

Can politics and poker ever play together to benefit the world? Is there room for politics in poker? In that regard, using my imagination, here is a poker story that could have happened. Admittedly, and importantly, it is a piece of fiction. But it gives us food for thought… Joyce C. learned to play poker from her husband, Sam, a political...

The language of poker often captures my interest and imagination. "Limping" is the term poker players use when calling the Big Blind (BB) to see the flop. It is the minimum amount of chips needed to stay in a hand during the preflop. It may also be identified as a “flat call.” The limper is entering the pot by calling rather than raising....

The best card in the deck is an Ace. Playing Texas Hold’em, the best starting hand is a pair of Aces. Therefore, you can expect to see an Ace in the hole one out of 13 hands dealt to you. On the other hand, the odds against looking down on pocket Aces in the hole are 221-to 1. Far more likely, you will...

Playing low/middle-limit Texas hold’em, your goal is to go home a winner. Being the best player – the most skilled – at the table will help. But, more likely, you will rank near the middle in the skill department; let us assume that is the case. With eight opponents vying for the same pots, the cost-to- play (house rake, Bad Beat Jackpot drop, and...

Poker is game of partial information. The more pertinent information we have, the better chance we will win more pots and be able to build them up in size. I have often written about the importance of focusing on the game and paying attention to gain as much information as possible. That gives us a decided “edge” over our less attentive opponents. Mistakes...

I have a huge poker library, including my own three books. One of the best is “Poker for Dummies” by the memorable Lou Krieger, co-authored with Richard Harroch. Enjoying the warm fall weather, I was scanning the book while relaxing in my backyard. A section on “Bluffing on the Turn” caught my attention. Superb! My first thought was to share it...

It is hard to win if you play poker where the house takes a rake (i.e., anyplace aside from the friendly home game). The cost-to-play (the rake, Bad Beat Jackpot drop, and tips to dealers) is not easily overcome. In a low-limit hold’em game, it averages about $25 per hour for each player, so eight hours of play will cost you $200. It...