Blog: Cardplayer Lifestyle Poker Blog

Playing in satellite tournaments has become a way to succeed in poker that appeals to both professionals and amateurs alike. From those just entering the game or playing for fun, it can be a way to play the high-ticket events by qualifying for a fraction of the cost. This is done by battling through a series of ‘steps’ tournaments until the prizes handed...

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...

In celebration of the upcoming Mother's Day holiday, here's a 4-part Q&A series in which I answer four listener questions as your “poker mom” with the goal of preparing you for a more profitable poker journey....

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...

I heard a poker pro interviewed many years ago about one of his own coaches (sorry, can’t remember who the pro was). This specific coach was a 60-year-old Asian man who had a successful career in business but later in life transitioned to poker. This ex-businessman knew zilch about theory, but he would crush the LIVE games he played in. He was underestimated...

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...

Ed. note: Ashley's nephew, J. Tucker Adams, has been on a poker journey. He has gone, over the space of a couple of years, from a casual and losing player to a focused player making a profit at the game. Ashley encouraged him to write about this journey, which we're sharing with you below. I’ve known how to play poker since I...

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,...

A poker party is about to start all over the world. Assuming things don't somehow change with a variant of COVID that easily infects people who are vaccinated, people are going to be flocking to the poker tables in the very near future. Many people here in Las Vegas already are taking part in them. I played a $2,500 buy-in at the Venetian...

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...

Online poker has changed a lot over the past few years. To be a profitable player, especially at higher stakes, it’s no longer enough to just learn the basics and have "good poker skills". The competition is growing tougher by the day and keeping up and not falling behind is a big challenge. Understanding poker math at a deep level is more important...

Life is filled with lessons. Every day's a school day, as they say. And never has that felt more true than right now, with many of us juggling full-time jobs with new, unanticipated careers as teachers. Homeschooling your kids during lockdown doesn't leave a lot of room for pursuing your own interests, but poker players need to keep their heads in the game....

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,...

The donk bet is a bet made out of position into the preflop raiser, effectively preempting his cbet on any street. It's a play that confuses many players, myself included, and we all know that committing confused chips can be costly in poker. It seems that donk bets can be made for any reason by any opponent and for any size. So,...

When you fancy a session playing poker in Michigan, you can always pencil in a visit to either the Owosso Poker Room or the Firekeepers Casino Hotel. However, with things as they are many poker players have decided they would much prefer playing from the safety and comfort of their own home. If that is something you have been thinking about doing...

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...

Skillful poker players consistently win. Reaching this level can take years; it’s all about knowledge and strategy. Working on these will set you apart from the competition. With continued practice and study, you will become truly proficient in the game. In this post, we share four basic tips for developing better playing strategies, whether you’re playing for money or just for fun. Especially...

Last year, members of the poker community were enamoured and glued to our screens watching Phil Galfond overturn a $1 million deficit in his high stakes Pot Limit Omaha (PLO) heads up match against the online known poker player known as Venividi1993. For some of you, this would have been the spark that fired you up to try out the great game of...