How to intimidate your opponents at Poker: Tony G is the anwser!
I came across one very nice video about Tony G (his real name is Antanas Guoga by the way) that made me go and write this blog post. The reason is simple: I have always liked Tony G, not only because he is by my opinion among the best NL Texas Holdem Tournament and Cash [...]
Mike Matusow and his Autobiography Book: Check Raising the Devil
This time I am going to discuss Mike »The Mouth« Matusow and his book titled Check Raising the Devil. To begin with, this book is actually an autobiography and is not really about how to play poker, but rather about the lifestyle of Mike Matusow, which is ofcourse greatly connected with poker.
Maybe you will not agree on this one with me, but Mike Matusow could be considered as one of the most controversial Poker Pros up to date. His notorious reputation is probably known to every person, who is in one way or another involved in poker.
Some even compare his life to the legendary Steve Ungar. Perhaps the reasons for this comparison lay in the facts that both of them had drugs and gambling related problems. Despite those unfavourable circumstances still managed to succeed in the thing they both loved, which is playing poker.
What you can therefore expect in the Check Raising the Devil are the insights into the life of Mike Matusow. To be more specific, in this book Mike takes you on the journey from the time he was still living in the trailer park to the moments when he joins the high stakes poker action.
Some of the things Mike »The Mouth« Matusow will tell you about are for instance the Las Vegas parties with hookers and drugs, or about the months he spent in the correction center, or perhaps about his struggle with mental illness. If you want to experience Mike and his life from first hand, then this book is definitely something you should read!
It was published in May 2009 and you can buy it on Amazon. Alternatively you can read this article about Mike Matusow as well for more interesting stuff. It includes words from Daniel Negreanu about »The Mouth« among other things.
That is it about the Mike »The Mouth« Matusow and his autobiography book Check Raising the Devil. I will conclude this blog post with a hand that Mike played against Phil Helmuth in High Stakes Poker Season 1 TV Show:
What do you think about Mike Matusow? Have you already read the Check Raising the Devil? If so, did you like it? Tell us about it in the comments below! Have fun and cya around.
Gus Hansen’s Poker Book: Every Hand Revealed
I am sure you know who Gus Hansen, the Professional Poker player, is. The main focus of this blog post is therefore not about the Great Dane himself, but rather his Poker Book titled Every Hand Revealed that was first published in May 2008.
What you will find in this 370 pages long book (the only one written by this poker player up to date) is pretty much obvious from the title. To sum it up, it is the analysis of more than 300 hands that Gus played during the Aussie Millions in 2007.
The thing that makes this book especially interesting and valuable is the fact that Hansen explains to you in details the thinking and the logic behind his decision making process, which eventually lead him to become winner of the above mentioned live NL Texas Holdem Tournament.
For instance, you will find out why he bluffed certain hands and why he called large (almost uncallable) bets in other spots. Among other things, the mathematical aspects of poker and pot odds made on real examples are also discussed in this book through various different hands he played. Same goes for his competition: How he sees and treats other poker players behind his table.
Besides enormous amount of poker knowledge that is hidden in this poker book, there is another thing that makes it unique: The writting style itself! It is written in a fun and easy to understand way, even for the beginners.
Gus Hansen’s poker book Every Hand Revealed is not only worth reading, but is something that every poker player/fan should have in his library of poker books! In case you do not have it yet, you can click here to buy it on Amazon.
With that said, lets now look at the final hand from the Aussie Millions 2007 Main Event that made Gus the winner of this tournament and earned him $1.2 million prize award:
If you have already read it, then please tell us what you think about it in the comments below! Until next time, have fun and see you around!
10 Live Poker Tells by Professional Poker Player Mike Caro
In case you play live poker as well, then you will probably benefit from this blog post. It includes a video with 10 Live Poker Tells explained by professional poker player and poker writter Mike Caro.
Before you take a look at the video below, let me explain the importance of poker tells. Every professional or seasoned poker player will probably agree with the following statement:
The more information you have about your poker opponents (for instance: what type of poker players they are, what is their playing hand range, how do they play their top pairs,…) more correct decisions you can make.
The more correct decisions you make, the more money you win in the long run. Same goes for the wrong decisions: The more wrong decisions you make, the more money you will loose. Pretty simple idea, don’t you think? To give you an example of correct decision: You fold when you know you are beat.
Now lets get back to information.
What I wanted to say is that information is very important in poker. You should therefore devote your attention to gather as much information about your opponents as you can!
There are many ways of doing that of course, but the one I am focusing on in this blog post are live Poker Tells. Poker Tell is simply a sign (or a hint perhaps) that we get from other poker player’s reactions or behaviour that tells us something about that player.
This something can be anything from the type of a poker player a certain person, to how strong or weak a player is in a certain hand. Of course, it is very easy for you to exploit that information once you recognize it. To give you an example:
Would you not fold your Ace high flush, when you know your opponent is holding a full house? Of course you would!
That is it from me, now consider these 10 Live Poker Tells by Mike Caro and tell me what you think about them.
One of the best poker advice from this Live poker tells video is by my opinion the following one:
“Do not watch the flop, watch your opponents watch the flop! That flop will still be there later.”
Very powerfull and useful I would say.What do you think about it? Have fun and good luck at the poker tables, either live or online!
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