Divided Global Online Poker United

I am so annoyed right now about the divided global online poker issue. By divided I mean divided communities, divided friends, divided continents and divided countries. The division isn't just in relation to the laws that each country may have, or even the divide on whether or not online poker should be banned. This divide goes further then most people see. It goes deep into the hearts of once were close nit poker communities that played games together.

At the moment I have no right to sit and play a game of friendly poker online with friends that i have played with for almost 2 years. Some friends I have played online with for more then 7 years! We have to choose a site that caters for us both. A site that caters for both Australia and the USA and also of course the European countries. Its getting hard! Its getting very hard.

The sites that cater for all players have a low amount of traffic and so players are not happy and wont happily play there together. This causes a further divide as people beg their friends to join this site and join that site. When it comes to Australia mostly we do not have it too bad at the moment. We still have the luxury of playing on the online giants. That doesn't mean we can play with mates though and have discussions about our games. Simply we cant and that's something I personally treasured. Chatting to and joining into games with my buddies overseas is something I thoroughly enjoyed!

Many a player is happy to stick with the sites they are on and I respect that. I will personally continue playing the GTD tournaments and some cash games on FTP. Many of my overseas buddies have opted to play on merge which I so greatly miss. I say however we all work together on breaking the divide and breaking down the walls stopping us from having our regular play together. To stand united is just what we need.

There is no point USA and PPA standing up and attempting to just legalize online play in the USA for without Australia and Europe USA have still lost customers (as such). What we need is unity, global unity! I am the first to jump in and support the PPA but having branches globally is going to help. PPA (poker players alliance) as far as i am concerned is for all players and working at the moment on the areas most hard hit. Who however is working on preventative measures and discussion with governments in other countries other then the USA? I am thinking no-one! An individual here and there but there is no united platform.

As you see, it isnt just the FBI, DOJ and governments from around the world and of course the limitations to play on certain sites dividing global online poker - but rather the online poker players themselves. Uniting to places such as ELG sites, Bodog and BetSharks which accept all players from all countries is a good start. Branching the PPA out to other countries is the second thing we should do. Any takers? Australia? Europe? We need reps! If not reps as part of the PPA reps on an individual level that can pass information back and forth globally so everyone knows what on earth is going on on a global scale.

We really need to prove we will not give up and we need to keep online poker moving as much as we can. I know when it comes to the rules and regulations in Australia I know stuff all, I would like to be able to go to a site that spells it out for me though, as well as what is going on with developments on bannings and also reinstating against bans. Also knowing when there are law changes would be good!

Anyway there's my 2 cents worth, global uniting on sites that accept us all to make the job harder for the DOJ and FBI to close us entirely in the USA and joining forces all the way around the world! I would like to know your thoughts and also if you happen to be a representative from any country. Do let me know!




USA, Australian, Europe, ALL players are accepted!
Let me know if you would like a private game set up because I personally wouldn't mind one with my mates!

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Rich Poker Players Poor Poker Players

I have always watched the top poker players in the world online and offline and realize while doing this that poker usually (I say usually for a reason) is like anything you invest in on the earth. You have to have money to make money. Sure the poorer poker players can still make money but not nearly as much as those already rich.

There are the poker players who have made the way up the food chain from pretty much nothing dollar wise (or were rich in life already). These are the exception and why I say "usually". But lets face it, on any given day where you might make $50, $300 or there about which is withdrawn for those little extras or for paying your bills if you are semi pro, the richer poker players are making up to $20,000 sometimes more. Evident-ally it is easier for a rich poker player to make that kind of money, how can you (if you are a poor poker player) possibly make 20k in 1 day, unless from a massive MTT cash of course!

Pretty much when it comes down to the line between rich players and poor players this is what is required to dive above that line and be a rich player - a big MTT win will get you there, a few big MTT wins will definitely get you there. Its either this, win the lottery or grind almost every day until you can not grind anymore. The issue is with this kind of grinding are you really going to suddenly become a rich poker player? I think you can make a lot of money but certainly not enough to safely place $10,000 on a table any time soon.

To become a rich poker player is going to take a game plan. It is going to take the big bankroll boosters in the form of MTT cashes. It is also going to take a lot of study and patience and persistence. Not almost as much however as grinding cash tables from a micro level for the next 5 years, or I would think not anyway!

So, putting that plan in place is the big step for most of "us". I am far from a rich player obviously. How does one make a plan to combat the micros?

Firstly you can read my last post on free coaching, strategy etc - this is a good start. Hit the books! Study up on your MTT play, SNG play, hand ranges, Cash Games, whatever you may need to study and include in this your own game play! Betting patterns, unnecessary risk taking behavior, playing your hands correctly and also reading your fellow players. Remember to keep your games separately cash is not tournament and tournament is not cash. But you do need to keep in mind that you will have to play both. Cash pays for tournaments!

Set up your schedule, play your cash games, grind them to enable you to play the next thing you should as part of your rising.... Satellites or small guaranteed buy ins. The satellites will see you make your way cheaply into the large tournaments. The large tournaments if you play your cards correctly; again; are where you are going to make the bulk of your money. You can not be taking money from your pocket non stop - this is another unnecessary risk and bad for you in my opinion. Work on a certain deposit and stick to it, work your way into the larger payers.

Step by step by step is the way to go in my opinion. Study, play cash games to fund satellites or small GTD buy ins and hit the big money from here. I have been grinding cash tables for too long now to make ends meet and would certainly prefer to win a cool $1k in hours from an MTT that I paid $3 entry for. Of course, once my roll is a little more built up that 1k is easy on cash tables whilst grinding.

There are many ways that poker players have become richer players. But this is one pattern I have noticed which seems to work for the majority and is also the way I am "attempting" to do it. The only thing I personally have to do is be careful at the micro cash tables. Currently as i write this blog post I am playing a 25c/50c table and being smacked :-| Smacked with hands such as AKc vs K3os when they hit K3 on the flop. Makes playing higher stakes seem like the thing to do, I am sure there will be an availability to read players easier when they are not calling 4 x the BB raises with absolute junk! Hopefully in the weeks to come I shall be able to let you know!

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Free Poker Strategy Coaching Lessons

There is debate after debate after debate over the game of poker every day. We all think differently about the game and play differently too! No 2 players play the same and no 2 hands are the same, this make the game so hard to make a mark in. As it gets more and more competitive players are turning to coaches and books. Here is my thought on that! Get free coaching, free strategy and free poker lessons!

Think back to the days when you were learning the most basic aspects of the game. What did you do? You asked people and they told you what you wanted to hear. They told you how the game was played, what the best hands were, how to know when you have to put blinds out and what community cards are. You may have gone a little further and read the basic rules of poker on the internet.

From this point, you may have gone on to watch some players play some big pots and win some big tournaments such as the WSOP. You may have watched poker on TV for hours on end as you fell in love with the game. Furthermore, there may have been some additional things you wondered about in which case you jumped onto the internet and did a little search. You may have been curious of how much money people win or what the best sites to play on were.

Each time you have a poker question or want to know about your game you turn to someone or something. Usually that someone or something is a free source, even if that free source is simply to complain about a bad beat you copped or ask- what would you have done? In poker we are all each others free source. The issue is you ask 5 people for advice and they all give a different answer. Let's keep in mind unless it is an answer that does not contain variables this will happen every time.

There are so many people out there providing coaching and writing books. This can all add up to a fair amount of money for a new player. It can add up to a fair amount of money for a more advanced player as well. The books on poker mathematics as an example, these are far from "cheap".

I have a suggestion for you all - go for free advice, free lessons, free coaching and free strategy! Anything you find in a book you will find on the internet when it comes to strategy from the most basic to advanced levels. All opinions will differ that you read, but so do all poker books. There is no difference; ok there is a difference!!!! The internet costs you $0.

When it comes to coaching, are you better off with 1 coach or 20 coaches? Partaking in discussions in forums, asking your questions will get some quality answers. Its really as easy as typing to someone on the other side of the world as to type on a forum "sorry I dont understand what you mean!" Everyone who plays poker talks poker is the point, most of them type poker too. Get discussing, make yourself in the position where you have multiple sources for personalized information; free.

There are also many free coaches around, free until you win big! Lets face it though, if you do win big you can then smile as you hand over 10k! So what!?! You still have 90k! Get a Pro Bono coach to help you on your way, or rather - give you lessons. Many people will analyse your game before taking you on, a student must suit the lesson giver as much as the lesson giver must suit the student.

Its really easy to find what you want. Type a question and press enter or search for free strategy, free poker lessons, free coaching. If you would rather pay or are after a certain book then sure go ahead and buy them, but know that this is one persons opinion and you; again; can have 20!

What are you waiting for???? Get out there and start studying - poker study should be as important as playing the game itself for you and you have no time to waste! Get those graphs going up now! Be sure to make your own plan of what poker curriculum you plan to learn and study before you get started though otherwise you will be going around in circles. Structure it for yourself to work in perfectly for each study session!

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Benefits Tips Playing Suited Connectors

The big debate! Playing premium poker hands, waiting for premium poker hands, having patience, raking everyone's bucks up each time those pocket aces are in your hand. Do we sit and wait for these hands or mix and match it around a little? As Gus Hansen always says "A little bit of this, a little bit of that". Do we play all hands when we are in position to do so - ANY TWO CARDS or wait?

I answered a question on facebook not so long ago - "What is the best starting hand?". It doesn't take a genius to determine this right? AA without a doubt in my mind! AA was of course my answer. This does not mean that it is the best hand after the flop though, it also doesn't mean its the best hand if you are seen as a Gus Hansen and are deadly when it comes to those suited connectors and small pairs. Any good player post flop if they are smart enough will fold pocket aces if they suspect it must be done. Pocket aces are the best starting hand and premium hands are the best hands to start with, in most cases.

There are times when not sitting waiting for premium poker hands is a must. When must we mix and match our game about?

When you are being blinded out and need to protect your blinds, you must play in a tournament. Folding and busting with minimal chips just isn't going to work. Pick your spots and play your cards. Before you do however, be sure to have a plan in your head, if you miss the flop - you need to be representing a hand you do not have and be willing to back off.

When you are on a table full of tight bums playing suited connectors and small pairs its a must in my opinion to play suited connectors and small pairs, even 69suited is sexy to me! You know they are all waiting for their pocket aces and AK /AQ/ AJ/ JJ and so on and so forth so if you hit the flop nicely they are doomed. Be sure to get a nice price on these cards though. You wouldn't call an all in - that would be stupid. Get nice pot odds for your cards. As per above, be sure to have a plan in your head, if you miss the flop - you need to be representing a hand you do not have and be willing to back off.

Play them around the blinds on cash tables, specifically short handed. I have found this to be an optimal way of keeping the cash in your kitty for the premium hands that you will eventually get. You can not just sit there waiting for AA KK QQ - If you do, you are going broke. Raise, if you are re-raised again, back off. The amount of cash you can make stealing, stealing stealing is amazing. If you hit the flop with 2 pair or a set and your opponent hits their ace, again its bliss for you.

Play them occasionally to take away the "rock solid player" title you may have been given, it will ensure you will be paid off when your big hands hit. Show the cards if you need to fold (not always just once or twice) and the other players may be thinking this guy plays anything therefore when you hit a nice big premium hand they will throw their cash your way, believing you have crap (I must specify not all players just some).

Lets consider the attributes of a player that plays premium hands and pocket pairs only. They fold, fold, fold, fold and then call. What have they got? It doesnt take a genius to work out 22,33,44,55,66,77,88,99 is sitting in their hands right? Maybe A 10 off suit? We know they dont have 78, 9 10, 56 etc - they only play premium hands and small pockets. A 10 is likely the worse of the Ax combinations and 99 the worst of the lower pockets - why? They are rock solid and tight and flat called.....

Next your in a hand with them and they raise! ummm Dude, I know you have AA, KK, QQ, JJ, 10 10, Ak, AQ, AJ and possibly A10 suited. Do you really want to be as readable as that? Stop, think and smile as you play your mix and match hands as you know that they cant read you and if they do what are they reading?

Playing suited connectors and small pairs equates to the following attributes (compared to the rock solid premium card player):

Little me the mix and match player that has shown a few connected suited starting hands and small pairs and even a 69 suited has flat called - lets look at the difference of what my hand ranges are and how much harder I am to read. I flat call I could have 22,33,44,55,66,77,88,99, A10, 23s, 34s, 45s, 56s, 67s, 78s, 89s, 9 10s. also add 10 Jos, J Qos, KQos. Much wider range yeah? Not predictable! Very Scarey!

So, now I raise! AA, KK, QQ, JJ, 10 10, AK, AQ, AJ, A 10 suited or otherwise, KQs, QJ suited or possibly an of the lower pairs such as 99,88,77,66 depending on the table I play at - again, a much larger hand range right?

Let's place me in a fictional hand with the rocks - those only playing premium starting hands. I am in the BB and the rock raises 3 times the BB. I am getting not so bad odds with my 9 10s. The flop is QJ8 - The opponent is all but shipping every last cent into the pot with QQ, JJ right? Bring it on! I have a straight and a flush draw! Would they even suspect this if i had not previously shown I was a rock? I think not. The flop could be very different though, in this case I know i am beaten and its time to back off!

Playing suited connectors isn't a good idea from first position in my experience, there are so many more people to act so don't do it, you will waste you money pre flop. There is a time, there is a place too. In your blind areas and on a table when there are no more LAGS (loose aggressive players) left to act. A lot must be considered and studied before playing them. Don't lose your shirt attempting to hit a flop and know when and when not to chase.

Chase with your suited connectors post flop if you have a straight draw and a flush draw. No point taking a chance on a possible 6 outs right? Be a little aggressive if you are against a rock that you are positive have AK AQ AJ and see if they back off, if they don't its time for you to. Again do not lose your shirt! It can be a good trap or a very expensive outcome!

Before attempting to play suited connectors at any table with cash you really should study the odds and when and when not to play them a little more. Half of what I have written in this blog post is from my experience and I am not Gus Hansen or Daniel Negreanu. I don't claim to be an expert, just a person who wants to help players at a newbie level play the game a little more to its and their potential. I have been playing low limits of late and tonight I got my ass kicked playing premium hands only except for a miss click thanks to my little darling kids with an all in bet with me holding 74s lol. 2 days ago I smashed heads at the same limits as I threw in a "Little bit of this and a little bit of that". I certainly know what I prefer. Screw being read by other players bring on my suited connectors and some beautiful flops and tight players!

My favorite hand is today's blog pic! 78 is the year I was born, diamonds a girls best friend and suited connectors!

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APT Asian Series Manila 2011 Confirmed!

The Asian Poker Tour (APT) is pleased to announce that it will be holding the latest stop in the APT Asian Series at the luxurious Resorts World Manila on August 17-23, 2011. The APT Asian Series is characterised by more affordable buy-in poker tournaments – typically half that of the regular APT tournaments – and is expected to attract strong interest from the region's poker community.

The APT Asian Series Manila tournament schedule has also been announced and will feature a
PHP 50,000 Main Event and 10 popular side events, as well as nine Main Event satellites. The series will kick off with the PHP 11,000 buy-in Heads Up event and be followed by the PHP 8,800 Head Hunter event. Other events on the calendar include a PHP 108,000 High Rollers event, the Ladies of Poker PHP 5,500 buy-in and the Greed PHP 8,800 event, among others.

Chief Executive Officer of the APT, Jeff Mann, said, "We are tremendously excited to announce the second installment of the APT Asian Series and are particularly pleased that we will be partnering once again with the very professional team and magnificent facilities – the best in the Philippines – at Resorts World Manila."

The last APT Asian Series tournament to be held was the inaugural Cebu event on January 10-17, 2011 at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino's All In Poker Club. The honour of being the first winner of the Asian Series Main Event went to Sweden's Andreas Lindblom who outlasted a tough international field to take home a whopping PHP 1,875,300 in prize money.

Jeff Mann added: "The APT Asian Series tournament was conceived as a response to player requests for smaller buy-in tournaments in addition to the big APT events and the popularity of the Cebu event reflected this fact. The Manila tournament is expected to build upon this success and will provide the right events and structures catering to players of all levels."

Click here for a full list of the event schedule and stay tuned for more APT Asian Series updates as they come to hand, including information on how players will be able qualify for seats by entering satellites leading up to the tournament.

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Degenerate Poker Scumbags 1

So where do I start? Do I start by listing the degenerate poker scumbags I have come face to face with during my time in the poker industry? Do I list the worst Degenerate Poker Scumbag I have ever seen in my life? Do I bite my tongue and name absolutely no-one? Maybe I can group them, there are quite a few. There are scumbags in every industry of course so having them in the poker industry doesn't make poker "bad".

I guess I will categorize these merchants. Placing them in categories so that those that are unaware can be on the look out for them. They can watch for the different types of low life's they may face in their poker world both online and live. Let's start with the obvious which are the thieves!

I have been ripped off by a few people in the past. Not by necessarily loaning them money either. The rip offs come in all shapes and forms and they rip people off in all shapes and forms. They can appear to be rich or they can appear to be the common person who's suffering a rough patch. It happens to players of all levels, they all get ripped at one time or another. Sadly these rip off merchants are supposed friends or people offering a contract or business proposal which appears above board.

My advice is to never mix poker business with friendships for starters. Secondly, before signing into any contract be sure to look at the persons history and get good references about the way they have handled money with other poker industry members before proceeding with anything. Of course do not loan money or pay up front for a tourney you may be getting backed for either! I met the biggest Degenerate Poker Scumbag who is a rip off last year. He continues to save face and probably continues to rip people off too. A person who claimed innocence when he was as guilty as sin, certainly I know he is as guilty as sin as I sent warnings about him before he did the rip off scam of his life time to date. How could I have? I saw him rip people off in front of my eyes before he concocted this master plan. Had people come to me for a reference (knowing I had dealt with him) prior to dealing with this "thing" they could have saved a fair amount of cash.

Ok so rip off Degenerate Poker Scumbags are out of the way, next are the Degenerate Poker Scumbags who attempt to make fame after someone elses poker tragedy or major down swing or purely from someone elses back.

Take black Friday as an example. How many people in the world are totally guttered about this? How many people are so self centered and greedy they would use mockery of the destruction of peoples lives to gain popularity and attempt to get fame from it? Sadly, there are some out there. These people are usually live players who don't know the first fucking thing about online poker, nor the poker industry; you can tell as they make statements such as: U.S. players can not play anymore and what to do now there is no online poker. Anyone with half a clue knows there is still online poker for US players! These types of people are the worst for poker. When it comes to Degenerate Poker Scumbags.

These "Fame Hunters" are the people in poker that disgust me the most. They care not for the poker industry, they care not for their poker associates, they care not for their friends so if you are their friend re-think - don't think they do care for you! If they did, they certainly wouldn't be flaming you and your lifestyle, nor that of your other friends.

These "Fame Hunters" bring nothing to poker that is worthwhile except destruction for players of all levels, again; for their self centered means. Sadly for them they think they will be the next big talk show hit, radio star, TV presenter or poker celeb when in reality they are wasting their time and people are laughing in their faces thinking ....what a dick! To those out there mocking poker, poker players, the poker industry and poker online - you should go and join the plum noses. Be specifically cautious that these people do not use you as part of their fame hunting game. If you have any level of respect in the poker industry they will magnetize you and use you for all they can to gain the fame they believe they will one day have. If you are just a small time player, they will use the ass out of you to spread the word of their stupidity (I say stupidity as that's all it really amounts to).

Those people that stink, have poor hygiene, take illicit drugs, are always drunk, wear trash clothing and are the most hated person at a table as players just can't stand the scent they have wafting into thier nose nor the germs they place on the chips with their un manicured filthy nails and snot rubbed hands. Can be my 3rd and last Degenerate Poker Scumbag for the days post.

These people are very bad for poker's image and not only do people see them as degenerate, they smell them as degenerate and know they are nothing but a depressed failure who in reality should be wanted by the table as they are losers without a doubt. They certainly are not a good image for the industry though! They evident-ally don't sleep enough, sit for too long, don't care for them self and are obviously losing and then probably going to G.A to whine about it. I say they get a grip, get away and keep all their stenches, germs, misery, negativity and complaints to themselves. Don't come to me begging for cigarettes and asking for money after you leave a table. Go away already! Please don't feel sorry for these people! They are degenerate poker scumbags and have choices just like the rest of us and my friends - they alike other scumbags choose to live and be this way!

That is all for now. I will talk about the other degenerate poker scumbags I have faced that you should be on the look out for in my post number 2 when I get to it.

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Child Poker Prodigy Kids Who Play Poker

It seems not a year goes by when we do not hear of an underage player being dobbed on by competitors and busted for being underage, or even winning a big tournament - a really big tournament only to have their funds ceased as they are booted and disqualified (as such) for breaking policies and laws. Children as young as 8 years of age have been caught playing poker and kicking the butts of some of the worlds best players. How do these children get this good? How do they become elite at such a young age?


I was studying what makes a good poker player and whether it is in their genes at one stage last year. I had a lot of feedback with most players saying they believed it was both a case of daddy see daddy do and also genetics that contributed to a poker players ability. Since this time I have watched the progress of my own children in home games and the older ones on poker games on my iphone and the xbox. They also walk in as I am playing and watch and say fold, fold, call, raise and annoy the crap out of me with most of the time the right decision seemingly being made.


The progress of my 6 year old daughter on her poker game has been amazing in the last year. Certainly children are sponges at this young age. She has gone from knowing that K's beat Q's to what flushes, straights and straight flushes are.


More amazing is the progress of my 14 year old son. He is talking value bets, percentage of a person winning and equations that even I have no clue on determining hand strength and probabilities. He of course reads poker on the internet and listens as I tune into to various poker radios and plays a lot with his mates.


I look at so many stories of poker players who are underage who seemingly effortless smash the living brains out of adult players to win cash that some of us can never even dream of. I remember reading about a child who cashed on pokerstars, it was around $500,000.00 - This child poker prodigy took one of the biggest online poker tourneys down in history only to have his money seized as per the terms and conditions of playing on the site.


A facebook friend contacted me about his fabulous young daughter Alexa. Alexa Fisher's passion for poker started when she was only three years old when she viewed it on TV. Her dad had also been using playing cards and chips to teach her how to count so she had become adept at the rules and basic strategy of Texas Hold’Em by the time she was five. Alexa has clashed heads with some of our finest, you can read about her just about anywhere on the net.


Many a university and college / high school student have been found wagging school, skipping classes and lazing in bed earning their parents monthly wages before being busted and banned until they are of age. How do these children do it? They watch, they learn, they sock in game theory, mathematics, strategy and tactics just like Alexa and alike my own children have. Many also study the game on their own.


It is quite expected that if you can play poker and your children witness this and find a love and passion for the game, they also will. Here is hoping my children (if they want to) are up and coming poker prodigy's and hit the felt at 18 years of age and kick some butt!

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Ultimate Poker Life Busto Stupidity

I can now say I have been completely busto! Busto in every way. I guess it isnt something a poker player would ever like to admit, hell I don't care though, the truth is the truth, why hide it? I guess a poker player losing their shirt, entire roll and lifestyle leaving them begging for poker god mercy or in the case of some degenerates I have seen in the last year; funds from friends is certainly not something a guy would discuss openly. I however am happy to. People need to know what it is like to go busto and also what players in the USA that relied solely on online poker income are likely to expect within the next year!

My busto wasn't one that was planned, the same would apply to everyone I guess. Regardless of what the tourney players may think based on my stats they are able to see it wasn't due to playing badly or bad bankroll management either. In the case of me, it was un-avoidable - sudden and painful.

Never put all your eggs in one basket is definitely something many players in the USA have likely learnt is now a true and just saying, just like I have. Once I was sponsored with the fabulous feltstars I did just that worried about 1 roll only - my feltstars one. I cashed out and paid bills with some rolls on other sites, wasted the funds on others in fun drinking play and left myself with only 1 option - my 100% totally funded sponsor site. Being 100% totally sponsored meant I was given a roll to play with and what I made on cash tables I kept. Nice easy poker lifestyle, until I couldnt play there anymore.

FeltStars had done the right thing by me and still do, none of my busto had anything to do with them of course, it was my own stupidity. In reality with my contract due to be renewed in June I should have been prepared for the worst anyway. On the fateful day I was no longer able to play on Merge I gave my entire funded roll back to them. It was back to the 1c/2c tables for me! Quite the difference from $500 pots!

This crushed my soul, made me cry, left me in limbo, made me feel helpless, hopeless, useless and lifeless. Worse of course was to come when I had nothing to pay my bills. A long time between blog posts as i had my net cut off.

I pity anyone who relied solely on playing on the big 4 that live in the USA. I guess they are in the same situation, wondering how they are going to pay for things - obviously at a completely different level though as most of them likely have a lot more money and a lot less kids then me!

Regardless of anything you do in poker be sure you always have backup sites in case things go bad for you. Hundreds of thousands of dollars being frozen with no apparent way to make an income really sucks for a lot of people right now - especially those that do no live near live casinos. To all those suffering, my thoughts are with you as I get back on track.

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Poker Tell Detection Scientifically and Psychologically


My last post was all about reading people eyes for lies. It explained which way the eyes moved when a person was thinking a certain way. It explained how to tell, through the eyes if someone was fabricating a story. Over the years I have done extensive research on how to spot a liar through their body movements. So really I should have started with that as a post for anyone out there who is switching from online to live poker play.

Why, you ask; did I ever study to become somewhat a human lie detector? My foremost "job" before poker is an analyst. My first position held was with the Australian Defense force working with a civil company called Communications Design and Management. I was thrown into deep water at the age of 18 to get in depth information on the Armies current communications support systems before implementing a new one and watching all the current workers get sacked. My tell detection and study started here.

The communications support team that was in place before we were thrown in to take over knew what was happening. They knew the longer that it took for me personally to get the information, the longer they were in a job. They also knew if I couldnt get the information they were home free. In addition they knew that there were un-notated government assets all over the base that they could take with them. My job was to get a grip on what they were doing and how their systems worked, where the data and physical assets were kept and how the systems were monitored ....and how to use the current system before I shut it down and put the new one in place as they walked out the door.

As you can imagine this was one tough job. There as little effort to give assistance and stand over tactics certainly were out of the question. The only was I was getting my information was to be more deceptive then they were and to detect every lie I possibly could as i interrogated them day after day on the happenings of the current system and flipped through paper work and buildings for hard evidence and knowledge.

One of the first things I remember reading about as I tried with frustration at the highest level possible to extract the necessary information was how the brain worked when they were telling lies to me. I learned from my reading that 1 part of the brain is used when you are telling the truth where as 3 parts are used when you lie. I also learned that one who lies covers with another lie and another lie and another lie until they can't lie anymore and they trap themselves at a dead end. A person who is telling the truth is straight to the point and has little to say. There is also telling tales by omission, telling the truth but not all of the truth, simply not giving the full story. In this case the brain works the same as when one doesn't lie at all. That's when you really need to weed out the info.

There are always the people around that are brilliant at telling tales, or rather hiding the truth. Poker players are obviously good at hiding the truth especially when they batten down the hatches, close their mouth, have on their sunglasses and hats / hoodies to cover their face and stay as still as they can. Weeding out info can be very dangerous when it comes to this situation in poker, but at the same time very profitable - dependable on how skilled the other player your against is and also how good your reading skills are when it comes to picking up tells on them and placing them in a memory bank.

Body Movement Tells Defined Scientifically

When a poker player is on a big bluff, unless a genius, he will have more movements then if he has a monster hand. Let's look at an example and we can see why I say this:

If he is on a monster hand and has gone all in he is telling the truth and therefore only 1 part of his "lie section" of his brain is working - he is saying to himself "I have the hand, please call". This is the truth, he will likely be as still as a statue.

If the player is completely bluffing out his arse, he has 3 parts of his brain working, its been shown on MRI's. He will be fidgety, or move more even if he is staying as still as he can. There are very few brains that can avoid these movements. He simply can not concentrate on staying still as he is thinking far too much as he uses 3 parts of his brain. The movements occur as 3 parts of the brain are working to fabricate his hand strength (or tell a lie). He is saying to himself "I hope this bluff works, I am screwed if he calls me, am I giving away any information, shit I better stay still, what is he thinking? This could make or break me". As you can see the bluffer is thinking a lot! These thoughts make uncontrollable movements happen, moving in his seat, moving his head, nerves ticking, movement of the hands. He is thinking sit still, don't give away tells but he is thinking a lot of other things also.

Of course one can be highly skilled in bluffing and lying and not move at all - possibly they are zoning out of the situation and thinking of another hand they won with the nuts. This is a good hint for your own psychological control and a reason many players meditate and spend hours relaxing and zoning out of their thoughts into a state of almost unconsciousness. For some it comes naturally, for some it doesn't. Live poker is not all about skill of card play but psychological control also.

Reading Tells or Lies Through Seating Position of a Player

These are probably the most easiest tells to read. One wouldn't think so as the person is moving all around the place in a casual manner. The player is moving around, chilling out, having a beer - He sure as hell isn't in the make or break hand thats going to cost him masses of dollars.

Simply, if a player is bluffing he will move and sit the following ways:

He may lean back in his chair (move away from you)
Sit to the side of his chair
Keep his arms crossed
Keep his hands tightly folded in his lap.

Reading Tells Through the Voice

By the time we are in the all crucial hand with another player, we have usually spent some amount of time listening to their voice. If the voice suddenly changes pitch and speed, one can assume something is triggering this. Usually liars change their voice patterns suddenly when a lie cuts in. You need to remember that if someone has the nuts and is playing for a lot of money they will be nervous and their voice will change then to. There are also the players that will remain silent. Voice tells must be equipped with other tells. As noted above.

Combination tells are always the best method of read. For the record, the voice alike other body parts that give away tells are effected by whats called the autonomic nervous system. This is where the science comes into it for those wondering why I am making such remarks. When it comes to voice, if you ask a person a question and they are telling tales their body movements work in opposition to their answer. An example:

Q:"Do you have the nuts?"
A:"No" as they nod their head indicates they do
Q:"Do you have the nuts?"
A:"Yes why else would i go all in?" As they shake their head in a no gesture side to side.

Try it yourself, answer someone falsely (in good taste of course) and as you are speaking to them your head movements will indicate your voice is spitting out lies! I did this to my partner just the other night lol. I asked if he liked the lasagne - He said "It was delicious" as he shook his head in a no gesture so casually, calmly and unknowingly that he was telling me no as his head shook left to right.

Reading Tells Through Smaller Movements & Self Reaction to The Person

These are gestures commonly associated with liars and bluffers:

They cover their mouth
They rub their eyes
They touch their nose
They scratch their neck
They touch their ears

If our gut tells us they are lying or bluffing yet they are perfectly still and not making any of these movements nor showing any of the other signs, the automated process of our autonomic nervous system does something very strange. We start what they should be doing. You will find that YOU do this when you have a very strong hand and your instinct tells you that you have them beaten. You will be the one touching your nose, neck, ear - whatever your system has you automatically do. Sometimes this can result in a liar being tricked into you being the liar or bluffer, whichever you may wish to call it.

A scenario - the bluffer is doing nothing to set of warning bells, there are no visual tells but you think he is bluffing, you are going to touch these notated areas of your body without realizing. If he is tuned into bluffs and tells and what to look for and you re-raise him, he may push all in thinking your also bluffing. This is obviously great for you and something to consider when analyzing a situation.

In short, any small change in a persons behavior indicates lies, bluffs and deceit.

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