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Question:
This question is from Jack from Chicago. Jack wants to know why he is always hearing about position at the table and why it’s so important. Why is the button considered the best position to be in? The third part of his question asks why are the hands valued differently in different positions.
Answer:
Making decisions up front is more difficult.
With many to still act behind you, you will need a stronger hand.
Acting from late button is an easier decision. You’ve seen what everyone else is doing. You can play weak hands stronger if there has been no raise or everyone else has folded.
Example: A/10 is weak in early position, but strong in late position.
Question:
Jenna from Tulsa, Oklahoma had the question selected this week. Jenna wants to know what “tells” are and how do you know what yourlooking for? She said she was playing in a friendly game, but it seemed like the people always knew when she was bluffing and when she had a big hand they folded most of the time. They told her that she had a lot of “tells” but wouldn’t tell her anything else.
Answer:
We could spend hours on tells but briefly:
They are mannerisms or movements we make pretty much involuntarily. All weak act strong and strong act weak. The way you tilt your head or touch your face are tells. Glasses hide very little. Watch the mouth (many pros cover theirs). Also, which can be tricky – weak or novice players can give off the wrong signals – so be careful. They may be confident but not realize they have a weak hand.
You must study and know your players.
Question:
From John from Broomfield, Colorado
With all the talk of what is cheating online lately, why is it so spoken about and advertised all over about programs that in real time collect data about the game and players tendencies in the game you are playing. I have never used a program like this and feel I am at a disadvantage playing online when most players use poker tracker programs etc. I never have used these programs because when I signed up the pokersites say use of these programs are illegal. I went back and re-read it again this weekend just to make sure it had not changed from six years ago. It has not. Why is this not spoken about like the other forms of online cheating?
Answer:
Because information is not cheating. You can be well informed and use all the tools available to you and not be cheating. Just in blackjack, card counting is your brain and not cheating.
Question:
From Mike in Sheffield Lake, Ohio
I was wondering if there were any pros that do any type of instructing around the Cleveland, Ohio area? If so, could you send me the information via email? Thank you for your time.
Answer:
It depends what you are looking for. For the right $ amount , I’m sure many would come in and give personal instruction. More typical is you going to Las Vegas or California or where they live to give you a set amount of hours of instruction. Or you could go to a Poker Academy (class type instruction) – this is less personal.