Playing poker online, even for the causal person, can always be made better with the right tools at your disposal.  I mean, do you really think that Phil Ivey’s computer setup is the same as yours?  Is his designed for looks or for maximum comfort while playing?  While it’s true that you don’t need a highly complicated workstation in order to get the most out of your online poker experience, it sure doesn’t hurt to have a few key items that will make life noticeably easier.  Here are a few suggestions.

1.  Executive Chair:  How anyone plays online poker for more than an hour while sitting in anything other than an Executive chair is beyond me.  Folding/rocking chairs are way too uncomfortable, while even padded upright chairs still don’t provide the long-lasting comfort needed.  Executive chairs on the other hand provide arm rests, thick padding and most of them recline at least a little bit, allowing you to play for hours on end without feeling the least bit of discomfort.  You can easily pick up one for under $100 and it is definitely a worthwhile investment.

2.  Padded Mousepad:  A padded mousepad is one that has foam/gel cushions in place where your wrist sits while your hand controls the mouse.  You may not feel a lot of strain on your wrist while doing an hour or so of web browsing, but the hours of clicking and moving the mouse that come with any long online poker session can put a literal cramp in your style.  You can find these cheap at any electronics store that sells computers, you won’t regret it.

3.  Dual Computer Monitors:  Even if all you do is play one online poker table at a time you’re still going to want to get your hands on a second monitor.  Nothing is more annoying than trying to multi-task on a computer while constantly clicking back and forth between your poker screen and whatever else you’re working on.  With a second monitor you can keep your poker session going on one display, thus leaving the other display wide open so that you can complete your work/web surfing without the headache of having a cramped visual workplace.

By: Chris Iaqunita

It started in grade school and almost definitely continues on to this day, and that’s the fact that no one likes to get hassled by a bully in any way shape or form, unfortunately there is no shortage of these individuals at the poker table.  A poker bully can define a player that is either verbally abusive and/or is displaying bully-esque tactics at the table such as constant raising/re-rasing and hyper-aggressive play.  Getting stuck with one or more or these types of players of players can put a lot of pressure on everyone else at the table, which can affect the mood and pace of the overall game.

Bullies that dole out harassment of the verbal variety are pretty easy to deal with, just tell a floorman or the card room manager that you would appreciate if the abusive player would keep their opinions to themselves.  You’re on private property when you walk into a casino/card room and their word is the law, so if they tell a player to be quiet then that person has to be quiet, and often times the floorman will more than happy accommodate your request as they are far more concerned with keeping the even-tempered players happy then the ones being jerks.

As for the bullies that use their chips to push others around, the only way to counter it is with good, patient play.  Don’t fall into their trap and call their raises with mediocre hands, as when you don’t catch your card (and most times you won’t), you will have to fold when the aggressive player invariably bets into you again.  People play this way to put others off their usual game and force them into awkward situations.  Be prepared to simply move to another table if it becomes a major problem for you, otherwise you’re going to be stuck sitting there waiting for premium hands or strong flops, at which point you can let the aggressive player hang themselves with their constant betting.

By: Chris Iaquinta

Flopping anything less than top pair can cause an uneasy feeling. You don’t necessarily want to lay it down to any bet but at the same time you can’t normally lead out with a bet your own first, as getting called (or worst, raised) won’t really help your decision making on the next street. Is it possible to stay in and win a hand when you flop second pair? Of course, however there are many factors to take into consideration when deciding how to move forward.

The most important thing is to look at the overall situation. How many players are still in the hand? Are you in early, middle or late position? Are there any straight/flush draws on the board? Was there a pre-flop raise? Is the card that would make someone top pair far higher than yours (say if you had A-7 on a board of 3-7-K)? All of these questions need answers. If you are in early or middle position you’re going to have to check this hand almost all of the time, unless you’re heads-up. If there was a pre-flop raise and more than two players called, then it’s likely that a Queen, King or Ace would have helped someone’s hand.

If the action is checked around to you and you’re in late position you can venture a bet if the conditions are correct. Ideally you would want there to be few opponents in the hand. If someone had top pair they probably would’ve bet the flop unless they had a weak kicker to go with their pair, at which point they would probably check then call a bet.  If there are no flushes or draws on the board and your bet gets called this should send up a red flag. If the next street brings a blank and your opponent checks again, there are a few types of hands they could have, namely the top pair/weak kicker mentioned above, an overpair to the board, or they could be trapping with a monster.

If you get raised at any point you’re going to have to lay it down most of the time unless you have strong reasons why to doubt your opponent. Remember that if they have second pair like you do they more than likely won’t check/call two streets unless they are very inexperienced, that is as long as you are making the correct bet sizes.

In the end, you want to tread lightly with your second pairs, especially against dangerous boards and multiple opponents. If you do want to try and still win the hand, make sure the circumstances allow you to do so without putting yourself in unnecessary risk.

By: Chris Iaquinta

A lot of beginning poker players ask me whenever or not I still get nervous when I’m about to play poker, as the fear factor associated with the intimidation level that can surround a card room is one of the main factors that keeps novice poker enthusiasts from playing their best.  I wouldn’t say that I’m necessarily “afraid” when I sit down to play at a live casino/card room, but I do experience a level of anxiousness/butterflies that won’t die down for at least a half hour into the game.

This uncomfortable feeling for me comes from not knowing my opponents and not feeling very in tune with my surroundings.  Basically that’s just my way of saying that I don’t play my best poker until I feel comfortable on a mental level.  My knowledge of the game and my experience at the table keeps the intimidation factor at near zero for me, but all of these factors can be present in newer players that are both uneasy about the playing conditions as well as doubts in their own playing ability.

In all honestly there is really only two ways to counter this effect.  The long-term solution is to play often and constant train yourself to learn new things about the game.  Imagine accepting a new job that requires a skill set that you don’t have, you would feel extremely awkward during your first day, right?  But now picture taking a position to which you are the best-qualified candidate for.  That’s the same difference that poker players feel when they don’t know enough about the game to be able to have any confidence in their decisions.

As for the immediate anxiety and intimidation, I recommend that you take your time during the first moments of the session until you find yourself comfortable enough to make good plays.  This does not mean you should lay down big premium hands, but at the same time you  may want to avoid getting involved in a lot of pots with marginal strength cards.

You will never play your best poker when you are uncomfortable at the table.  Take the necessary time and precautions to calm your nerves before you get ready to really get involved in the game.

Despite the far reaching effects of the poker boom, there are still millions upon millions of people out there that haven’t no concept of how to play even the most popular forms of poker.  However, many of these same individuals would love to get involved in the game, yet there are usually certain factors, most commonly the intimidation of how complex poker can appear, that holds them back from doing so.

I run into friends all the time that ask me about my poker history and if I could help them get involved.  You have to remember that most people won’t just walk into a casino and sit down in the card room, that is just way too much stress for most inexperienced poker players to do.  They need to be casually introduced to the game and that’s where you come in.

The best way to get a friend started on their poker path is to sit them down for a little one-on-one instruction.  Explain the basic premise of games like Texas Hold’em, including the elements they wouldn’t be aware of from playing five card draw or blackjack, such as blinds, antes, etc.  Don’t rush your way through the initial fundamentals as there is a lot to learn when just barely getting into poker.  Game theory, hand selection and the like can come much later on, but start off with a heavy focus on the beginning aspects.

From there you can invite your friend to a home game if that’s something you yourself participate in.  If the home game is full of aggressive, experienced poker players then this won’t be the best environment to bring a friend into, but if it’s a casual game then great.  If such an opportunity doesn’t present itself then offer to accompany your friend to the casino the first time the are ready to play live.  If they still aren’t ready for the intimidation of live play, let them log a few hours on your online poker account in the micro stakes so that they can get the hang of how the blinds work and how the action progresses.  From there they should have enough confidence to want to go out and hit the poker road for real.

By: Chris Iaquinta

It doesn’t matter who you are or how long you’ve bee playing poker, you’re eventually going to run cold for at least a little bit.  Running cold is when you aren’t catching medium to premium strength hands for an extended period of time, normally over the course of multiple hours.  Running cold is an inevitability, it is guaranteed to happen, hopefully just not too frequently if you’re lucky.

There isn’t all that much you can do if the deck has gone completely cold for you, though depending on the situation you may not have much of a choice.  In a tournament where you are short stacked (say within 10-15 times the big blind) you are going to want to shove as often as possible with any decent hand in early to middle position and with A-X in late position.  If you hand holds up or if everyone folds to you, then you can use the extra chips to survive a little longer until you start catching good hands again.

In a cash game or tournament where you still have plenty of money left, you will just want to ride out the cold deck as much as you possibly can.  Go ahead and limp in with just about anything on the button if you haven’t been able to play for a long time and just hope you flop big.  All in all though, the best solution to getting cold decked is to just have patience.  If another seat at the table opens up, grab it, or maybe even change tables completely and hope that your new table gives you better hand selection.

By: Chris Iaquinta

All….okay most, poker players have a soft side. Every once in awhile they’ll make a play against a weak opponent that is influenced by their sympathy towards the inexperienced beginner, whether it be not betting when they should or just checking a hand down all the way til the end.  While I can completely understand the thought process behind such a decision, you need to remember that you’re there to make money, and the best way to do so is to prey on the weakest players at the table.

Personally, I cannot remember the last time I felt bad for taking someone’s money from the poker table.  To me, I know they sat down and knew that they were putting that money at risk a variable risk, which is gambling, and anytime someone is willing to gamble with their money they have to be ready to lose it, and that’s where I, you and all the other experienced players at the table come in.

I understand that this problem doesn’t really exist online, as you don’t typically really know the people your playing against and it’s easy to keep a detached mentality when it comes to most emotional decisions.  However, at a live game in a casino you might take pity on a player that is just obviously way in over their head.  Well guess what, there’s a name for this type of player, fish.  That fish is going to make the worst plays at the table and incorrectly put his money at risk in situations where they don’t have to, and if you don’t capitalize on the situation, one of the other sharks at the table will be more than happy to oblige.

Poker is fun to play and can still be viewed as an occasional hobby, but that shouldn’t change the fact that the goal is to win money, and to do that effectively you need to put yourself in the most profitable scenarios while minimizing your overall risk.  Moral of the story?  Destroy that fish on every opportunity that presents itself, that’s why casinos carry ATMs.

By: Chris Iaquinta

To look at most poker players, you wouldn’t think that they really gave much thought about what they eat at the poker table.  Personally I never thought I’d be one of the diehard regulars on my favorite card room that actually eats a full meal while playing a session….until of course I found myself plowing down a tray’s worth of $1 orange chicken.  It was delicious, but it also made me feel very full and tired within an hour.
There is a small trend occurring thanks to some of the more health conscious pro players on the circuit, and that’s the preparation and consumption of food designed to keep a person alert and energetic.  When you think about it, it makes perfect sense.  How many other activities do you participate in that could easily last 6-8 hours while requiring a high level of concentration almost the entire time?  Poker players have all the reason in the world to want to be as full of energy as possible during a session, yet the only food we typically see coming out of the card room kitchen is greasy burgers and meatloaf.
There really isn’t a special diet plan for poker players to follow, you can simply follow any eating regimen that provides a lot of energy.  Lean meals such as a simple turkey sandwich isn’t a bad choice, especially if it was made using ingredients from a whole foods store.  A lot of pros that are eating to win digest a lot of items such as carrots and fruits, and stay away from eating giant three-course dinners that will result in nothing other than multiple trips to the rest room.
If preparing your own food before you go to the card room is just something you can’t imagine yourself doing, take a moment to search out all the options your casino offers.  Chances are you’ll find some decent items at the deli or snack shop, and if not you can scour the in-table menu for small plates of chicken breast or fruit.  It may not be as tasty as the double-layer cheeseburger, but the long term poker benefits will more than make up for it.
Chris Iaquinta