Early Tournament Strategies
July 31, 2008
Many players’ first exposure to poker comes from watching WSOP and WPT tournaments on TV, and I think that’s great. It’s entertaining and you’ll see some interesting plays, but viewers have to understand that they shouldn’t model their games based on the action they see on TV.
Why? The answer is simple - what you’re seeing is unrealistic and edited for television. Players in these televised tournaments often start with very deep stacks (sometimes 10,000 chips or more) and, most of the time, all you’ll see on the broadcast is action from the final table where the blinds are high and play is fast. In contrast, the majority of the low buy-in ($1 to $20) tournaments you’ll encounter online usually start with stacks of 1,500 and blinds of 10/20.
Because your approach to the early stages of these tournaments is key to whether you’ll make the final table, the question is, what should your strategy be?
I suggest adopting a simple approach, especially if you’re not a very experienced tournament player. Try not to play too many hands and aim to see a few cheap flops with small/medium pairs if possible because these can provide some the best chances for you to double or even triple up during the first couple of levels. There are many times when you may be able to put in 5% of your stack or less to see a flop and try and hit your set. You’re 7-to-1 to flop a set, but you may be getting 20-to-1 implied odds early on since a flopped set will often be the best hand, and you’ll have a good chance to double up against weaker players who may overplay top pair.
If you are expecting a few callers, you might want to limp with these hands pre-flop. You may also just want to flat call with these hands if there are already a couple of people in for a small raise when the action gets to you. But, if the action is folded to you in late position, you definitely want to raise and take down the blinds. If you want to play conservatively, you can safely throw away small pairs in early position. As I said previously, you don’t want to commit more than about 5% of your stack pre-flop with small and medium pairs (maybe 6% or 7% max), and when you play from early position there’s no guarantee that’s going to happen.
Of course you also want to be playing your monsters like AA and KK, and other hands like QQ, JJ, AK and AQ. Remember early on when stacks are deep, you’re not going to get a lot of action for all of your chips unless you’re up against a pretty strong hand.
There are no concrete rules as to how fast you should try to build your stack in the early going, but the main thing you don’t want to do is go broke by playing too loose. In smaller online tourneys you will either be in the money or close to the money without having to win too many pots if you can just play tight and hang around for a couple of hours. If you speculate too much or take too many coin-flips when you don’t need to early on, chances are that you’ll end up on the rail and miss that opportunity.
Even if you make it to the fourth or fifth level with just a little above starting stack, you’ll usually be in good enough shape to take a run at the money. Remember, getting into the money and beyond is what counts - so learn how to start your tournaments the right way and give yourself the best chance to be the last player standing at the end.
FTOPS IX
Online tournament poker doesn’t get any better than this.
FTOPS IX is bringing you 25 pro-hosted events with a total guaranteed prize pool of more than $15 million, including:
- The $2,500 Two-Day Event on Saturday, August 16th
- The massive $2.5 Million Guarantee Main Event on Sunday, August 17th
- Four other events with at least $1 Million in guaranteed prize money each
It all begins on Wednesday, August 6th, at 21:00 ET with Event #1, a $1 million guaranteed No-Limit Hold ‘em tournament. You can buy in directly to any of our FTOPS events or satellite your way in for as little as $1 or just 50 Full Tilt Points.
See the FTOPS IX Schedule to find your favorite events, and be sure to check out our video highlights of select final tables to see how the action played out.
Don’t miss out on your chance to become our next FTOPS champion – there are more than 15 million reasons to get in on the action today!
Sit & Go Madness returns this weekend! Play in your favorite Sit & Gos from 16:00 ET (21:00 GMT) on Friday, August 1st to 16:00 ET (21:00 GMT) on Sunday, August 3rd and you could take home your share of more than $75K in cash and prizes. Look for the SNGs in green in the game lobby to get in on the action.
The 48 hours of Sit & Go Madness is divided into 24, two-hour blocks (e.g., 16:00 ET to 18:00 ET, 18:00 ET to 20:00 ET, and so forth) throughout the weekend. There will be a Leaderboard for each of the four groups ($1 to $2 SNGs, $5 to $11 SNGs, $20 to $33 SNGs, and $50 to $110 SNGs) during every time period, with the top seven players in each group getting paid at the end of every two-hour block.
There’ll also be an Overall Leaderboard for the entire weekend, with the top two finishers from each group winning a seat in a $5K Sit & Go Freeroll.
If that’s not enough, for every Sit & Go that you win during the weekend, you’ll get one ticket for the Madness Raffle. We’ll be giving away tournament entries to FTOPS IX and some great gear from the Full Tilt Store. Let the madness begin all over again!
Team Bodog Poker Players in the Spotlight on ESPN’s WSOP* Broadcast
July 29, 2008
Team Bodog Poker Players in the Spotlight on ESPN’s WSOP* Broadcast
Team Bodog player Grant Hinkle and pros David Williams and Justin Bonomo will be featured the next two weeks during ESPN’s final table coverage of the 2008 World Series of Poker*
For Immediate Release
July 29, 2008
From the moment the first cards were dealt at the 2008 World Series of Poker* to the final days of the Main Event, Team Bodog enjoyed a terrific run this summer in Las Vegas. And tonight, poker fans will be able to see one of Bodog’s very own capture the ultimate prize, a WSOP* bracelet, when ESPN airs its coverage of Event No. 2 ($1,500 buy-in No Limit Holdem). The two-hour, final table coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET.
During tonight’s ESPN broadcast, viewers will witness Team Bodog player Grant Hinkle, a 27-year-old marketing manager from Kansas City, Mo., bust a talented final table featuring poker legend Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, young gun Theo Tran and tournament ace David Bach. Along with his impressive victory in an event that drew 3,929 players, the largest non-Main Event field in WSOP* history, Hinkle took home a life-changing $831,462.
Hinkle’s early bracelet win proved to be momentous for Team Bodog. Just a day later, the team was back in the spotlight with Bodog pros David Williams and Justin Bonomo seated side by side at the final table for Event No. 4 ($5,000 buy-in Mixed Holdem). With an all-pro final nine, including 2008 WSOP* Player of the Year Erick Lindgren, this will be one to watch when it airs on ESPN on Tuesday, Aug. 5, at 8 p.m. ET.
Like Williams and Bonomo, Team Bodog pros Jean-Robert Bellande and Evelyn Ng also found great success at the tables this summer. In the final tournament before the Main Event, Bellande racked up a second place finish to pocket $173,564 and Ng saw herself cashing in two events this summer including an impressive deep run in the Main Event. All together, Team Bodog pros and qualifiers walked away with a combined total of $1,629,767 in winnings from the World Series in Las Vegas.
“We are extremely proud of our Team Bodog pros and qualifiers for their successes at this year’s World Series,” said Morris Mohawk Gaming Group CEO Alwyn Morris. “The WSOP* has been very good to Bodog players for several years now, including a Main Event win in 2006 and a number of bracelet titles. We expect to see even more success at the WSOP Europe this September and across the globe at WPT, EPT and APT events throughout the year.”
Regardless of how they fared at the tables, no Team Bodog qualifer walked away empty-handed as everyone donning the black and red of Bodog was treated to an unparalleled VIP experience the moment they touched down in Las Vegas. From an exclusive party at The Palms Hardwood Fantasy Suite filled to the rim with Bodog Girls to private helicopter excursions to the Grand Canyon and an adrenaline-filled day at the racetrack driving high-performance Corvettes, Bodog’s WSOP qualifiers experienced Las Vegas like no one else - in total Bodog style.
The World Series in Las Vegas is just one of a number of tournaments held around the world that poker players can win seats to for as little as $1 at Bodog every week. From the Asian Poker Tour in Macau this August, to the WSOP Europe in London this September and WPT events across North America, Bodog’s Player’s Choice packages give winners the chance to compete for millions of dollars while experiencing some of the most exciting and exotic locations in the world as only Team Bodog members do.
For more details on how to qualify for these packages visit http://poker.bodoglife.com/tournaments/overview.html.
For more on the Bodog World Series experience in Las Vegas, visit http://poker.bodoglife.com/tournaments/world-series-vegas.html.
About Morris Mohawk Gaming Group
The Morris Mohawk Gaming Group (www.morrismohawk.com) is located in the territory of Kahnawake just outside Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and is licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission to offer gaming services from Kahnawake to users worldwide. The Antiguan-based Bodog has entered into a license agreement with the Morris Mohawk Gaming Group to allow this group to use various elements of the Bodog brand within North America to support the Morris Mohawk Gaming Group’s marketing activities. Morris Mohawk Gaming Group is led by Olympic Gold medalist, Order of Canada recipient and First Nations’ leader Alwyn Morris. For more information, contact Media Relations at pr@morrismohawk.com.
About Bodog
Bodog has its head office, and is licensed in, the Caribbean nation of Antigua. The Bodog group of companies (www.bodoglife.com) offer a host of entertainment services, including online gaming, which includes Poker, Casino and a suite of other world-class gaming products. Bodog does not offer “for money” gaming services within North America. For more information, contact Media Relations at pr@bodoglife.com.
*World Series of Poker and WSOP are trademarks of Harrah’s License Company, LLC (”Harrah’s”). Harrah’s does not sponsor or endorse, and is not associated or affiliated with, Morris Mohawk Gaming Group, Bodog or any of their products, services, promotions or tournaments.
Bodog Poker Running Freeroll Qualifiers to Asian Poker Tour Event in Macau
July 23, 2008
Bodog is giving online players the chance to freeroll their way to APT Macau and compete for share of its $1.5 million guaranteed prize
For Immediate Release
July 23, 2008
Bodog Poker is once again giving its online poker players the chance to freeroll their way to poker stardom and riches while traveling to exotic locations in total Bodog style. The Asian Poker Tour event in Macau, held Aug. 26-31, is guaranteeing $1.5 million in prize money, and Bodog Poker is now running freeroll qualifier tournaments where the winner receives entry to the APT Macau plus an all-expenses paid trip to the exciting gaming destination situated along the Pearl River Delta in China.
The freeroll tournaments are scheduled four times daily throughout the month of July. The top 25 finishers per qualifier move onto the APT Macau Seat Giveaway Finale on Saturday, Aug. 2, with the top prize being an $8,000 prize package that includes the event’s $5,300 buy-in, round trip flight, spending money and a six-night stay at the luxurious Galaxy StarWorld Hotel & Casino located in the heart of Macau.
“With the World Series in Las Vegas all but over, it is time for online poker players to head east—the Far East that is—for a shot at scoring big, and Bodog Poker is excited to give players the chance to win their way into this major tournament without spending a dime,” said Morris Mohawk Gaming Group CEO Alwyn Morris. “We’re sending a team of players to the APT Macau in total Bodog style and one of them will be freerolling their way there to compete for a share of its $1.5 million guaranteed prize pool.”
In addition to the APT Macau Seat Giveaway freeroll qualifiers, online poker players can also play for one of three $8,000 APT Macau VIP Prize Packages that Bodog is awarding in qualifiers held through Aug. 3. Players can work their way up from the “cheap seats,” build tournament credits for other qualifiers, blast through a Turbo Quarterfinal or two, or skip the line and buy directly into one of the $300 + $20 buy-in Semifinal events held over the next three Sundays at 3:15 p.m.
The APT Macau is just one of a number of tournaments held around the world that poker players can qualify for through Bodog every week. From the World Series event in London this September to tournaments across Europe, Asia and North America, Bodog’s Player’s Choice packages give winners the chance to compete for millions of dollars while experiencing some of the most exciting and exotic locations in the world as only Team Bodog members do.
For more details on Bodog’s APT Macau Seat Giveaway and qualifiers, visit
About Morris Mohawk Gaming Group
The Morris Mohawk Gaming Group (www.morrismohawk.com ) is located in the territory of Kahnawake just outside Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and is licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission to offer gaming services from Kahnawake to users worldwide. The Antiguan-based Bodog has entered into a license agreement with the Morris Mohawk Gaming Group to allow this group to use various elements of the Bodog brand within North America to support the Morris Mohawk Gaming Group’s marketing activities. Morris Mohawk Gaming Group is led by Olympic Gold medalist, Order of Canada recipient and First Nations’ leader Alwyn Morris. For more information, contact Media Relations at pr@morrismohawk.com.
About Bodog
Bodog has its head office, and is licensed in, the Caribbean nation of Antigua. The Bodog group of companies (www.bodoglife.com ) offer a host of entertainment services, including online gaming, which includes Poker, Casino and a suite of other world-class gaming products. Bodog does not offer “for money” gaming services within North America. For more information, contact Media Relations at pr@bodoglife.com.
Bodog Awards First Seats to the 2009 World Series of Poker* Main Event
July 17, 2008
Top three finishers in the Bodog Poker Mini Series Final win $12,000 VIP Prize Packages to the 2009 WSOP* Main Event
For Immediate Release
July 17, 2008
As the final cards were being dealt at this year’s World Series of Poker* in Las Vegas, three Bodog online poker players were already being dealt seats to the 2009 WSOP* Main Event. The three seats are the first to be awarded by any online poker site and were won in the final tournament of the Bodog Poker Mini Series, a 25-tournament series mirroring the Holdem events at the World Series in Las Vegas but with buy-ins equal to just one percent of the actual buy-in of the WSOP* Main Event.
The three players, “pokerfanx789”, “dudix” and “Boswan,” were each awarded $12,000 VIP Prize Packages to the 2009 Main Event and the chance to compete for millions as a member of Team Bodog.
“Team Bodog players had an amazing run at this year’s series in Las Vegas, and we’re already gearing up for next summer by awarding three seats to the 2009 Main Event,” said Morris Mohawk Gaming Group CEO Alwyn Morris. “The three winners of our Bodog Poker Mini Series are guaranteed an experience like no other in Las Vegas as they compete for a shot at poker stardom and millions of dollars.”
The 27-player final tournament of the Bodog Mini Series consisted of the top four players on the series’ Tournament Leader Board, 18 players from the Semifinal qualifier and five selected from a random “wild card” drawing of players who had entered at least three Mini Series events. The Final Table took place on Thursday, July 10, and the top three finishers were awarded $12,000 Main Event Prize Packages with the rest of the final nine players receiving T$109.
With buy-ins ranging from as low as $10+$1 up to $100+$9, the Bodog Poker Mini Series was an exceptional value for players of all skill levels and is just the latest offering from Bodog that guarantees online poker players the absolute best value for their tournament dollars. Over the course of the series, Bodog played host to 3,376 online poker players and paid out a total of $107,000 in prize money.
Next summer’s Main Event is just one of a number of tournaments held around the world that poker players can qualify for through Bodog. From the WSOP* Europe in London to events across Europe, Asia and North America, Bodog’s Player’s Choice packages give winners the opportunity to play in some of the most exciting and exotic locations in the world in total Bodog style.
For more details on all of the Bodog Player’s Choice packages, visit http://poker.bodoglife.com/tournaments/overview.html.
About Morris Mohawk Gaming Group
The Morris Mohawk Gaming Group (www.morrismohawk.com) is located in the territory of Kahnawake just outside Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and is licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission to offer gaming services from Kahnawake to users worldwide. The Antiguan-based Bodog has entered into a license agreement with the Morris Mohawk Gaming Group to allow this group to use various elements of the Bodog brand within North America to support the Morris Mohawk Gaming Group’s marketing activities. Morris Mohawk Gaming Group is led by Olympic Gold medalist, Order of Canada recipient and First Nations’ leader Alwyn Morris. For more information, contact Media Relations at pr@morrismohawk.com.
About Bodog
Bodog has its head office, and is licensed in, the Caribbean nation of Antigua. The Bodog group of companies (www.bodoglife.com) offer a host of entertainment services, including online gaming, which includes Poker, Casino and a suite of other world-class gaming products. Bodog does not offer “for money” gaming services within North America. For more information, contact Media Relations at pr@bodoglife.com.
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*World Series of Poker and WSOP are trademarks of Harrah’s License Company, LLC (”Harrah’s”). Harrah’s does not sponsor or endorse, and is not associated or affiliated with, Morris Mohawk Gaming Group, Bodog or any of their products, services, promotions or tournaments.
Keeping pace with the Betting Game
July 10, 2008
Betting in any game of chance is common but it is also considered to be risky. Some wagers are just betting for fun and they are not concerned of their money. They will bet large amounts even if there is only a small chance of winning. So, why do gamblers still risking their money? There are lots of reasons or maybe just an impulsive move because of an offer.
Take this scenario that can entice you to bet in a game. Someone offered you a 10% benefit that could translate to 55% gain for you vs. your 45% probable loss, for every 500 bets. With the rule of big numbers applied, at the end of the game there would be close to 55% winners and 45% losers or 275 vs. 225. Another is the $100 bet that can gain $5,000. This is good, right? But at the start of the game, you cannot bet more than $500 and if you ran out of money, you cannot put in some more to your bankroll. At least 20% of your money is up for a bet on each round. To some, this scenario will not gain money and certainly, you will end up broke in the end. Put it like this, the probability of reaching 55 winners is slim and you will gain nothing. For 500 bets, your money will be easily gone even in just 5-10 bets only and the probability of winner vs. loser is just 2-18 per game.
So, are you game or not?
Bettors Go All In On 2008 World Series Of Poker
June 18, 2008
Poker betting is one thing but wagering on poker betting is quite another. And yet that’s the challenge gamblers will face when they match cash to conviction on the 39th World Series of Poker in
Although some books have prices for which poker players will win each of the 53 preliminary card games, it is Event #54, the $10,000 buy-in World Championship of No-Limit Texas Hold ‘em, known as the Main Event, that not only attracts the most poker players but the most action from bettors, as well.
That competition gets underway July 3 at the Rio All-Suite Hotel with the Final Table determined on July 14. The nine players who advance to the Final Table will return to the
Poker exploded as a TV and gambling essential a half-decade ago when new technology allowed viewers watching at home to see each player’s hole cards. Bookmakers, who tried to keep pace with the phenomena, have been swamped of late as the number of entries to the Main Event swelled to a record 8,773 in 2006. Try making a future book involving that many names!
So, given the huge fields and the fact that an established professional poker player has not won the Main Event since 2001, books have taken to offering prices on players merely making it to the Final Table. (Odds on winning the top prize will follow after that).
The lowest odds on any individual reaching the Final Table is 100/1, a price afforded to 1987 and 1988 Main Event champion Johnny Chan, 1989 winner Phil Hellmuth and 2001 champ Carlos Mortensen, as well as such highly regarded poker players a Gus Hansen, Daniel Negreanu and Allen Cunningham.
Scotty Nguyen, the champion in 1998, and Chris Ferguson, the winner in 2000, each are offered at odds of 125/1 to reach the Final Table, the same price as the colorfully named Huck Seed, who captured the Main Event title in 1996.
Doyle “Texas Dolly” Brunson, who competed in the first World Series of Poker Main Event back in 1970 and a two-time champion (1976-77) in his own right, is 150/1 to be one of the last nine players left standing, er, sitting at the Final Table.
Last year’s Main Event winner, Jerry Yang, is 300/1 to make a second straight Final Table while the 2006 champion, Jamie Gold, who pocketed a record $12 million, is held at odds of 200/1. Joe Hachem, the winner in 2005, and Greg Raymer, who it won it all a year earlier, each are listed at 150/1 while the aptly named Chris Moneymaker, the 2003 title holder, opened at 200/1.
At odds of 150/1, Jennifer Harmon has the lowest odds to make the Final Table of any woman while Gabe Kaplan, 200/1, of “Welcome Back, Kotter” fame, is among the celebrities who have made a successful switch from entertainment to poker.
In addition to straight Final Table wagering, many bookmakers also are offering a series of proposition bets on the Main Event. One of the more interesting asks bettors to predict the size of the field. A record field of more than 9,000 is rated at 7/2, the same price as a field of 6,500-6,999. You get 4/1 on 7,000-7,499 entries and 5/1 on either 6,000-6,499 (the range for last year’s Main Event) or 7,500-7999.
If you think the bottom is about to fall out on poker, you can get 250/1 that the field numbers a paltry 2,000-2,499.
With 87 countries represented at last year’s World Series of Poker, there also are prices on various nationalities reaching the Final Table. For example, you can get 2/1 that a Swede is among the last nine players and 9/2 that a player from
Given that the World Series of poker is about the only game where you can bet on people betting, most sports betting fans probably will want to play a hand or two.
This article was written by Luken Karel for http://www.thegreek.com. The Greek Sportsbook & Casino is host to one of the top online sportsbooks offering sports betting on NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and all other major sports. The Greek is a must have sports betting and entertainment portal with one of the largest wagering menus available online.
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