Ruff Poker Blog
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When it comes to generalizations in poker none ring truer than “You want to maximize your wins and minimize your losses”, but the practical application of this concept often escapes people. Whether your goal is to maximize or minimize, the methods are the same, and involve three key concepts:

1. Utilizing position
2. Pot control
3. Isolating weak [...]

A while back I wrote a satirical blog entry titled Vince McMahon meet Doyle Brunson, where I detailed a plan to “script” poker: Adding some bad guys ‘Heels’ for poker fans to boo, and hero’s to prop up and cheer. Well, poker got a bit of WWE feel recently when the Daniel Negreanu vs. Annie [...]

It always amazes me the lengths people will go to save money in various areas of their life, but when it comes to poker these same people leave so much money on the table, simply because of the slightest lack of effort or patience. For instance, when it comes to buying a car, or groceries, [...]

When I began playing poker choosing a ‘primer’ –as poker strategy books are often called-was a fairly simple process, since there were typically only a handful of books on the particular topic in print! And no, I’m not 75 years-old, I began playing poker a few years before the nuclear bomb known as Chris Moneymaker [...]

10 Poker books you MUST read: Ace on the River
When I began playing poker choosing a ‘primer’ –as poker strategy books are often called-was a fairly simple process, since there were typically only a handful of books on the particular topic in print! And no, I’m not 75 years-old, I began playing poker a few [...]

Last week WickedChops Poker posted a two-part series on the Ultimate Bet Poker Super-User scandal. Throughout the in depth articles many mentions were made to “sources” but few were named, that is until UB spokesman and poker pro Joe Sebok outed himself on his PokerRoad blog as one of the sources who supplied information and [...]

The new calmer version of Tony G is one of the most popular poker players in the world, both with fans, and with his top-level opposition. Fans love Tony G (Real name Antanus Gouga) for his comical table talk, and incessant needling of the other players -especially if Phil Hellmuth happens to be anywhere near [...]

Ah, the age-old poker question of where to sit? When it comes to a maniac the general wisdom is to pull up a chair to the players immediate left, which will give you the opportunity to isolate him in pots with raises. However, this shouldn’t be your only consideration when there is a maniac in [...]

When it comes to misunderstood poker concepts perhaps none is more misunderstood than the rake and how it impacts a poker game. The rake is a predetermined amount of money that is taken from the pot -usually 5-10% up to maximum of $3-$4-as a house collection. In this article I’m going to look at some [...]

There is an all too often occurrence at the poker tables nowadays, and it doesn’t matter whether you play online poker or partake in the game at a brick & mortar card-room; the problem I speak of is dealing with an “Expert”. We all know the “Expert”, they dissect the most innocuous hands of poker [...]