Online Poker Strategy Articles
By Jeff Henry
The Best Online Tournament Players - Limit Hold 'Em
You wouldn't necessarily think Limit Hold Em is an entirely different game than No Limit, but it truly is. Limit Hold Em is a funny thing. People berate Limit Hold Em as being second class. Often people will show in a Limit tournament and complain that they didn't realize it was Limit and state how they hate Limit and Limit is gay, etc. I have had considerable success in No Limit Hold em. Having learned Hold Em playing Limit, some of my earliest and biggest wins were in Limit tournaments. It requires a special talent to be consistently good at Limit hold em, especially on PokerStars, where the blind levels increase quickly as compared to other sites. This might seem to the casual observer to be a minor difference, but it isn't. For example, on PokerStars, yours truly has had precious little success in limit tournaments, but I win limit tournaments on PartyPoker quite often. Oh, I make the money some on PokerStars, but I just can't seem to adjust my game there to have the same success I have on PartyPoker.
I'd say this speaks to the fact that I don't play enough limit on PokerStars, but it also illustrates how much talent is required to be a successful Limit Hold Em player. The best of these players have figured out the difference between Limit and No Limit, and how to adjust their games to the site they are on and the blind structure therein. In my opinion, because of the nature of Limit, consistent wining at Limit is more impressive than it would be in No Limit. And as before, my opinion is based mostly on higher buy ins and mostly on PokerStars and PartyPoker.
Gank is an impressive player at any game, but he has definitely had quality success in Limit Hold Em. One thing that makes me want to give him a shout here is that he plays lower buy ins and wins regularly. This is particularly difficult in Limit because of the crazy play and the amount of chasing that occurs, even when the odds don't justify the chase. It's like tiptoeing through a minefield. But, as talented as he is, there are better Limit players.
AmuLeto and smoesmom have had great results in Limit tournaments, but only over a short period of time, so you can't say for sure whether that represents quality long term play or a slight statistical anomaly. Miss Bec31 and pokerponcho have had solid results over a longer period of time, but their play doesn't stand out in my mind as much as two others.
This final choice is a tough one. Colson10 is one of the best No Limit Hold em players around, and his success at No Limit is actually eclipsed by his Limit success. On PartyPoker and PokerStars, he has huge wins and consistency that would seem to defy the inherent difficulty of the game.
It is a close call, but colson10 is second best, in my opinion, to AppSt2004. Limit seems to be his specialty. He has been playing limit longer than just about anyone, and has had consistent success over that entire stretch. I have come to expect to see him with a big stack late in the biggest buy in limit online tournaments. He does what I need to learn. He saves bets by laying down a hand when a bad river comes. He also plays aggressively, but doesn't simply try to run people over like a bull in a china shop. He appears to have a good idea of when he is ahead and will punish players who chase from behind. He also appears to have a good idea of the players around him, knowing who will chase, who the rocks are, and who the calling stations are, and he knows how to combat them all.
Don't be surprised to hear of final table appearances for AppSt2004 in coming years in the Limit hold em format of the PartyPoker Million cruises. Check him out, and if you can pick up some tips you would do yourself a huge favor.
And as an aside, for those of you who don't like Limit, think again. The judgment, specialized skills and discipline needed in Limit tournaments actually compliment your No Limit game. I play better No Limit when I play some Limit tournaments as well. I think it has to do with patience and discipline, but it absolutely helps my No Limit game that I play some Limit. Maybe that doesn't make sense to you, and I don't have a full explanation for why that is, but I have talked with many Hold Em players who agree with me. Try playing some Limit mixed in with your No Limit, and I bet you'll see an improvement in your Hold em game overall.
The Best Online Tournament Players - Pot Limit Omaha Hi-Lo
Pot Limit Omaha Hi-Lo is a fun game. If you have never tried it, you're missing out on some good action. I have written about it before and it still applies. People like the action in Omaha, that they have four cards and the fact that they always have a chance with split pots. This game attracts action seekers, and they often do not play well. It is a good opportunity to make money, and I play the game often, though mostly on PartyPoker where they have $100 buy in multi-table tournaments. The biggest buy in on PokerStars is $50.
There are a few players, including myself, who find their way to many final tables of the $100 buy in tournament on PartyPoker regularly. These players include StuSutcliffe, PeakOilisNow, CABINONE, and GOIN_POSTAL. Almost every night, you find these folks at the final table, often among the top 3. As far as I can tell, these players don't play on PokerStars, or if so, very little. If you ever want to watch and learn the game, any of these players would be a fine one to observe. But, for the purpose of our discussion, I turn to PokerStars where there are more tournaments from which to form my opinion.
The choice for the best Pot Limit Omaha Hi-Lo player is easy. There are many very good players with high returns on their money over a fair period of time on PokerStars. These include Checkbook, real-nic, taz9, fit582, and Jareem Weaver. Two players who seem to come in a notch above these guys are playfast and uncforte. They have a better record over a longer period.
The best, though, may sound familiar. I would be shocked if there were two Pot Limit Omaha Hi-Lo multi-table tournaments in a row and The Omaholic wasn't at the final table of one or both of them. He plays more of these tournaments than anyone and no one has better results - by a long shot.
He is ever conscious of the keys to Omaha Hi-Lo. The way to win at Omaha Hi-Lo, after all, is to scoop pots, or get three quarters of them, not to split them. The Omaholic will not be the guy getting quartered, he is always the one with the free roll, i.e. he has half the pot locked up and has a draw to a hand that can scoop the other end of the pot also. Few people know how to play the game well, and fewer can maintain the discipline to have great success over time. No one does what The Omaholic does.
As good a player as he is, he is equally as friendly and freely discusses the game as he plays. Stopping by his table is a must for anyone looking to pick up the game. Tell him The Shrike sent you and said he was the best ' then sit back and take in whatever you read.
The Best Online Tournament Players - Limit Omaha Hi-Lo
Naming the best Omaha Hi-Lo Fixed online multi-table tournament player is a bit tricky. I used to play this game more often about a year ago on PokerStars at the $40, $50 and $200 buy in levels. I really liked the game, and it seemed like I was making the money in about half of the tournaments I played. Recently, I have played only the $200 buy in tournaments there and the occasional smaller buy in, and little else in fixed limit, as I have discovered that I have better success in Pot Limit Omaha Hi-Lo. So keep this in mind as you hear the following.
Gank is a monster at this game obviously, and having that bracelet makes him special period. I'd back him anytime and have swapped percentages with him greedily at the WSOP in the past. But in terms of consistent big finishes at Omaha Hi/Lo Limit, based on what I've seen in the last year and a half or so, the same names keep rising to the top. Allinnoouts has a proven track record of success, as does Karl Marx. Both have had great finishes, and many of them, for a long time.
A notch above them is PokerKing, just based on the sheer numbers and size of wins. The problem with picking PokerKing is I find his style of play incorrect and reckless. Clearly, he has put up some big wins, and I respect that. Analyzing the numbers alone might not always yield the perfect answer. A few big wins based on lucky stretches could make a person's numbers look better than they should, say for example with two huge $8,000 wins and not the consistency. Maybe some very lucky stretches make his numbers over inflated, or maybe I am missing something about how good he really is. But this is my opinion. I am impressed with the solid play of duggins_edge, and like his style, patient and intelligent, but his win totals are not as impressive as my selection for the best ' The Omaholic. He limps when he should limp, he pushes when he should push, and he understands the concepts behind the game. I can't say the same for PokerKing.
Too many times I've seen PokerKing push hard not paying any attention to the fact that he was obviously quartering himself, 4 betting with no high hand and a low he was splitting with another player. The Omaholic rarely makes those obvious mistakes. So read the numbers however you like, but the 'best' doesn't make those kinds of mistakes regularly, no matter what any numbers say.
All of these guys are great Omaha players to be sure, and as someone who enjoys the game, if I was as good as any of these guys I'd be thrilled.
But my choice is the The Omaholic.
The Best Online Tournament Players - Stud Hi
Naming the best online Stud Hi multi-table tournament player is a bit more difficult than the Stud Hi-Lo selection. I play a bit less Stud Hi, partly because there are few higher buy in tournaments. For this game, there is no clear choice in my mind.
Any good stud player has to measure up well to the following. He or she would have a good idea of the competition, know when he is ahead and behind and when it makes sense to play a draw, play aggressively when it is wise, and patiently when patience is called for.
CookieMaker has been doing quite well recently, but I don't believe his long term record is established. Another player of similar ilk is foxplayer. TigerScream, pbtoau, and mickbt23 all have solid records of success, with some quality recent wins, but not a long track record. If I were going to back someone in a Stud tournament, these choices would come to mind quickly.
The best player, though, in my opinion, is Castor. Stud, it seems, is his specialty, as opposed to many other players for whom Stud is one of many games they play regularly. He seems to have played more Stud than anyone else, and has had more success over a long period of time than anyone. As long as I've been playing Stud, he has been there high on the board. He hasn't been tearing it up with huge wins, especially recently, but his long track record of quality Stud play and making it into the money makes him the choice. Check him out sometime.
note by gank: The best online tournament players is often a matter of debate. Pocketfives has a scoring system which ranks online tournament players based on performance.