Sat, 01/22/2011 – 02:52 – PokerPages Staff

#5 – Viktor ‘Isuldur1′ Blom
The mystery man from Scandinavia, whose meteoric rise last year became a poker sensation, was finally “outed” in January as none other than young Swedish high-stakes pro, Viktor Blom.  He started 2011 by winning a tidy $44,280 from Tony G at the Superstar Showdown and we think there is a lot more to come.

#4 – Jonathan Duhamel
Not many people get to be multi-millionaires by the age of 22 but Jonathan Duhamel is now one of this rare species.  He may not replicate his stunning $9 million WSOP victory of 2010 this year, but no one can deny that this guy has been born with some seriously superior poker genes.

#3 – Tom ‘durrr’ Dwan
Famously issuing a $1 million dollar challenge in January 2009 to play anyone online (except Phil Galfond), Tom Dwan is widely tipped to break through in live poker in 2011 and win his first big title.  Incidentally, that challenge (Dwan will give his opponent $1.5 million dollars if, after 50,000 hands, the latter is ahead) has still not been completed.

#2 – Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi
After a spectacularly successful early start, Michael’s career went through the doldrums for a couple of years before 2010.  However, it proved to be his comeback year, when he played with sheer brilliance at the World Series of Poker.  He won $1.5 million at the Poker Player’s Championship and made final table on three further occasions, including the Main Event.  We think he has his Mojo back.

#1 – Phil Ivey
2010 was the year when this unstoppable poker meister became the youngest person in history to win 8 WSOP bracelets.  The “Tiger Woods of Poker” is still going strong and looks set to continue on his glitteringly successful trajectory in 2011.

Sat, 01/22/2011 – 03:14 – PokerPages Staff

Listen up beginner poker player here is one of the golden secrets of poker success.  Push your game beyond the basic poker rules and poker betting and play like the pros by learning to…Wait For it…FOLD.

It is super easy to play the best hands in poker.  Not much separates the best players and the worst players gain when playing the best hands.  True.

What DOES separate the best players from any random player is losing.  The best players understand that the goal of poker is to maximize profit.  In order to maximize profit, it is inherent that you minimize loss.

Quite simply, in order to minimize loss, you must learn to fold.  Many players who start with a premium hand cannot throw it away even when they know they are beat.  This is a losing strategy. 

Premium hands like pocket queens or pocket jacks are examples.  Often, the board will come with over cards and rarely will you hit trips.  You use your best betting techniques, but soon realize you are up against a better hand.  Cut your losses, FOLD.

Learning to fold when you are behind is a winning strategy.  Folding premium hands is never easy, but when you are beat you must toss them.

To learn more, check out PokerSchoolOnline, the best source on the internet for poker related learning.  Then put those skills to work by playing for free at PokerStars.net.  Also, check out the PokerPages sections Poker Information and Poker Articles for more poker tips and strategies.