Fri, 01/28/2011 – 05:17 – PokerPages Staff

Phil Ivey and Doyle Brunson have spoken of their dismay at the decline in the high stakes poker cash game action on offer in Las Vegas.

The legendary duo were regulars on the scene that was thriving with big game action on a regular basis only a few years ago.

However, Ivey admitted that those days are in the past in an interview earlier this week.
 
“There are still games in Vegas. Just not as many as there used to be. Four or five years ago you could count on there being a game four or five nights a week. Now there’s probably a game one or two nights.”

The ‘Big Game’ was the most popular high stakes game on offer. Elite players would buy in for around $200,000 before playing stakes up to $4,000/$8,000.

Phil Ivey believes the death of Chip Reese, who was considered to be the heart and soul of the scene, signaled an end to the scene.

“Once Chip Reese died it was pretty much over. There is really no big game [in Las Vegas] anymore, except for during the World Series or when a tournament is in town or something like that.”

77 year-old Doyle Brunson admitted on his latest blog that his home town is not the ideal place to play live poker anymore.

Brunson attributed the change to the rise of internet poker, tournaments being held worldwide and the current state of the economy.

Fri, 01/28/2011 – 05:31 – PokerPages Staff

As a beginner poker player you have learned the basic poker rules, which included poker betting.  Now it’s time to advance your play with some basic tips to success in Pot Limit Omaha (PLO).

1.  Be selective with starting hands.  Premium starting hands in PLO are hands that have combinations.  Since you must use two of the four hole cards you receive, you have 6 possible combinations.  While top pairs will give you a good starting hand, in PLO they are not a premium starting hand.  A premium starting hand in PLO contains connectors and suited cards.

2.  In Omaha the winning hand is generally the nuts.  As such, it is not good strategy to play drawing hands that will not give you the nuts. 

3.  The goal of your game is to maximize profit.  In PLO, like other variations, there are two ways to maximize profit. 

A.  First, you want to extract the greatest amount of chips from your opponent when you hold the best hand.  This is accomplished with a value bet.  A value bet is an amount you believe your opponent is willing to stake with their hand.

B.  Secondly, you want to minimize loss.  This requires that you do not invest your chips with the second best hand hoping it is good enough.  The best strategy is to get out of hands when you know you are beat.

To learn more, check out PokerSchoolOnline, the best online source 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 strategies and tips.