Wed, 02/23/2011 – 03:00 – PokerPages Staff

Two basic tenets espoused by the experts of the World Series of Poker are:  1) Unless you can call a re-raise, you shouldn’t raise and 2) don’t call unless you have the odds to raise.  An additional precept is:  Know when you have the best hand and bet it.  Together, these three principles can advance the play of the beginner poker player. 

There is always a chance of a re-raise to your raise, so make sure you are raising with a very strong holding.  Avoid raising with hands that are dominated by hands such as pocket Aces, pocket Kings or Ace-King suited, as an opponent who makes a re-raise will probably hold such a hand.  Examples of these second best hands are unsuited K-J, Q-T, A-T, or weaker.  Making a raise with a hand that could not hold up to a re-raise can be costly.

As a general rule, you should not call a raise with a hand that you would not initiate a raise.  More so, you should have a stronger holding to call a raise than you would to make a raise.  Although many beginners think that a call is indicative of holding a very strong hand, a simple call could indicate relative weakness.  The logic is that if you are holding a very powerful hand, why would you not initiate a re-raise?   

As profitability is the primary goal of poker, building the pot when you hold the best hand is key.  The best way to accomplish this is to bet, call a raise or re-raise with a dominating hand.  By doing so, you are removing the possibility that a free card or cheap card will better you opponents hand to the extent that you hold the second best, while at the same time hoping that the free card will make your opponent’s hand second best.  Playing a strong holding against an opponent’s second best is highly profitable.

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.

Wed, 02/23/2011 – 03:05 – PokerPages Staff

#5 – Scott Seiver
A native New Yorker now living in Las Vegas, Scott Seiver made a name for himself by winning the 2008 WSOP No-Limit Hold’em event at the age of 23, pocketing $755,756 in the process.  He went on to win the $20,500 buy-in High Roller event at the 2010 L.A. Poker Classic, and now has three first place finishes to his name and total poker winnings of $2,175, 839 – and he’s not even 26 yet!

#4 – Scott Fischman
Originally from Pennsylvania, Scott Fischman migrated with his family to Vegas when he was just 12 years old.  He became a poker dealer as a young man before becoming the youngest person ever to win two WSOP bracelets in 2004, when he won both a No Limit Hold’em and a H.O.R.S.E tournament.  He has 11 cashes at WSOP alone, and now has total poker winnings of $2,634,181.

#3 – Scott Montgomery
The young pro from Perth, Canada, won his first bracelet at the 2010 WSOP $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em event.  Finishing in fifth place in 2008, he earned himself a walloping $3,088,012 and now has winnings totaling $4,128,898.  Not bad for a guy who hasn’t turned 30 yet.

#2 – Scott Clements
Winning bracelets at the 2006 and 2007 WSOP, this young pro from Washington also hasn’t yet seen his thirtieth birthday.  But he’s made a total of £4,353,531 through his talent for poker and shows no sign whatsoever of flagging.

#1 – Scotty Nguyen
The former refugee from South Vietnam was named “Thuan” at birth but since coming to the US aged 14, he’s preferred to be called “Scotty.”  A living poker legend, Scotty has won five WSOP bracelets and made himself a handsome fortune, with poker winnings now totaling almost $11 million.