If you play tournaments, either sit and go or regular multi-table
tournaments of any kind, online or offline, you need to be aware
of what your “X Factor” is and what to do about it.

So, what is this X Factor? It’s an abbreviated name for your
stack-ratio. OK, that really clears things up, doesn’t it?

Here’s a simple equation for calculating your X Factor:

X = STACKSIZE / INITIALPOT

where, STACKSIZE is your current stack size, and INITIALPOT is the
size of the pot at the start of the hand, once all blinds and antes
are in the pot.

For example, let’s say the blinds are 100/200 with antes of 25, and
there’s 8 players. That’s a total pot of 500 (100 + 200 + 200).

If your stack size is 5,000, then your X value is 10 (5,000 / 500).

If your stack size is 3,000, X = 6, Stack size 1,000, X = 2, etc.

When calculating your X, just use estimates (don’t worry about the
fractional accuracy). For example, stack size of 2,800 is “5 to 6″.

So, why does this X factor matter? Basically, X represents how many
“rounds” we have remaining against the blinds and antes. It turns
out to be a very useful rule of thumb for making some important
tournament decisions. Here’s the general guidance X provides me:

X greater than 20

At this point, we’re on easy street, in great shape and can hold out,
take a few calculated risks, become aggressive when we have a good
hand, good position or good oppt’y to bluff. We can afford to take
more chances, play a bit looser when appropriate, mix up our play.

X of 15 to 20

At this point, we’re in OK shape, can hold out for better hands,
better bluff opportunities and run some good trap plays. However,
we must try to avoid playing more than 5 X on any one hand, in order
to remain above an X of 10 (and avoid placing ourselves at undue risk).

X of 8 to 14

At this point, we should be tightening up some, protecting our stack
(and X), waiting for a good hand or bluff opportunity to come our way.

X less than 8

At this point, our stack size relative to the the blinds is becoming critical.
When our X reaches a value of 5 to 7, it’s time to shift into “push/fold”
mode (described below).

So, we should be constantly tracking our X value, and taking the X
value of our opponents into consideration as we track our situation
in the game (to predict opponents better, as well as to guide our
own play).

The rules I present above are how I play, given my solid
to tight/aggressive style (feel free to experiment and come up with
your own X Factor rules, but these will get you “in the zone”).

Now, when our X value drops below 8, I said we enter “push/fold”
mode. Here’s what I mean about an X of 7 and less and push/fold…

Push/fold is where we do one of two things: All-in or Fold. We go
all-in in order to push the other players out of these pots by
giving them poor pot odds and forcing them to either fold or enter
a showdown with us.

When I think about Push/fold mode, I treat it as much like
aggressive heads-up play as possible. That’s because if I do
end up in a showdown, it’ll likely be against one other player
who has a strong enough starting hand to call with bad pot odds
anyway (watch out for weak players, they’ll call you anytime).

At an X of 5 to 7, I’ll play any hand with an Ace in it, and
any pair that’s 5 or higher.

At lower X’s, I’ll add all pairs and any two face cards. If I
don’t pick up a decent starting hand, then it’s an instant fold.

No limping in, no calling – there’s no halfway – it’s either all-in
or it’s a fold (there’s only one exception, which I’ll discuss
below).

Every time the blinds go up, I immediately look at my stack size
vs. the new pot size and figure out where my new X = 10 stack
size boundary will be, and whether the new blinds/antes put me into
push/fold mode risk.

For example, if the blinds go up and my new X Factor is 7 or less,
I silently begin my shift into push/fold mode.

Push/fold is basically a super-tight, super-aggressive extreme mode
of operation. This strategy provides the best opportunity to get
back into the tournament by using your remaining stack and the NL
Hold’em all-in move to your advantage (provided you pick your shots
properly).

If your X value drops and you don’t go into push/fold mode, you’ll
just end up having your stack size eroded by the blinds and antes to
the point that going all-in will change the behavior of your
opposition from having a “fold unless I have a great hand” to a
“let’s pounce on ‘em!” mode of operation (probably too late for
you now).

By waiting too long to enter push/fold, you’ve lost your No Limit
power – you can’t damage or threaten anyone with an all-in move
any more… a very dangerous place to be in this game… like a
shark with no teeth!!

Of course, if you don’t get some decent starting hands, at some
point you’ll be forced to take your best shot anyway (something
that was coming no matter what).

I recommend taking that shot while you still have an X of 4 to 5
and can inflict some damage, and preferably when you’re in later
position (dealer button or the cutoff). This will give you the
best shot at stealing the blinds.

The only exception to going into push/fold mode at an X of 7 is
if I’m on the bubble (almost in the money), and other players are
in push/fold mode. By riding things out a round or two (down to
an X of 5, ideally), you have a higher liklihood of getting in
the money by letting the other short-stacked players get knocked
out first (since they’ll likely also be in push/fold mode).

If you don’t see that kind of opportunity, you’ll likely have to
take your best shot when the next big blind arrives, and see if
you can reconstitute your position.

Of course, the X Factor is only one of many factors of the game you
should be taking into consideration, but it does provide a general
framework that will help you manage your tournament play better.

I hope this information is helpful to you in your next tournament
encounter.

Until next time, may the poker force be with you!

By: Rick Braddy

Poker has been gaining such popularity lately that many people are looking for the secrets of the pros to help them play a better game. Countless books and shows and web pages have been created to help people play better poker.

Whether you are playing at the casino or in a regular weekly game, you want to know the techniques that will make your game that much better.

There is one secret of the pros that is important for every poker player to know. It doesn’t matter if you’re playing Texas hold em’ on a televised celebrity match, or seven card stud in the casino, or five card draw with a bunch of buddies at your house. This is one of the main secrets that pros use:

· “Play tight.”

The term “playing tight” means that you should fold bad hands quickly and aggressively play good hands. If you have a bad hand, get out early. Don’t try to wait it out and hope that the cards will turn your way. They rarely do. However, if you have a good hand, stay in and bet high. Your high bets will drive out the weaker players and still raise the pot to make up for the small losses that chipped away at your pile of cash through the evening. In fact, a good player may only play a couple hands in an entire evening, but if they play tight they can still win.

So what is a good hand and what are other ways to help you play tight poker? It depends on the game you’re playing. Here are some suggestions, although these are just guidelines and not everyone will agree.

· If you are playing Texas Hold ‘em, stay in if you are dealt a good black jack hand on your two down. If not, get out.

· If you are playing five card stud, stay in if you are dealt a pair. You may want to stay in if you are dealt an Ace, but you’re taking a risk. Otherwise, get out.

· No matter how tempting it is, don’t hold out for a straight! If you’re trying to build a straight, fold because the chances are slim.

· If you are playing draw poker, keep the required amount plus a “kicker” card, which will throw off your opponents as to what you have. And you’ll be surprised at how often that kicker will help you win the pot.

· Don’t bluff. If you are great at bluffing, you may want to do it occasionally, but most people are terrible at it. What’s more, in many friendly games, people will pay to see if you’re bluffing because the stakes are low, so if you gain a reputation for never bluffing you will also gain a reputation for going big only when you have a good hand.

By: Jeff Lakie

When it comes down to questions we have a lot of poker strategy answers. The general consensus with the non poker playing world is that poker is a game of luck. Those who have played the game and understand it, understand it’s a game of skill. Players have to be able to read a board, understand math, understand psychology, all while attempting to make the best hand. While its true that the cards you’re holding don’t determine if you will or will not win the hand (unless you’re playing with someone who doesn’t know how to play, in which case the only thing that matters is the cards you’re holding) its important not to be making moves that will cost you money in the long run.

Yeah, you can bluff your opponent and pick up a pot here and there but sooner or later they will call you. It’s important to pick your spots. If you bluff too much, you’re just throwing away chips. If you keep chasing straights and flushes, you’re throwing away chips. Pick your spots wisely.

So what’s the most important element in poker strategy? Knowing the types of players you are up against. You can learn a lot about a person by watching them play. Notice their hand selection, keep track of whether or not they like to chase, like to play certain hands, etc. People are creatures of habit. Even professional poker players have “favorite” hands they like to play. Granted, the pro is more disciplined about when they’ll play a favorite hand, and have a variety of different ways to play each hand, but they are still creatures of habit. It’s inevitable that a pro will have a certain underlying strategy in which they approach the game.

Let’s take Sammy Farha for instance. You know the guy is going to play a lot of hands and take a lot of risks. Now you’re playing against the player knowing how he likes to play. Yeah, he’ll switch it up here and there but there is an underlying style to which he’s playing. Same applies with any other player. They have an underlying poker personality. They can switch gears from playing only a few hands to playing a few more hands but overall a tight player will be playing tight more than not and a loose player will play loose more often than not. It’s part of the psychology of poker.

Watch some players for a bit. Keep track of what they win with. Keep track of betting patterns. This is much easier to do online than in live play. You can keep notes if you’re playing online without anyone noticing. Watch for patterns and learn some profiles. Then you’ll have your poker strategy answers on how to beat the player.

By: Jason Matthew Narog