Tips from the pros - Poker Professional John Magill

THE SHORT HANDED - "SHOOT OUT" - GAME.

"SLOW PLAYING TOP DRAWING HANDS"

With only six players at your table, and one winner going through to the semi-final, your options for playing the waiting game, which is standard practice in big deep stack, long level multi-table tournaments, are very limited.

With this is mind I will pass on this tip to try to help you accumulate an early chip lead, which can be used to devastating effect with my style of play later in the competition. (Please note this is considered a very controversial play by many poker players)

OK let's set the scene :-

Six players - usually made up of lets say, three top class players, two internet qualifiers and most importantly - "YOU". (Everyone is nervous at the start... make no mistake about it) The Blinds start at 1k / 2k and you start with 100k in chips - Now starting with 50 times the big blind means you need to concentrate from the second tournament director "Mad Marty Wilson" tells the dealer to shuffle up and deal.

So for the 1st three levels of blinds up to 3k / 6k...... lets say you are 1st to act and you look down at AK or AQ..... Nice starting cards in any game...... I advise you to "FLAT CALL" - I know what most of you guys are saying - "He's mad, you should always raise with these type of starting hands" - but think about this for a second - You are 1st to act so you could raise and commit 6k to the pot with merely a drawing hand before you have received any information on what the rest of your opponents might have...... Does it sound like good play now to raise or flat call?

OK....back to the play - so you flat called and the button raises to 6k - (standard 3 times big blind) - you will call anyway - so you still have 6k in the pot with more information on the rest of the table this time - but you check the flop even if you hit your Ace, King or Queen - Let the button bet and you should take the pot with a re-raise or if he checks you bet the turn and still collect the pot most of the time.

Lets say again you flat call and the button also flat calls with KQ or KJ or even QJ - all playable hands in late position for a mere big blind, lets say the Queen hits the flop and you have AQ, of course you check and he happily bets into you --- How can you not make a load of chips with this play as he can't possibly put you on AQ can he?

Oh yes and if you totally miss the flop--- you check ---- he bets sure it only cost you the minimum anyway when you muck them..... Not a totally bad thing!

This type of move is only advisable once or twice in a game if the opportunity arises and can pay you loads of chips early in the game and at the same time believe it or not if you get all your chips in and win the hand and knock someone out - the rest of your opponents will still think you are a total rock for not raising with AK or AQ pre-flop!!!

I will also have to say, having AK or AQ in late position with no previous raisers demands a standard raise to take the Blinds there and then - after all when the blinds are 3k / 6k --- 9% of your original starting stack its no time for making moves --- just take the Blinds and be happy.

Finally try to enjoy yourself when you are playing No Limit Hold'em..... After all it's only a game were money is used to keep score on who's winning.

Play To Win.

John Magill