Latest Entries

Play Poker Like The Pros - Putting your opponent on a hand: Magic or Skill ?

Posted by vella on Monday, 15 April 2013 in My Poker Blog

Dear Poker Community,

I have now gotten back into the game, playing more frequently both live and online. My favorite game is a live cash game, however when I'm online I will often play a mix of SnGs, MTTs and cash games. I have decided to try to improve my game and continue treating poker very seriously. In an effort to do so, I have gona back to my poker books. I own 3 poker books (apart from the countless poker books I have online), which are : Power Hold'em Strategy, by Daniel Negreanu; Super System (A course in power poker), by the legend himself, The Old Papa Doyle Brunson; and Play Poker Like The Pros, by Phil Hellmuth Jr.

The books are great especially if you are looking to learn a new poker variation. Daniel Negreanu's book just focuses on Texas Hold'em though. "Play Poker Like The Pros" is great because it offers insight into the popular variations of poker from a Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced point of view. This makes it easier for the reader to understand how the game is played and how strategy and playing styles develop as you advance in the game. In a nut shell, what I have learnt from that book is that one of the most importants aspects of a winning poker player is the ability to put your opponent on a hand. Some pros seem to have a 6th sense when they start calling out an opponent's hole cards. However, what you will eventually learn is that this is a skill developed by years of experience and playing a lot of hands with different opponents.

Some important points on this issue:

1) You should always stay focused at the poker table, regardless of whether you are in the hand or not (Remember that you may go through hours of not playing a hand) - Use this time well to observe your opponents and try to develop an understanding of their play. By constantly observing their body language and betting patterns, eventually you will also be able to call out their hands.
2) Phil Hellmuth suggests that you consider this as a game, where at the end of each hand (After having observed the hand) you call out what you think a player has. Of course, he might not always be obliged to tell you the truth and show you the hand..but when he does show the hand down, you can see how accurate you were. Hopefully, after trying this out for a number of sessions, your reading ability will improve.
3) The best way to master this skill is to first start by putting your opponent on a range of hands rather than two particular cards. Ranges can be categorized in the following way: Big pocket pairs, Medium Pairs, Small Pairs, Suited Connectors, Big Picture Cards, Rag Aces (An Ace with a weak kicker), etc.

I am sure that after applying these main points during your poker sessions, you too will be able to master the magical art of guessing accurately your opponent's hand. By constantly observing their play, you will get inside their mind and start understanding the way they are thinking.

That's all for now. Hopefully I will have some time soon to talk about the other two books.

Jonah

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Tim Heath Investigated over muchospoker fraud charges

Posted by maltapokertours on Wednesday, 31 October 2012 in My Poker Blog

In what is unveiling to be one of the biggest scams over the past year, pivgame which was sharing the services of its multi poker platform with muchospoker, has got the same muchos closed down and opened a court injuction against the "Estonian-owned site" of muchospoker.

From what is emerging the web-site has masked its operations and inducted players making them think they were depositing to the licencee (i.e. pivgame) bank accounts and online wallets. However players were depositing funds to personal online wallets and bank accounts attached to a certain Tim Heath.

Tim Heath - Alleged MasterMind in MuchosPoker Fraud

Lots of player funds seem to be trapped on this guy's skrill and neteller address. It looks quite incredible how no-one had yet managed to understand what was going on.

The mastermind behind this is being investigated by Interpol for various crimes amidst misappropriation of funds, fraud etc. Just a suggestion for all players out there having funds and depositing in certain type of site. PLEASE CHECK FIRST WHERE YOU ARE DEPOSITING, GO VERIFY THE LICENCE ON THE LICENCE ISSUING SITE AND DONT TRUST MUCH ON SHINY SITES THEY MIGHT LOOK NICE BUT THE HURT AS HELL.

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Texas Holdem How to Play A-Q

Posted by mypokeracademy on Saturday, 28 July 2012 in My Poker Blog

Dropping a hand like A-J is easy enough, but dropping A-Q can sometimes be a heartbreaker. Having the courage to do so can save your bankroll in many situations and this advice is geared towards higher limits or 'rational' games where raises from players are usually a good indicator of strength.

Most tight players will raise with three hands: AA and KK, to increase the pot value, and AK, to narrow the field. These hands are considered first tier pre-flop raising hands. Second tier pre-flop raising hands would be QQ, JJ or TT against AQ. The majority of uncreative tight players lie in the first tier. Tight players who are more experienced will often raise two tier hands as well. Many top players will raise with all sorts of hands, but usually as a ruse to be tricky or due to the high-limit nature of the games they play.

Given these first and second-tier hands, let's see how well AQ matches up against them:

Tier One Hands AA vs AQ: 92% to 8%
KK vs AQ: 72% to 29%
AK vs AQ: 72% to 24%

Tier Two Hands
QQ vs AQ: 70% to 30%
JJ vs AQ: 58% to 43%
TT vs AQ: 58% to 43%
AQ vs AQ: 57% to 43%

Never play a pocket pair as if you are a guaranteed winner. While pocket Jacks and Tens are both decent hands as far as pocket pairs go, they are still only a pair of Jacks or Tens, however you look at it. Middle and low pocket pairs only work well when they are heads-up or if the flop comes up with nothing. When you are heads-up you can play the game knowing you've already paired up, even if overcards fall on the table. With some trickery you can even occasionally get a player who has a high pair to fold. In a full game though, never count on this.

One idea to consider is to never raise JJ or TT unless there are a few limpers and you are in late or early position, focusing on keeping people out. If you end up with four callers in a pot with you, JJ and TT quickly become worthless if an overcard falls. If the action is continuing in such a fashion, you should routinely fold these pockets. Some tricky players will check-raise you if you show aggression from pre-flop to the flop, but if you are up against unsophisticated players you are surely beaten.

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DANIEL NEGREANU'S SMALL BALL MASTERCLASS

Posted by xeoflex on Sunday, 08 July 2012 in Poker Strategy

Small-ball is the style of poker employed by the majority of successful tournament players, as it enables you to steadily increase your stack without taking significant risks. When you watch a player who's employing a small-ball strategy at the table, you'll notice how well they appear to control the action, yet at the same time appearing to play with reckless abandon, giving little thought to the strength of their starting hand. Needless to say, there is a method to the madness...

Preflop betting

The secret to small-ball success isn't the hands that you play - it's the amount that you bet. The strategy works in three phases. First, you bet less in order to win more, which allows you to play more hands preflop without bleeding your chipstack away. You also need to know when to call, re-raise, limp or fold. Popular poker theory has it that a standard preflop raise is three times the big blind because it gives you a decent return on your investment when no one calls. But what happens if you lower the raise to 2.5 times the big blind? You're risking less to win more. The more aggressive your image at the table, the more likely your opponents will be to defend their blinds with more marginal hands. That's not a bad thing because more often than not they'll miss the flop and you'll have position and momentum on your side.

Weighting your bet

Since players are more likely to call a raise of 2.5 big blinds you may find that you're inviting some very good players to see a cheap flop. You don't want that. So feel free to change the price you charge depending on your opponents and make it more expensive for tougher players to see the flop. Don't change your bet size according to hand strength but do change it based on the skill level of your opponent. If you're at a tight, easy table that has one tough player, why would you want to play against him? The larger bet will help define this tougher foe's hand. You should gladly make small raises against weaker players, because the mistakes they make postflop should outweigh what you give up by not defining their hand.

More action, less money

The biggest benefit of playing an aggressive, yet small betting style is that you'll get more action on your strong hands while risking less chips. If you've raised three of the last four hands and then get dealt pocket Aces, someone may make a move on you with something far weaker. However, if you've got a fast and loose image it also means that the re-raise steal after a raise isn't going to work so well. It just doesn't fit with the small-ball way, so if you're going to keep re-raising make sure you have the goods. That's not to say that you should eliminate the re-raise steal from your playbook, just that you must be careful when you use it.

Calling vs re-raising

If you're one of the better players at the table you want to make the most of your decisions after the flop, and that means calling is often the better play. I seldom re-raise before the flop; it allows me to disguise my hand and trap opponents who take my smooth-call as a sign of weakness. I've busted lots of players by not re-raising with pocket Aces preflop. You might get outdrawn, of course, but the rewards far outweigh the risks.

Dead-money grabs

Dead-money grabs are slightly higher risk plays that also offer a higher success rate. The aim is to win what's already in the middle with no intention of playing your hand postflop, making your starting hand insignificant. There are two ways to do this:

1. Pound the limpers in position If several players limp in, leaving a juicy amount in the middle, a big raise can sweep away the dead money. The most important thing is to focus on the first limper, as if you can get past him the chips should be yours. Don't overuse this play though, as people will catch on, and make sure that you never pot-commit yourself with a weak hand.

2. Coming over the top Sometimes you need to make preflop re-raises, just to keep players honest. If a preflop re-raise is too high a percentage of your chips then you should let it go. Generally, your raise should be about four times what they bet so you don't price them in. Lastly, be aware that if an opponent raises by over 25% of their chips they'll call any re-raise after that - so don't three-bet light in that situation!

Playing against a re-raise

When you play small-ball you'll be playing a lot of pots and for most of those you'll be coming in for 2.5 big blinds. At times you'll get raised, and if that's the case, generally you should just dump your hand unless the situation is just right. It's very important not to lose your composure and avoid making sloppy calls. The factors to consider are:

1. Your hand strength If you have Aces or Kings, you're obviously not going anywhere!

2. The minimum raise If someone makes a min-raise there is no circumstance where a fold is correct, even if you know your opponent has Aces!

3. Position is power If the re-raiser has position on you then you should only call if you have a strong hand. If you have position it can turn a marginal hand into one worth calling with.

4. Stack size This is the most important factor, aside from hand strength, when deciding whether to play on. You can call re-raises with the hope either of hitting your hand or bluffing your opponent using the board cards. Generally speaking you shouldn't jeopardise more than 10% of your stack on bust'em-type hands.

Calling all-ins

Later on in a tournament you'll be faced with a lot of all-in bets and raises. You should run through the following thought processes when deciding whether to call an all-in:

1. What range of hands does my opponent have? If they are really short-stacked and desperate you can broaden their range. If they are tight then you can narrow that range.

2. What price am I being laid? When facing a bet you should count what's in the pot in comparison to the bet that you're facing. You don't need a calculator - a rough amount should guide you.

3. How does my hand do against their range? This isn't an exact science. When you're calling an all-in bet, or any bet for that matter, you shouldn't be calling just because you think you have the best hand, rather because the odds the pot is laying you dictates that it's a good investment.

Playing a short stack

Unfortunately the small-ball strategy of liberal raising goes out the window when your chips dwindle. For small-ball to be effective your preflop raises need to represent a very small portion of your chipstack. If a small-ball raise would account for 15% of your chips you should consider limping instead. If your chips dip below ten bets then you have no choice but to play for all your chips when you find the hand that you've been waiting for.

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Freeroll is on !!

Posted by negreanu on Sunday, 08 July 2012 in My Poker Blog

Bring on next Friday's freeroll on Yachting Poker ! https://www.facebook.com/events/407891709257168/ I'm taking home the money :D

Just created my account on Yachting Poker : http://www.mypokeracademy.com/poker-room-bonus/yachting-poker

Join the tournament !! Let's make it an interesting one ! .. Interesting for me anyways, i'll be winning :D

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Freeroll on Yachting Poker

Posted by mypokeracademy on Sunday, 08 July 2012 in My Poker Blog

Hey Academy Members,

Playing on Yachting Poker just got better for you! First we offered you 60 % Rake back - One of the best rake back deals ever. Now, we will be hosting an Academy Freeroll on Yachting Poker !

The event is taking place on the unlucky, and lucky for some, Friday the 13th! Be sure to create your account on Yachting Poker http://www.mypokeracademy.com/poker-room-bonus/yachting-poker ... The tournament will be added to the Lobby this Monday !

The event is FREE but if eliminated you may rebuy for $2.

Here is our event page for all you Facebook members: https://www.facebook.com/events/407891709257168/

Battle it out against each other just to prove that Friday the 13th isn't so unlucky for YOU !

Good Luck.

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Freeroll Events !

Posted by vella on Saturday, 07 July 2012 in My Poker Blog

Hi fellow poker fans & academy members !

Freeroll events are a good way to start out playing online poker. It's the safest way of building a bankroll. This is because no financial risk is involved as the buy in for such tournaments is FREE! However, money is added to the prize pool to be won :)

I read about a good event which is coming up next week ! Next Friday the 13th, I will be playing on Yachting Poker for a freeroll event !

This is the event: https://www.facebook.com/events/407891709257168/

All you need to do is register for an account on Yachting Poker:
http://www.mypokeracademy.com/poker-room-bonus/yachting-poker

Th event will be added to the Yachting Poker lobby next monday !!

Let's all make it an interestion tournament filled with plenty of action :D

J

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Finding bigger better online tournaments

Posted by xeoflex on Sunday, 15 January 2012 in My Poker Blog

Fining a good online tournament is not always easy, some poker room just don't have the quantity of players needed to organize a solid online event. Personally I like to play re-buy tournaments any where between $3-5 dollars, with as many players as possible. I have had the most success in there type of tournaments - usually opening two tournaments at the same time and looking to go deep in at least one or both. I won't discuss my full strategy in the public domain, but I have been doing well for at least 2 years.

If you are looking for a good tournament then you really can't go wrong with Pokerstars.

Next month Pokerstars will host a major online event named TCOOP or Turbo Championship of Online Poker.

Running January 19-29 PokerStars' newest tournament series will kick off with 50 events. They will run the gamut of styles and games, but they will all have one thing in common: they will be fast-as-lightning turbo affairs.

My goal is to play several tournaments over the next few days in view of earning enough cash for at least one of the TCOOP tournaments.

I am hoping for at least a final table tonight.

Feeling in the zone with $35,000 chips after the first break.

Stay tuned. Stay Focused. Stay Alert.

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First Session is All About Warming Up

Posted by xeoflex on Thursday, 12 January 2012 in Rakeback Sessions

As noted our starting bankroll is a 100 euro, starting with the right amount is vital, choosing the right limit and table is also vital. I had a quick look around on Yachting Poker and there is not to many tables to choose from, I do find 1 table with 1 player in the Omaha section of the client. Omaha is my favorite game and I can also play heads up. Some more player might show up and make it interesting.

Limit's are 10/20 cents so I sit down with 25 euro it is 1/4 of my budget not a wise decision but with no table selection it will have to do.

We play for about 10 minutes when I over play a pair of AA and lost half my stack. I decide not to reload my stack and play short instead. I do manage to win it back with some good bluffing. A bit later I change my play as my opponent is playing aggressive, I decide to slow play, next hand I hit top two pairs ace and queen, he is betting hard and I am playing slow the turn. Trap works he bets big - then I make my move and push. He calls. I am ahead as he only has a smaller two pair Q and 4. River is a 4 and he makes a full house meaning my stack is gone.

I know I can take him and I am feeling warmed up.

I decide to reload with another 25 euro.

We play for another 40 minutes. I am now play passive, waiting for the right hand.
I finally win most of my stack back when I slow play a set of 2's.
Player leaves.

I am still down 10 euro during my first session.

Second session is going to be about winning that back

Here we go...

This time I find a donkey on a NLH 5/10 cents table. He has 5 euro so I sit down with 10. First hand he raises, I re raise with a AQ he folds. Second hand 33 and then a set on the flop. Donkey bets I smooth call. On the turn he pushes call, I win he leaves table.

Now I am only down 5 euro.

Can I break even...

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Tip of the day

Posted by mypokeracademy on Thursday, 12 January 2012 in My Poker Academy

Learning with Poker Academy
My Poker Academy offers you the possibility to meet like minded players at all levels, discuss your strategies and help improve your game. Get inside information and advanced poker training.

The Poker Academy is a free online poker portal specializing in No Limit Texas Hold'em. It is made up of five main subject areas - basic poker, getting started, position play, strategies, and psychology. The site also contains a poker forum. We will help you to gradually improve your poker skills through a series of tasks, such as creating your own poker blogs. Upload photo's of your wins or your favorite poker video.

Discussion is a key aspect of the community, share your thought's, concept and ideas or just trash talk with your friends.

Tip of the day

The secret of poker is not about winning a lot of pots, it is knowing when to fold.

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Prop Poker Players

Posted by mypokeracademy on Monday, 09 January 2012 in My Poker Academy

My Poker Academy is currently recruiting prop poker players looking to earn a revenue from playing online Poker. An extra special rake deal is being offered to selected players with the right skill and enough time to generating excellent statistics. Do you have what it takes?

Place a comment on this blog post for more details..

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Spela Casino Online genom CasinoKompis

Posted by casinokompis on Monday, 18 July 2011 in spela blackjack

Vad erbjuder Casinokompis dig som spelare?
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*Casinomarknadens ledande Lojalitetsprogram, vilket ger dig som lojal spelare, större insättnings bonusar och veckobonusar beroende på hur mycket du spelat föregående vecka. Vi erbjuder även en gedigen support som alltid är tillgänglig.
*Värva en Kompis Program – Värva dina kompisar till Casinokompis och få 100 kr för varje kompis du värvar.
*Vi ger dig artiklar och strategier hur du gör för att vinna på Casinospel.

Varför ska du besöka Casinokompis.se?
Casinokompis guidar dig till den ultima spelupplevelsen Online genom att erbjuda exklusiva bonusar som du inte kan hitta på annat håll. Vi tar hand om våra lojala spelare genom att erbjuda större bonusar och en bättre support. Vi erbjuder ett Värva en Kompis program där du får 100 kr för varje kompis du värvar till Casinokompis.

Hur fungerar Casinokompis lojalitetsprogram?
Casinokompis Lojalitetsprogram är lika enkelt som det är briljant, desto mer du spelar, desto mer får du tillbaka. Som Casinokompis Lojalitetsprogram medlem for du följande:
1. Större bonusar.
2. Veckobonusar som baseras på hur mycket du spelade föregående vecka.
3. Exklusiva casino promotions där du kan vinna resor och presenter.

Casinokompis guidar dig till en säker och rolig spelupplevelse.

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PokerStars Bonus Code 2011

Posted by mypokeracademy on Wednesday, 08 June 2011 in General Poker

PokerStars has really steeped it their game in 2011 by introducing a great 100% Deposit Bonus up to $600 and their all new Stellar Rewards program which one again put thier VIP program above any other poker room even ones offering rakeback! By using the all new 2011 Pokerstars Bonus Code PSP1686 you will get the deposit bonus and automatic entry into their new VIP program which is easily the best offer of all online poker rooms, even the ones offering traditional Rakeback!

PokerStars has really steeped it their game in 2011 by introducing a great 100% Deposit Bonus up to $600 and their all new Stellar Rewards program which one again put thier VIP program above any other poker room even ones offering rakeback! By using the all new 2011 Pokerstars Bonus Code PSP1686 you will get the deposit bonus and automatic entry into their new VIP program which is easily the best offer of all online poker rooms, even the ones offering traditional Rakeback!

PokerStars Bonus Code 2011

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Pokeri Pelit

Posted by pokerihuone on Friday, 03 December 2010 in Pokeri Pelit

Suosittu Pokerihuone on Suomen nettipokerin koti. Lataa ilmainen ohjelmisto, jolla voit pelata viimeisimpiä pokeri pelejä. Tarjoamme jännitystä Texas Holdem, Draw ja Stud Poker, Omaha High sekä Hi-Low, Americana, Sökö, Telesina ja muissa peleissä. Löydä Pokerihuoneelta laaja valikoima SNG- ja MTT-Poker turnauksia, sekä pelaa parhaita käteispelejä. Käytä hyväksesi talletusbonus ja voita EMOP-paikkasi jo tänään! Poker Pelit

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End of Year Iron Man Bonus

Posted by mypokeracademy on Tuesday, 30 November 2010 in Full Tilt Poker

It's always nice to get some recognition for all the hard work you put into something. At Full Tilt Poker we reward the players who have played the most with our Iron Man Year-End Bonus.

Players who reach any of four Iron Man status levels during the second half of 2010 (July through December) will receive a bonus at the beginning of January 2011, based on the number of months they have achieved that status.

Even if players haven't qualified for any Iron Man level during the second half of the year, they can still earn a bonus by participating in the Iron Man Challenge in December.

Remind your players that they need to opt-in to the Iron Man Challenge in December and reach Bronze, Silver, Gold or Iron status to qualify for the bonus.

Don't miss the opportunity for your players to cash in on all their hard work at the tables. Get them to participate in the Iron Man Challenge this December, and they'll start January with a brand new bonus!

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Rush Week

Posted by mypokeracademy on Tuesday, 30 November 2010 in Full Tilt Poker

players can experience the blistering pace of the world's fastest poker game to earn up to $250 in cash and win free entry to an exclusive $50K Rush Week Freeroll with our Rush Week.

Running from Monday, November 29th through Sunday, December 5th, Rush Week offers even more reasons to play Rush Poker. By earning as little as ten Full Tilt Points a day playing Rush Poker* ring games, Sit & Gos and tournaments during Rush Week, players can earn extra cash, up to $250. In addition, all Rush Poker* Tournament and Sit & Go final table players will receive entry into the exclusive $50K Rush Week Freeroll.

All guarantee Rush Poker* Tournaments will have their guarantees doubled for the duration of Rush Week, while the $80K Guarantee, on Saturday, and the Sunday Brawl will be converted to Rush Poker* Tournaments.

Promote Rush Week to get your players back at the felt. Remind players that Rush Poker* enables them to earn Full Tilt Points faster than any other game, and remember - this generates more revenue for you. Use the Rush Poker* banners on your affiliate site alongside reviews and articles about Rush Poker* and Rush Poker* Tournaments for maximum impact.

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1000 Poker - 1000Poker.net - http://1000poker.net

Posted by maltapokertours on Monday, 25 October 2010 in poker web-sites

1000 Poker - 1000Poker.net - http://1000poker.net is the ultimate poker web site bringing you online LIVE poker dealt by real dealers from Casino di Venezia in Malta. 1000 Poker specialiazes in the best online rakeback and deposit deals! The website offers you as well a live casino from which you can select between Roulette, Blackjack, Trente et Quarante (30 et 40), Punto y Banco, Jacks or Better and Slot Machines. {youtube.com:xfTbf8E8Lsc} http://1000poker.net

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CEO at MyPokerBlog & Pokernet.dk shares his thoughts

Posted by maltapokerevents on Wednesday, 29 September 2010 in Malta Poker Events

So! You've heard about MyPokerBlog, one of the main collaborators for the Malta Poker Open 2010, and you want to know more. Malta Poker Events had a 'sit-down' with Jonathan Vincentz, CEO of MyPokerBlog and Pokernet.DK - Denmark's biggest poker forum - to tell it like it is! Kepe reading to find out more about poker coaching, 'handpicked scandinavian models', the Malta Poker Open 2010 and MyPokerBlog, the freshest poker site launched this Autumn! Read more...

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Malta Poker Open – Stage 1 Satellite pays out another 12 players!

Posted by maltapokerevents on Thursday, 23 September 2010 in Jetbull

€1,440 Pot And 12 Winners

Malta Poker Open 2010 - Powered by XLbet.com 'Stage 1' Live Satellite at the Portomaso Casino, St. Julians, Malta. A total of 53 players registered for the MPO2010 ‘Stage 1’ live satellite at the Portomaso Casino on the 21^st September 2010. The event kicked off at 8:05pm when the casino dealers started off the first shuffle of the night and dealt out the initial hand to all the eager poker players at the table. The ‘Stage 1’ satellite qualifiers cost players €10 + €1 and give them a chance at starting their journey to the Malta Poker Open 2010 main event – which is worth €1,100. At the ‘Stage 1’qualifier, players are each given 5,000 chips as their starting stack, and have the opportunity of placing two re-buys and one add-on before the break. A re-buy allows players to buy-in once again if they lose all their chips or hold less than 5,000 chips at any point before the first break, which essentially gives players a second chance just in case they get unlucky the first time round. The ‘stage 1’ tourneys are limited to 2 re-buys, so players do not take advantage of their opponents by playing recklessly just because they may afford to do so. An add-on is similar to a re-buy in the sense that if the player wants to, he may pay an additional €10, but this can only be done at the beginning of the first break and only if the player is still in the game. Players may have any amount of chips when purchasing an add-on, and it is seen as more of a top-up rather than a new ‘life’ altogether. In the ‘Stage 1’ satellites, players are given 5,000 chips for both the re-buys and the add-ons done during the game. By the beginning of the first break, some players had exited the tournament making space for an additional 3 players to join in on the action, taking up the starting count of 50, to a total of 53 players. By 10pm this number had dropped to 48 with Ryan Lanzon at the lead holding 38,000 chips at the 7^th level...Read More

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6 Main Event ticket winners at the Malta Poker Open Super Satellite!

Posted by maltapokerevents on Tuesday, 07 September 2010 in Malta Poker Events

Malta Poker Open - Super Satellite

The first live super satellite for the Malta Poker Open – Powered by XLBet.com kicked off at 4:30pm on Sunday the 5^th September 2010 at the Portomaso Casino. 66 players participated in the €110+€10 freeze-out tournament each competing for a €1,100 main event seat for the Malta Poker Open.

Players were handed 15,000 chips at the start of the tournament which featured 30 minute blind levels, giving them a relaxed blind structure to play through the tournament duration which was expected to last between 7 and 9 hours.

32 of the players present had gained entry to the tournament through the weekly 'Stage 1' satellites which took place throughout the month of August 2010. These stage 1 satellites featured a €10+1 entry and took place every Tuesday at the Portomaso Casino. The remaining 34 players bought into the tournament directly on the day of the event.

A few hours into tournament, by 8:00pm, players had decreased to 51 in all, from a starting count of 66 originally. They were at the 6^th level with blinds at 250/500 + 50 antes and the average stack was 19.4k. Players all held relatively close chip stacks yet early indications showed Jason Deguara as a favourite, already at an early stage of the multi-table poker tourney. Some hours later, by 11pm, players were further reduced to 20 players and held an average of 49,000 chips, with Jason Deguara still in the lead – a position he held consistently throughout the duration of the tournament till that time.

By the 11^th level of blinds, Jacques Balzan Demajo, took the lead of the tournament after holding a sizeable chip stack throughout, and was closely followed by Domenico Tortomasi and Jason Deguara. These 3 ‘big boys’ at the table held approximately 1/3 of the entire tournament chips amongst them.

As the blinds started take their toll on some of the lower stacked players, we saw two players leave the scene after attempts to make a double up. Before his exit, Joe Mangion had a very strong starting hand, AK but was one of the short stacks at the table when he pushed all in with 8.7k. He got called by Nicolas Kostardis holding a respectable 88. Nicolas’s hand kept it’s strength up to the river and sent out Joe in 18^th place. Joe was followed by Fabien Mezanger who was also relatively low stacked, although he was playing a relatively tight game to conserve his chips. Being in an unfavourable position he made an all-in attempt at the blinds but didn’t have strong enough cards to dominate his opponent who called his bet and sent him out in 17^th place.

By the time the clock struck midnight, players were at the 13^th level and the average stack had rose to 70,000chips. Blinds were at the 2.5k/5k level and 500 chips were being paid out by the players as antes. At that point, Jason Degauara was back in the lead with over 180k chips, followed by Domenico ‘Mimmo’ Tortomasi with 120k.

Andrea Miceli [Italy] was the next player out, when holding AJc, he pushed pre-flop with 45,000 chips whilst on the BB. Miceli got called by Michele Petrone [also from Italy] who held AQ. A queen was the first card on the board as the dealer uncovered the flop, pairing Petrone’s Q giving him the advantage on Miceli’s hand. The turn and river cards followed up yet there were no signs of Miceli’s hand getting any stronger and Miceli was taken out in 14^th place.

Roman Dours, a young French player, was relatively low stacked by the thirteenth level of blinds yet he doubled up and then again tripled up in a matter of a few hands which propelled him to inches away from the chip leader, Jason Deguara. Ramon had then achieved a far safer position giving him a better chance at reaching a ‘money finish’ in the tournament.

We also saw a great comeback from Franco Bugeja, who was reduced to just 500 chips and took them up to 20,000 in a matter of a few hands, first hitting trips Q’s and then a straight. Franco was still in ‘murky waters’ with a sub average chip stack, yet he performed a noticeable feat at such a late stage of the tournament.

Gordon Mifsud [Left] & Jacques Balzan Demajo [Right]

A fairly debatable hand took place right before the break when Michele Petrone at the big blind called an All-in bet by Jacques Balzan Demajo. Jacques, who was close to the lead for a big part of the tournament was holding 54k in this particular hand, when Petrone called his bet whilst holding pocket 5’s. Jacques’s AT doubled paired on the flop which helped him take over Petrone’s seemingly loose call as 12 players were left in the game. Jacques took his stack up to 105k whilst Petrone went down to 51k from over 100k a few minutes before.

Players went on their final break by 12:30am before entering the 14^th level of blinds. Almost all the players were equally stacked, with the exception of Jenny Tumino, the only remaining female player at the tables, who held approximately 21,000 chips.

Once players were back from the break and back into the action, Thomas Harvey, was on the big blind which was 7,000 chips at the time. Dan Hully, who was under the gun, raised the blind to a 20,000 bet which was uncalled by the rest of the players at the table. Harvey retaliated with an all in bet of 44,000 chips whilst holding AQ. Dan Hully called Harvey’s bet with his pocket ten’s and the dealer started off uncovering the flop, which showed a 7 8 9 on the flop, a Jack on 4^th street, giving Hully a straight, and an Ace on the river, pairing Harvey’s Ace. Harvey’s pair was not strong enough against Hully’s pocket ten’s which had developed into a straight by the turn. Hully covered all of Harvey’s stack sending him out in 11^th place. Jenny Tumino was the next player out in 10^th place.

After Jenny Tumino’s exit, in 10^th place, the 9 remaining players at the felt were all relatively equally stacked. The lowest stacked player at the table was Michele Petrone with 35,000 chips. All the other player were in the 100k territory.

A heads up between Jacques Balzan Demajo and Daniel Bonello - almost equally stacked - resulted up with Jacques on the losing end and started his next hand with barely enough for the blinds. Jacques didn’t last much longer after this face off with Bonello. An unfortunate turnout as Jacques was one of the most consistent players throughout the tournament who maintained a strong lead for a big part of its duration. Jacques won a €110 + €10 Super satellite seat for his placing

The next player out was Michele Petrone who held 9T whilst on the button. An opponent under the gun pushed all in pre-flop with AQ and all other players folded. A Queen on the flop gave Petrone’s opponent the advantage and kept his strength all the way to the river. Michele went out in 8^th position, winning himself a ticket for the next edition of the Malta Poker Open – Super satellite.

The game came to a close at 1:35AM, when Federico Vitale pushed all-in holding 99. Vitale got called by Romain Dours with KQ. A 4Q8 came out on the flop giving Dours an advantage, which got further strengthened on the turn when a King came out giving him two pairs. The final blow came out on the river with another Queen which developed Dours’s hand into a monster full house with Queens full of Kings - demolishing Vitale’s frail pair. Dours held a larger stack than Vitale sending him out in 7^th place.

The winners of the Super Satellite for the Malta Poker Open – Powered by XLBet.com were:

Winners of the main event seats for the Malta Poker Open 2010 - Powered by XLBet.com

1^st to 6^th – Won a main event seat to the Malta Poker Open 2010 – Powered by XLBet.com!

From left to right:- Dan Hully, Jason Deguara, Reuben Vellden, Mark Vella [Tournament Director], Daniel Bonello, Romain Dours, Domenico Tortomasi.

7^th to 9^th – Won a seat to the next Super Satellite for the Malta Poker Open 2010 – Powered by XLBet.com

7^th Federico Vitale

8^th Michele Petrone

9^th Jacques Balzan Demajo

Cash Prizes

10^th Jenny Tumino - €80

The Malta Poker Open ‘Stage 1’ satellites for the month of September kick off on Tuesday, 7^th September at the Portomaso Casino. Tournaments will follow up the same structure as the August ‘Stage 1 satelltes’ - €10 + €1 rebuy/add-on tournaments. Tourney’s will kick off at 8pm and players are advised to register as early as possible to ensure seating at the tournament.

The next ‘Super Satellite’ for the Malta Poker Open 2010 – Powered by XLBet.com will take place on the 3^rd October 2010 at the Portomaso Casino. Players are invited to win their seats for this through the weekly ‘Stage 1’ satellites every Tuesday or buy-in directly at the Portomaso Casino, any day throughout the month of September.

Malta Poker Events

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