So Much to Learn, So Little Time

By now, all of those people who attended the World Poker Players Conference (WPPC) have surely improved their games and are winning consistently, right? Well, hopefully they have studied their notes from the conference and learned something, and have cut down their losses. OK, let's try another approach. Perhaps you are aware of the multitude of poker information resources out there and have accepted the fact that becoming a winning poker player takes plenty of hard work. Well, read on for more of the proven strategies and tips that many of the pros shared at the WPPC.

World-class player and Card Player Associate Editor Mark Gregorich and Card Player Cruises partner and all-around great player Mark Tenner joined forces for an Omaha eight-or-better seminar that was right on the "Mark." They mostly discussed advanced concepts for winning in ring games and touched specifically on how to play aces preflop, how and when to cap the pot, when to throw made hands away on the flop, and so forth. The best ideas I heard (they were all good, of course) were to always throw away bottom set (in multiway pots) and the nut straight when three low cards flop unless you have outs to a good low, and that aces are not the end all, be all that they are in hold'em. Omaha eight-or-better is a game of scoops, plain and simple. If you play the game to try to win half the pot, you will not be able to win. Sounds pretty simple, eh? Easier said than done.

Next and last up was the tips-from-the-pros session. Unfortunately, due to the high number of questions that were entertained in earlier sessions, there wasn't much time left for the pros to give their tips, but we all tried to squeeze in our moments in the spotlight. Joining me on the panel were Card Player columnists Tom McEvoy, Lee Jones, Lou Krieger, and the Michaels – Cappelletti and Wiesenberg. McEvoy pointed out how important the different stages of a tournament are. He mentioned that you cannot win an event in the first round, but you certainly can lose it. Jones, after showing us why he is a computer genius when he didn't understand how to advance the slide on the screen, told us he believes image is overrated unless you play against the same folks time after time. Hmm, does he really disagree with the master of ceremonies Mike Caro? It just shows that the pros don't always think the same way about everything. Krieger explained the dangers of playing dominated hands, and that if you do so, you are dead meat. In early position, kicker trouble is one of the most costly mistakes made by players at all levels. Cappelletti talked about the differences between four or fewer players seeing the flop versus five or more coming to the party in Omaha eight-or-better. He discussed the different types of hands you can play once you have identified the type of game you are in. And, finally, Wiesenberg talked about draw poker. Even though there are very few casinos, if any, that spread draw, you can find it online. The games are truly beatable by playing according to certain criteria and not "gambling it up" with the draw hands. My tip was my "world famous" multiplying your outs on the flop by four to get the approximate percentage chance of making your hand – and multiplying by two on the turn to get your percentage chance there. These figures are good to within 2 percent, always. I can send you a copy of the column I wrote about this topic if you e-mail me.

Following the speakers, the entire group of attendees, which still numbered far more than 250, formed round-table discussion groups. Players sat at big round tables and one of the speakers from the day joined each table to discuss any topic. Every seven or eight minutes, the speakers rotated and either new discussions commenced or the old ones continued. This is always a popular part of the conference for attendees, and perhaps more time will be devoted to it in the future.

After the lights were turned off and the conference room emptied, I met up with 10 others from the conference to face off in a private tournament against the Japanese players who came to visit us. My dear friend Hiroshi, who hosted Linda Johnson and me during our recent visit to Japan, gathered 11 of his compatriots and we played a two-table no-limit hold'em (no rebuys) East Meets West Challenge. We drew the tables to start so that the players alternated between the two nations. It was a tourney of honor, and the Americans wanted to win as much as our Eastern neighbors. We battled far longer than the event was planned to last, since no one wanted to give in. Finally, it was down to the last four, and Hiroshi was the only Japanese guest still with chips. What he lacked in country support at the final table, he more than made up for in a cheering section, as his entire entourage stayed until the end. Ultimately, Mark Tenner came in fourth and took home $100. Hiroshi was awarded $440 for third place. I was fortunate to outlast all but one, and got $660. The winner and owner of the bragging rights until next year when we do it again was Robert Varkonyi, and he won a cool $1,000. My bad, he was the last person I let enter the tourney! I should have cut it off! Class dismissed.

If you missed the conference or want to review it, it is on sale from the CardPlayer.com website. It's $125 to purchase and download it to own, or $49.95 to view it once only. You also can buy only one session for $19.95. Please see the website for details. For other comments or questions, please e-mail me.