Hi Mike,
Suppose you get AA or Big Slick (AK) on the first down cards in Hold’em. Flop comes out and they are all low and no pairs, do you advise staying in to 4th and 5th street, or fold after the flop? In other words, are you pretty much spent after the flop?

Answer: As with the play of most hands, the answer to your question is…it depends! There is one basic principle that I tell the new Hold'em players that I teach…fit or fold. This means you are obviously trying to match the cards in your hand with the cards on the board, and if you don’t, you should not continue with the hand. This doesn’t mean you should fold good hands just because you don’t match the board, but you should proceed carefully if you do not. Whether you fold AK after the flop when you don’t match depends on how many players are in, what the betting pattern is like and how well you know your opponents.


Hi Mike,
My question is about Party Poker 7 Card Stud games. After the hand is finished and the winning hand is turned up, is the last card shown in that hand actually the river card or are the down cards mixed up?

Answer: When you are playing 7 Card Stud, click on the dealer tray and you will see an option that says “shuffle shown cards”. If the player has that option selected his cards will be shuffled before they are shown. There is no way to know if a particular player has this option selected so you should probably assume that the cards are not in the order of delivery.


Hi Mike,
I’ve been playing the $.50/$1.00 tables and it seems like the bets are so low that there are a lot of come betters to the end. What do you think?

Answer: The lower the limit the more people that are going to stay in with draws and inferior hands. Sometimes this can be frustrating, but in the long run it will be profitable for a good player. The higher the limit you play the less people will chase (in general).


Hi Mike,
I am new to playing on internet and would like to play tournaments. It’s confusing as how to play, can you help me?

Answer: Tournaments are actually pretty easy to play. On PartyPoker there are two types of tournaments, Single Table Tournaments and Multi Table Tournaments. Single Table Tournaments usually take about an hour where Multis can take up to 10 hours. To play single tables just click on the ‘Tournament’ tab then ‘Single Table’, find the game and limit that you want to play and look for one that says “waiting for players”. Open that table and click on an empty seat, you will be prompted to buy in. As soon as 10 people are seated the tournament will begin. Multi table tournaments are different because they start at a certain time. To play one of these click the ‘Tournament’ tab, then ‘Multi Table’. Find a tournament that you want to play, double click on it and it will open the tournament lobby for that tournament. You will see a register button. The tournament seating will start 15 minutes prior to the start of the tournament. The table will automatically open. You can also find more information about tournaments at http://www2.partypoker.com/games/tournaments/index.html


Hi Mike,
I have been playing online poker seriously for the last 5 months, and am averaging $5 per hour, mainly due to my success in a couple of competitions. I play NL Hold’em competitions, and regularly get into the top 10-15% finishers. I mainly play Omaha hi-lo, Omaha, and Texas Hold’em Pot Limit, which gives me very erratic results. Based on this information, do you think that I have the capability to go professional in the distant future; within the next couple of years?

Answer: I don’t recommend anyone “turn pro”. Poker is a tough place to make a living and the lifestyle is not what many think it is. I strongly recommend to everyone that asks me to get a life and a job and play poker as a hobby. That doesn’t mean one can’t make good money playing poker as a hobby.


Hi Mike,
I play regularly in what I would call an action game. It tends to be a loose game with a lot of raising and re-raising. I usually play tight aggressive game, but I can't seem to win much. I fold too many hands that end up winning the pot. For example 45offsuit, and 455 flops. What is a good strategy to use?

Answer: Playing tight/aggressive in a game that is playing loose/fast is probably not the best idea. Loosen up your starting hand requirements and continue to play optimally after the flop. Calling preflop with hands like 45suited, TJsuited etc. is ok in these types of games.


Hi Mike,
After all the cards are dealt, how do you determine who has to show their cards first. Then do all other players have the right to throw their cards away with out showing them?

Answer: On the river if everyone checks then the person first to the left of the button will have to show his hand. It will then proceed clockwise around the table with each player’s hand only being shown if it is the winning hand at that point. If on the river a player bets/raises then the last person to take such an action will have his hand shown first and it will then proceed clockwise as above. There is an option on the lower left hand of a game screen call Muck Losing/Uncalled Hands. If a player has this option unchecked he will be given an option to show his hand even if it is the losing hand in rotation.


Hi Mike,
This is a tournament question. I see people playing anything suited and any Ace in tournaments (limit and no-limit) and winning. No book I have read says this is good. Please comment on this and what is a solid tourney strategy vs. full ring game?

Answer: A solid tournament strategy will include playing more loosely in the beginning when the blinds are small and playing more conservatively when they increase. In general this is the tournament strategy I use although that of course can change according to the table/players. In full ring games it would also depend on the composition of the players/table. In a loose game I will lower my starting hand requirements to be able to see a few more flops with drawing hands. Many of the players that you see winning with anything suited and any ace are probably long term losers and more aggressive players. Sometimes that can be a good tournament strategy but not one that I use.


Hi Mike,
I play Hold’em. My usual play consists of staying the first round with a face card or better the majority of the time (including two of the same suit), depending on where the button is. If other players aren't doubling their bets, I remain for the river and if I at least don't pair up with face cards, I get out. I study the play of others as best I can and am usually on target with my assessments. Problem is my win percentage is less than 20%, even though I see the river on well over 50% of the hands. Any suggestions?

Answer: From the sounds of it you might need to tighten up your starting hand requirements.
Here is a list of the groups of starting hands:
Group 1: AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AKs
Group 2: TT, AQs, AJs, KQs, AK
Group 3: 99, JTs, QJs, KJs, ATs, AQ
Group 4: T9s, KQ, 88, QTs, 98s, J9s, AJ, KTs
Group 5: 77, 87s, Q9s, T8s, KJ, QJ, JT, 76s, 97s, Axs, 65s
Group 6: 66, AT, 55, 86s, KT, QT, 54s, K9s, J8s, 75s
Group 7: 44, J9, 64s, T9, 53s, 33, 98, 43s, 22, Kxs, T7s, Q8s
Group 8: 87, A9, Q9, 76, 42s, 32s, 96s, 85s, J8, J7s, 65, 54, 74s, K9, T8
I would recommend playing nothing but group 1 -5 hands and putting your skills to use with those hands. I would expect your win % to increase. Playing all suited hands and any face card will cost you money in the long run.


Hi Mike,
I have two questions for you, first I was wondering if there is a book on the market that deals with the nuances of online no limit Texas Hold’em or any type of poker?

Answer: There are several books specifically about online poker that I recommend. You can see a full list of the books I recommend at: http://www.rzitup.com/poker/poker_books.htm


Hi Mike,
Would love to know your answer regarding Ten/Jack in a Hold’em tournament situation/table full. Is this hand;

muck preflop

Answer: Ten/Jack is the #1 hand that I get questions about. It can be both a good hand and a bad hand and there are two distinct ways to play it. You never want to come into the pot in early position with JT. You do want to come into the pot with JT if there are many players involved. In other words, it is not a good heads up hand (with a raiser) but it figures very well with a large field seeing the flop. Personally I like to see a flop with Ten/Jack if I am in late position, in the blinds or will even make a raise in late position if I am the first person in the pot.


Hi Mike,
I have become a pretty good limit Hold’em tournament player, but don't feel prepared to try No Limit, or Pot-Limit. Can you recommend any books or videos specifically about No Limit, and Pot Limit strategies?

Answer: Championship No Limit and Pot Limit Hold’em by Tom McEvoy and T.J. Cloutier is the best book I have read. You can see a full list of the books I recommend at: http://www.rzitup.com/poker/poker_books.htm


Hi Mike,
If you are playing Hold’em and you call a player does the player who was called have the right to muck his cards or must he show you his hand if you request to see it.

Answer: Playing on PartyPoker the last player to make a betting action (bet/raise) will have his hand turned up first; he will not be given an option to muck. In a live poker game there would be nothing to stop that person from throwing his hand in the muck although you would have the right to ask to see the hand and the dealer should do what they can to stop the hand and show it.


Hi Mike,
I'll be in Vegas soon and would like to know where and when can I find Texas No-limit Poker tournaments? Preferably with a minimal buy-in.

Answer: The best thing to do would be to pick up a copy of the latest Card Player Magazine. They list the entire daily and weekly tournament in and around Las Vegas and most other poker areas.


Hi Mike,
What does it mean when the entry for a tournament say $9.00 + $1.00?

Answer: The $9 + $1 would mean that $9 would go into the prize pool to be won by the players and the $1 is a service charge that is collected by PartyPoker.com for hosting the tournament.


Hi Mike,
When do you play a non consecutive suited hand and when do you fold it at a 6 player table? Also if you do play it and you flop two more is it worth it to pay for the river card if you know you don’t even have a pair?

Answer: The answer to your question is, it depends. I usually avoid small suited cards when playing short handed, but will take a flop if it’s for one bet and getting multiple way action. As for proceeding after the flop when you flop a flush draw…that too depends on the action during the hand. If you have to call heads up you are probably not getting proper odds. If 3 or 4 players are coming along then you probably are getting odds to draw to your flush.


Hi Mike,
I seem to do well playing on-line, but my question is regarding playing at the tables near my home. I play the 2/4 Hold’em tables and I am not sure what to do when everyone is betting and capping out before the flop. When the entire table is jacking up the pot like that how do I know when to stay in and what to stay in with? When I play and people don’t raise and rarely bluff I can judge what they have and I do well. The pot jackers are throwing me off.

Answer: The dreaded pot jackers! These are the players you love in the game. My advice as to how to adjust for these types of games is simple…play along with them. Loosen up your starting hand requirements but tighten up your post flop play. Don’t call with bottom pair in a multi way pot, but do call with the flush and straight draws. See flops with 56 suited and small pairs. What you are trying to do is win big pots with drawing hands and not lose more money with what you would consider made hands when playing in a tighter game.


Hi Mike,
Is it ever smart to slow-play pocket aces?

Answer: The quick answer is YES! And NO!

What does that mean? I have slow played pocket aces, but usually only in No Limit Hold’em where you look to limp in first position and then hope for a late position raise. In Limit Hold’em I would not usually recommend slow playing aces.


Hi Mike,
I like to play the single table tourneys. Typically @ the $50 entry which pays $250 to the winner. My question: What is the appropriate bet for Pocket AA, KK, QQ, AK early in the tourney? I struggle as to whether to go all in, bet $100, $250 etc? In general, is there a rule of thumb as to the pre-flop bet as % of overall stack?

Answer: The general rule for No Limit Hold’em is to raise 3 or 4 times the big blind. You can use that rule early on in the single table tournaments but in the late stages that sometimes means 60% or more of your chips. If that is the case you are better off going all in. Being able to get away from hands after you make standard raises is important. Try not to commit yourself early in the tournament with bigger raises than are necessary.


Hi Mike,
How is the low hand order determined? Is a 3, 7 or 4, 5 the better hand?

Answer: In determining a low hand you start from the top and count down. In the example you gave a 54 would be lower than a 37.


Hi Mike,
When did the Ace of any suit become the highest card? Seems as though it should be the lowest. (ex. 1, 2, 3...J, Q, K) Why did it become the highest of trips? Seems like K, K, K should beat A, A, A.

Answer: The Ace has always been a both a high and low card when it comes to poker. This is standard poker rules. An Ace can be used either as the bottom end of the smallest straight (A, 2, 3, 4, 5) and it can also be used as the lowest card when playing a Hi-Lo split game.