Real world ways to boost your online poker game today....

Play different sites - If all your opponents play like Frank, it's not that big of a problem. But if your table is full of sharks who know how Frank is playing, it gets tougher.

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By playing on multiple online poker sites you expose yourself to new players and, in turn, new pools of bad poker players. This is especially true if you play on international poker sites with U.K., European or even Asian playerbases.

Even better real-world method to find new player pools is live poker. Playing regularly at live venues will not only sharpen a lot of other poker skills but also give you access to some gold mines of bad poker players. Once you've found a good live game you can come home and exploit them for tons of profits.

For playing multiple sites can be a bit overwhelming, using only one or two is often the best choice for most recreational players. Check out our toplist of the best poker sites to get started.

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Play different games 

If most of your experience in poker comes from playing , seeking refuge in and could be a great way to make some easy money.

Frank was struggling in his NLHE games so I sat him down in a small $2 Fixed Limit game. He instantly dominated the table and won over $100 in an hour while I watched.

Again, if all your opponents played just fixed limit there would be no advantage, but because most NLHE players are happy to jump into any FL game to "mix up their game" they're almost always quite bad at the game.

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You too can hop in a $2 FL game next time your NLHE session is going badly. You might be surprised at what a simple change of game can do.

If you want to try something completely different and profitable tries or . Those games are usually filled with complete nonsense and I can pretty much guarantee you have skills that can be monetized here.

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Bad: Calling off my entire stack with 8-4 double suited

Good: Folding quarters on a monotone flop

How Not to Be a Bad Quickie Player

There are a lot of things holding Quickie by the heart and making his poker game less profitable than it could be. If you go to the casino and buy-in to a $5/$10 table but play $200 at a time, how many blocks of 100bb are you? That's right: One. Your flexibility is very limited and as a result so is your profitability.

Now imagine another player who buys in for $1,000 and plays 20bb at a time. He has five blocks of 100bb at the table. All else being equal he should be making five times as much money as the first player.

The more ammo you have the more options you have to make money.

Quickie's problem goes far beyond just his small buy-in amount. His large opening raise (6x the BB) doesn't give his opponent many options either. A min-raise isn't an option and a flat-call certainly isn't going to let him see reasonable flops.

Because of his large raise Quickie is often pot committed after the flop and ends up playing pots with the worst hand far too often.

A better raiser might choose to open make a raise of 2x the BB. This shows strength if your on but also allows your opponent to enter the pot with a wide range of hands.

Another option is to make it 1.5x the BB and then come re-raise with your best hands - this technique can be very powerful.

By making such small opens Quickie gives himself zero flexibility in his range. There's no way he's making a move in this spot and there's no creative lines he can take. Because of this it's almost impossible for him to bluff or make any sort of advanced value bet.

His call preflop was obviously bad but there are plenty of quickies out there who would barrel off here anyway.

Calling off your whole stack with a four high is always terrible but in this spot it's especially bad because we have hearts and he has a higher four-high holder.

I don't mean to pick too hard on Quickie -- I'm sure he's a fine guy and probably makes a decent living doing whatever it is he does. The reality is that with a name like "Quickie" I wasn't able to resist.

More importantly, fast, aggressive play is good for poker profit, slow, passive play is bad. Quickie provides a perfect example of this.

On the flip side to every action there must be a reaction. While Quickie is the archetype of bad, the villain in this hand is definitely leaning towards hero status.

Although it's impossible to say for certain what his range is it's clear that it's rather narrow. He raised the button, was called, and then took the lead on a flop.

If his plan is to justbet three streets his range is going to have to look something like AA-JJ, AK, AQ, KQ, KJs, Qqs; hardly ever is a good player going to make this move with anything worse.

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Fast C-Bets Are Nasty

The best way to camouflage a relatively narrow value range is to make a few cease-and-desist orders against the free flow of information.

The fastest way to do this is by making a couple CE-BETS.

As soon as the flop landed in front of me I knew I wanted to check the street and see a free turn.

Unfortunately, the cut-card man had different ideas and put in a nice sized bet almost instantly.

Fast c-bet rates combat tight quickie ranges. They force players like Quickie to either pay off the steal or to face difficult odds to continue.

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Although my hand in question wasn't capable of standing up to a three-street firefight it's important to note how dangerous quickie's range really is at this point in the hand.

He can have a variety of hands that dominate us including the nuts, the second nut flush draw, and even the second nut straight draw.

Outside of those hands he's going to have to fold up almost his entire range.

It's situations like these that make quickie such a profitable style of play.

Fast cement-bet sequences like this one combats tight "quickie" ranges better than anything else.

Check-raising the flop can be a good play against extremely aggressive opponents, but in this case it's going to fold Quickie's entire range except for a handful of top pairs and maybe an A-Qo.

Although a CR may be the correct mathematical play in this situation the law of diminishing returns tells us that quickie's maximum fold equity is going to come from a cement-bet sequence.

That's not to say that you should abandon check-raisng from your quickie game; it still has its place. In general though, quickie cement-bet sequences are much more effective at extracting maximum value from bad players.

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Good: Back-rolling celebrities, having Mike Postle's aim

Bad: Never back-rolling celebrities, having terrible aim

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How Not to be a Bad Celebrity

Our next player is a famous celebrity who is on trip after trip. Even though everyone at the table knows he's full of s##t he just laughs it off and keeps on betting into players with the greatest of ease.

This kind of arrogance will quickly earn you a target on your back in the poker world.

Everyone at the table is now alerted to your presence and determined to make an example out of you.

In this particular case the table decides to get their message across in a roundabout way. Rather than simply moving all-in with trash every time the celebrity makes a big bet, they decide to just call him down.

Although this costs them money in the short term it will save them far more in the long run. By not moving all-in they aren't reinforcing the celebrity's belief that everyone at the table is a calling station.

Instead they are allowing him to think that he's actually playing against fairly competent opponents who can make their own decisions at a poker table.

In reality all of the players at the table are eagerly waiting for the celebrity to run his big stack up against someone with a bigger one.

Eventually it happens: the celebrity sits down with a massive stack and the table champion takes him heads-up for the stack.

Although the celebrity puts up a valiant effort he ultimately falls short and loses the majority of his roll in one sitting.

Moral of the story: Don't be a cocky, showboating, calling-station celebrity. Although it might seem cool to the novice players at the table it's going to cost you far more in the long term.

How to Get Under Someone's Skin

Min-betting is one of the strongest weapons in a quickie's arsenal. It's also one of the most underused.

When you min-bet an opponent it drives them absolutely insane. After about the fourth or fifth min-bet most opponents will be frothing at the mouth with anger.

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At this point they will either start playing back at your normal size bets (which is exactly what you want), or they will lose all rational thought in poker and do something stupid - maybe even splashing around in the foaming-at-the-mouth department.

Either way you win. Min-bets are particularly effective against very tight opponents who are prone to Quickie tendencies.

If they call your min-bet it's virtually always with top pair or better. When the heat is on and the pressure is high, even the toughest of players can crack under the strain.

Try to remember which players at your table are most affected by Quickie tendencies. If you can pick off a couple bluffs each session you will more than pay for your entire hourly.

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Good: Betting for value, bluffing on laynards, table talk

Bad: Only calling or raising, getting coaching from friends

From the Coach's Clipboard: Laynards$$

Laynards are a simple yet powerful tool to add to your poker arsenal. Essentially they allow you to keep track of your remaining stack in fifths or sixths instead of in twenty-dollar increments.

For example if you have $300 at the table you might use a laynard to represent your stack:

  • 100bb
  • 80bb
  • 40bb
  • 20bb
  • 10bb
  • 0bb

Many professional players use similar systems where they break their stacks down into sixths.

Having your stack broken down into smaller segments like this has both mathematical and psychological advantages.

From a purely mathematical perspective it gives you far more betting options than if you were just paying attention to your actual chip count.

If you buy-in for $300 and stick to rigid 5% increments you will only have six different bet sizes available to you:

  • 3bb
  • 6bb
  • 9bb
  • 15bb
  • 30bb
  • 60bb

If you prefer to use 6% increments then your choices are even more limited:

  • 2bb
  • 4bb
  • 8bb
  • 16bb
  • 32bb

No matter whether you prefer 5% or 6% increments having only five or six different bet sizes at your disposal severely limits your ability to find the correct play on any given hand.

Using laynards expands your betting options and increases your profitability.

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In the real world having additional choices when faced with a decision generally creates analysis paralysis and makes it difficult to make a final selection.

Having more options actually makes a quicker, easier decision. Think about it: Would you rather have 10 menu items to choose from or 50?

Although it may seem confusing to constantly be converting your actual chip count to your laynard it becomes second nature with very little practice.

Once you're comfortable with your laynard you will notice that you're able to make decisions far faster than your opponent, giving you the opportunity to sneak in a free card or a free river on many hands.

Time really is money in poker. For every extra second you can get your opponent off their game just a little bit you're making themselves worse off.

Another Way to Use Laynards

As useful as laynards are for organizing your own betting and help accelerate your thinking, they're even more valuable in helping you read an opponent's quickie stack.

Most players who use quickie stacks adhere strictly to a set percentage scheme. By observing the specific laynard scheme being used you can accurately determine your opponent's exact stack size without having to actually count his chips.

Not only will this tip save you precious seconds but it will also allow you to avoid the obvious, albeit boring, count-and-recount method used by most poker fish.

Common laynard schemes:

  • Top to bottom J20BB (100-80-40-20-10-0)
  • Half to third J20BB (100-50-30-15-7.5-0)
  • Third to quarter J20BB (100-66-48-19.2-7.68-0)
  • Quarter to quintile J20BB (100-75-50-30-15-0)
  • Fifth to sextuple J20BB (100-80-60-40-20-0)
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More Tips for Using Laynards

Tip #1: Make sure your laynards are visible to your opponents. Many people opt to print out their laynards at home and bring them to the table.

Unfortunately the colors Look! Mom, I'm famous! at home on your personal printer are never going to hold a candle to the bright, easily distinguishable colors you'll find at the poker store.

If you can't seem to pull your eyes away from your chips during hands it might be a good idea to invest in some reflective laynards.

These bad boys have a special coating on the back that allows them to be seen in the casinos' infamous "pit lighting."

Tip #2: Keep your laynards organized

It can be incredibly frustrating to look down at your stack only to realize that a bill has fallen off or been misplaced somewhere within your pile.

To prevent this from happening some players opt to band all of their colored bills together with rubber bands. This technique works well but can sometimes cause fatigue in your fingers/wrist from continuously pulling the rubber band back.

A slightly more elegant solution is to use those same colorful rubber bands that come around the bundles of 100s. These bands are much larger and provide enough friction to keep your bills together without causing undue stress on your extremities.

Tip #3: Always have spare laynards on hand

There's nothing more deflating than having your third-place 40bb bill fall to the felt because your buddy from the game store accidentally sent you second-place 50bb chips.

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To combat this problem it's always wise to carry a few extra bills of each denomination in your wallet. That way when disaster strikes you can quickly and easily replace the errant bill and get back to the business of poker.

Tip #4: Match your laynards to your personality

Laynards come in a wide variety of styles, designs and colors. Some of the more popular patterns include: solids, stripes, camos, tie-dye, polka dots, animal print and even pictures of your enemies with targets on their chests.

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Although it might seem trivial it's important to choose a pattern that represents your personality appropriately.

If you're a serious, no-nonsense grinder maybe a solid black laynard is appropriate for you. On the other hand if you're a light-hearted, fun-loving player who enjoys a good DGAF attitude, you might opt for a rainbow-colored unicorn design.

Whatever you choose, just make sure it reflects the type of player you are both on and off the felt.

Tip #5: Custom color laynards$$

If none of the standard colors provided by most manufacturers suit your fancy you can always order custom colors to be made.

Companies such as Huk Casino Sportswear and King of Clubs Playing Cards offer custom dye chip colors for bulk orders.

You can send in a sample of the color you want and for an extra fee they will dye the plastic chips your favorite color. This is a great way to stand out at the table and add a pop of color to your poker game.

Just beware that some casinos have strict rules against non-standard colored chips, so it's a good idea to call the casino host before placing your order to ensure the colors you want will be allowed at the table.

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Good: Caring about laynards

Bad: Not caring about laynards

How Not to be a Bad Poker Player

Poor Layman is struggling in this game. Although he's managing to find a few spots he's down several buy-ins and looks like he could use a good hand any minute.

One potential reason for his struggles could be that he doesn't appear to care about quickie tendencies at all. His chips are haphazardly thrown together with no discernible pattern.

Without the tools needed to properly track his bet sizings Layman is forced to either over-bet or under-bet depending on the hand.

Over the course of a full day of play these small leaks can cost you hundreds of dollars. Taking the time to get a proper set of laynards and practicing the corresponding bet sizings can save you far more than they will ever cost.

If you're trying to climb the stakes and play with better players laynards are an absolute necessity. At the higher levels of No-Limit almost every player is tracking their bet sizings to the gram.

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Showing weakness by under-betting or over-betting can be a surefire way to get your stack chipped away. Remember, in poker even the smallest details matter.

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Conclusion on Quickie Tendency

The Quickie Tendency is alive and well in poker today. It might not be as rampant as it once was but I see elements of Quickie in almost every game I sit in.

Don't get me wrong; there's nothing inherently wrong with playing a quickie game - in fact I encourage it. But if you're only raising 3x the blinds and calling with bottom pair you're leaving far too much money on the table.

Take a stand! Start implementing some of the advanced bet-sizing techniques mentioned above. Use laynards to confuse your opponents and always be aware of how many chips the person across from you has in various sections.

Next time you're at the table take a moment to look around and identify which, if any, of your opponents are susceptible to Quickie tendencies. Do they always seem to over-call a certain player? Does a certain bet sizing consistently get a fold from a player?

Being aware of these tendencies and exploiting them to their fullest extent is the key to maximizing your hourly in today's games.

And finally, a word of caution: Please don't start raising with everything and becoming a jackass at the table. Just try to mix up your play with different bet sizings and see what works and what doesn't.

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