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Winningest player set to show his cards
Winningest player set to show his cards
Greetings to poker players and fans around the world. I've made my living as a professional poker player since 1992. I've played in poker tournaments around the world, and my almost $6 million in winnings from tournament play ranks me as the career leader in professional poker tournament earnings.
Poker is what I do. Poker is my passion.
OK, that's about all you're going to hear about me, because this weekly column isn't about me — it's about you, and how I can help you to become a better poker player. I know few of you have ever played in big-dollar tournaments like the World Series of Poker.
I'm also aware that only a small percentage of you have ventured into a casino to play cash-game or tournament poker. But maybe someday you will, and by reading this column I'll help get you prepared. You'll have company, for there are an estimated 60 million poker players and fans in North America who play for fun, play for money and play to win.
My goal is simple. I want to provide useful information that will help make you a better player so that you can get more enjoyment out of the game. Every week you'll learn a poker nugget that you can put to use immediately, either in your weekly home game or in your trips to the online poker room of your choice. Reading this column may help you pick up some extra cash, too.
I'll draw on my experiences at the poker table to make complicated poker analysis easy to understand. I'll use sophisticated software to simulate interesting poker hands so that you'll know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em.
Poker is personal
I'll share personal stories that help support the poker lesson of the week, plus let you in on poker secrets that every player needs to know. For instance, you'll learn about reading tells and why they're not nearly as important as understanding the fundamentals of the game.
I'll also dissect some common myths about Texas Hold 'em.
In the weeks ahead, I'll cover a wide array of issues such as: how to play against strong and weak players; what to expect when you sit down in your first tournament; the importance of table position; aggressive play versus conservative play; and how to quickly calculate pot odds.
You only have to own a television to know that Hold 'em is the game at the poker table these days, but there are so many other games played every day in home games around the world.
In future columns, I'll introduce you to some less familiar poker games that I think are a lot of fun to play.
You'll learn about classic poker games like Omaha and Seven-card Stud, and you'll discover some new games, too.
Have you ever heard of Razz or Pineapple? You will, and you'll be ahead of the curve when these games make it to your poker table.
Limit poker, no limit poker, split-pot games and online poker — there's so much I want to share with you. I'm always interested to learn what's important to you, so I invite you to visit www.cardsharkcomments.com to submit your questions.
I know you're as excited about the game of poker as I am.
So, what's next? Well, let's shuffle up and deal.
By DANIEL NEGREANU
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