Tag Archives: lose
4 Tips to Winning Double or Nothing Tournaments
Double or nothing tournaments are much different than normal poker tournaments because they have a very unique payout structure. In a double or nothing tournament half of the players in the field double their buy-in and half lose theirs. The fact that so many players cash combined with the fact that there is no difference in prize amount between first place and the last casher means the strategy for these tournaments is very unique.
Tip 1 Play Tight in the Early Stages of the Tourney At this stage of a double or nothing tournament you want to play very tight and only play big hands. The less experienced double or nothing players will likely be playing a lot of hands and you want to let them. If you do find a good hand you should play it aggressively in order to keep from allowing your opponent to suck out on you.
Tip 2 Maintain Your Stack through the Middle Stages In the middle stages of a double or nothing tournament the blinds will start to increase and you will need to steal blinds on occasion to maintain your stack size. You cant have your stack getting too small at this stage because you want it to carry you through the later levels.
Tip 3 Survive the Late Stages In the late stages you should just be focussing on surviving. At this point there will be about two-thirds of the field remaining which means there will only be a few more busts before you cash. If you have a big stack at this stage you should just hold onto it and not risk any chips when you dont need to. If you have a short stack you will want to compare your stack size to the other short stacks and if you are in a non-cash position you should get aggressive and try to gain some chips. If you need to get aggressive you should try to use your position to your advantage and you should also attack the blinds of the medium sized stacks. These players with about an average stack at this point will be wanting to fold their way into the money and you can take advantage of this by stealing their blinds.
Tip 4 Avoid Coin Flips in the Early Stages In double or nothing tournaments it is best to avoid coin flips in the early stages because they are negative expected value. This is simply because if you lose the coin flip youre out of the tourney and you lose the buy-in, whereas if you manage to win the coin flip you just have double the amount of chips and you arent even guaranteed to cash. This theory holds true only because the top prize you can win is only double your buy-in and by winning the 50% coin flip you havent even guaranteed yourself this cash.
Double or nothing tournaments are a grind and once the non-experienced players go out in the early rounds it all comes down to who can best adjust in the late stages and get the cards when they are needed.
How to Win Money Betting on Sports (Page 1 of 2)
Does the title of this article grab you in that sensitive place of your heart and mind? Does it touch a nerve down deep attracting you towards the time you will win and win big? There’s probably a nagging sensation in you that wants to know if there is some art or secret to winning money betting on sports. Others do it and, perhaps, you even know some who claim to win big money. There are magazines and books devoted to all types of sports betting. The theme, however, is how to win money betting on sports.
Betting on sports is a different kind of wagering than say, slot machines, or roulette, or even craps. Sports betting are closely kin to poker. Poker is considered gambling by the uninitiated and, of course, it is in that category. But poker is far more sophisticated than merely playing a hand of cards dealt to you and placing a bet on the table. Poker is a discipline all it’s own and so is sports betting. The two endeavors should be considered first cousins of chance.
It is not unusual to see a good poker player also have a certain degree of success with his sports betting. Both require a good deal of thought, observation, research, and courage. You have to be aggressive and bold in both.
There are some who would love to bet on their favorite team, but lack the basic understanding to do it. But with the Internet you can do an amazing amount of research; with Amazon.com you can purchase books online. You can do the kind of research that will start you on the right road to becoming successful. Success in sports betting is always winning more than you lose. Anything less than that is a failure; this is basic stuff.
After learning a few of the basic rules and forming an overall strategy of betting it becomes very tempting to launch out and bet a bundle. Don’t do that; sports betting, like poker is a game of patience and skill. Take time to learn as much as possible. When you get to the point you think you know the drill then make your wagers on paper. Do this for seven events. Be careful because you are not really playing with money-you might take risks on paper you wouldn’t or shouldn’t take when betting your own cash.
When you are doing paper trades you can burn any number of games. There are lots of teams and lots of games. Some bettors fear if they pass up too many good bets while doing the paper trades they will lose money. Games are like taxis in a large city. If you miss one there will be another one by in a few minutes. Be patient.
If I had to establish an unbreakable rule for how to win money betting on sports it would be: “Become a knowledgeable bettor.” That requires research and research and research. There are no short cuts to winning at sports betting. Oh you can plop down a bet here and there and you may even be lucky and win once or twice. But if you bet without doing the basic research you will soon become disillusioned and quit, or you will bet the farm and have to move out. Don’t do that. Play smart. You can win a lot of money if you do this the right way. You can lose a lot if you don’t.