Poker Glossary/Dictionary

MelloAceCV · **Posted:** Thu Sep 10, 2009 11:34 am

For tourney play, there's more information in calculating your M than in worrying about average stacks. In a deepstacked tournament, it is very possible to have an average stack, but still have 50 BB's and an M of 28 (made up numbers), which still you gives you plenty of play, without the need to make a move, shove, or really feel desperate. You may need to start finding spots to increase your stacks, like bullying short stacks, or bluffing the table rock, in order to start building a bigger stack so you can move up as you get closer to the money. But you won't have to make desperation plays. In smaller tournaments, it's possible to have an average stack of only 15 BB's, and an M of 8. This gives you far less wiggle room, as you've now limited your options for bluffing, set mining, etc. In both situations you have an "average" stack, but, as you can see, you will have to play them completely differently.

As far as the low level tournies, such as the dailies on the strip, I would say most players don't worry about M simply because they have no clue what that means. Lots of these players are more focused on their cards, and how many chips they have, and don't realize when they've become shortstacked. I've heard players tell people that they've got a ton of chips because they have 25,000. They didn't tell them that the blinds are 2000/4000, giving them a pretty small stack.

kissmyaces · **Posted:** Thu Sep 10, 2009 11:44 am

Thanks maui and mello. Appreciate your replies.
I am going to dust off Harringtons book from the shelf and actually read it!
cheers
aces

cokeboy99 · **Joined:** Thu Jun 04, 2009 3:37 pm **Posts:** 732

I'm not familiar with "spread limit" altho I've seen it mentioned.....what I seem to gather is that whatever the spread is would be the maximum total bet per round?

zzjitterzz · **Posted:** Thu Oct 15, 2009 1:09 am

"Spread Limit" is where your betting is limited to a range, as opposed to no limit where only you or your opponent's stack is the only barrier to infinity. A 2-6 spread limit game (a lot of these are stud) would go like this: The low card would bring in 1, the next player would have the options of calling 1, completing to 2, or raising to 3,4,5 or 6. The next person who wished to raise would have a maximum of 6 more on top. After each round, it resets, meaning the range is once again is 2-6. Usually, there is no increase in betting in the later rounds, like in 3-6 where bets of 3 in the first two and 6 in the last three.

Some casinos have adopted very wide spreads of 2-100 because of laws banning no limit, but it essentially plays like no limit, with a max bet/raise of 100.

ezmofokine · **Joined:** Tue Feb 26, 2008 2:24 pm **Posts:** 3

Can some explain straddling to me? I've seen it done multiple times in 1-2 NL but I don't really know what it means or what the strategy behind doing it is.

Grange95 · **Posted:** Tue Feb 09, 2010 2:37 pm

ezmofokine wrote:

Can some explain straddling to me? I've seen it done multiple times in 1-2 NL but I don't really know what it means or what the strategy behind doing it is.

A basic straddle is a blind bet by the first person to act after the big blind (a/k/a the under the gun player or "UTG"). Generally, the straddle is to twice the BB amount (so $4 in a 1/2 NL game, $10 in a 2/4 NL game). Betting begins with the next player in order (UTG+1), with each player having the option to call $4, raise, or fold. If action gets back to UTG with no raise, his straddle is "live"--i.e., he can raise if he wishes.

The main point of straddling is to generate action in a tight game. Because a straddle is out of position to most of the table, it is not a good value bet in most cases. But it can build pots and create a loose image, which some players use to their benefit against tight opponents.

Some poker rooms allow straddles on the button, with action either starting with the blinds (at many Harrah's properties), or starting normally after the blinds and then skipping the button until after the blinds act (Hard Rock). A button straddle such as used by Harrah's properties is often referred to as a "Mississippi straddle"--whether because it originated there or merely was popularized there, I don't know. Button straddles allow you to build a pot playing in great position, so it may be a good value bet to make.

Gilpin St · **Joined:** Tue Apr 22, 2008 9:41 pm **Posts:** 9

In a recent trip report alleging cheating in various rooms, the terms "softplay" and "collusion" were used to describe some cheating. What are these and what are some examples folks have observed? Thanks

Grange95 · **Posted:** Fri Apr 02, 2010 10:48 pm

Gilpin St wrote:

In a recent trip report alleging cheating in various rooms, the terms "softplay" and "collusion" were used to describe some cheating. What are these and what are some examples folks have observed? Thanks

"Softplay" is playing less aggressively against a friend than you would play against a random opponent. Classic examples include: a) checking it down when heads up; b) checking/calling behind with the nuts or near nuts; and c) not raising or check-raising with strong hands.

"Collusion" is two players playing in a manner where they are a team versus another player. For example, a player with no hand might bet or raise to build a pot for a buddy with a strong hand. Or, a player with no hand might bet or raise to get mediocre hands to fold to a buddy's bet/raise.

HySpade · **Joined:** Tue Mar 03, 2009 10:36 am **Posts:** 46

How about a definition for pot odds? I've got a good idea of what is meant but would like to hear it from the AVP'ers.

King Kashue · **Joined:** Sun Jan 31, 2010 1:35 am **Posts:** 326

HySpade wrote:

How about a definition for pot odds? I've got a good idea of what is meant but would like to hear it from the AVP'ers.

A mathematical comparison of the ratio between the size of the required call:pot size and the chance you will make a winning hand.

E.g., After the flop, if I have a drawing had with 8 outs that I believe will make me a winning hand, then I am roughly 33% (if all the outs are valid) to make my hand. Therefore, if I am calling a bet that is smaller than half the pot size, I am "getting pot odds" to continue (e.g., calling $5 to win a $20 pot means I am getting 4 to 1 on my money, and since I am 2 to 1 to make my hand, mathematically, I'm making the right choice in calling).

This is why aggressive betting is necessary to drive someone off of a drawing hand. If they have enough outs, they will have odds to call a smaller bet whereas a larger one will price them out of their draw. This is also why good players get pissed at people calling their reasonable sized bets when they have crappy draws but end up sucking out, because "Gorramit, you shouldn't have been calling that, you didn't have nearly the right odds you freaking luckbox!!! " :D

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