How to Host the Perfect Poker Home Game: More Games = More Gamble

How to Host the Perfect Poker Home Game is a 13-part series on how to run the superlative poker night for all your friends and coworkers.
We’ll cover everything from what game of poker is easiest to play, what hand beats what and even what drinks and food to serve. Follow this guide and people will be reserving their seat at your table weeks in advance marked poker.
In our 11^th article we’ll show you how to break free from the shackles of No-Limit Hold’em. It’s a big, gambley world out there if you know what games to play.
These three games are easy to play and guaranteed to inject some action into your home game if you’re stuck in a Hold’em rut.
As the numbers get higher the gamble quotient goes up. Once you get to number three you might as well just put your stack in the middle blind.
#1 – Pineapple/Crazy Pineapple
Pineapple and Crazy Pineapple are two of the easiest ways to dip your toe in the mixed-game pool. That’s because it’s played almost exactly like Hold’em.
In both the sane and mentally unstable versions of Pineapple each player receives three cards.
The difference is:

• In Pineapple you must discard before making your preflop action
• In Crazy Pineapple you must discard before making your action on the flop

In both games, if you fail to discard by the appropriate time and act with three cards, your hand is dead.
The concept is easy. By giving players an additional card you’re going to see big hands more often, infusing your home game with some much needed action.
Strategy Tip: If the rest of the table is playing Pineapple like it’s Hold’em, tighten up and make a monster before putting your chips in. Because of the extra card you’ll need a bigger hand on average to win than you would in Hold’em.#2 – Pot-Limit Omaha
Pot-Limit Omaha is arguably the game that strikes the best balance between action and poker skill, and it’s easy to learn if you play Hold’em.
The only differences between PLO and Hold’em are:

• Each player gets four hole cards
• You must use EXACTLY TWO of your hole cards, with three community cards, to make a five card hand (If there are four clubs on the board, you still need two clubs in your hand to make a flush)
• The game is played pot-limit, instead of no-limit marked card tricks

In pot-limit games you can only bet and raise a maximum of what’s in the pot. If you’re just opening the betting it’s easy to figure out (just count the pot) but when there’s a raise or two in front of you it gets more complicated.

Trick to calculate how much you can raise: Take the last bet and multiply by three, then add the pot and all other bets. That total is the maximum you can raise to.
Example: There’s $100 in the pot and the big blind has led out for $50 on the flop. Another player has raised to $150 and now you want to raise pot.
Multiply the last bet ($150) by three and add the pot ($100) and all other bets ($50). Raising pot here will mean raising to $600.

Even if you fancy yourself a PLO shark, you should check out our How To Not Suck at PLO series. Seriously, it will help you not to suck at PLO.
#3 – Sviten Special
The Swedish are the only people on Earth sick enough to come up with a game like this.
Developed in the underground card clubs of Stockholm Sviten Special is a split pot game that’s essentially a mix between Five-Card Omaha and Five-Card Draw.
The gameplay is the same as Omaha, except there’s a draw after the flop where you can exchange up to five of your cards.
Betting continues on the turn and river but at showdown the pot is split between the best board hand (Two hole cards and three board cards) and the best Five-Card Draw hand (The five cards in your hand).
One Card Draw Rule
If you choose to exchange only one card, the dealer will turn over the top card of the deck, letting all players see that one card. You have the choice to take that card, or receive the next card in the deck face down.
This is an action game and it’s not for the faint of heart.
Check out our comprehensive Sviten Special Rules and Strategy to get yourself up to speed.
Works Best Shorthanded
Because each player can use up to ten cards during the course of a hand, you may find the deck depleted when playing with five or more players.
There are two easy ways to deal with this.

• Limit the number of cards you can exchange
• Reshuffle the discard pile from previous players’ draws

Great Moments in World Series of Poker History Part 2

Every year the poker world descends upon Las Vegas for the marquee festival of the year, the World Series of Poker.
Over the past four decades the event has produced 40+ world champions, hundreds of gold bracelet winners and thousands of unforgettable moments.
Guest poster James Guill revisited some of the most memorable moments in Great Moments in WSOP History Part 1 and adds some more in Part 2 today.

A Failed Reunion Provides Opportunity

The World Series of Poker may have never happened if not for the failure of a similar venture.
In 1969 Tom Moore of the Holiday Hotel and Casino in Reno, NV hosted an invitational poker event that he called the "Texas Gamblers Reunion."
Unfortunately for Moore, the event failed to generate any significant revenue for his property and he decided not to hold the event again infrared ink.
Benny Binion of Binion's Horseshoe in Las Vegas contacted Moore and asked his permission to host a similar event.
Moore gave the ok to Binion to host a similar event and the World Series of Poker was born.

Jackie McDaniel Breaks the Bracelet Gender Barrier

If you believe the legends surrounding the Ladies Event at the WSOP, it was originally created to give something to do for the wives and girlfriends of the male players.
The 1977 World Series of Poker was the first year for the Ladies Event and it took the form of a $100 Seven-Card Stud tournament.
According to WSOP.com the first-ever Ladies Event drew a field of 93 players with Jackie McDaniel becoming the first women's champion.
Her first and only bracelet victory netted her $5,580 and paved the way for future champions such as Barbara Enright, Nani Dollison and Susie Isaacs.

Daugherty Becomes First WSOP Millionaire

The WSOP Main Event has always been the richest prize in poker but it wasn't until 1991 that the event started making "poker millionaires."
The 1991 Main Event was the first to offer that elusive title to the winner.
After two failed attempts to satellite his way into the Main Event, Brad Daugherty put up the full $10,000 buy-in for the Main Event and proceeded to navigate through a field of 215 players to win the event and exactly $1m.
While $1 million pales in comparison to the $8.53 million won by Greg Merson last year it set the bar for future Main Events and made Daugherty the first "WSOP Millionaire."

Hal Lubarsky Goes Deep

Jerry Yang may have won the 2007 WSOP Main Event but the story of the tournament was Hal Lubarsky.
Lubarsky was a high-stakes poker player who lost his sight due to retinis pigmentosa and was playing the event with the aid of a card reader.
He would play his way through a field of 6,358 marked cards players and would finish in 197th place, good for $51,398.
He's also since proven that run was no fluke. Lubarsky just missed the final table in the $1,500 Limit Hold'em Event in 2011 when he finished in 11th place. He also cashed in last year's Seniors Event.

Harrah's Buys Binion's Horseshoe

On January 23rd, 2004, Harrah's Entertainment purchased Binion's Horseshoe and the rights to the World Series of Poker.
They kept the rights to the WSOP and sold the physical property a few days later to MTR Gaming Group. Harrah's would continue to operate the property until 2005 while MTR received its permits to run the casino.
The 2004 WSOP was the last one to be held entirely at Binion's and the 2005 WSOP only held the final three tables of the Main Event at the property.
While Binion's had been the birthplace of the WSOP the fact was that the event had outgrown the facility. It was moved to the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino and remains there to this day.
While many would not see this as a great moment in the event's history the truth is that without the sale of the WSOP and Binion's Horseshoe to Harrah's the event would have never grown to the worldwide brand that it is today.
The sale allowed the event to grow and draw in the record-breaking crowds that the WSOP now enjoys.

Make Every Play for a Reason

So many poker players make plays just for the sake of making them.
Don't let this be you.
With every play you make, you should have a clear view of what it is you want to accomplish.
The key to making good decisions is to have an outcome in mind. You should make every play for a reason.
So ask yourself what you're accomplishing before you make your play.

Never Not Know Why

I have a friend who "plays" poker; sometimes I rail him.
Whenever I see him make a questionable move I ask him, "Why did you do that?"
Often I'm met with replies like, "I don't know" or "Didn't really think about it" or "Just because."
This is not the way to play poker.
Just guessing at things and betting or checking for the sake of doing it is not playing poker.
Each decision you make could lead to winning or losing your stack, so you have to be sure to give each decision your full attention.
Whenever you act, you should have a goal.
Are you trying to make your opponent fold? Are you making a value bet?
You must clearly conceptualize the purpose of each action before you perform it.

Example 1

Game: $1/$2 No-Limit six-max; effective stacks $200.
You have A♠ J♣ in the big blind. It's folded to the button, who raises to $8.
The player on the button is a tight-aggressive player - stats-wise something like 19/16/3.
The small blind folds and you ... take some time to think about the situation.
Your options are three-betting, calling and folding - all of which are decent choices.
Some of course are better than others.
Because the button is raising a fairly wide range, you decide you're not going to fold your A-J.
Against a tight opponent, raising from early position and then folding is an easy play.
But the raiser from the button will be raising a huge range.
Since you're way ahead of the bulk of his range, you're torn between three-betting and smooth-calling.
Let's look at both carefully.

Three-Betting

If you three-bet, he will fold out the worst of his range and will continue with A-K, A-Q, K-Qs, AA-88, and some suited connectors.
Some of these will be four-bet, some of them will not.
If he folds, which is one of the better scenarios, you win a small 4xBB pot.
If he calls, you'll be playing out of position with a growing pot against a range that largely dominates you.
You beat his button-raising range, but his three-bet calling range is better than your hand.
Most of the time the flop is not going to help you; you'll be playing out of position against a decent TAG on a flop that didn't improve your hand against a range that largely dominates you.
The one positive aspect to three-betting is that you will win a number of pots before the flop - and when you do see the flop, you'll have the initiative.
However, the initiative is seldom enough to overcome playing out of position against another good player whose range beats you.
Thus, when you three-bet your goal is to get your opponent to fold.

Calling

Now let's look at the flat-call.
There are several plus sides to smooth-calling.
The main drawback of course is that you let your opponent take the lead in the hand.
On the plus side, you keep the pot small with a potentially dominated hand. Also your opponent will continue with the bulk of his range.
If his button-raising range is something like AA-22, A-Ks, 4-5s, A-Ko-6-7o, Axs, A-To-A-6o, K-Jo-T-8o, Q-9s-9-7s (most TAG's button ranges are similar), you're actually ahead of his range.
By smooth-calling you allow him to continue with his entire range, as opposed to three-betting infrared contact lenses, which lets him define his range to one that beats you.
Another positive of calling is if the flop comes ace-high, he'll continue his aggression with many worse aces than yours.
If you three-bet, he calls and the board comes ace-high, you'll often find yourself out-kicked at showdown.
By flat-calling you get your opponent to continue with worse hands than he would if you were to three-bet him, and you get to keep the pot small for when you're behind.
What you give up is your initiative in the hand. And in the end, the EV of calling versus three-betting is fairly close.
What you give up in post-flop EV by three-betting is made up all the times you win the hand before the flop.
What you give up in EV by not three-betting pre-flop is made up each time you flop a better hand than him and see a showdown.
Each side has its positives and negatives, with neither one showing a great advantage over the other.
The idea is simply to fully contemplate each decision and know what you are going to accomplish before you act.

Example 2

Game: $1/$2 No-Limit six-max; effective stacks: $200.
You have K♠ Q♠ on the button. It's folded to you and you make it $8.
The small blind folds and the big blind calls.
The big blind is your average fishy player. He calls too much pre-flop and calls too many streets with dominated hands.
In PokerTracker terms, he plays around 32/8/1.
The board comes 3♠ 4♠ T♣.
Your opponent checks and you ... ?
Well, this is an easy bet.
After taking the lead pre-flop and flopping the second-nut-flush draw and two overcards, you have a strong hand. This bet is a continuation bet/strong semi-bluff.
Your bet has a split goal - either way is good. If you bet and he folds, you win.
If you bet and he calls, you have a strong hand and are building a pot should you hit. So you bet $14 and he calls.
The turn brings the 9♥. Your opponent once again checks. You ... ?
Now you have the option of checking or betting card cheating.
You did pick up three more outs with the 9♥. Now any jack also gives you a straight.

Checking

By checking, you gain a free shot at your 12 outs to a near nut hand as well as six more outs to top pair.
However, if you check and the river blanks, you have a very small chance of winning the pot.
So what checking accomplishes is a free shot at your many outs.

Betting

Now the betting argument. Against a ten you have 18 outs.
Your equity in this hand is very strong.
Your opponent could also be calling with a wide range of hands on the flop.
He could have a mid pocket pair as well as a ten or maybe even overcards. He probably does not have an overpair.
This means you have 18 clear outs. You can also win this pot with a bet on the turn.
If your opponent was calling the flop really light, he'll likely fold to the turn bet.
Your goal in betting the turn is the exact same as when you bet the flop.
You don't mind if he calls because of your outs and you really don't mind if he folds.
You bet $35 and once again your opponent calls.
The river drops down the Q♣. There's $115 in the pot. Your opponent again checks.

Should you bet or check through?

Well, to make a properly informed decision you must look at what your opponent's range consists of.
You know your opponent is fairly bad. His flop call could mean anything. His turn call defines his range a little better.
He most likely has some kind of ten (AT-JT), JJ, a flush draw or Q-J for a straight draw.
Now you know what a check would accomplish. It will let you show down your hand and see if it is best.
Now, if you bet, you have to decide whether you're betting to make a better hand fold (not likely) or to make a worse hand call.
Obviously your bet will not make any better hand fold. So you have to decide if a worse hand will call.
Since you've determined your opponent is a bit of a calling station, you surmise he'll call with a worse hand.
Your goal, therefore, is to bet for value.
You bet $50 and your opponent calls with Q♥ J♦.
Success.

Conclusion

As you can see there's a lot beneath the surface of your average poker hand.
You must always be evaluating and reevaluating what your goals are in your hand.
It may start out as a bluff and by the end turn into a value bet.
So do yourself a favor. Stop just acting instinctually, and start giving each decision the attention it deserves.
Ask yourself why, and ask yourself what you hope to accomplish before you act.
It will help your game immensely.