Tournament Strategies
After receiving pocket cards, you are immediately faced with a choice: play your cards and either raise or call the blinds, or fold.
Practice Matters
SCARNE'S RULES FOR PRIVATE OR SOCIAL POKER
SCARNE'S RULES FOR PRIVATE OR SOCIAL POKER Personally I feel that when playing Poker for money, friendships should be left behind and that a player may do anything to try and fool his opponents, as long as he does not cheat. I frown on a game where the betting is restricted by rules and a player must bet a specific amount at certain times. I consider it part of the skill of the game to vary the amounts of my bets in certain situations. I also consider it scientific Poker to check on a good hand in the hopes that someone else will bet and then I can raise or reraise as the situation dictates. I also consider it good Poker playing to make a big-limit bet in an attempt to steal the pot ante. However, I do know that the women who play Poker together once a week don't care much for my style of Poker, preferring the Poker-playing rules where sandbagging is prohibited and a more social form of Poker playing prevails. Twenty years ago a Poker club in my home town made up of both women and men asked me to formulate a set of Poker rules for them that would: (a) discourage the so-called Poker professionals and Poker hustlers from joining their group; (b) simplify the play of the game and minimize the betting-skill factor in Poker for the benefit of the poorer players; and (c) avoid sandbagging, which is the number one factor in breaking up a friendly Poker game.
I did formulate their club rules,
I did formulate their club rules, and this same group still meets regularly and no one has really been hurt financially over the years. I have revised these rules slightly to agree with the changing times and offer them as my social or friendly Poker-playing rules.