Whenever I think about online poker, one of the first people’s names that pop into my head has got to be Doyle “Texas Dolly” Brunson.  This guy is definitely the best online poker player in the world and I have to say that seriously – he doesn’t even remind me of a huge, big time poker player at all!  But this guy has won all sorts of different poker bracelets and I swear, that he is definitely a poker master of his time.

He was the very first person in the world to win one million dollars at a poker tournament and while I freakin’ love online poker, I would never, ever want to face this guy.  One thing that you might not know about Doyle is that he actually used to be a basketball player – not a poker player.  After he broke his knee, which is when he got really serious about online poker.

Texas Holdem is definitely one of the best games of this guys trade and he knows what he is talking about whenever you bring up poker to him – so be careful if you ever face Doyle Brunson at the tables!

In the third hand my AT turned into the nuts and got doubled up by a guy holding 9T to make the sucker end of the straight. He bet big on the river and instacalled my all-in. Can’t blaim him, I suppose.

Couple minutes later I flopped a set of nines that got counterfeited on the turn. I managed to get away from the hand without too much damage which I believe was the play of the tournament considering my pretty big bet on the flop. One other guy got knocked out of that hand with two pair — he couldn’t lay it down and ran into the nut flush.

I ended up finishing third when my back to back AJ & AQ ran into 77 & 33, twice losing the race. Too bad, but at least I cashed out — $650.

Good fun.

After the first hour or two there will be a big difference between the biggest stacks and the smallest ones. At this point in the tournament your stack size becomes important in determining what hands you can play against which opponents. Try to play pots in position against medium sized stacks – these players are comfortable enough not to want to be involved in a large pot without a very strong hand, and are more likely to fold. Those with large or small stacks are more likely to push all in causing you to fold and lose chips or bust out.

The bubble is defined at the period of time when just a few more players need to be busted before the paying positions begin. This is where other players tighten up. You can use this to your advantage by being aggressive a sealing blinds or small pots. Being aggressive doesn’t mean making stupid moves however. Don’t risk your entire stack on a bluff.

If you make it to the final table of an online poker tournament, nice one! – here is where the big payouts start. You are probably short stacked in terms of the blinds. If this is the case you should move into push fold poker. Make people pay for the chance to knock you out.