Rule one: Moderators may never ban a poster for an infraction which did not occur in the forum they moderate. The only exception is when a spammy poster has gone crazy making multiple spam posts in multiple forums.

This place is now officially big. Lots of stuff is happening and mistakes will be made. Mistakes will also be corrected. However mistakes will only be corrected by the individual who made the mistake or by an administrator.

Rule two: Moderators may never, without authorization, overturn the decision of another moderator. No exceptions to this one.

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showth...

mod control panel link:
http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/2p2mod

RB: Any violation of these rules will be dealt with on a case by case basis. However, mods shouldn't expect to be warned more than once if it comes up. That should always be enough.

This can be added as a sticky in the appropriate forums, copied into a thread where necessary, etc.

Welcome to the Tournament Circuit forum, previously named WSOP. With the fantastic success of WSOP behind us, we've decided to broaden the scope of this forum to include other MAJOR, LIVE tournaments. In general, this forum should include discussion on such matters as live updates, trip reports, logistics, etc. It is not for strategy discussion, gossip about players, or comments during and/or following the broadcasting of an event.

If there is a tournament you'd like to discuss in this forum, and it doesn't meet the above definition, you may contact one of the Moderators who will make a decision on whether or not to allow discussion on that tournament taking into consideration factors such as popularity, number of events, buy-in amount, etc. Do not start a post about a tournament that doesn't meet the above criteria until you've asked a Moderator and have received an okay.

Before posting here, make sure this is the right forum. There are a few other forums that are often a better choice depending upon the nature of the subject including:

Televised Poker : If you're watching a tournament on television or DVD you should post ALL comments, questions, and discussion in the TV Forum.

Multi-table Tournaments : If you want to talk about strategy (how to play a specific hand, general strategy for a particular tournament, etc.) you should post in the MTT Forum.

News, Views, Gossip : Regardless of whether or not a player has participated in a tournament discussed in this forum, if you want to discuss anything newsworthy, how you feel about a player, or throw out some gossip do NOT post in this forum. Those types of posts go in NVG. One exception is that during events like the WSOP we'll occasionally allow ONE thread for a player so that those interested can discuss and follow him or her throughout the tournament. But once the tournament has concluded, new posts most likely will be appropriate only for NVG.

Thanks for making this forum and all of 2+2 such a fabulous success.

At some point I'll go through and organize this post merger. In the mean time, below is the organized list from LLSNL, and there's a bunch of non-cureated links from HSNL below.

Ahnuld PM'd a few weeks ago with an idea for this type of thread and i think its a great idea, esp. for some of the newer hsnl guys.

Basically, if u have a thread saved (or know where to find it) that was instrumental in your development as a NL player, or just think it was a great thread, plz post it here.

also, if there is a thread that u remember being great but the search function is being difficult, post the summary of it here and maybe someone has it saved as a favorite or knows how to find it.

sorry for the run-ons, i dont really feel like editing.

and in my continuing display of laziness, i cut and pasted this from Ahnuld's PM:

Here some more threads that should be considered.

This is limon and AJo Go Allin Discussion a blocking bet on the river. http://archiveserver.twoplustwo.com/show...

In this one AJ0 gets owned by someone who checked behind a medium strength hand on a drawy flop. Just some good thoughts in this one. http://archiveserver.twoplustwo.com/show...

This one is ok, probably worth a consideration to get the ball rolling. http://archiveserver.twoplustwo.com/show...

Heres a solid theory thread about playing deep. ML4l has some really good tips. http://archiveserver.twoplustwo.com/show...

hope these get the ball rolling.

thanks,

fsuplayer

This is the Science, Math, and Philosophy Forum. Two of these three subjects are fairly well defined and it should be easy for posters to restrict posts and discussion to the relevant subjects circumscribed by the prescribed definitions for each (see links below for reference and information). Philosophy is another matter. Any definition given would be contentious. For purposes here a narrow interpretation will be applied but tolerance will be the guide to allow for as much free expression as possible. Gray areas will naturally arise and will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

Some general guidelines:

Since this is SMP, general religious/god posts are not allowed but some leeway under the umbrella of Philosophy will be allowed. Evangelism will not be tolerated. To Proselytise for any religion is counter to what SMP is about and Revelation is not evidence. Judgment of mod is final. Most religious discussions/debates should be posted in the RGT (Religion/God/Theology) Forum as that is its function. Private message (PM) discussion for questions and answers is encouraged for clarification.

In addition this forum is NOT for political propaganda or Political/current political event discussion(s)/debate. There is a Politics forum on 2+2 for this type of content. Please post there. Political postings/threads will be deleted on sight and the poster asked to not post such content. Contact Mod for clarifications if you have doubts about content allowed in SMP.

The links given below provide some general information on Science (and the scientific method) , Mathematics and Philosophy. There are many different scientific disciplines and all are welcome here and obviously there is some overlap within SMP in general. The links below are provided for reference and should help with the prescribed limits of what posts are 'legal' in this forum.

It should be noted that 2+2 has a Probability Forum and posts that deal exclusively with probability/chance/odds - including poker odds etc - should be posted there. Obviously some overlap and gray areas exist that will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis as noted above.

Also note that this forum is for science, philosophy and math as the title states. Poker is not a main theme of this forum, 2+2 has numerous forums dedicated to all aspects of poker and/or poker related topics. Please post in those forums first for poker, and only bring poker topics to SMP if it is related to math (poker probablility goes to probablity forum) or somehow can't be answered in the other forums, but the mod has the right to move, delete, or lock any poker related topic if he/she so chooses. Judgement of mod is final.

Science; General http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science

Scientific Method:

http://physics.ucr.edu/~wudka/Physics7/N...

http://physics.ucr.edu/~wudka/Physics7/N...

Mathematics: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathematics

Philosophy: Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Other general information that is very important:

SMP is not a forum that deals with monetary rewards for doing math or other types of problems or to ask for people to do your homework or writing for you, free or otherwise. If you have legitimate difficulty with homework or math type problems, then make an honest post about the problem and ask for help. I will delete any post as soon as I see it that deals with money for ‘homework’ or any monetary type rewards for work posed. That is not the purpose of this forum. Also note that there is an official Math Homework thread for those that wish legitimate help with difficulties.

Please also note that there is an Official outer limits/debunking thread in SMP. This was put in place to allow as much free expression as possible but also to contain the more outrageous and fringe topics within a single thread for the sanity and orderly conduct of the forum. As examples; to contain the 2012 end of the world deluge that hit SMP, or why man never really landed on the moon, UFO’s and alien abduction or take over, ESP, midgets living under Mt Shasta, etc. Those that have such beliefs or questions about them can have them critiqued/debunked or otherwise debated in SMP without the mess of having multiple threads

Be respectful and polite to other posters, personal attacks and personally directed vicious or bigoted/racist speech is not allowed, but a rational disscussion of why bigoted/racist speech exists is allowed.

Free Speech is sacrosanct but there are limits (see above for one example, or Oliver Wendell Homes) and remember that posting on 2+2 is a privilege; not a right. If you violate posting rules and protocol there is an infraction system designed to inform/punish and bring in line those that abuse their posting privilege.

Use of disclaimers in posts on controversial subjects/threads is advised but not required. It is at the discretion of the poster. Keep in mind that if things go awry the individual poster will bear all the repercussion if a disclaimer is not used. And the repercussions could be up to a permanent ban from posting on 2+2. SMP allows, and encourages, within the limits of forum subject matter, discussion/debate on controversial and/or exploratory subjects of any nature. Free speech/free debate and discussion is basic to a free and open society.

Also keep in mind that this is an open public forum on 2+2, the internet, etc. Information now flows freely around the world in seconds. There are no isolating walls. Also: Self-proclaimed Watchdogs abound, Memes abound, Mimics abound, and Unsavory Characters abound. Keep this in mind when posting.

Make an effort to be as clear and precise as possible in debating and discussions and present evidence as required or appropriate from reliable sources (peer-reviewed journals for example). Debates are expected to be civil in nature. Trolling will be dealt with harshly on a case-by-case method; this is a forum with low traffic that aims for high-quality posts and posters, and trolls not only disrupt more in a low traffic forum; they also drive away those most likely to contribute to a high quality standard – In addition to sapping goodwill and energy out of the forum in general. This has a much more pronounce disruption in a low-traffic forum so will be dealt with in a more aggressive manner than in other more high-traffic forums on 2+2. Please keep this in mind when posting in SMP.

Debate in good faith; in a rational manner, and have logical grounds for queries, answers, and general discussion. Disingenuous and weasel posts designed to circumvent rules, disrupt the forum, abuse others, or generally accepted debating principles should be avoid and will result in infractions and/or deletion of posts and/or threads.

Warnings and infractions will be dealt out for those that purposefully disregard the above.

In addition see this post for an added update (9/20/2012) explanation on posting in SMP:

https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/47/sc...

On a practical note, present source material with appropriate links and references and within the prescribed copyright laws.

Links or #'s, hints or other Personal self-promotion gimmicks will be deleted from all post. This includes personal Twitter, Facebook, Instagram links or whatever else will come down the pike in the future. Also to keep content uncluttered links will be deleted if there is even a hint that they are for promotional purposes or possible spam, many weasel in links under the guise of honest discussions. Thus the conservative approach is applied in SMP. Some legitimate links may be deleted but that is the price to pay for a clear and clean fourm [Blue = added 12/20/2017]

PM the Mod of the forum for questions etc on anything above. DO NOT POST question/comments etc within threads. First initiate a discussion with the mod, that is their job.

Also, adhere to the overall 2+2 forum terms and conditions:

http://www.twoplustwo.com/terms.php

The Forum terms and conditions are subject to interpretation/flexibly and type of enforcement and judgment on a case-by-case basis and the interpretation of the Moderator. PM the Mod for comments, questions, or complaints.

A wise man proportions his belief to the evidence -David Hume

Be a philosopher; but, amidst all your philosophy, be still a man. -David Hume

Stud Forum Hand Converter, Posting Guidelines and Frequently-Asked Questions v 2.2.3

The DeucesCracked converter now works for stud hands.

http://www.handconverter.com/

I still host the old stud hand converter from greenage which can be found here. No one is doing any work to keep it current, however. The Troutulator is also now available on this page.

Please note that if you play on Party, you must have the hand histories emailed to you in order to use the converter. The hand histories that are automatically saved to your hard-drive do not include all the up-cards.

The FAQ is a work in progress. Please PM me with any suggestions or corrections. Please don't apologize for doing so.

This is the best forum on 2+2. The stud forum is the best on 2+2 for several reasons, among them:

1) Stud and stud/8 much more interesting than hold'em or Omaha.
2) We have a better signal-to-noise ratio than most of the other forums.
3) Stud players tend to be nicer than hold'em players and consequently
4) We tend to behave ourselves for the most part.

We do have vigorous discussions, and we do engage in a certain amount of friendly needling, but for the most part, we don't go around gratuitously insulting each other. I would like to keep it this way.

If you have a general question, please look at the FAQs below to see if it is answered there. This forum has been around for a number of years, and most general questions have been asked and answered numerous times now. If you have a rules question, please read Robert's Rules to see if it's answered there:

Seven Card Stud
Seven Card Stud High-Low
Razz

Also, there is a search function for your convenience. StevieG offers helpful suggestions for using it more effectively here.

Most posts are about the play of a specific hand. Please use the hand converter if possible. If you happen to play on a non-supported site or in a casino, please provide as much information as possible, including:

1. The limit
2. The size of the ante and bring-in
3. As much information as you can about the cards that are out
4. Any relevant information about your opponents (this goes for converted hands too)

Please do not post raw hand histories. They are hard to read. You will get more and better responses if you convert your hand to a narrative. It might take some time, but it also takes time to respond, so please make your post readable.

If you have a specific question about something, go ahead and ask it. Generally speaking, however, it's best to just present the hand with as much information as possible and then let people respond however they want to respond. If you ask, "when should I have folded," that will tend to taint people's responses. If you don't ask, people will probably tell you if and when you should have folded anyway.

Avoid telling us the results in your initial post as that definitely influences responses. What's important is whether or not you played the hand correctly, not whether you won or lost. Wait a day or so before posting results.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q. I have a free-roll that starts in three minutes and I've never played stud in my life.

Play live cards. (Thank you Mike Caro.)

Rolled-up trips are very strong and should be played strongly. If the game is loose, raise early and often. In a tighter game, you may want to slow-play, but it's easy to get burned this way.

Three-flushes are usually good hands, but you usually don't want more than two of your suit gone. You don't want to play a small three-flush heads-up against a big pair, but they do well in most multi-way pots. If you don't pick up a fourth flush card on fourth street, you should usually fold unless you have paired, your hand has other possibilities, or the pot is large.

Three-card straights are trouble. Most players lose money on straight draws, and I don't make much. If you've never played stud before, you would probably be best off folding anything lower than QJT or so. If you are going to play smaller three-straights, be sure that your needed cards are live.

Most of your playable hands are going to be pairs. Not all pairs are playable, though. Obviously, the bigger the better and the more live the better. A quality kicker helps as well. (A9)9 and (T9)9 are much better than (94)9. Aces through Queens should usually raise. Jacks through Nines should sometimes raise and sometimes call. Eights and lower should sometimes limp and often fold, especially the smallest pairs, although you may want to raise with these hands if there is a good chance to steal the antes. If someone with a door card higher than your pair raises, you should at least consider folding unless you think he is on a steal. Exactly how you play your pair will depend on the cards that are out, the action, your kicker, and other factors. 7CS4AP spends many pages on this subject.

Stealing becomes more important as you get to the later stages of the tournament, but it isn't as important as it is in, say, limit hold'em. The ante is the same whether there are two players or eight. With two players, however, you will be the bring-in much more often. In hold'em, you will have the blinds much more often in a short-handed situation, so you have to play looser and more aggressive than you do at a full table. In stud, your overhead per hand will only go up a little, so you don't need to loosen up nearly as much.

Q. Dude, how can you play 7-card stud with eight players? Like, you'll run out of cards! 7 x 8 = 56 and there are only 52 cards in the deck! Like, y'know?

A. It is relatively rare to run out of cards in an eight-handed game, but when that happens, a community card is dealt on seventh street.

Q. How big of a bankroll do I need to play a particular limit?

A. The 300 big bet guideline so often quoted for hold'em is applicable for stud. This assumes that you are playing for a living (or at least that you are somewhat dependent upon poker for income) and that going broke is therefore unacceptable. If you are playing for a living, you might want to have a bit more than this. If you have a day job, and most of us do, these considerations are not nearly as important. If you're playing $.50/1.00 and lose your online bankroll, is it really going to be that hard to come up with another $25 or $50 to get back in action? If the thought of being out of action for a week or two until your next paycheck comes is too much for you to bear, you might seek out Gamblers Anonymous. I also think that some players unnecessarily hold themselves back by imposing unnecessarily stringent bankroll requirements on themselves. Personally, when I first moved up to $6/12 and $8/16, it was because I had a good job and a working wife, so it really wasn't that big a deal to peel off $300-400 if the need arose.

Q. How the hell am I supposed to remember all these damned cards anyway?

A. Being able to remember the cards that have shown is essential for true expert play. Fortunately for hacks like me, true expert play is not necessary to get the money in most games. DocAZ/Doctavian had a couple of excellent posts on the subject a few years back:

Post 1
Post 2

Until your memorization skills improve, concentrate on remembering cards that you need and that your opponents need. If you start with (J9)9, be sure to note any Nines or Jacks that are out. To a lesser extent, take note of straight cards that are out, especially the Tens. If your opponent is showing clubs, take note of how many clubs have shown.

Q. Are there any programs to help me remember the folded cards in my online game?

A. There is a thread discussing such a program and the ethics surrounding it he here. There is another thread on the ethics issue here.

Q. Is there a program that can show how various hands do head-to-head?

A. I use www.twodimes.net/poker. There is also the Troutulator.

Q. My local room/favorite site has a stud game with a high ante and/or rake. Is this game beatable?

A. Generally speaking, a high ante by itself will not make a game unbeatable. It may reduce the good player's edge, but it won't eliminate it. Take Party's old $.50/1.00 game. This game had an ante of $.25, which was ridiculously high relative to the stakes. Nonetheless, the game was beatable because the players were so bad.

By the same token, while the rake in most low-limit casino stud games is brutally high, the players in the game are usually bad enough that the game is still plenty beatable. The rake in many B&M stud games is right around one big bet, which is very high. It is not unusual, however, for you to have multiple opponents making mistakes that add up to more than that 1 BB apiece. The casino is taking a lot of money off of the table, but there is usually still enough for you to get your share.

Now it could be that mostly half-decent players show up on a particular day, and the rake will be harder to overcome. Perhaps the game might still be beatable for a small amount, but you might be better off playing hold'em. This usually won't be the case in live games, though.

By way of example, I play at Canterbury Park in Minnesota. While I don't play in this game very often anymore, when the room first opened in 2000, I played quite a bit in their $2/4 stud game. This game has a $.50 ante and a $1 force. The rake is 10% capped at $4.50. There is a $1 jackpot drop on all pots of $15 or more. I tipped $1 on virtually every pot I won. This is an awful lot of overhead to fade, but I beat the game for about $7/hr because the players were so atrocious.

On-line rooms have lower rakes than brick and mortar casinos, and the cap is lower in the smaller on-line games, so the rake usually isn't a significant factor in determining whether a game is beatable.

The rake in stud/8 is more of a factor because of the split pot. There have to be some bad players to cover the rake. Fortunately, stud/8 is probably the game that most players play the worst.

Q. Geez, what are the odds?

A. Some commonly asked odds questions:

The chance of being rolled-up on any given hand is (3/51)*(2/50) = 1/425 or 424:1 against.

Absent any other information, if you start with four to a flush, you will make your flush about 47% of the time. Absent any other information, if you start with four to an open-ended straight draw, you will make your straight about 43% of the time. Absent any other information, if you start with four to a low, you will make an Eight-low or better about 71% of the time.

An overly detailed discussion of flush odds can be found here.

Hi guys, there seems to be a lot of confusion when it comes to paying taxes on online poker in Canada. Please keep all discussion regarding taxes in Canada in this thread for Canadian players (as well as people from abroad who may be contemplating moving to Canada or just interested in this subject).

First, I like to say that I am in no way qualified to give legal advice. From reading the various forums and researching with CCRA I have a few things to add.

I see a lot of posters here vehemently declaring that there are no taxes on gambling in Canada and that you don't have to pay taxes on gambling winnings. Trust me, I would like nothing better than to believe that this is true. However this only partially correct.

After reading the official website for the CCRA, (looking under "other types of income, ie gambling) they do bring up the subject of "reasonable expectation of profit". This is a very gray area, and is very vague. You can be taxed on carrying the business of gambling, as well as placing bets and wagering. A poster in the another thread stated that it does not necessarily have to do with how much you won but by the frequency of your activity. This is absolutely correct.

What does this all mean? Basically, if you're a for lack of a better term 'recreational player' then it's a fair assumption that you won't get taxed. However if you play very frequently and show a consistent profit for an extended amount of time, then you will fall into the dreaded category of "reasonable expectation of profit" and be deemed a professional gambler.

As far as I know no one has ever been busted for this, I could be wrong. However that doesn't mean that this won't happen in the future. Please remember that professional gamblers get taxed for their winnings and you're hardly unique in what you are doing.
If you make any considerable amount of money in poker and it seems like a lot of us in this forum do, it's best to consult with a qualified tax attorney to give you all the answers before you think about not paying your taxes on poker winnings.

If anyone have anything to add please feel free.

I know this is a sensitive subject but I would like to know of any canadian players who have paid taxes on their winnings in the past or have seeked legal advice on this subject, it would be of great help. Thanks.