You’re playing a somewhat new online poker tourney, with a lot of different people in the tournament. You actually get in the money, but you’re out of the money by not being in the tournament much (or with a bad beat). You get Nope.

This sucks, and almost as bad as not getting into the money, not making money from the tournament. This is what you can do to fix this.

First, quit playing bad poker.Really? Here’s an example: I was third on my last sit and go. I did not really do that bad. I took six wagers, which otherwise would have been index dollars. I had A-A, and I flopped a straight. I was up $1,200. I raised to $1,100. The small blind said “no call,” and the big blind said “yes,” but.. – I lost $1,200.

Stop. unwilling to lose anymore money, I waited for the big blind to act, and then I put in a min-raise of half the total pot, and waited for him to see if he had the nuts (the best hand available). He folded. I scraped in a pot holding A-J. steadfastly raised, and got multiple calls. I ended up taking first at $1,500. I then raised to $3,000, and got 3 folds. I scraped in a pot holding 6-7, and was happy to see the flop come 6-6-2. I had hit my set.

But it turns out the min-raise was a mistake. Because the big blind had pocket Aces. And he called! I had nothing but air.

That’s the difference: air – or near air: you an underdog, or at least a person out of the running. Cards that help you should be played in favor of cards that don’t help you, unless you’re in great shape.

A good example: At a party, everyone is calling the cutoff. They have a lot of players calling; they are all drawing to improve, not betting solid. A studious player, somewhat quiet, raises to $30. Everyone folds to him. Big blind calls, and the other two in the $300 pot.

If he had pocket 5’s he would have re-raised, probably not letting this guy get any free cards. And if a 5 did come on the flop he would have flopped a set.

But no such luck! His hand was really not in danger against those late position hands. If he had made a hand, he was ready to go all-in. He was waiting for just one other player, or a big hand.

There! He is holding A-J, and made a set.

You can’t beat that. If you had pocket 5’s, and saw that same board on the river, you would have made the same decision. The cards do not match. He has a better kicker. You have not made a mistake, and yet you gave up a potential set of cards.

So let’s say some kid from the Ivy League comes to your house and says: ‘My dad’s a poker expert. He really likes heads-up poker. You know, Texas Hold’em?’

Then you can say: ‘Yeah, I know. That’s the thing. I’m more of an Omaha-or-better player.’

And then the kid can say: ‘All right, you got me.’ And then you will be having fun, too.