If you play online poker tournaments - multi-table or sit 'n' go - for any length of time you'll come across "Double or Done" (DorD) players. So what is "Double or Done"?

"D or D" could also stand for "Do or Die". It's a strategy for no-limit, no-rebuy tourneys that involves pushing all your money into an early big pot on a coin flip hand. If you lose you're out. But if you win... you've doubled up early, giving you a big advantage for the rest of the game.

My immediate reaction to this is very negative. For a start I don't like that sort of playing style, either in my opponents or myself. I'm also not convinced the maths adds up - it fails to take into account the entrance fee for the tourney. You'd have to play twice as many tournaments to get the same expected result, costing you twice as much in entry fees.

On second thoughts, maybe there is something to it. Tournament structure means that only a minority of players end in the money, the rest get paid nothing. If for example it's choice of four tournaments where you do well and just miss the money, or eight tournaments where you make the final table, then the latter is probably a better financial proposition. Even taking into account the entry fees, perhaps it does work.

There's also the time factor. If you're going to end up with nothing, better to find out before investing a couple of hours of time that could be more profitably spent elsewhere. If time is money then playing a tourney for three hours and going out on the bubble is expensive.

So part of me thinks that maybe there really is something in DorD poker. As of yet I haven't tried it. Even if it does make financial sense (I'm still not convinced) it's simply not the sort of game I want to play. My main motive for playing poker is fun.

On the other hand, there are bills to be paid...

Labels: glossary, poker, strategy

A couple of people have pointed out that I tend to use a lot of jargon for a beginner. Sorry about that. To help out I'm going to make some posts explaining various bits of jargon. Hopefully these will over time build up into a sort of poker glossary. Today I'm starting with something I know only too well: the Bubble.

What Is The Bubble?

The term "bubble" is one that occurs in knock-out tournament play. In most tournament's there's a certain finishing position you must reach before you win money (or points). For example in a tournament with 200 players starting you might have to finish 20th or above to win a prize.

The highest position in which you receive nothing is called the "bubble" - in the example above it would be 21st.

Strictly speaking the bubble refers to just this one position, I tend to use it for the whole cluster of positions just below the money.

Why is the bubble important? Because nobody wants to go out just on the bubble. Nobody wants to just miss the money. Better to have gone out early rather than spend all that much time playing and still get nothing.

As people get knocked out and the tournament approaches the bubble many of those remaining tend to play much tighter. They play less hands, risk less chips and try to hang on by their fingertips for a chance at the money.

Then, eventually, someone goes out in bubble position. Now all those remaining are guaranteed to win at least something. There is a collective sigh (or cheer!) of relief as the bubble "bursts" and play often starts to loosen up again.

Labels: glossary, poker