Phil Ivey and Paul Phua: What is 'Short-Deck' Poker?

(Photo: Cardschat.com)

His relatively new website provides lots of information for poker players to improve their game and Malaysian businessman  Paul Phua continues with that theme by sitting down with Phil Ivey for a Part 2 edition of his "In Conversation With" series.

The Part 1 between Ivey and Phua was published here at PokerTube about three weeks ago and writer Andy Burnett provided a solid recap of the video under the headline of "What Makes a Great Poker Player." Ivey, of course, is perhaps the best all around player in the game today despite a reluctance to compete on the tournament circuit as of late.

Ivey apparently prefers the high stakes cash games in Macau, where Phua can also be found when he's not cashing in High Rollers and Super High Rollers. Phua finished no worse than 7th place in four such events in 2016, with his best effort resulting in a title and a $825,619 payday at the Monte Carlo One Drop Extravaganza in October.

Improvement at Poker Available for the Studious

The Part 2 "In Conversation" video covers quite a bit of ground as Phua and Ivey both answer a number of questions that aspiring poker pros would most definitely find informative. Both agree that poker players are getting better - both in Asia and throughout the world - thanks in part to the abundance of strategy and coaching content available, including that which could be found at Paul Phua Poker.

Although Ivey and Phua are both highly advanced in their strategic abilities and thought processes with regard to poker, their conversation in the video appeals to beginners as well. Ivey mentions how rookie players tend to go through a "trial and error" phase when learning what hands to play and which to toss into the muck.

Ivey does point out, however, that today's poker newbies have an advantage over beginner poker players of yesteryear.

"I didn't have teaching sites, I didn't have different tools I could learn from," Ivey said, recalling the early days. "People coming up nowadays... have schools that they can learn from."

Moving Up in Stakes

Also touched upon in the video clip was the tendency of new players to want to move up in stakes quickly, desiring to test their skills against the big boys. Ivey and Phua both advise against being impatient when it comes to learning the ropes, taking the time to honestly evaluate your game and bankroll before attempting to jump levels.

You should be a solid winning player at your current stake level before even contemplating moving up. Phua went so far as to suggest asking yourself several questions such as, "what are your chances of winning in that game?" and "how much of a favorite are you?"

It's all about having an edge or advantage and if you're competing in the wrong class or with players at an advanced skill level, the odds of winning are not in your favor.

For more wisdom from the likes of Ivey, Phua, Tom Dwan and Dan Colman, check out Paul Phua's poker website.