Please read the "About David" section to learn all about me.
Feel free to email me a "Dear Rabbi" poker question – my answer may appear on the site!
Come back frequently as we will have poker tips and poker training materials for you!
- David Rabbi

I just wanted to let everyone out there know that Rabbi is truly a living encyclopedia of poker theory. By watching him play, listening to him discuss strategy, and doing some one-on-one coaching, Dave has turned me into not only a winning player, but he’s given me the confidence to know that I can sit down at any poker table and be the best player there.
Dave and I have played poker together from California to Mississippi and I haven’t met anyone whose poker theory and knowledge rivals his, not even close. EVERYONE ELSE MAKES SICK MISTAKES ALL THE TIME!!! Not to mention, I’ve seen everyone from Men “the Master” Nguyen to Mel Judah asking Dave for advice. If a master asks your advice, what does that say about your game? ENOUGH SAID!

Chris, Rabbi’s longtime friend.

The WSOP comes around once a year and this is what I look forward to all year!
Seeing all my old friends fills my heart with joy. Hearing about their sicknesses and deaths saddens me.
Some years I play very few events if any and some I play 5 or more.
This year I played seven events!
I cashed in two, the seniors no-limit and the $1500 PLO hi-lo. They were small cashes, but any cash is good these days.
The numbers are really against you and the players are so different than in the past.
In any game you really can’t believe some of the hands. I’m definitely playing in a new generation of poker. Some of the play in the HORSE events were incredible.
Where these players learned how to play is not from any book out in the market. It is their version. I met some incredible players from online like lex mario, lacy and Durr. They play differently!!

I am very proud of my new student and friend Kathy and the way she is growing to become an excellent player.
She outlasted many players in the ladies event. I am always proud of my friend Chris who gives it his all every year and our friendship keeps growing.

Lastly, my friend and publisher Jim beat out an incredibly huge field in a Bally’s tournament which won him $3,000 and a trip to New Orleans and the chance to win huge in a slot tournament.
He’s primarily a cash game player, great stuff Jim! I hope he has a great time and comes back with bags of money.

Until the next WSOP, keep grinding and winning and we will see what happens (my friend Joel’s favorite expression).

Good luck to all and … stay healthy!!
David “Rabbi” Danheiser

Dear Rabbi
The name is Matt and I play with you regularly at the
Venetian. I have a question to ask about running
bad. I have 3 scenarios that I would like to
explain
that all happen in 1-2 NL..

#1. I get KK UTG and raise to $10. I get one caller
and the flop comes J-6-3 rainbow. I raise to $11
and the caller raises me to $35. I take a sec I
re-raise to $100 and he min raises me back to $65 more.
I look at him and ask him if he hit a set. He looks back
with that meek tourist smile and shrugs his shoulders.
I got my read and put him on
A-J or 10-J. I then push all in with a total of my
$300 buy in. He turns over K – J and proceeds to hit
a jack on the river. This suck-out started my bad run.

#2 Next session I call a $10 raise in a six handed pot
with 3s-4s. On the flop I hit a rainbow wheel and I am
in middle position. UTG raises to $50 (who I just saw
suck-out a 1 outer for full house over full house) so I
think for a minute and put the rest of what I have in the
middle – about $170. She calls with a set of 5′s. Wouldn’t
you know it runner runner 9 9. I couldn’t believe
it!

#3 Same session different table. the set up: Player
one is a true donkey. I saw him call a $200 pot down all
the way to the river with T5 off only to split the A
high straight when the K hit on the river..
player 2 is an Aussie who hit quads twice in the 30
min he has been sitting at the table.
I have been getting really cold cards so I
get A -Q and raise to $12. The Aussie calls
and so does the donk in the BB. Flop comes A – 5- 3
rainbow.

Donk checks and i make it $20 togo. Aussie calls so
does the donk. Turn is a 10. Donk checks, so staying
aggressive I make it $50. Aussie calls so does the
donk.

River card scares me a bit by hitting a 2. The donk
checks to me and I think for a minute. With no raises
I still think I am best. I put the donk on maybe a pair
of 5s and the aussie on a weak A, so I make it $75 togo.
Aussie calls and donk calls. Before me and the
aussie (both) turn over A-Q for a split pot, this donkey
turns over 10-4 for the straight. I couldn’t believe it.
This was the “final straw” for me.

So my question is, did I play these hands correctly,
and if I am making correct decisions and getting beat what do
you do to get out of a slump when every hand you hit gets
out drawn or sucked out?

thanks for the
advice.
Matt

Matt,
Running bad means a few different things are happening. You
are either playing bad or your game selection is bad or your
seat change selection is bad or your betting is bad. what i
have read so far i feel your betting is bad and your game
selection timing might be off a little.
i am coming off a 15 hour session so i hope my answers are
sharp for you to understand!
1st q with kk how much did he have in front of him when he
raised you to 35?? instead of raising him to 100 why not
just put him to the test and go all in yourself you were
putting in 300 anyway . i wouldn’t give him any chance to try
to outplay or outdraw me if his stack was less than yours.he
might call you anyway and then i just feel you got unlucky.
Your betting was bad!

2nd Q: There is no way i am calling a 10 raise with 34s in
middle position i am not limping in middle position with 34s
so you should not be in the pot in the first place.many
players lose pots they are not supposed to be in. At
least you played it right, and she sucked out. The point i
want to make here is that she was supposed to play her pair
of fives but you were not supposed to play your 34s. You were
playing bad !

3rd Q: Many things could have been wrong! did you move to
this table at the right time ? were you sitting in the right
position? what position did you raise AQ? there are times i
muck AQo and they are in very early position and if i am
running bad. you said you were getting really cold cards so
i assume you were running bad and i also feel you were not
in late position?
i think you were over betting your hand trying to take down
a pot against donkeys that dont give a shit how much the bet
is! once they both call your flop bet bells should be going
off to be careful like maybe 1 has flopped 2 pair maybe 1
has a set maybe 1 needs a straight card so i think your turn
bet could have been less and the river bet was useless!why
didn’t he raise you and try to cost you more money not that
you would have paid him off but i have seen this movie
before and they will raise you and bluff you out and show
you nothing and maybe the other player calls and you not!

matt coming from my heart i think you should work on your
betting and playing small ball a little more. don’t give up
just put in more hours and talk to me when you see me!
best always “rabbi”