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Hey everyone 👋

As usual, our weekly free tournament kicks off today at 19:00 GMT on 888poker -  the Wednesday Cardmates Freeroll (UK Only) with a $200 guaranteed prize pool. 

Want to get the password? It’s simple - just drop a comment saying “Pass” under this post 😉 After that, you’ll receive a private message on Cardmates.co.uk from user d19932808 with the freeroll password.

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Good luck in the freeroll! And don’t forget to follow our Telegram channel so you never miss updates, announcements, and upcoming giveaways 👈

As promised, I’m back with an update from the tournament I mentioned earlier.

This one was a big field—749 players in total—so I knew from the start it was going to be a real challenge. The competition was tough, and every stage of the tournament required focus and patience.

I managed to push through a good number of players and finished in 279th place. Not exactly where I was aiming for, but definitely an experience.

Just to let you know, there is an $100 Freeroll tournament coming up this Wednesday.... I'll be sharing it tomorrow

Stay tuned, so you don’t miss out >>>

In less than an hour,

I sit for another poker tournament

This time around it's $80 on the table

Will I grab my share in the pool or I'm gonna be kicked out early ? I guess we'll find out.

This time around, I won't be calling my hands reckless although if I have a strong hand, I'll go all in

Let's see how far I can go against 500+ players.... It's gonna be rough, wish me luck

So imagine playing an A,10 hand just to be knocked out by someone with 5,5 pair.… yeah, I played the tournament I posted earlier, but didn’t go as planned ⤵️⤵️⤵️

I made it about halfway through the field before getting knocked out. Honestly, it’s a bit frustrating because I felt like I was doing a lot of things right. I had solid hands, stayed patient, and stuck to the strategy I had been working on.

But poker has a way of humbling you.

There were a few key moments where I picked up strong hands hands you expect to carry you deeper into the game. I played them confidently, but somehow, they just didn’t hold up when it mattered most. Either I ran into better hands or the board didn’t cooperate.

That’s when it really hit me: strategy alone isn’t always enough.

Don’t get me wrong, I still believe in playing smart, disciplined poker. The strategy I used definitely helped me stay in the game longer and avoid careless mistakes. But this session reminded me that luck is always part of the equation. You can make the right decisions and still fall short.

An opponent even played an AA hand but was knocked out by someone with a K9 pair

And that’s one of the toughest (but most important) lessons in poker.

Instead of seeing this as a loss, I’m choosing to see it as part of the journey. Every tournament is experience. Every hand is feedback. I’m starting to understand that success in poker isn’t just about winning it’s about consistently making good decisions and learning over time.

Next step? Review my hands, spot any mistakes I might have missed, and keep improving.

The grind continues.

If you’ve ever had a session where everything felt right but the results didn’t show it, you’ll understand exactly what I mean.

Let’s keep learning.

What Is a Calling Station?

A calling station is exactly what it sounds like:

A player who calls too much and folds too little.

They’ll:

Call preflop with weak hands

Call flop and turn with almost anything

Convince themselves to “look you up” on the river

They’re not trying to outplay you.

They’re trying not to be bluffed.

The Biggest Mistake Players Make Against Them

Most players try to bluff them.

They see a “good spot.”

They tell themselves a story about ranges.

They fire… and get called.

Again. And again.

Trying to bluff a calling station isn’t just ineffective—

it’s burning money.

The Golden Rule

Against calling stations:

If you have it, bet.

If you don’t, don’t.

It sounds simple.

That’s because it is.

How to Actually Exploit Them

This is where the money comes from.

1. Value Bet Bigger Than You Think

Calling stations don’t think in terms of pot odds or ranges.

They think:

“I’ve got something… I’ll call.”

So punish that.

Top pair? Bet big

Two pair? Bet bigger

Strong hands? Go for maximum value

Stop worrying about “scaring them off.”

They’re not looking for reasons to fold.

If they’re calling, you’re betting too small.

2. Value Bet Thinner

This is where most players leave money on the table.

Against a good player, you might check back marginal hands.

Against a calling station, those same hands become value bets.

Second pair → value

Weak top pair → value

Ace-high (in the right spots) → sometimes value

If they’re calling with worse, it’s a bet. Simple.

3. Stop Bluffing (Seriously)

Not “bluff less.”

Stop bluffing.

Unless you have a very specific read that they can fold, just don’t do it.

That fancy triple barrel?

They’re calling with middle pair.

That clever river bluff?

They “don’t believe you.”

Bluffs only work against players who can fold.

4. Don’t Slow Play

This is a big one.

Players love to trap.

But against calling stations, slow playing just:

Kills your value

Lets them catch up

Misses entire streets of betting

They’re not folding anyway.

So don’t get cute.

When you’re ahead, build the pot immediately.

5. Be Patient

You’re not going to outplay them.

You’re going to outlast them.

Let them:

Call with bad hands

Chase with poor odds

Pay you off when you hit

You don’t need to force action.

The money comes naturally if you stay disciplined.

A Quick Reality Check

You raise with a strong hand.

They call.

You bet the flop.

They call.

You bet the turn.

They call.

Now the river comes and you hesitate.

“Would they really call with worse?”

Yes.

They would.

Why This Works

Calling stations don’t adjust.

They don’t suddenly become disciplined.

They don’t start folding rivers.

So once you identify one, the strategy is simple:

Value bet relentlessly

Bluff almost never

Let them make the mistakes

And keep doing it.

Final Thought

Most players try to outplay the table.

The best players identify who’s giving money away

and make sure they’re the ones picking it up.

Against calling stations, poker isn’t complicated.

It’s just:

Bet when you’re ahead.

Get paid when they refuse to fold.