How do I get better at poker? Any recommendations? (1 Viewer)

Basti

Sitting Out
Joined
Dec 22, 2021
Messages
17
Reaction score
9
Location
Germany
Hey everyone,

I really enjoy playing NLHE poker and got intrested in it a long time ago.
Currently I'm finishing my engineering degree and really like the mathematical side of poker.
Although I got intrested in poker many years ago I haven't played much on a serious level.
I know about pre-flop ranges, 3-betting and how to adjust against some type of players, but post-flop I mostly just go by instict.
My biggest win was a 10$ buy-in that left me with 100$ and my biggest loss was probably minus 100$ in a day.

I would love to optimize my plays at every stage of the game and was wondering how I could do that in the most efficient way possible.
It would probably also be a good idea to go through the mentioned pre-flop basics once again in order to optimize my plays and to find some flaws.

Does anyone have some good recommendations on how to obtain decent knowledge about every stage of the game?
Maybe a respected book or video series that covers everything from zero?
Hopefully someone can share how they became more consistent and knowledgeable.

Greetings from Germany,
Basti
 
Read the fundamental books by Dan Harrington and Doyle Brunson.
They are as outdated as Isaac Newton's Physics, i.e. you can't start without them.

Then, there is a whole lot of video series and tutorials, by several authors asking for some money, presumably because teaching poker is a lot safer and more lucrative than playing.

High courage and a low ego, a psychological combiination very hard to find in humans, is the key to big success.

When it comes to online poker, just forget about winning. Just see it as a useful punishing trial.

I can't speak about any online site, but Pokerstars' algorithm clearly favours pathetic play, to invite back clueless players. When you are a 90-10 favourite, it might be just 50-50 due to the algorithm.
 
I would check out Nathan Williams who goes by BlackRain79Poker on youtube. He has lots of short videos going over hands and strategy. Things like how most players over value hands like AQ pre flop, being able to lay down high pocket pairs on wet boards, how to deal with aggressive players… Of course, these are designed to funnel you into purchasing some of his paid coaching or books.
 
Read "The Course" by Ed Miller. Watch poker. But stop watching it for what happens at the end. Watch what they are doing each step and figure out why. Block the whole cards and figure out logic. Mistakes.

Deal out cards in front of you. Just see how the odds fare out. You start understanding what feelings you should have when you flop 4 to a flush. Newbs might flip out. Good players may dread it. Great players know what to do at that point to juice the pot.

Play cards, but don't play to be in the game. Play to watch it and be apart of it. Figure out the NITs and LAGs. Figure out who's playing too tight and who's throwing cash into the pot. Ask yourself questions. When your right, check a box. When your wrong, figure out a new question.

Poker is a game of Odds and People Logic. Get used to the odds and get used to the people.

Oh, and new people fall in love with the end of the game. Hitting the flush. Rabbit hunting. "Oh man, I would have hit a boat!". The good players are obsessed with how to win each step to get there. Making the right fold. Maximizing when you can. Getting out of hands at the right time. You lose sometimes, but you win alot more in the long run.
 
Last edited:
I would love to optimize my plays at every stage of the game and was wondering how I could do that in the most efficient way possible.
This takes years and years of practice to get down (actually, it's basically impossible, but you can get close). I would consume all the content you can. Johnathan Little, Blackrain79, Dnegs on YT, are good places to start. I think JL and Br79 are good, but also slightly wrong and miss a ton of nuance found at higher levels of play. Eventually, you'll probably gonna get to solver work, but I'd say that's atleast a few months out. There is no "most efficient way possible", because everybody understands diffferent aspects of the game better or worse than everybody else.
 
All right, here's the thing. You only play premium hands.

You only start with jacks or better split, nines or better wired, three high cards to a flush.

If it's good enough to call, you gotta be in there raising, all right?

I mean, tight, but aggressive. And I do mean aggressive. That's your style, Professor.

I mean, you gotta... you gotta think of it as a war.
 
All right, here's the thing. You only play premium hands.

You only start with jacks or better split, nines or better wired, three high cards to a flush.

If it's good enough to call, you gotta be in there raising, all right?

I mean, tight, but aggressive. And I do mean aggressive. That's your style, Professor.

I mean, you gotta... you gotta think of it as a war.
Definitely a better game than NLHE. ;) :ROFL: :ROFLMAO: My Hazel prefers her Jacks rolled up.:cool
55D796C4-56FC-4851-9A95-60E1D611FDAC.jpeg
 
Step 1) Stop playing Holdem, its not poker unless you can play for 20k +

Step 2) find an omaha game, have fun
 
There are lots poker educational websites. Some are free and others are paid. 2+2 or www.twoplustwo.com is free and has been around forever. It was started by some guys that are/were highly regarded & is still one of, if not the most, highly regarded poker websites out there.

Depending on how deep your pockets are, you might consider Doug Polk's websites which is also highly regarded. It's expensive, but excellent. www.upswingpoker.com

There are lots of poker concepts. Some are simple to implement & others are very complex and difficult to fully grasp. I would suggest learn some and play a lot, rinse and repeat. I'm not sure what the ratio should be. I suppose it depends on if you are playing live or online, but in either case concepts are much easier to learn through actual hands than just in concept so a big part of getting better is playing a lot.
 
Hi @Basti

Reading books and watching video will help you to understand how to play poker and in depth detail like how to put people in certain range etc

Adjust according to the players you are playing with and not basing just on theory

Record and review interesting hand / spot that you encounter during play

You properly will need to spend as much time (if not much more) reviewing / studying as you are playing if you want to keep improving
 
Hey everyone,

I really enjoy playing NLHE poker and got intrested in it a long time ago.
Currently I'm finishing my engineering degree and really like the mathematical side of poker.
Although I got intrested in poker many years ago I haven't played much on a serious level.
I know about pre-flop ranges, 3-betting and how to adjust against some type of players, but post-flop I mostly just go by instict.
My biggest win was a 10$ buy-in that left me with 100$ and my biggest loss was probably minus 100$ in a day.

I would love to optimize my plays at every stage of the game and was wondering how I could do that in the most efficient way possible.
It would probably also be a good idea to go through the mentioned pre-flop basics once again in order to optimize my plays and to find some flaws.

Does anyone have some good recommendations on how to obtain decent knowledge about every stage of the game?
Maybe a respected book or video series that covers everything from zero?
Hopefully someone can share how they became more consistent and knowledgeable.

Greetings from Germany,
Basti
Red chip poker fundamentals course.

Also, play a bunch.
 
That look like someone who on her last bankroll, is hazel perhaps on a downswing lately?
Hazel is an action player, she just can’t stay away from the table when there’s a game going on.
A02C51CD-678C-4C95-B524-01A2DE076887.jpeg

She has been known to go broke on occasion.
CE600E21-5583-41F1-8890-A012B2C551C4.jpeg

Hazel looks at it like this, if a guy like Jamie Gold can win the Main Event, she’s a shoe in to win sometime in the near future. :ROFL: :ROFLMAO:
 
Hazel is an action player, she just can’t stay away from the table when there’s a game going on. View attachment 979704
She has been known to go broke on occasion.
View attachment 979703
Hazel looks at it like this, if a guy like Jamie Gold can win the Main Event, she’s a shoe in to win sometime in the near future. :ROFL: :ROFLMAO:
Cats are tough to read.

20210318_094446.jpg
 

Create an account or login to comment

You must be a member in order to leave a comment

Create account

Create an account and join our community. It's easy!

Log in

Already have an account? Log in here.

Back
Top Bottom