What advice would you give your inexperienced poker self!? (1 Viewer)

AdamAAAA

AdamAAAA

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Evening gentlemen.

Having been out of the poker scene for over 10 years now, there's a lot I've forgotten (probably for the best). Moreover, it seems the game has changed somewhat from when I played. I don't know if it's because I'm now older and maybe wiser, or if it actually has, but it seems a lot more strategic.

It feels like I'm almost starting from the beginning again. I'm a tournament player, mainly, and play for the fun of it rather than making money.

I guess what I'm wondering is, if you could go back and give your inexperienced self some advice, to help expedite your learning, what would that be? For info, I've downloaded a couple of books to read again: Harrington on Hold'em and Brunson's Super System, but I'm stuck for where to go next?

Thanks in advance.
Adam
 
Not that he's known as a font of wisdom, but Todd Brunson gave the shortest simplest answer in one of the HSP interstitials years ago when the question was what piece of advice he would give someone just starting out in poker. "Don't bluff."
 
gopherblue said:
Fold more often.* Raise more often.* Pay attention to position.* Sit to Guinness' left.* Profit.*






*I'm a terrible listener.
Click to expand...

I fold too much. I don't raise enough. Playing position is about the only good thing I do. Profit, well as said I'm not in it for the money. But thanks :D

jbutler said:
Not that he's known as a font of wisdom, but Todd Brunson gave the shortest simplest answer in one of the HSP interstitials years ago when the question was what piece of advice he would give someone just starting out in poker. "Don't bluff."
Click to expand...

I seldom bluff, which I've found helps. It seems the weekly tournament I play is full of regs and I've developed somewhat of a TAG status.
 
AdamAAAA said:
I seldom bluff, which I've found helps. It seems the weekly tournament I play is full of regs and I've developed somewhat of a TAG status.
Click to expand...

You can make use of squeezer vig if you're a tight player, but I found when I first learned big bet poker years ago I was just naturally too aggro and had to learn how to pick my spots better. I think people are afraid it's just a pure level when they hear good players saying "tight is right".
 
Great question. I was in the exact same position as you. Played a ton of higher limit Hold'em in my early 20's, then started up again after in 2015 after 10 years off and now play for fun.

You'll get a ton of advice on here so I'll keep it "short"

- See a ton of hands cheaply. Play in free bar leagues or cheap tournaments where you can observe players.

- Don't be scared to play. My confidence was low so I assumed everyone was better than me and playing awesome cards. Not true. Most of the time, they are not that good and are playing shit.

- I have no idea where people get their money from. I make decent money and play against people who can barely pay rent, but they still have a fat wad of money at the table

- In terms of reading, I've found some Ed Miller stuff helpful, but everyone will have an opinion

- Play stakes that you are comfortable with. You can be a millionaire and not want to put more than $100 on the table. There's nothing wrong with that.

- There are a lot of sharp people in this community who play poker successfully. Heed their advice
 
Thanks, sounds like we were in the same position then. I've added some bits to your post :)

MegaTon44 said:
Great question. I was in the exact same position as you. Played a ton of higher limit Hold'em in my early 20's, then started up again after in 2015 after 10 years off and now play for fun.

You'll get a ton of advice on here so I'll keep it "short"

- See a ton of hands cheaply. Play in free bar leagues or cheap tournaments where you can observe players. The tournaments here are pretty cheap to enter so I've been playing at least once a week.

- Don't be scared to play. My confidence was low so I assumed everyone was better than me and playing awesome cards. Not true. Most of the time, they are not that good and are playing shit. My first game I was a mess! You're right I assumed everyone kept getting better hands, but the more I wanted the more I realised that people were calling with 46 sooted. I certainly loosened up a little, but learned that I could play tight and win. Generally it's the whole betting I get a little confused with. When to bet/raise and by how much depending on cards and position.

- I have no idea where people get their money from. I make decent money and play against people who can barely pay rent, but they still have a fat wad of money at the table I come across a lot of payday millionaires. See them all at the end of the month, seldom during the middle. Certainly from where I'm from, anyway.

- In terms of reading, I've found some Ed Miller stuff helpful, but everyone will have an opinion

- Play stakes that you are comfortable with. You can be a millionaire and not want to put more than $100 on the table. There's nothing wrong with that.

- There are a lot of sharp people in this community who play poker successfully. Heed their advice
Click to expand...

Thanks again. I'm really keen to know how to improve my betting, especially post flop. I am definitely weaker post flop.
 
For tournament poker I would recommend Jonathan Little's books which are quite relevant for today's game. There's two I would get, Secrets of professional tournament poker volume 1 and 3. The first volume deals with theory and the second is a practice book.
 
I know enough about math and probability to understand it all evens out over time.

But when you're running like crap, you can't help but be affected by it.

Don't be afraid to take a break or call it a night.
 
If I could go back in time I would start learing cash games and no sit n goes because I missed some really important basic skills in poker. Of course I learnt a lot about push and fold while playing sngs but this easier to learn.

By the way I started now reading a cash game book ;)
 
It's mostly been said above, but:

Play fewer hands / Don't bluff without a reason / It takes a stronger hand to call than it does to raise
 
Jambine said:
It takes a stronger hand to call than it does to raise
Click to expand...

What do you mean by this? You see, my main problem I find is knowing post flop what the best play is based on my position, hand and what I think the guy opposite has.

Typically, the tournaments I play they're all a bunch of LAGtards, so I can never be sure what they've flopped. You usually have to raise pretty strong to get these out of seeing a flop. However, you can guarantee that post flop, first to act will almost always bet, regardless of holding. I've had a bit of success re-raising but also been called a couple of times and looked stupid.
 
AdamAAAA said:
What do you mean by this? You see, my main problem I find is knowing post flop what the best play is based on my position, hand and what I think the guy opposite has.

Typically, the tournaments I play they're all a bunch of LAGtards, so I can never be sure what they've flopped. You usually have to raise pretty strong to get these out of seeing a flop. However, you can guarantee that post flop, first to act will almost always bet, regardless of holding. I've had a bit of success re-raising but also been called a couple of times and looked stupid.
Click to expand...

It’s important to protect your hand, especially in large multi-way pots. When you allow others to draw cheaply they might make a winning hand from a weak holding that they would have folded to a raise. If you have a good draw when facing a bet, you should probably raise or fold. You can call here only with a very strong hand, knowing that even if they make their draw, you still win.

Maybe that view is too aggressive for some, but I believe raise or fold is usually right.

PS. Re-raising is a very different issue
 
In order

Read Sklansky theory of poker

Read it again

Read super system 1 & 2

Don't bluff so much, play tighter, always ask yourself what you opponent has, and if they are really good also think about what they think you have.

You can't win a tournament in the first few levels, but you can lose one.

Don't bluff the fish.
 
Always remember to mix up your playing style. In general, bluffing can be a slippery slope, but if you have developed a solid reputation as a tight player, you can steal a few pots in position because players will expect your bets to be a sign of strength.

Likewise, if you've developed a looser style, tighten it up from time to time and fleece all the players who call expecting you to flip over crap.
 
So, I took on the advice in here, primarily the parts about folding more and raising more and ended up at the final table of a tourney last night.

(although technically, the organisers miscounted how many were still in and I busted out in 9th before they moved everyone to the final table. I shoudl have gone there, dammit!)

Anyway, one hand that bugs me is this:

I'm in late position, maybe 2 places behind the button, blinds are 400/800 I think. Villain, who is UTG raises to 2.5k and hero looks down at :kc::kd:

Typically I'm raising here, which I think is the correct play(?), but this table is full of LAG players and almost every hand has someone going all-in with odd hands. I flat, thinking I'm going to get an all in at some point of which i'll obviously call.

However, it folds around to the BB who also folds.

Flop comes :4c: :th: :6d: or something like that.

Villain shoves and whilst I think it is possible he has flopped a set, knowing the odd hands people are playing he likely hit top pair at best. I have him covered and call.

Villain turns over :qs::qh:

Villain is angry, makes some comment about my play that I don't really hear. The board is blank for us both and I take the pot.

Was he right to be angry? Did I play this badly? How would you have played in my seat?
 
1. It's hard to say, would need to know more about stack sizes involved, likelihood of another player after you raising if you just flat, etc
2. Fuck Villian being "angry" and fuck Villian's comments about your play, he sounds like an asshole who needs to stfu. You can play however the fuck you want, you haven't violated any ethical rules of the game by your play. Villian wouldn't have been griping if your play allowed him to hit the case Q and win the pot. He's upset because he lost with a good hand.
 
it does not matter that you just called his initial raise if you would have reraised, my bet is that you guys would have got it all in pre-flop any ways. End result would be the same. He was just butt hurt he lost.
 
Anthony Martino said:
1. It's hard to say, would need to know more about stack sizes involved, likelihood of another player after you raising if you just flat, etc
2. Fuck Villian being "angry" and fuck Villian's comments about your play, he sounds like an asshole who needs to stfu. You can play however the fuck you want, you haven't violated any ethical rules of the game by your play. Villian wouldn't have been griping if your play allowed him to hit the case Q and win the pot. He's upset because he lost with a good hand.
Click to expand...

I think I had average stack, maybe 50k at this point. He had around 30k.It was very likely someone else would have raised (or at a minimum call) after me. I was surprised only two of us saw the flop.

JTBass said:
it does not matter that you just called his initial raise if you would have reraised, my bet is that you guys would have got it all in pre-flop any ways. End result would be the same. He was just butt hurt he lost.
Click to expand...

When he left the table I asked another guy there who was more experienced if I played it badly, and he said the same, if I raised he'd have gone all in with queens anyway, which I'd have called so either way I'm winning that hand.
 

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