OT: Any Poker players around here?

[WayOutWest]

Heading into a tournament weekend.  Texas Hold-em this Friday and Saturday (I'm not kidding myself into thinking I'll be in there for the finals on Sunday  :cry:  ) BUT I'm wondering if any of you have any words of wisdom?

Friday tournament is Limit Hold-em, Saturday the people who survived Friday get into the No-Limt game.  Limit Hold-em is very mechanical, kinda like Black Jack, my superior brain power as demonstrated so many times on this board  :rofl: , should get me through the field Friday (actually there is NOT supposed to be any pro's in the Friday games).

No-Limit is a very different animal and I have very little experience in that type of game.  The best advice I got from a pro was to play not to lose as opposed to playing to win.  People who play to win jeopardize their chips too ofter.  Play aggressively but ONLY play good hands, meaning you may pass up hands for hours and not get into a single game but you must remain sharp and try and spot tells.

Anyway, anyone here got any tips?

[Ted]

I've got some advice for you.

Don't throw your money away. If you need thrills, get your butt back on the basketball court. I  don't care if your knees hurt!

[rickortreat]

When you sit down at the table try to figure out who the suckers are.  If you don't know, you're the sucker!

If you only play good hands, and never bluff, it's harder to win big at your good hands.  The other players have to think they have a chance to keep bidding.

Until you know the personality and style of your opponenets, you won't know what you can get away with, but you won't learn as fast if you don't try to get away with something.

So pay attention to the other players and see if you can figure out who thinks they have the winning hand, and see how often they're right.

And the first rule is protect your capital.

[WayOutWest]

I've got some advice for you.

Don't throw your money away. If you need thrills, get your butt back on the basketball court. I  don't care if your knees hurt!

LOL!

My knee has actually gotten worse.  No way I'm even gonna consider playing on it for a few more months.

I'm not risking money I can't do without anyway.  To me it's more of a competitive thing, it's not about the money it's about being better than everyone at the table.

It's a major flaw in my phyce I know!

[Lurker]

As Kenny Rodgers says:

Know when to hold them,
Know when to fold them.


However, rick's advice is on target.  Bluff a few hands early but not to the point of jeopardizing your stake.   Be a little more aggressive if you are in the blinds and you already have money in the pot.  If you are in the first betting position on the flop it is usually better to check than bet.  Get to know the style of your opponents.  Try to watch facial expressions and nervous tics.

[WayOutWest]

When you sit down at the table try to figure out who the suckers are.  If you don't know, you're the sucker!

LMAO!  That applies to so many other aspect in real life!!!

If you only play good hands, and never bluff, it's harder to win big at your good hands.  The other players have to think they have a chance to keep bidding.

In limit that's not really true, limit is about out playing your oppenents and knowing the odds.  It's very hard to bluff in limit.  

In no-limit it only pays to bluff when you have an "out".  Stone cold bluffing makes for good TV but it's not the way to go unless you're up against a very tight BUT good player.  All the poker strategy you know goes out the window when you play against poor players.  I bluff but not without having some kind of hand.  I usually only need to bluff with suited connecting cards, there really no point in even playing with anything less.

Until you know the personality and style of your opponenets, you won't know what you can get away with, but you won't learn as fast if you don't try to get away with something.

That's kinda tough in a tourney were 99% of players are strangers.  It takes few hours to figure people out, except players who are "calling stations", and in no-limt you could be done in a few hours.

So pay attention to the other players and see if you can figure out who thinks they have the winning hand, and see how often they're right.

I don't like paying off hands unless I know the players tendencies so typically I start out very tight, I need to break that pattern.  However that goes against the tried and true style of playing not to lose in tourney's vs. playing to win in a regular game.

And the first rule is protect your capital.

You have to balance that with not falling in love with a hand and not playing too tight.


Wish me luck!

 

[WayOutWest]

As Kenny Rodgers says:

If you are in the first betting position on the flop it is usually better to check than bet.

Agreed except with that one comment.

You should only check when you intend to check-raise, even then it's not a good idea because checking on the button after the flop gets you:
1.)Showing weakness.
2.)Encourages others to get a free card.
3.)Limits you're take if you'veflopped the "nuts".
4.)I'd only slow play after the flop if I made an OBVIOUS big hand.


If you have a player betting into you and you're going to play you should raise if you're going to call.  The game is pretty much decided on the flop, checking because you're in the early position(s) is not neccessarily the way to play especially if you're going to bluff.

[Lurker]

As Kenny Rodgers says:

If you are in the first betting position on the flop it is usually better to check than bet.

Agreed except with that one comment.

You should only check when you intend to check-raise, even then it's not a good idea because checking on the button after the flop gets you:
1.)Showing weakness.
2.)Encourages others to get a free card.
3.)Limits you're take if you'veflopped the "nuts".
4.)I'd only slow play after the flop if I made an OBVIOUS big hand.


If you have a player betting into you and you're going to play you should raise if you're going to call.  The game is pretty much decided on the flop, checking because you're in the early position(s) is not neccessarily the way to play especially if you're going to bluff.

First betting position doesn't necessarily mean you are on the button just that only people after you have paid to see the flop.  I have found that early in the game it serves a couple purposes.

1) It let's me read how other players react....letting me learn their tendancies.

2) It misleads anyone who is trying to get a read on me.

Sometimes I will do it when bluffing, other times I will be holding something.  But it does assume that I felt I had enough to stay in before the flop.

[WayOutWest]

As Kenny Rodgers says:

If you are in the first betting position on the flop it is usually better to check than bet.

Agreed except with that one comment.

You should only check when you intend to check-raise, even then it's not a good idea because checking on the button after the flop gets you:
1.)Showing weakness.
2.)Encourages others to get a free card.
3.)Limits you're take if you'veflopped the "nuts".
4.)I'd only slow play after the flop if I made an OBVIOUS big hand.


If you have a player betting into you and you're going to play you should raise if you're going to call.  The game is pretty much decided on the flop, checking because you're in the early position(s) is not neccessarily the way to play especially if you're going to bluff.

First betting position doesn't necessarily mean you are on the button just that only people after you have paid to see the flop.  I have found that early in the game it serves a couple purposes.

1) It let's me read how other players react....letting me learn their tendancies.

2) It misleads anyone who is trying to get a read on me.

Sometimes I will do it when bluffing, other times I will be holding something.  But it does assume that I felt I had enough to stay in before the flop.

I just don't like that tactic.

If I'm bluffing it really hurts my shot at winning on a bluff.

If I've got a good hand it gives the other players to see a free card.

I might check if I've flopped the nuts but you never know what's comming on 4th st and on the river.  If I've flopped a nut flush or strait and I check it gives someone who's playing with a draw hand the opportunity to get a free card and if the board pairs on 4th or 5th then I'd be very concerned regardless of the cards I'm holding.

[Guest_Randy]

Texas hold-em is my least favorite kind of poker -- not much to building a hand and is really tough to determine the final outcome -- I once played in college -- had a pair of aces and my opponent had NOTHING -- the house drew two pairs -- one was a pair of sixes to which my opponent also had one in his hand.  

Of course, I don't play for money -- just for fun.  It's easier to stay friends that way -- lol.

[Guest]

Im pretty good at texas hold-em.  I play whatever poker game is thrown but my first choice is texas hold-em now.  Alot of betting and alot of luck.  Just my kind of style haha.