the poker thread

[kitalyn414]

anyone else in on the poker craze? i'm obsessed. unfortunately, i also suck.

i've actually gotten over the nervousness of playing in live games. the first time i sat down at a table i was sweating and couldn't keep my hands from shaking when i put my chips in the pot. at least that has past.

i play in a weekly game... about 20 people, and have only made the final table once. however, i am determined to get better. my bf and i even bought howard lederer's poker special on ppv and have it saved on tivo. come to think of it, i should watch that again.

i think i'm also going to start reading "super system." it's just so huge.

[RayJ1977]

Play weekly. Read Phil Hellmuth's book. It's pretty helpful. Super System also teaches about Omaha, Hi-Low, Stud, Razz, everything. The section on Hold 'em is about 1/10 of the book. Don't be scared of it!

[kitalyn414]

do you play anything besides hold 'em?

[natbumpo]

I played Hold 'em in vegas last week and it is a totally different experience playing with people you don't know. The game is (and is expected to be) much faster than at a home game. Much more fun actually though.

[kitalyn414]

where did you play?

i played last weekend at binions. i did the 2pm tournament on saturday and then played a satellite on sunday afternoon. i also played a 1-2 no-limit cash game. that's the most live poker i've ever played.

i like to think that i am actually decent, but i lack cajones. it is very intimidating since hardly any women play.

[Drufus]

Poker nights are fun. Its a good way to spend a night without spending a lot of money. Well, only if you are doing $5 or $10 buy ins like my friends and I usually do.

[natbumpo]

where did you play?

i played last weekend at binions. i did the 2pm tournament on saturday and then played a satellite on sunday afternoon. i also played a 1-2 no-limit cash game. that's the most live poker i've ever played.

i like to think that i am actually decent, but i lack cajones. it is very intimidating since hardly any women play.

I played at the Aladdin and a 3-6 limit. There are actually 1 or 2 women at every table i played at.

[kitalyn414]

dude - i was the only chick at every table i was at. i think there were MAYBE 10 women in the whole big tournament... probably nearly 200 people total.

[Ederratic]

I play in a weekly game with friends. Occasionally there are enough people to run two tables, but not often. None of us are that good but we play for fun with a 5 dollar buy in and I'm probably even over my lifetime. I love playing seemingly shiatty hands and coming out on top. My favorite was holding onto offsuit 7 and 2 and flopping a full house.

[jcm12]

Online poker is a profitable hobby for me. I play up to $2-4 limit, $50 no limit, and $20-30 single table tournaments. I'm what most consider a "shark" but i'm far from it, i'm just better than average. I don't hustle anyone though, ever.

The quickest tip I can tell you folks is to not play every hand you're dealt, and don't be a wimp at the table! I'll be happy to answer any questions anyone has.

[jcm12]

Poker nights are fun. Its a good way to spend a night without spending a lot of money. Well, only if you are doing $5 or $10 buy ins like my friends and I usually do.
keep em that way, when games get bumped up to $20, people get sore about losing, believe me.

[tdko]

I'm stoked to find a poker thread on QLC! I think gambling's in my blood. My grandfather (mom's side) was a gambler, owned race horses, ran junkets to Vegas from Detroit for years. (The stories go that he put food on the table during lean times by playing cards.) My dad's dad was also a big gambler, but apparently not very good at it. :( My dad plays, my brother went to UNLV, my little brother's into poker...

Lemme tell you, that makes me wary.

Anyway, the best advice I ever heard was this: play tighter and play more aggressively. (You can find the definitions for loose/tight, passive/aggressive in Sklansky's "Hold'em for Advanced Players" among other places.) Essentially, play fewer hands, and raise more than you call. It works.

Also practice a lot. Try to guess what people have, and learn to quickly read the "outs" (the cards that will help you). I played for most of college with some buddies, nickel/dime/quarter games. But the guy who ran it was really serious about poker, so we learned correct dealing, strategy, terminology, the whole nine yards. Now I'm anal retentive at my home games (as far as dealing and money goes) but I'm a better player for it.

I finally ventured into a casino a few weeks ago, a small card room near my house. Walked in with $140, left with $220. Went back the next day with $100, left with $130. I'm so stoked, I can't wait to go back. The people there are just too loose with their money, so when I push hard with a good hand, it's easy pickings. But I also throw away 75% of everything I get.

[meatwad]

Ignore what you see on TV. It's edited for show. The only tournament on TV that I've ever seen that was really educational was the live one they did at Turning Stone last year. I'd recommend Dan Harrington's new book if you play a lot of tourneys.

[wordsmith]

I don't think I have a gambling gene in my body.

[LakeJay]

Anyway, the best advice I ever heard was this: play tighter and play more aggressively. (You can find the definitions for loose/tight, passive/aggressive in Sklansky's "Hold'em for Advanced Players" among other places.) Essentially, play fewer hands, and raise more than you call. It works.


I don't play but my one friend at work gave me that advice. It makes sense. Basically wait for others to make a mistake and when they do be aggressive with betting. He does pretty well playing no-limit on partypoker or one of those other online poker sites so I would go by it.

[RayJ1977]

To answer the question (just now saw it)...I play Omaha, Omaha Hi-Low, Stud, Hold 'Em, and Pot Limit Hold 'em.

[tdko]

To answer the question (just now saw it)...I play Omaha, Omaha Hi-Low, Stud, Hold 'Em, and Pot Limit Hold 'em.
What's the betting theory behind Pot Limit? I understand limit and I sorta get no-limit, but how does pot limit differ? I dunno, maybe you don't have a strategy, that's ok too. :D

[meatwad]

What's the betting theory behind Pot Limit? I understand limit and I sorta get no-limit, but how does pot limit differ? I dunno, maybe you don't have a strategy, that's ok too. :D

You're trying to build the pot up and make correct pot odd decisions on when to attack and when to hold back. It's hard to drive out people with your good hands up front unless you have a lot of limpers or a raise behind you, because you can only raise what's in the middle.

[RayJ1977]

Exactly...you can't bet enough early in a hand in pot limit to make people fold marginal hands so you get drawn out on far more often...which means you get pissed and throw things. I will never stick too long in pot limit with out a high pair or a four-card straight or flush after the flop with two cards to go. I hate pot limit the most. Bad poker players often win at pot limit because they can't be scared off like they can be in no limit.

[tdko]

Exactly...you can't bet enough early in a hand in pot limit to make people fold marginal hands so you get drawn out on far more often...which means you get pissed and throw things. I will never stick too long in pot limit with out a high pair or a four-card straight or flush after the flop with two cards to go. I hate pot limit the most. Bad poker players often win at pot limit because they can't be scared off like they can be in no limit.
That doesn't sound like fun at all. Limit, I get. No-limit, I can conceptualize though I don't have a good grasp of how much to bet. (I got creamed in my first game of NLH and haven't been able to get a tournament going since to try again.) PLH doesn't sound fun. If everyone's stringing along, then you're just waiting for the right time to hit hard. On the other hand, the odds of getting rivered must go through the roof.

[meatwad]

That doesn't sound like fun at all. Limit, I get. No-limit, I can conceptualize though I don't have a good grasp of how much to bet. (I got creamed in my first game of NLH and haven't been able to get a tournament going since to try again.) PLH doesn't sound fun. If everyone's stringing along, then you're just waiting for the right time to hit hard. On the other hand, the odds of getting rivered must go through the roof.

It's fun, but it's harder to play, that's all.

[kitalyn414]

That doesn't sound like fun at all. Limit, I get. No-limit, I can conceptualize though I don't have a good grasp of how much to bet. (I got creamed in my first game of NLH and haven't been able to get a tournament going since to try again.) PLH doesn't sound fun. If everyone's stringing along, then you're just waiting for the right time to hit hard. On the other hand, the odds of getting rivered must go through the roof.i only play no-limit.

in terms of betting strategy, here's kind of how i think about it - a good solid bet is usually 3x the big blind. that typically makes people think twice before calling you. now, what hands you make with this kind of bet with can vary. however, if you are playing super-tight... you can bet something like 5x the big blind with AA, KK, or AK and feel pretty comfortable about it. of course, you are going to get a lot less calls, but then you prevent people gambling and drawing out on you... or you could use that kind of bet to bluff people out.

i don't know, it is so subjective. in terms of going all-in, i typically don't do it as a bluff. i need to have SOME kind of hand (unless i'm ridiculously short-stacked) to risk all my chips on.

have to agree with the tight/agressive strategy. calling can get you into trouble. bet the cards if you have them. unless you have the nuts or something very close... then check/call and steal everyone's money!!! :evil:

[samender]

I don't really know how to play and everytime someone says they are going to teach me something comes up and it doesn't happen. :(

[tdko]

I don't really know how to play and everytime someone says they are going to teach me something comes up and it doesn't happen. :(
If you live in the Bay Area, I'll teach you. :huge:

[jcm12]

What's the betting theory behind Pot Limit? I understand limit and I sorta get no-limit, but how does pot limit differ? I dunno, maybe you don't have a strategy, that's ok too. :D
checking and raising big hands is common, this allows your opponents to bet and enlarge the pot, so you can come over the top with a huge reraise. There are disadvantages to this play though, it alerts people that you have a hand. Straight forward betting is usually most profitable.

I play mostly $1-2 and $2-4 limit hold'em, $10 and $20 single table tournaments, and .25-.50 NL hold'em. Learning 7 card stud is on the horizon for me too.

[meatwad]

checking and raising big hands is common, this allows your opponents to bet and enlarge the pot, so you can come over the top with a huge reraise. There are disadvantages to this play though, it alerts people that you have a hand. Straight forward betting is usually most profitable.

I play mostly $1-2 and $2-4 limit hold'em, $10 and $20 single table tournaments, and .25-.50 NL hold'em. Learning 7 card stud is on the horizon for me too.

Stud's pretty simple. Only start with split Jacks or better or wired 9s or beter or a hand full of paint or three of the same suit if they're close together or with an ace. Get your draws as cheap as possible and pay attention to what everyone folds so you don't go chasing a hand that you can't possibly get.