Quote Originally Posted by Uncster
I'm now at a stage where I get in the money in the vast majority of 5/6/10 or even 20 player S'n'Gs I play in by just playing tighter than any good player here would suggest (Only play pocket pairs, or picture cards suited and get the hell out if the flop doesnt help - and ONLY raise hard if I have the best possible hand).

The problem is I can see that I'm going to have to totally change my style of play when I get the balls to go near a no limit table again, but at least I'll have actual experience this time, instead of "I just watched WSOP on TV and I am clearly a poker genius and can retire by next week" ability.
Don't buy off on the myth that tight is not right once you start stepping up or trying other games. There are certain "tight" hands you play from certain positions. As you get closer to the button those hands get a little more varied. You know that, I'm sure. There's nothing wrong with playing that way in a ring game as well.

The discussions about agression you see are often-times taken the wrong way by beginners. Let me see if I can clarify it a bit.

First, blind agression is bad. The first skill is spotting weakness. And there are some standard plays were you can ferrit out weakness with agression. There's a great move you can put on AK post flop that will buy you the hand on the river. Plus there are blind steals that work against the right players in the right circumstance. These are moves you add to your bag as you gain experience. But they are literally just specific techniques used in specific positions. The work more often than not, but sometime you lose some chips trying them.

So, playing tight is right. The biggest problem players have is making loose preflop calls that almost guarantee that even when they hit they STILL have the 2nd best hand. I would rank poker skills in the following order:

1. Learn what to play and from what position (tight is right). This generally means playing less hands, not more.

2. Learn how to bet if you're playing NL - ring or SnG's. Learn how to bet to reduce your competition, to sweeten the pot, to take odds away from drawing hands, and to gather information. You need to know how to do all of these things. You have to make standard continuation bets. If you can't do that, then you don't know how to play. You need to make value bets, etc.

3. Learn to play position. Some people would rank this #2. But if you're super tight, then position is less important. But you do play hands differently based on position. And based on whether you opened the pot or not. You have learn what to play from where in different positions and how to bet it preflop. You bet AA differently in late position preflop with multiple limpers than you do if you're on the button against just the blinds. Why? Because you want to reduce your callers, but you do want some action if you can get it. So you have to know how to play position. This also involved knowing that your starting hand requirements change based on position, # of limpers, if you're opening the pot, etc.

4. Learn situational play. This might be making "moves" based on position and relative stack sizes, it may mean just calling that small stack from the BB because you can knock him out and that's your job as chip leader. It means when you have a small stack all-in and another big stack is in the hand, you check it down unless you're sure you have the AI stack beat by yourself, etc.

5. Start adding advanced moves to your bag. These are things like burning off a few chips to set someone up for a big fall. I do that all the time. I train the other players that when I do this, if they do that, then I'll fold. And once they're trained I spring the trap and take all their chips. Or it means soliciting that reraise when you have the nuts, making those selected agression plays that have high probability in the right situation. Included in this step is learning to read players. And you always start with the two guys to your left. They're on the blinds when you're on the button. Do they protect? What kind of cards do they show, etc. And you work your way from there reading the OBVIOUS players on the table. The guy who ALWAYS makes a continuation bet of just 1 or 2 BB post flop. The guy who overbets when he has crap and underbets or checks when he has quality (reverse players), who likes Ace Junk, etc.

So, it's a step by step process. Playing tight agressive is the first step. Playing loose agressive is nowhere in the steps. There are agressive plays that you make without cards, but they are based on INFORMATION that you have and the ODDS that the play will work. AA has certain ODDS for holding up. They don't ALWAYS hold up, but they have favorable odds in most situations preflop. Just like that there are certain agressive moves that have FAVORABLE ODDS of holding up. They don't always hold up. And just like you learn when to dump your aces (or you should), you also learn when to walk away from your agressive move.

I'm just saying, don't think that agressive is the next thing to learn after tight. Play the right cards, bet them right, start to understand position and play accordingly, learn situational play (for NL tournaments), and then add some tricks to your bag. A super-tight game is very effective in micro NL where you have 70% preflop callers and miniscule blinds. When you hit, if you bet it right you will be paid off bigtime. Even when they peg you as a Rock, they still call your bets. I don't know why, but they do. And your AK will crush their A9, etc. I've made alot of money just playing essentially the Nuts on NL ring. But I also play position, bet accordingly, etc. etc. I almost never make "move" in NL ring that I'll make in MTT tournaments, however. Yet people try them with me all the time, generally I let them get away with it for small $, and take all their chips when they do it at the wrong time.

Just as an example. I play like a rock. I'm generally not pushing the betting or raising without superquality, preflop and throughout the hand. It's OBVIOUS. Yet, if the average pot size is say $12 for the NL table I'm at, MY average pot size is $30+. Why? My pots should be smaller! The minute I raise or lead out with a pot sized bet people should be running for cover. But there's always one or two fools who don't. Now, there are times where they have a sneaky hand, like 66 when the flop is 6AK and I have top 2 pair. And when they do I pay them off if they're smart enough to just call me down. But I also know that if someone has the balls to reraise me, then I'm probably beat unless I have the true Nuts, which I sometimes do. Generally, though, I'm inviting their raise anyway. But, alot of people will say if you play NL ring tight you'll win a few small pots, but people are too smart to pay you off once they peg you as a rock. That Bullshit. The hands I lose are generally to people who know I have the best RIGHT NOW but are willing to call pot sized bets with their flush or straight draws. Hey, if they're willing to take horrible odds to hit that miracle out, then more power to them. I make my money every time they miss - which is more often then they want to admit.

Anyway, good luke. Play tight, play strong. Pacific is the place to be for SnG's. Tres Fishy!! Why better than Party Poker or Poker Stars.