Did I just make a stupid all in?

I lost a total of 5 hundred in 2 days. Long story short. I had and this guy had . I limped in and on the flop, . I raised $25, he reraised $50. I went all in. He called. He hit a straight...

I thought he had a pair atleast, didn't think he had a straight. I had 3 hundred in chips. I couldn't believe that happened so quickly.

I told my bro what happened, he said I shouldn't have limped instead, raise. He also said I should have atleast called the raise, not go all in.

I'm still thinking about it now. I feel like quiting poker for good because of this incident. Is this normal?

That's what happens when you limp aces.
If you decide to 'slowplay' aces, that's one of the worst possible flops to try fancy shit.
I'm a total amateur, but I can tell that hand is plain terrible.

Also, don't quit over this. Learn and move on.

This is a 100% typical beginner mistake. I've done it. I can almost guarantee that everyone who plays NLHE has done this at least once in their early days. Don't kick yourself too hard, it was a normal mistake and part of the learning process.

Don't be so results oriented that a single hand affects the way you think of your own skill level. Make sure you follow bankroll management and play at stakes where you can lose a few buy-ins and still feel comfortable with your stack. After all, variance can 'cause a winning player to experience downswings much greater than a mere 3 buy-ins.

Put villains on a range!

BRM, SPR, dont limp aces etc GL

OK. First lesson learned- you really suck at poker.

Second lesson is you have a billion more lessons to learn. If you chose to learn you've come to the right place. If not, thanks for the laugh.

Originally Posted by supa

OK. First lesson learned- you really suck at poker.

I suck at poker. I'll admit it. I'll even admit I stacked off with AA this weekend in a horrible spot. Not quite this bad, but I knew I was beat and still shoveled. We all struggle with big one pair hands - to get the value we have to barrel, but quite often a pair of Aces isn't enough to win a NLHE hand.

Even though I suck at poker, I'm a winning player at my stakes. I would suggest taking a small percentage of the several hundred you lost and invest it online to learn the game. $100 and you're rolled for the nano-stakes tables, and you can log thousands of hands against weak players to hone your skills.

That's what a lot of us did, and are doing. Good luck.

You make your post flop decisions with AA much easier by RAISING PRE FLOP. When you limp in and then stack off on any flop, you give everyone at the table insane implied odds to play against you. As a beginner, you should be looking to raise any pre flop bet before you when you hold AA, it's the easiest way to play AA and it's usually the most profitable. Just fucking raise, don't get cute with AA because it often ends in tears.

My 2 cents.... 1st off you need to be raising AA pre flop.. I know everyone has said this,but lets think about why. Well generally our goal is to get value from our hands. Well the only way to get value is to bet. 2nd when you raise for value.. your not just getting the value pre flop you are getting information. Based on the amount you raise and if they call,raise, or fold. This info will help you narrow your opp. range. 3rd when you raise for value you will also make anyone with a drawing hand pay "bad" pot odds to see the flop. Limping lets anyone play any two cards and will lead to you not knowing what the fuck is going on and losing your stack. Also on this flop I would have prob either called or reraised..but not all in. You got to remember AA is still only one pair. So remember raise for value and with it comes info and protection. Also I am new to poker too... so if anyone thinks my logic flawed here please let me know.

@Straight, ye I agreed. I told my bro I should have either just call for another $25 instead of all in. I don't know why I went all in to be honest, maybe greed or other maybe I happen to have a court trial, quit my job, and tired of school.

The reason I limped in because I was hoping someone would raise, so I could reraise. Out of the 10 hands I played at the table, 9 out of 10 some idiot would raise with a stupid hand.

I understand what you guys are saying, thanks for the advice guys. One more thing. Do you guys recommend raising pre-flop with pair of queens, kings, and aces? A lot of time, I would just limp to try and trap the person that raises. If he raises, I would just call. It's how I have been playing, so far, I have won $2000 during the 4 months I have been playing poker. I feel like I need to change my strategy up some more. I hope some of you high skill level players could give me some advice. Thanks.

Originally Posted by mikeander

@Straight, ye I agreed. I told my bro I should have either just call for another $25 instead of all in. I don't know why I went all in to be honest, maybe greed or other maybe I happen to have a court trial, quit my job, and tired of school.

The reason I limped in because I was hoping someone would raise, so I could reraise. Out of the 10 hands I played at the table, 9 out of 10 some idiot would raise with a stupid hand.

I understand what you guys are saying, thanks for the advice guys. One more thing. Do you guys recommend raising pre-flop with pair of queens, kings, and aces? A lot of time, I would just limp to try and trap the person that raises. If he raises, I would just call. It's how I have been playing, so far, I have won $2000 during the 4 months I have been playing poker. I feel like I need to change my strategy up some more. I hope some of you high skill level players could give me some advice. Thanks.

Are live games this soft??

Originally Posted by gotigers1234

Are live games this soft??

It depends on where and when, and, of course, what stakes.

At my local casino, the $1/$3 tables on a Saturday night are about 70/30 shark to donk ratio. They're 10 seat tables and they play about 20 - 25 hands an hour with a steep rake ($4 max that comes out of almost every pot). Most people don't really hide their pockets when they look at them, so I can see the hole cards of the 2 people on either side of me. An empty chair is likely to be filled by someone who sits with ~20bb and will stack it off on their first pair.

Originally Posted by mikeander

The reason I limped in because I was hoping someone would raise, so I could reraise.

Unless you're playing against a table of zombies, this is a really dumb move. Let's put it this way, when I see someone I consider a donkey limp/raise, I assume they have AA and play accordingly. That does not mean I fold, I will often call if the price is good and there's lots of money left to play for, because most people who limp/raise AA pre flop are not good enough to fold them post flop, and so I win lots when I beat AA and lose very little when I don't.

Limp/raising is such a strong fish move, that it should only be done with junk like J4s against thinking villains who think you're a donkey.

If people are paying you off time and again when you limp/raise AA, then by all means carry on doing it, and carry on playing poker against these goons. But if you branch to online games, or play against people with at least half a brain, people will sniff out your AA time and again if you persist with this bad habit, and you'll turn a winning hand into a big loser.

Just my opinion on the old limp/raise.

Also, yes I'm raising QQ and KK, I'm also raising 77, AQs, sometimes 84s... people can not assume I have a big pair when I raise because I'm usually raising well over 15% of my hands. Don't be fooled into thinking I'm great at poker though, I'm just average.

What do you mean soft GoTiger? I'm new here and don't understand the terminology yet. I play 1-2 table, which is $60 to $300 buy in. I usually buy in with 200. When people bet, they would bet around $15 and up.

I never lose this bad in 2 days. Just kinda pissed off I made a dumb call. The money hurts a little but it's no biggie. My head wasn't in the game at the time. I'm taking a break for several months while go out to look for a job, then I will be back. During my break, I will try and improve my game by playing home game and ask questions on here. Thanks for the advice guys.

Originally Posted by OngBonga

Unless you're playing against a table of zombies, this is a really dumb move. Let's put it this way, when I see someone I consider a donkey limp/raise, I assume they have AA and play accordingly. That does not mean I fold, I will often call if the price is good and there's lots of money left to play for, because most people who limp/raise AA pre flop are not good enough to fold them post flop, and so I win lots when I beat AA and lose very little when I don't.

Limp/raising is such a strong fish move, that it should only be done with junk like J4s against thinking villains who think you're a donkey.

If people are paying you off time and again when you limp/raise AA, then by all means carry on doing it, and carry on playing poker against these goons. But if you branch to online games, or play against people with at least half a brain, people will sniff out your AA time and again if you persist with this bad habit, and you'll turn a winning hand into a big loser.

Just my opinion on the old limp/raise.

Also, yes I'm raising QQ and KK, I'm also raising 77, AQs, sometimes 84s... people can not assume I have a big pair when I raise because I'm usually raising well over 15% of my hands. Don't be fooled into thinking I'm great at poker though, I'm just average.

Gotcha. It's just that sometimes i'd raise with those hands, and the flop comes out nothing, and I just kick myself asking myself why I wasted money raising. But if I don't raise, then limpers will hit their cards. I guess losing a little is better than losing a lot or all.

Originally Posted by mikeander

It's just that sometimes i'd raise with those hands, and the flop comes out nothing, and I just kick myself asking myself why I wasted money raising. But if I don't raise, then limpers will hit their cards. I guess losing a little is better than losing a lot or all.

Preflop, the idea is to open both premium hands (AA, KK, AK) and some weaker hands (TT, KJ, A8) with the same preflop raise. Sounds like your $15 open-raise bet. On the weaker hands that may cause problems postflop, we're happy to have them fold and surrender the blinds. + $3. But they know we're pretty likely to have a big hand, so it makes our cbets (continuation bets) more believable when we bet out on the flop.

If you wanna get better, may I suggest that you dump $100 online and play microstakes NLHE? You can play about 10x as many hands per hour as you can in the casinos and in home games, and you'll get tons of experience playing basic tight-aggressive poker.

Originally Posted by Robb

Preflop, the idea is to open both premium hands (AA, KK, AK) and some weaker hands (TT, KJ, A8) with the same preflop raise. Sounds like your $15 open-raise bet. On the weaker hands that may cause problems postflop, we're happy to have them fold and surrender the blinds. + $3. But they know we're pretty likely to have a big hand, so it makes our cbets (continuation bets) more believable when we bet out on the flop.

If you wanna get better, may I suggest that you dump $100 online and play microstakes NLHE? You can play about 10x as many hands per hour as you can in the casinos and in home games, and you'll get tons of experience playing basic tight-aggressive poker.

I live in the U.S(philly). I thought online poker is done in the U.S? The only way people can play online poker is outside of U.S If I'm missing something, let me know, because I wouldn't mind playing online for fun.

Originally Posted by mikeander

What do you mean soft GoTiger? I'm new here and don't understand the terminology yet. I play 1-2 table, which is $60 to $300 buy in. I usually buy in with 200. When people bet, they would bet around $15 and up.)

Soft means the games are easy... I am assuming you are a new player and above you said you have made over 2k so I am wondering if the live games are this beatable.

Originally Posted by mikeander

I live in the U.S(philly). I thought online poker is done in the U.S? The only way people can play online poker is outside of U.S If I'm missing something, let me know, because I wouldn't mind playing online for fun.

I live near Atlanta, GA. It was difficult playing online for much of the past year, so I basically took a year off. If it's "illegal" to play online, it's a misdemeanor, and the DOJ appears interested in targeting "commercial" poker, not individuals.

Some online poker rooms have begun to allow US players again. I got money onto Carbon poker easily last month, and I really like the Merge network. I'm currently at Black Chip, another Merge network poker room.

All that said, I'm not suggesting any US players put any money on any poker sites without understanding they are at risk for losing it all to DOJ whimsy.

I just registered for carbonpoker. My questions are, since this is the first time I ever play online poker, lol.

Is the $600 bonus real money or just for fun money? Can i withdraw the money and put it in my bank account? How does the bonus and real money work. I'm new at this. So far, it seems fun, the layout and such.

I'm assuming the bonus and where it says "play money" section is just for fake money right?"

Originally Posted by mikeander

I just registered for carbonpoker. My questions are, since this is the first time I ever play online poker, lol.

Is the $600 bonus real money or just for fun money? Can i withdraw the money and put it in my bank account? How does the bonus and real money work. I'm new at this. So far, it seems fun, the layout and such.

I'm assuming the bonus and where it says "play money" section is just for fake money right?"

OK, quick tutorial about how to use FTR. Go to the Beginner's Digest and start reading some articles.

Read this: Importance of Rakeback and Bonuses.

And this: Bankroll Management 101

And this, too: Spoon's rant "Bankroll Management for people with Balls"

You need rakeback, you need bonuses. I would NOT deposit until I had my Carbon account affiliated with a rakeback provider. Others can give suggestions about which ones are best.

You also need software, so look at PT3 free 60 day trial, or HEM2 free trial.

Don't start playing for real money, yet, take a couple of days to learn about online poker and how to maximize your profits at the micros.

And, yes, the $600 first deposit bonus is real money. You get $$ added to your bankroll as you play hands, usually over a 60 or 90 period. You can't clear a $900 bonus playing 4NL or 10NL, though. You can get bonuses at different sites as you move up in bankroll. I would not deposit a ton for two reasons. First, it's not risk free for US players. Second, you can learn the game without committing a ton of cash. You can still get your br kickstarted with a bonus, so choose carefully.

On FTR, we call the games with SB/BB $.02/$.04 4NL because a standard 100 BB buy-in is $4. 10NL is blinds of $.05/$.10 and a standard buy-in of $10.

Originally Posted by mikeander

I live in the U.S(philly). I thought online poker is done in the U.S? The only way people can play online poker is outside of U.S If I'm missing something, let me know, because I wouldn't mind playing online for fun.

There is no national law against playing poker online:
Federal Wire Act - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The UIGEA addresses money transfers and not the individuals making them. Additionally, it is only an issue if federal or state laws are being broken. Online poker is not a national crime, as has been clarified. So it's up to your state laws:
Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This seems to state that playing cards is specifically exempted from being considered "gambling" in PA:
Pennsylvania Gambling Laws

Congrats! It looks like you can legally play poker online in PA. Don't take my word for it. Check it out and make up your mind.

It seems like if I don't make any deposit with my real money, then the bonus code is just play money instead of real money correct?

Let say I deposit $20 plus the $600, would I have $620 then? When will I get a check for that or how many hands do I have to play in order to get a withdraw check? Sorry if I sound like a total newbie, it's my first time.

the deposit bonuses are usually worded 100% match up to 600$. i.e deposit 100$ , you get 100$ of bonus available to you. Sometimes that bonus comes in 2,5 or 10$ chunks after you have earnt a certain number of points other times you have to clear the total number of points before you get the bonus.
Sometimes you can get free money given to you to open an account with a particular pokersite.They are limited (non-existant ?) for USA players but are available for players around the world.You can't just get the money and withdraw it though. You will have to play a lot of hands , earn a certain number of points , which means that the site has earnt a certain amount of rake to cover that cash that has been given to you before you will be alowed to withdraw it.

I just got back from the casino, lost $200... lol. it wasn't tilt, just wasnt hitting anything.

i don't think i wanna drive there every week anymore.. it's an hour drive.. gas+$200 buy in is too much to win back or more..

i was thinking of just playing online poker... would you guys recommend that? how fast can i withdraw my winnings?

Yes you have a lot to learn man ! Start taking the advice being posted here do some reading !!!! You can save yourself a lot of money learning at the micros online instead of blasting away at the casino .

Spend a couple days reading the BC digest that was linked above and learn about poker , because no offense your knowledge seems very limited . Then make a small deposit and test out that new knowledge .

high hopes this one has....hopefully not slevin high.

how fast can i withdraw my winnings?

Originally Posted by WeaselT

high hopes this one has....hopefully not slevin high.

1/ Deposit $200
2/ Play some 5/10
3/ ?????
4/ Profit

Every time I see someone limp AA and get sickburned I think of this thread (in other words, every other session I think of this thread).

Of course the thread has moved on a bit from its OP. As Keith said, deposit bonuses usually take a large volume of hands to clear, you earn them as you play. Oh and in case it isn't clear, DO NOT follow steps 1-4 in this post.

Why start as high as 5/10? If this guy is new to online poker, he should start as low as he can find. If you can't consistently win in live games, then you will lose a ton playing online. Live play is based on observing villains who can't conceal their emotions and/or are such bad actors that you know exactly what they want you to do, so you do the opposite. Online play does not offer this huge set of tells to use.

If you can't consistently beat the worst players at the lowest stakes, then you have no reason to believe that you can beat better players. Play the lowest stakes and learn fundamentals of online play. They are quite different from the fundamentals of live play, imo.

Originally Posted by Lucothefish

...Of course the thread has moved on a bit from its OP. As Keith said, deposit bonuses usually take a large volume of hands to clear, you earn them as you play. Oh and in case it isn't clear, DO NOT follow steps 1-4 in this post.

Lol Slevin

Sorry. Sarcasm doesn't read well.

np, luckyslevin was before your time

He was a total degen who completely failed at bankroll management, if you want some lulz read this thread to get some idea of the vicious circles he put himself through. Poor guy.