I found a couple thing I wrote, and a couple things written by others....

This level is about seeing flops and taking stacks with winning showdowns. Preflop raises are more pot builders than anything else. Much like Omaha. You raise AK here because it's likely the best hand. You punish the callers who have less. You then must avoid rewarding the hands that outflop you by hanging around too long with bad odds. You can't justify their bad calls before the flop, by handing over implied odds like candy.

If you raise into a villain with a better hand, and then he outflops you, you hit him on the short end, and must deny him value on the long end to effectively "win" the hand even though he won the pot.

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If the stakes are low, then simple is the way to go. Make a hand and bet it. Win a lot. No need to get fancy against poor players. Play tight tight. When you make a hand bet heavy. Very simple and straight forward. Image is not a factor. No one cares since they're not paying attention.

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Quote Originally Posted by spoonitnow
I'm playing 10NL now on Bodog, and I'm pretty much a fish. So much for introductions. Here's what my current thought process is like for these stakes, and I hope people will discuss and tell me where I'm right/wrong and stuff like that. Anyway, here we go.

I. Preflop

EP: I'm raising AA, KK, QQ like 5x-10x depending on whether I think guys at that table will call or not. I'm raising AK, AQ, JJ suited or unsuited usually between 3x-5x again depending on the table. I limp other broadway combinations and TT and lower PPs.

MP: Here I'm open raising KQ, KJ and TT usually 5x, and I call raises < 10x with AK, AQ, JJ. I'll usually reraise a weak raise with AK/AQ. If there's just limpers before me, I'll also raise with KQ, KJ, TT, all those other hands mentioned, but I'll raise more with AK/AQ than if there were no limpers.

LP: Late and especially on the button, if it's limped around to me, I'm limping with a lot of hands. Suited connectors down to 45-56, connectors down to 78-89 or so, Axs, Kxs, Qxs, and any PP obviously. I'll raise 7x-10x with AK/AQ and bigger PP if it's been limped around. Pretty much I'm limping hands with good implied odds if there's a lot of limpers, and raising my better hands hard if it's limped around. If there's a raise before me, I'll call anything 5x or less with any broadway usually, and I'm reraising with AK/AQ.

II. On the Flop

With the broadway combinations, I'm looking to hit top pair, a flush draw, or a oesd. I mean, if I hit something like middle pair, a gutshot straight draw, and a runner runner flush draw, I'll see a cheap turn, but other than that I'm usually out of the hand. I'll bet with top pair middle kicker or better, raise with top pair 2nd kicker or better, and reraise with bottom two pair or better. I'm willing to go all in with top/bottom pair or better on the flop because of how many players are willing to go all in with TPMK or worse.

I really don't think bluffing is worth it very much at all at this level of play, and I've heard the same from a lot of players on the forum and IRC, but there is one situation that happens kinda often that I do make a move on. If I'm on a flop with a single opponent -and- I have position -and- the opponent checks -and- the pot is kinda big, like 10BB or more -and- the flop looks like something that would of hit me/missed my opponent based on preflop action, then if it seems right I'll throw out a 3/4th pot-sized or so continuation bet. If I run into resistance, I'm out of the hand unless I stumble into a monster.

III. After the Flop

If I feel I've got a made hand vs. a draw, and even if the villian calls something like a pot-sized bet on the flop then the turn completes a flush or oesd draw, I'll be very careful and will often lay down to an oversized bet/raise unless I have a redraw -and- I think there's a good chance the guy doesn't have the hand he's representing.

I look forward to reading feedback. I think.
Quote Originally Posted by aokrongly
WHOA,
Alot of advice going out on how to play the hand, when the hand is irrelevent.

Fade, the fact of the matter is that you haven't had enough Repetitions to learn Patterns. That's the main fact here. Listen carefully, because I'm a poker genius - lol. No really... I'm going to lay this out for you.

The key to poker is PATTERN RECOGNITION. Start thinking about poker that way. "If I do this it means...". Sooo, if someone else does it then it means about the same - give or take. Right? "If I raise preflop with AK then I normally raise THIS much... And if someone raises me back then I'll generally CALL THEM and see if I get an Ace or King on the flop." Do you do that? Most people do... It's a Pattern.

The alternate would be "If I have AA or KK then I raise preflop, and if someone reraises me then I'll reraise them back." Do people do that 100% of the time. Nothing is 100% - but generally.

Anyway, the point is that you have to see the patterns. And to see the patterns you have to play alot more than at the weekly home game with the boys. I know you played against the computer but you need to play microstakes No limit on Poker Stars. That way you'll get a feel for patterns. Play 10,000 hands - and watch every hand play out whether you're in it or not. Start looking for patterns.

That guy min raised preflop, what does that mean? (AJ, ATs, maybe KQs is what it means... but you need to learn). Pay attention to the betting, make notes and watch what cards get turned over. You'll start to see patterns.

Now you're playing NL Tournament style (or essentially a big SNG) so you may want to study SNG tactics. BTW your AQ raise getting pushed against - either laying it down OR calling it was the right move. It was 50/50 either way. So why worry about it? Here's why it's getting to you... you haven't played enough hands.

I can tell by your post that you're getting knotted up over your performance at the home game. There's lots of reasons why you might be losing. At least AQ is a quality holding. But god knows what else you're playing, how you're playing them etc. Get some experience. Read some books. Look for patterns. When you learn to recognize patterns and how to react to different patterns as they develop, then you'll start getting comfortable with knowing what to do in given situations. Don't think of it as MATH like odds and all that shit. Think of it as patterns.

BTW, I'm pretty good but there's a guy I play with at my home games.. a buddy who played at the US Poker Championship. Anyway, I've only ever beat this guy IN ONE HAND in 3 years. He always knows what I have. He always beats me or gets out before I can hurt him. Always. Except one time when I really slowplayed KK on him. But there are people who can read you. My advice - go play people who can't (I made 3x what my buddy made in poker in 2005 playing other people) or change so your buddy reads you wrong AND YOU LEARN HOW TO READ HIM.

good luck