Need some advice

I posted this elsewhere, but no one responded, so I though it may have been misplaced in that forum. if you have already read this, I apologize, but I would really like a few opinions.....

I am one of the many of people that is rather new to the game, but I have done fairly well in my first month of playing online. That being said, I have been hovering at the break even point in cash, but over the last 10 days I have finished in the top 10 3 times in 5+1 multis. My question is 2-fold really.... number one, I know the competition will be better when I move up because there are a lot of idiots that go all in on nothing because it is $6, but if i play in the 10+1, how much difference is their in "true poker play"? Second, I have only played at pokerroom because thats where a buddy plays, but I keep hearing that other sites are better. My thought is poker is poker so it doesnt really matter, but I though I would check here to see what you guys all thought.

1st what kind fo multis are these? are they 2 tables? 3 tables? Low numbers (100 or couple hundred? Large?

If you are playing SNG's the difference wont be to terribly great you will still encounted the same sort of play. If you are playing in bigger multi's the play wont move too much but you will get a stronger showing of better players, it wont be a huge jump, but it will be there.

As for other sites, to each their own IMO, you should play on a couple different ones just to get a feel, but then pick your fav. Personally I love stars, some people hate it, so you are just going to end up with a variety of opinions to this question. Welcome to the forum and good luck!

I dont play if their are less than 200 players, and the max is usually around 400. I play cards that add up to 19 early, and then after about the third blind raise, I only play 88 up to AA, and then AK, AQ, AJ, A10, KQ, KJ, K10, QJ, Q10 and then less than that if there is any rasing preflop. I have never been one to raise much pre-flop anyway, even with AA or KK. I played in the 20+2 15,000 Guaranteed last night, and noticed that it is a MUCH tighter game, which is more how I play. My problem is after playing a lot on this site, people have marked me as a conservative player, so I have a hard time getting action when I have great cards. Do I bluff a few times at bigger pots and let them see that I had rags? I also tend to slow play everything, because bad beats have killed me when I commit too much money without seeing the flop. Finally, I always use a hold em calculator to make sure I have at least a 75% chance of winning the hand before I call any large bet. Do any of you guys use calculators?

Can someone please answer those 2 questions for me? I am having a hard time getting over the proverbial hump when it comes to bluffing, and trusting my instincts over the calculator.

Also, let me know if those hands i choose to play are too many, or too few. Last night I was in 6th place out of 200, and then I only played about 5 hands the rest of the way and eventually got blinded out, and had to go all in on a shaky hand. Is there a point that you have to stop being patient and play questionable hands?

I don't have time right now, but I'll try to give a detailed and helpful response later.

It's just that in almost every and each of your sentences you are doing something wrong. There are just so many elements of your game that I would make adjustments to.

I'm sure other people will chime in and make the points I'm about to make.

But it's good that you're asking the right questions.

Thanks, I am quickly learning that my success in house games doesnt carry over as well to the internet. I want to become a much better player, so that is why I am glad I fond this forum. I make it to the money a lot, but unless you get to the final table, you arent really making anything.

OK, I have some time, so I'll give this ago. As Icon said, there are a lot of things to address here, so I want to try to hit these without making this a novel on how to play poker. Also, almost all these questions have been answered in another part of this forum. But onto your questions.

Does the play get better as you increase in buy-ins? Yes. But not always like you thing. You get better players, but that doesn't mean tighter players. In many cases people who find a lot of success in MTTs are the loose players who make a lot of chips by "crazy" plays.

Is there different play at different sites? Yes. Poker Stars is often refered to as Poker Sharks because there is very tight play all over the site. It is a good site, and you do find a lot of fish there, but it is overall tighter than, say, Party Poker. party has a reputation for attracting the worst players. It also has attracted the best players to prey on those bad players. Which site is best for you? I don't know. Find out.

As far as your comments on how you play MTTs.

Originally Posted by "C-TOWN21

I play cards that add up to 19 early

In the beginning stages of an MTT, most people want to be tighter than normal. You don't want to blow all your money on some silly play that you should have avoided in the first place.

Originally Posted by "C-TOWN21

then AK, AQ, AJ, A10, KQ, KJ, K10, QJ, Q10 and then less than that if there is any raising preflop.

This is better, but still too loose. You need to check out the starting hand essays on the front pages to see ttanakas hands. Work off of that list. Throw away hands like KJo and QTo unless you have position, free flop, or a great read.

The holdem calculator. This will be useful. However, don't rely on it. Get to know the game. Look at draws and pot sizes. Get a feel for the game and the opponents. If you are going to let the calulator make your decisions, why don't you just let the calculator play your game. Learn how to play poker, not how to relay information.

I'm pretty new, but i have a thought or two...

Do I bluff a few times at bigger pots and let them see that I had rags?

Pre flop raise everything when you're getting too much respect. sooner or later folks won't respect your pre flop raises, and you'll have to fold the last steal. but they'll remember. you'll get to steal a bunch of blinds, and you'll get some action when your bigger hands come.

I also tend to slow play everything, because bad beats have killed me when I commit too much money without seeing the flop.

top pair top kicker will get out drawn. bet big enough to ruin the flush draw. 1/2 pot to full pot sized bet will shut down any legit draw against one other player.. they'll only call if they feel lucky (or you are behind). after you've fired off a pfr and a pot sized bet, and they don't run away, especialy if they are tight, you've probably lost.

of course there are special curcumstances, but i think if you follow this 90% of the time you'll be ok. try to only break the rules when you have good reason to.

Finally, I always use a hold em calculator to make sure I have at least a 75% chance of winning the hand before I call any large bet. Do any of you guys use calculators?

i don't use a calculator, but i might someday. keep in mind it's 75% against 'anything' but people who raise don't have 'anything' they have cards they liked. maybe a pocket pair. or an ace 9. straight up % is good to know, but i don't think it accurately reflects what's going on in the other players hand.

if you think you will win, raise. don't call. 95% of the time it's the wrong move. give yourself 2 ways to win. they may fold to your raise. if you aren't willing to raise, there really isn't very much other than a big hand, that a raise would scare them away from that makes a bet worth calling.

Good luck
[/quote]

Thanks guys, that is all very helpful. I know I am a tight aggressive player, but it seems like I am just sitting there watching people take pots, and I am not getting involved. There are times where I go against the calculator when I have a feeling, or their bets are weak, but it is nice to have as a backup. Plus at pokerroom, they have a notes feature that you can keep notes on players, and since once you get down to the last 50 in a tourney you see a lot of the same names, I have used this to help me keep tabs on players, which helps a ton. I applied a lot of what i read on here last night in a 20+2, and came in 27th out of 755, so that was nice. Now I just have to get better and get to the final table. Also, came in 2nd in a 5+1 last night and won $203, so I wanted to let ou guys know that your help is VERY appreciated.

Anyone else reading this that would like to add on, PLEASE DO

Originally Posted by C-TOWN21

I am one of the many of people that is rather new to the game, but I have done fairly well in my first month of playing online. That being said, I have been hovering at the break even point in cash, but over the last 10 days I have finished in the top 10 3 times in 5+1 multis.

^How many 5+1 multis have you played over the last 10 days? BTW the rake is 20% of the buyin. That's too high, if you can't afford to play solely 10+1 then you might go to another poker site. Some have 5+.5.

Originally Posted by C-TOWN21

My question is 2-fold really.... number one, I know the competition will be better when I move up because there are a lot of idiots that go all in on nothing because it is $6, but if i play in the 10+1, how much difference is their in "true poker play"?

^Noticeable, but not much at all. In fact, the difference is very little.

Originally Posted by C-TOWN21

Second, I have only played at pokerroom because thats where a buddy plays, but I keep hearing that other sites are better. My thought is poker is poker so it doesnt really matter, but I though I would check here to see what you guys all thought.

^Well the main FTR page has a ranking of the poker sites. If you play around you'll probably find one that you like best. I've played at over a dozen sites so far and I play mostly at Interpoker. There are different aspects like quality of competition, software aesthetic such as where you sit around the table, financial integrity, customer support, different tournament blind structures, different games, and where your friends play. It's different for each player so I would recommend that you try as many as you can.

Originally Posted by C-TOWN21

I dont play if their are less than 200 players, and the max is usually around 400. I play cards that add up to 19 early, and then after about the third blind raise, I only play 88 up to AA, and then AK, AQ, AJ, A10, KQ, KJ, K10, QJ, Q10 and then less than that if there is any rasing preflop.

^Most good players agree that your POSITION and RELATIVE STACK SIZES are important factors in which cards to call preflop with. In early position limping with K6o, how will you win? If you don't make a large bet postflop with it when it hits, and you don't chase out drawing hands, then winning the small pots where you have the best hand is kinda pointless in terms of the pot odds of hitting a good hand relative to the BB. Even trips will be vulnerable to a FH or flush. Limping with those hands make no sense. And folding 77 on the button in an unraised pot after the third blind level is such a waste of a 1/8 chance of hitting a set. And limping with QT is also a problem when the blinds get big enough to make the chances of hitting a good hand (at least top two pair) bad pot odds relative to the BB.

Originally Posted by C-TOWN21

I have never been one to raise much pre-flop anyway, even with AA or KK.

^The reason players raise with premium hands is because you want the pot to be as big as possible when your chances of winning is at its highest. If you can make one player go heads up with you, not only does that make the pot much bigger than if you don't raise, but your chances of beating that one hand is around 80%. So you'll win that bigger pot 80% of the time. If you don't raise the pot stays tiny and you decrease your chances of winning that pot dramatically by letting more players stay in against you.

Originally Posted by C-TOWN21

I played in the 20+2 15,000 Guaranteed last night, and noticed that it is a MUCH tighter game, which is more how I play. My problem is after playing a lot on this site, people have marked me as a conservative player, so I have a hard time getting action when I have great cards. Do I bluff a few times at bigger pots and let them see that I had rags?

^You don't need to "bluff" with rags because if they call you you're dead. You can "raise" with good but not great cards like Top Pair Top Kicker and if people see that they might not peg you as that conservative. Then you can lower your standards of raising, both PRE and POST flop. When I want more action, I raise preflop with ANY pocket pair and ANY low suited connector and hope they see my cards. In order to bluff at a big pot you have to risk alot, and by raising preflop you will lose much less chips than if you bluff at a big pot.

Originally Posted by C-TOWN21

I also tend to slow play everything, because bad beats have killed me when I commit too much money without seeing the flop.

^Then people will draw you out due to your lack of betting and take the pot you would have taken if you raised (if you have AA and you don't raise, and flop comes 432 then the 56s who stayed in the hand because you didn't raise will take the pot, the pot that you would have won if you raised preflop because they would have folded). The lack of betting not only kills action when you have great hands, but it costs you money when you would have won if you raised. And the more bad beats you take, then the better player you are. What exactly do you mean by a bad beat anyways? Beginners tend to have different definitions than experienced players.

Originally Posted by C-TOWN21

Finally, I always use a hold em calculator to make sure I have at least a 75% chance of winning the hand before I call any large bet. Do any of you guys use calculators?

^Nope. How would you calculate that chance of winning during the hand? Did your opponent tell you what he had?

Originally Posted by C-TOWN21

Can someone please answer those 2 questions for me? I am having a hard time getting over the proverbial hump when it comes to bluffing, and trusting my instincts over the calculator.

Also, let me know if those hands i choose to play are too many, or too few. Last night I was in 6th place out of 200, and then I only played about 5 hands the rest of the way and eventually got blinded out, and had to go all in on a shaky hand. Is there a point that you have to stop being patient and play questionable hands?

^For me, that point comes the first hand of the tournament. A lot of other great players prefer to play tighter, but I like to be ultraggressive to start a tourney.

Originally Posted by C-TOWN21

Thanks guys, that is all very helpful. I know I am a tight aggressive player, but it seems like I am just sitting there watching people take pots, and I am not getting involved. There are times where I go against the calculator when I have a feeling, or their bets are weak, but it is nice to have as a backup. Plus at pokerroom, they have a notes feature that you can keep notes on players, and since once you get down to the last 50 in a tourney you see a lot of the same names, I have used this to help me keep tabs on players, which helps a ton. I applied a lot of what i read on here last night in a 20+2, and came in 27th out of 755, so that was nice. Now I just have to get better and get to the final table. Also, came in 2nd in a 5+1 last night and won $203, so I wanted to let ou guys know that your help is VERY appreciated.

Basically, it seems that you havn't comprehended several important poker concepts yet. Pot odds, for one. Pot odds should determine what cards you call and raise with preflop. Aggression in tournaments is another. Bankroll management might be another one. Tournaments and ring games are totally different animals requiring completely different strategies. And luck is a huge component in results- skill does not equate to winning. Reading other players and their hands and betting patterns- another important idea.


I hope this post will help you get started. It took me a while to type it all.

{edit-Humphrind-Cleaned the post up. Didn't change any content}

Again, thank you very much, your points are very well taken. I knew that I needed to improve some things, but I didnt think I was as far of as you guys have made me realize I am. The good thing is, all of these things arent that difficult to apply, so I am expecting to see a nice jump in my playing skills in a short period of time.

To answer your question about the multis, I play two per night most nights, and then probably about 5 or 6 on the weekends. I looked at my stats and in a little over a month, I have played in 74 multi tourneys and made the money only 14 times, and the final table only 4 times, so there is a lot of room for improvement.

1 more question........ This happened last night...... I am in the 9th seat and am dealt KK first hand of the tourney and no one raises all the way around, I raise to 400, and someone puts me all in, so I folded. How often would you commit all your chips pre-flop? To this point I have only done it with AA, and only when someone forced me to do it, or I was short stacked. I will play KK QQ or AK if I have the other person covered, but is AA the only hand you commit all your chips to pre-flop?