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 My 100th post
I thought that I would mark my 100th post with some thoughts on what I've learnt here so far.I stumbled across the site originally because I'd built up bankrolls on several sites by freerolling and wanted to start playing more seriously for money.The problem I had was I didn't know which way to go.
I was heading all over the net looking for poker videos and eventually found the videos section here. I tried some SnG tourneys but seemed to keep going out on the button , tried some tournaments but didn't really succeed,so was looking to try cash games.I also tried an affiliates free money promotion on Red kings to try out the various forms of cash games to try and decide which way to go.
so what have I learnt ?
1. I SUCK AT POKER - this was really driven home when I started reading these forums just from the concepts and ideas that were being discussed. Listening to Spenda and XTR discussing various situations that cropped up showed that they were thinking on a much deeper level.Hopefully this will come with experience and continued participation in the forum.
2.POSITION MATTERS - ok , every book you read bangs on about position and how important it is. In a way Spendas videos drive it home more emphatically (for me) by emphasizing how being out of position really SUCKS, how the decisions get harder working in the dark with less information.
3. THE DECISION AND THE REASON FOR IT MATTER NOT THE RESULT - this was a hard one for me to accept at first and sort of comes from having a hard won bankroll and little cash experience.Why risk my money when i can lose it regularly . Cured by some of the examples given in posts over the last couple of months in that if your're all in winning 60% of the time, over the long term you will be making money .
The harder part is where i've read/seen that when you have the odds to call are better than the chance of winning,you call even if you think you are probably beaten.( I haven't explained that at all well but basically the same as previous paragraph ..)
4. BANKROLL MANAGEMENT - A biggie this one. I will openly admit to having taken up Pitbull pokers free 10$ and getting it up to 100$ before it crashed back to 30$ initially playing 10nl and then 25NL(its now back up to 70$ but will need a deposit and loads of points before I can cash it out so will be leaving it as fall back money at the moment.) .
Although I've now got nearly 150$ on poker stars roughly 90$ of that were freeroll winnings in two tournaments i was invited into+ a 50$ deposit in December(cashed out from William Hill). Whilst I'm now nearly at 30 buy ins for 5NL I don't want to move up to 5NL until I've more experience at 2NL . cheaper to make my mistakes here at 2NL
5. AGGRESSION - I was way too passive in the past , very often calling to avoid (possibly) wasting my chips by raising. I'm currently raising far too much which is working against the weak players at 2nl but I know that this is going to cost me against better players who will use my aggression against me with their nut hands.
6.TABLE SELECTION. - this was an aha moment over the last few days having watched Jym's video on selecting a table and the post in the strategy section about it.WIth 80% of people seeing the flop each hand on an 8 man table there are a lot of fish present who will take an extremely wide range up against a tight premium range and be happy to get the money in with a mediocre hand.
7. SEAT SELECTION - Ties in with some of the previous categories and was first demonstrated to me in Spenda's 5NL vid about having passive players ,short stacks on your left and large stacks and loose players on your right where you can exploit your position. If the seat or table isn't right , you're not handcuffed to it , leave and find a better one.
8. TOPPING UP YOUR STACK - Since you've selected the right seat on the right table you need a full stack when your premium hands come round so that you can exploit the full stacks you have position on.
9. CHECK RAISES -be very wary of check raises at micro stakes , look again for flushes ,trips,full houses and other hands that are likely to have you beaten as players at the low level usually have it, this isn't a bluff.
10 DOWNLOAD POKERSTOVE - A real eye opener, running hands against ranges to find out how you stand , sometimes much better than you'd originally think sometimes worse. Without experimenting though you are working in the dark.
11. PLAY TIGHTER - A real downfall of my freeroll past, I was regularly getting to the miniscule payout stages, early on blinds were low so it didnt cost much , later in the tournaments the blinds were forcing play of marginal hands and also led to more calling than raising. Faults I must now iron out at the cash tables. Running a HUD shows that I'm still running looser than I would have thought again something I need to keep an eye on.
12.MAKE NOTES/STUDY YOUR OPPONENTS - This was a real eyeopener to me. Subconsciously in the past vague things would stand out usually from the manic players, now I'm making notes of the opponents on my table. Currently just playing 1 table so that i can concentrate on learning about my opponents, what ranges they are playing / how this correlates with their stats etc.Hopefully with experience some of this will become intuitive and i'll be able to multitable .I was used to playing upto 5 turbo freerolls so I know I can multitable , but I want to start off doing it right with quality of play on 1 table and then when I'm comfortable to start adding extra tables .I've got no intention of getting to the 6+ table stage, 5 turbos was hectic and I don't want to get so that poker becomes a point and click chore.
13. DON'T PLAY TIRED/NOT IN THE MOOD/TILTED - This is a real bummer at 2NL, theres nowhere to drop down to lower limits, so I drop down to a freeroll and watch telly at the same time.I still apply these principles and now instead of the miniscule payouts I quite often final table, so for the freerollers reading this , read and learn , the principles apply to freerolls just as much as cash games . Hopefully you will then build your rolls quicker and start getting into the cash game side earlier and not develop the major faults that I'm having to get out of my game.
14.POST HAND HISTORIES - helps you to find out why you had a tough spot, where you went wrong , what you did right, any leaks people can spot in your play.This can then be worked on and hopefully corrected.
15. CONTINUE READING AND LEARNING - everything helps you to think about what you're doing , areas to work on,faults to look for in other peoples play that you can exploit.
There's bound to be more things I've forgotten to add to this post , they might get to be in my 200th.Thanks to everyone for their contribution to my learning.
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Originally Posted by oneman426
