The Official Poker Thread

[DaFlipMastaXV]

Just started playing online poker and this thread has helped my game quite a bit so far.

I’m starting out small playing $1-$3 tourney 9 seat tables. 1 problem i am having with my game is when i get down to the final 2. 1 on 1 with blinds usually being quite high. I dont know why but i seem to lose a LOT of the time in this situation, is there any methods or certain things you should and shouldn’t do?

I usually get caught trying to steal the blinds when getting low on chips (or just greedy) and end up being pulled all in and losing. I dont like to play many hands in the early stages when there are still a lot of people on the table and save my chips for solid hands but i feel if i do this in the 1on1 i’ll lose out to the blinds too quick so my whole gameplan goes out the window and i play hands i would normally fold.

Any advice on 1 on 1 play would be appreciated.

Some important advice is to USUALLY (75%-80%) raise off the button. By doing this, you do numerous things:

a) Force them to play a marginal hand out of position
b) Force them to hit the flop to call your continuation bet
c) Get them to fold preflop

The button is so important heads up because you get to be the first to raise pre-flop, but always act lact post-flop. Like say you have an abysmal hand like 2-6 os. By raising, you make them call with hands like 5-7 or 8-6, making bigger pots, then when the flop comes say a-j-10, they’re forced to check to you and you can bet the flop. Unlike when they defend their blind in a full ring game, you don’t have to give them credit for big hands. Because like you, they’re gonna be playing more than 80% of their hands.

Also, just because a person bets into you doesn’t mean they have a hand. It just means that they (like you) are not giving you credit for a hand. So once in a while, it’s good to pop back at them regardless of what they have. Also, at the beginning of heads up, try to get a couple hands into showdown, and get some reads as to how your opponent plays (whether he bets with ace high, or is constantly showing down big hands). It plays a huge role in heads up play.

And if you’re gonna face someone who just goes all in every hand…all you can do is wait and pray for a good hand. They’re frustrating as hell to play against.

Also, in complete randomness, i fucking hate UB cuz they take so fuckin long to get a withdrawal request. It’s been almost a week that they’ve had my roll in limbo.

[rewrew]

Thanks for the advice guys, i’ll definitely give them methods a try!

[ryu-bi]

Mike Infinite is a stud.

ahha i played $10 with the money we made Mike…then i went to the dime tables and lost on this hand

I held A 8 spades in the BB and called a small bet

flop came 5 2 K all spades.

i check, opponent bets, i reraise, and he calls. turn came a K

with half my chips in the pot, i was already pot committed and he bet small, and i go all-in. i’m guessing he was on a K getting trips.

river came a rag

opponent wins with 22 for full house. the nuts aren’t the nuts until the river i guess =(
i still have enough for 1 tourney =D

whenever the board paired up the nuts by default is 4-of-a-kind…be it there’s like only0.00001% thats the actual hand you are up against

by the way if u put him on trip kings he can still win by pairing up the board on the river, and this situation aint that rare

[DaFlipMastaXV]

Just caught up to the WSOP main event.

I’m incredibly bamboozled how donkeys like joe stillman and tiffany williamson made it to where they are. What’s even worse is people like Steve Dannenmann will never have to work again because of his run here. It blows.

“Kiddie game’s downnnnnnnnnnnnnn the street, downnnnn the street”

[donaldducktm]

Just caught up to the WSOP main event.

I’m incredibly bamboozled how donkeys like joe stillman and tiffany williamson made it to where they are. What’s even worse is people like Steve Dannenmann will never have to work again because of his run here. It blows.

“Kiddie game’s downnnnnnnnnnnnnn the street, downnnnn the street”

hahaha i downloaded all of the World Series event this year. any episode with Mike Matusow in it is gold, the Phil Hellmuth one was funny, and my favorite is Phil Laak vs Johnny Chan (u get to see Jennfor Tilly =D) the NO LIMIT HOLDEM bracelet

[Plutoburn]

Just curious, how does online poker room like party poker and poker stars make their money? Do they take in rakes like real poker rooms or get a % of the cash out? or % of deposit?

[System_1]

they take rake. bastards made almost 2k on me last month.

[System_1]

yes they take rakes off of cash tables and also a rake when u enter some tournaments.

[Plutoburn]

How much do they take?

[rewrew]

Just came from a pretty long $3 entry tourney game and 1 hand really got me thinking about my game: (me being GregK2)

Nov 9 19:00:18] : Hand Start.
[Nov 9 19:00:18] : Seat 1 : FRED309 has $3,190
[Nov 9 19:00:18] : Seat 2 : totheriver has $3,800
[Nov 9 19:00:18] : Seat 5 : winfield31 has $1,720
[Nov 9 19:00:18] : Seat 6 : GregK2 has $3,690
[Nov 9 19:00:18] : Seat 9 : crazycrane has $5,600
[Nov 9 19:00:18] : winfield31 is the dealer.
[Nov 9 19:00:18] : GregK2 posted small blind.
[Nov 9 19:00:18] : crazycrane posted big blind.
[Nov 9 19:00:18] : Game [34] started with 5 players.
[Nov 9 19:00:18] : Dealing Hole Cards.
[Nov 9 19:00:18] : Seat 6 : GregK2 has Qh Qc
[Nov 9 19:00:22] : FRED309 folded.
[Nov 9 19:00:24] : totheriver folded.
[Nov 9 19:00:28] : winfield31 called 200
[Nov 9 19:00:28] : GregK2 called 100
[Nov 9 19:00:32] : crazycrane checked.
[Nov 9 19:00:34] : Dealing flop.
[Nov 9 19:00:34] : Board cards [9s 9c 2c]
[Nov 9 19:00:36] : Stakes: 100/200 Current level: 4 Next level in: 1 min.
[Nov 9 19:00:40] : GregK2 bet 400
[Nov 9 19:00:42] : crazycrane called 400 and raised 400
[Nov 9 19:00:43] : winfield31 folded.
[Nov 9 19:00:45] : GregK2 called 400
[Nov 9 19:00:46] : Dealing turn.
[Nov 9 19:00:46] : Board cards [9s 9c 2c Jc]
[Nov 9 19:00:49] : GregK2 bet 400
[Nov 9 19:00:53] : crazycrane called 400 and raised 400
[Nov 9 19:00:55] : GregK2 called 400
[Nov 9 19:00:55] : Dealing river.
[Nov 9 19:00:55] : Board cards [9s 9c 2c Jc 5d]
[Nov 9 19:00:56] : Stakes: 100/200 Current level: 4 Next level in: 1 min.
[Nov 9 19:00:59] : GregK2 checked.
[Nov 9 19:01:02] : crazycrane bet 800
[Nov 9 19:01:04] : GregK2 called 800
[Nov 9 19:01:04] : Showdown!
[Nov 9 19:01:04] : Seat 6 : GregK2 has Qh Qc
[Nov 9 19:01:06] : Seat 9 : crazycrane has 5s 5h
[Nov 9 19:01:06] : crazycrane has Full House : 5s full of 9s
[Nov 9 19:01:07] : crazycrane wins 5,400 with Full House : 5s full of 9s

I thought i had this guy and he was just trying to bully me out of it being chip leader and all. in one sense i think he was pretty lucky cos i wouldn’t have gone so far calling with just a pair 5’s But should i have forseen it when he bet the river? i saw it as desperation to kick me out of it at the time but clearly was wrong! What would you have done?

Anyway i beat the guy in the end and finished 2nd

[System_1]

I would’ve raised and limped in. And I would’ve bet more than 400, the smallest I’ll go with a good hand is 3 times the BB.

[DaFlipMastaXV]

Hand wasn’t played very well at all…

Limping with a huge hand like queens in a 5 handed game is just ASKING for trouble. You need to pop it around 3-5x the bb, (ie raise it to 600+).

On the flop is where you need to pop him back if you really believe he doesnt have a 9. Kings and Aces do NOT check on the big blind, so you can’t put him on that. The only hand you can put him on is 9-x or a steal, and if you raised, you wouldn’t have to think about that at all.

So once u decide whether this guy has a 9, you have to a) fold if you believe him or b) Re-raise if you think he’s bluffing. Hell, this guy could have 4-2 and thikn he’s good, because you never raised the flop. There are way too many hands you can beat, like a flush draw, any pair from 3-Js, and 2-x. Only hands that logically beat you are 9-x.

As for the turn bet, the pot is 2200, so what are you doing betting only 400? you give just about any draw the right price to get there, (hell you gave Ac-X a draw) and now you give a hand like q-10 a chance to beat you. You need to bet around 1200+, or even moving all in isn’t a bad play.

Call on the river was fine tho as you were gettin 6-1 on your money. And with that board you win much more then 1 outta 7.

Slowplaying makes baby jesus cry.

[rewrew]

Interesting read, i wont be letting that happen again! thanks.

[System_1]

hey what is the best way to turn a $25 table comp into something meaningful? i want to do black jack but my friend says he has a roulette system. any ideas?

[donaldducktm]

DaFlip is right

u gotta raise more preflop. u don’t want any limpers in nor do u want hands that can be scary like K 2 (if a K hits the flop, etc.)

always bet on the flop if u hit (but in this case, u have a pretty good hand so bet it cuhz u have something) also it kinda sees where u stand.

Turn was a J…bingo…now start dumping, but becareful about ur raises…drive out ur opponents as much as possible because if there are, come cards can scare u off.

i think in that hand, it’s best to drive out opponents preflop and on the flop. don’t let limpers limp in.

[ryu-bi]

donald: thanks a lot for the PM. it certainly helped

[rsigley]

hey what is the best way to turn a $25 table comp into something meaningful? i want to do black jack but my friend says he has a roulette system. any ideas?

think of it like this -
if there was a winning roulette system, wouldn’t the casino change the rules since everyone would be abusing it.

[System_1]

well there’s a winning blackjack system, and i’m not talking about basic strategy. the casinos just kick those ppl out, problem solved.

[System_1]

think of it like this -
if there was a winning roulette system, wouldn’t the casino change the rules since everyone would be abusing it.

There are many mostly short term winning roulette systems in vegas. I could win 10% of whatever my bankroll is in about 30 minutes with 99% success.

[KrassHole]

There are many mostly short term winning roulette systems in vegas. I could win 10% of whatever my bankroll is in about 30 minutes with 99% success.

explain