The Master Plan

First off let me state up front that this I am not a frequent poster, and cant recall if I have ever replied to a post, but I think it unlikely ... so please be kind.


I have been a moderately successful online stud player for about a year now, and have progressed up the ladder from micro-limit ( .50-1.00 ) to the 2-4 and 4-8 tables on paradise as well as a few of the other sites. My entire online bankroll, in the area of $3000 is consisting of poker winnings.


I have recently ran into the "wall". I feel my play and in turn my results have ceased to progress. While I have *scanned* almost all poke books relevent to 7 card stud, I can say I have only truly *studied* Roy Wests material. I have purposely refrained from studying 7 stud FAP until such time as I felt my play was ready. This might just be the time??


O.K. so heres my plan...


1. I am going to play exclusively at the $2-$4 stud tables on paradise. No other gaming on any other site permitted.


2. I am going to play no more than 5 consecutive hands before requesting and reviewing my hand history.


3. I am than going to post here any interesting or confusing hands from my previous 5 played.


4. At such time as 1 2 and 3 are completed, I am going to do it again. And so on... and so on... and so on.


5. I am gonna get a gun and blow my brains .... oh sorry. /images/wink.gif


I know this seems VERY tedious, and a bit anal, but I really want my game to continue to expand. Any thought or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.


Steven James

1. If your goal is to become a better player, you will eventually have to play toughter competition. You won't find that in 2-4 games.


3. Posting here will definately help.

Dynasty wrote:


" 1. If your goal is to become a better player, you will eventually have to play toughter competition. You won't find that in 2-4 games. "


I feel there are many many holes I need to fix in my game that I can work on at the 2-4 level that might cost me alot at a higher level. That being said, I most definately want to move to a higher level w/better players. Am I correct in assuming that the 10-20 Para stud game is the *toughest* on the net?? Is this the game w/the "best" players as it relates specifically to stud??


I want very much to be a "pro-class" stud player, and am vey much willing to devote the time and resources to that end. I also do not mind going about it in a methodical menner. My circumstances lend me more towards playing on the net than live, although I do play live 2-3 times a month. Therefore most of my *learning* will come via the internet. Any advice would be very greatly appreciated.


Thanks again,

Steven James

Hi Steven


I started reading 7CSFAP and moved up through the limits as U have done. Later I ordered R. West's book because I also is attending a very loose life game. I realised that 7CSFAP is a much better book also at the smaller limits, although U have to make some adjustments. Some of the advices in West's is simply incorrect, at least if U use 7CSFAP as a frame of reference.


I started playing on-line 15 month ago and meet the same wall as U did at 4/8-level. A half later I am consistently winning at 10/20-level.


It is a good idea to step down a level for a while and then return to the higher level.


JN

It depends on who's playing. At times, the 2/4 game is tougher than the 10-20. Often the 10-20 game tries to be too tricky, when a straight forward game wins the money.

I have been playing on Paradise since the third day it opened. Comparing the old days, the game is getting very tough. If you can beat $10-20 consistantly on Paradise, you can beat any stud games in any casino.


To learn the game, you not only need read books, you also need buy the software to calculate the odds. You should have good habit at least two months that calculates the odds for any poker hands you and your opponents are dealt. That is because to overcome the problem of tilting, you need completely understand the game mathmatically.


Many excellent players disappeared from Paradise in last three year because they did not realize that a bad session could last very very long so they lost patence and got tilt.


It is very difficult to beat 10-20 full table on Paradise. Most of us are even game. Seems Paradise is the only winner on full table. To survive on Paradise, you must be very good at short hand and heads up game. No books teach you how to play short hand and heads up, you must learn it by yourself.


The final words: watch the better players play, learn from them, then take the challenge and beat them.


Good luck.