Lori
02-13-2004, 11:53 AM
So here you are again, you're learning to use your tools but you are still lacking confidence.
In an attempt to gain confidence, you decide to learn the odds of hitting certain draws to TWO DECIMAL PLACES!
Okay, this is a serious priority issue.
You will hit a straight or flush draw once in three from the flop, odds learned, move along.
"But But But, Lori, the books say pot odds are important"
<rolls eyes>
Pot odds are fundamental to the game of poker, but you have other issues here.
Why are you trying to learn whether something is 2.1-1 or 2.2-1 when you still can't judge whether to call or fold a river bet for 12-1 odds, do you really think that you are good enough that it matters if you are slightly out.
In a game where everyone played the same, the pot odds would be more important, however, as long as you know you are in the right ball park for your play, their effectiveness is reduced by a margin.
Do you really think you can 'feel' the difference between 2.1-1 and 2.2-1?
If so, good for you, why are you in the small stakes forum?
Along with implied odds, analysing your opponents, putting your opponent on a hand, working out what your play will be on the turn, do you really think that knowing if something is 2.1-1 or 2.2-1 is going to make any difference in the final assessment?
This is small stakes poker, the other factors are huge.
In fact, in the 5% or so of cases where this difference would matter you probably gain something like 5% back in deception value anyway.
Imagine what fun it would be playing against a bot that relied solely on pot odds.
"Hahahah, it only has 1.95-1 about it's 1.96-1 shot, if I bet it will fold"
Yep, that's you that is.
The theme throughout these rants is that poker is a game.
Imagine the football team that always went for the best %age play on every down, it soon wouldn't be the best % play anymore.
Imagine a baseball pitcher who always threw his best ball.
He would become easy to read in no time, it is actually +EV to occasionally throw something unusual.
Rather than try to randomise your play yourself, let your slight inaccuracies do it for you.
Use the one in three rule for flushes and straights as your base for a given play.
It is a very rare occasion when the exact odds, when coupled with other factors, make the play on their own.
Get your odds sheet out, make some nice approximations, learn those and ignore the rest.
When you can calculate 3.45*2.72 in your head without wasting time on the more important things in the hand, THAT is the time to start learning your odds more accurately.
Poker is a game that incorporates science, it is also an art form that is learned through experience.
If you only use one or the other of the two aspects, you will never move on to great things.
Rant over.
Lori
In an attempt to gain confidence, you decide to learn the odds of hitting certain draws to TWO DECIMAL PLACES!
Okay, this is a serious priority issue.
You will hit a straight or flush draw once in three from the flop, odds learned, move along.
"But But But, Lori, the books say pot odds are important"
<rolls eyes>
Pot odds are fundamental to the game of poker, but you have other issues here.
Why are you trying to learn whether something is 2.1-1 or 2.2-1 when you still can't judge whether to call or fold a river bet for 12-1 odds, do you really think that you are good enough that it matters if you are slightly out.
In a game where everyone played the same, the pot odds would be more important, however, as long as you know you are in the right ball park for your play, their effectiveness is reduced by a margin.
Do you really think you can 'feel' the difference between 2.1-1 and 2.2-1?
If so, good for you, why are you in the small stakes forum?
Along with implied odds, analysing your opponents, putting your opponent on a hand, working out what your play will be on the turn, do you really think that knowing if something is 2.1-1 or 2.2-1 is going to make any difference in the final assessment?
This is small stakes poker, the other factors are huge.
In fact, in the 5% or so of cases where this difference would matter you probably gain something like 5% back in deception value anyway.
Imagine what fun it would be playing against a bot that relied solely on pot odds.
"Hahahah, it only has 1.95-1 about it's 1.96-1 shot, if I bet it will fold"
Yep, that's you that is.
The theme throughout these rants is that poker is a game.
Imagine the football team that always went for the best %age play on every down, it soon wouldn't be the best % play anymore.
Imagine a baseball pitcher who always threw his best ball.
He would become easy to read in no time, it is actually +EV to occasionally throw something unusual.
Rather than try to randomise your play yourself, let your slight inaccuracies do it for you.
Use the one in three rule for flushes and straights as your base for a given play.
It is a very rare occasion when the exact odds, when coupled with other factors, make the play on their own.
Get your odds sheet out, make some nice approximations, learn those and ignore the rest.
When you can calculate 3.45*2.72 in your head without wasting time on the more important things in the hand, THAT is the time to start learning your odds more accurately.
Poker is a game that incorporates science, it is also an art form that is learned through experience.
If you only use one or the other of the two aspects, you will never move on to great things.
Rant over.
Lori