Teaching a friend Hold'em 101 & Basic SnG Strategy from scratch.

bones · #1 12-28-2005, 04:54 AM

It's almost pointless to have him read HPFAP when hes learning to play NL sngs. Theory of poker is much more useful and relevant to what he'll be playing. Include Tournament Poker for adv. players later on, after he's learned the basics of hold em.

Honestly, I think having him read GSIH by miller and working through it with him will be sufficient. He can get experience by watching your HHs in the replayer, either with opps cards off or on and and seeing how the decision making process works.

Woolygimp · #2 12-28-2005, 04:59 AM

Well he finished reading GSIH by miller, and I let him view a few of my hands in a 1/2 live bar game the other night to see what he learned. I asked him what to do in EP with my Qd2c and he said ... "hmm maybe call." I then asked, "So why would you call with this?" He then replied, "I don't know maybe for a straight? Q K A 2 3."

So i think you guys are underestimating just how little he knows about poker. He needs to learn the %'s of flopping pairs, two pairs, sets, draws, hitting draws, etc. The only book that really teaches that [censored] is Hold'em poker for advanced players.

bones · #3 12-28-2005, 05:02 AM

Hold em poker by sklansky has all of that, IIRC. HPFAP is wayyyy too advanced for him and the lines suggested aren't even close to applicable. You can find all of those figures online anyway.

#4 12-28-2005, 06:02 AM

Hey Wooly...
I also am planning on moving into an appartment this summer while supporting myself playing STT. Just wondering what I should be making per hour to do so. How much (if u don't mind me asking) do u make an hour playing STT? I read that you 8 table 30/50s, but which limit do you do more often. What is your ROI and ITM percentages. Finally (sorry about all these Qs) how many hours a week do you play?
Thanks a lot,
kgpoker

Woolygimp · #5 12-28-2005, 07:08 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Hey Wooly...
I also am planning on moving into an appartment this summer while supporting myself playing STT. Just wondering what I should be making per hour to do so. How much (if u don't mind me asking) do u make an hour playing STT? I read that you 8 table 30/50s, but which limit do you do more often. What is your ROI and ITM percentages. Finally (sorry about all these Qs) how many hours a week do you play?
Thanks a lot,
kgpoker

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm at 19% ROI on the 33's since I've started playing again, but my sample size is small (several hundred SnG's) so I'm probaly experiencing the upside to variance.
So i probaly make $5.25 per SnG at the 30's and play 10 an hour on average so about $50 an hour approx. I prefer the 30's to the 50's (easier, faster, and not much less money).

I made much more playing NL cash, about 7PTBB/100 (14 big blinds/100)@ 200/400 NL so, but it required alot more thought. SnG's are much easier to MT, I could only play 4-6 NL tables at a time even though the $/hour was much higher.

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What is his screen name? In fact, what are your screen names? I'd consider moving down to the 50s to play people like you.

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Thanks for the idiotic comment. Even if I was a marginal player you would take a hit to your ROI seeking out and playing "marginal" players, when you could make much more seeking out "lesser than marginal players".

#6 12-28-2005, 12:23 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I asked him what to do in EP with my Qd2c and he said ... "hmm maybe call." I then asked, "So why would you call with this?" He then replied, "I don't know maybe for a straight? Q K A 2 3."

[/ QUOTE ]

I think you need to help him find another job or get him to keep his current one. That's not meant to be rude, but there is no reason to quit a job to learn how to play a game when he has little to no concept of how to win. I think he could find a job where he works 35-40 hours a week with little stress and do his SnG project at night. I started at play money tables practicing playing tight. I then deposited 50 bucks (any amount he's comfortable with) and tried to make something happen at 5.50 SnGs. Now I'm happy.

I think that having him read HOH and any other advanced book is a little too quick. I think you have him play some, read some, play some, watch some, read some.

playtitleist · #7 12-28-2005, 03:06 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I asked him what to do in EP with my Qd2c and he said ... "hmm maybe call." I then asked, "So why would you call with this?" He then replied, "I don't know maybe for a straight? Q K A 2 3."

[/ QUOTE ]

I think you need to help him find another job or get him to keep his current one. That's not meant to be rude, but there is no reason to quit a job to learn how to play a game when he has little to no concept of how to win. I think he could find a job where he works 35-40 hours a week with little stress and do his SnG project at night. I started at play money tables practicing playing tight. I then deposited 50 bucks (any amount he's comfortable with) and tried to make something happen at 5.50 SnGs. Now I'm happy.

I think that having him read HOH and any other advanced book is a little too quick. I think you have him play some, read some, play some, watch some, read some.

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I wish somebody would have given me some advise like this when I decided to quit my job and become a professional golfer. It sucked when I found out 3 was a better score than 5...

Okay, I didn't actually do this. And neither should he.

Before he reads any of those books, he should read the little hand-rank chart that comes in the Bicycle deck. Seriously, I am not being a dick. He needs to start by learning how poker is played, not start to learn how to play poker.