My poker progression

[AlexSem]

This day marks my first poker game online. First game for money.

It's been exactly a year and I actually hit a nice round number to celebrate just a few minutes ago.


Believe it or not - 30/60 is pretty easy. But I started off at .5/1.

Most trouble I ever had was 5/10. It's an extremely loose and crazy game, or so it seemed to be coming from 3/6. I lost 2k before ever starting to win there. COnsidering my whole bankroll was 3k at the time, I had to re-build to cover my losses 4 times (I'd go back to 3/6 after losing 500$).


So to post something constructive, since most posts in this section have been rather dull. To win at 30/60 and win good, most people lack:

1. Blind defense

2. Proper semi-bluffing

3. Variety.


Blind defense is simple: don't just fold them like an idiot. When someone raises and a couple of people call, call any 2 suited cards in BB and consider the same in SB. I know a flush draw doesn't come all that often but you got kick-ass implied odds if it does.

Then when flush draws do come, people simply don't play them properly. It's going to hit by the river 1/2, meaning you should be HAPPY when the flop is capped. Meaning check-raise it, or bet if you think they're going to raise. Build the pot.


2. Proper semi-bluffing

This one is actually tough since it takes at least 30k hands to really get the hang of how 30/60 rolls and when you should be attemtping this sort of thing. But the most obvious cases where I see are where people don't check-raise with flush draws on turn hoping for a fold. Don't raise or 3-bet turns when getting check-raised. Don't bet rivers sometimes.


3. Variety

I have the most hands on this one guy: his stats are 22 VPIP and 11 PFR.

How the [censored] is he planning to win? I don't know. You cannot win with 11PFR at 30/60 as far as I see it. Or maybe you can, he probably beats the game, or I am actrually quite confident he does, but that's terrible stats as i see it.

Maybe just my style but when your raise means it's A8-AA or 77-AA. You are very obvious. You have people fold against you a lot more than you wish they would.

So start raising marginal [censored] for variety. Start check-raising with nothing. Start doing sneaky little plays and then shove them in people's faces.

I remember someone told me my stats are 30/22. You'd think I lose all my money, but I just pick my spots and know when to lay it down if I am beat.


[img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] So um, that's how I feel about the game right now. It gets tough with people who know how to adapt to aggressive styles of play, but I see very few people learning and too many doing ABC poker and trying to win 1BB/100. 15/11 can only win at 3/6 and not even. 20/15 can win anywhere. 25/18 with good postflop is going to kick some serious ass.

Comments?