Newbie epiphanies

[Cosimo]

I figure many of you know this stuff, but I'm new here. I also expect that some of this is wrong so I'm hoping you guys can give me some pointers, or shore up the more important of these. The items below are things that I realized over the past few days that have helped me adjust to playing SSNL.

1) Don't be greedy. One bad call every four table-hours eliminates all your profit. As a result of realizing this, I'm trying to control pot size a bit more to make sure I don't get pot-commited to a risky, marginal hand. For example, big CB bluffs from EP tend to inflate the pot and lead me to make bad calls on the river. See #2.

2) Position is so grossly extremely valuable that playing mid suited 1-gappers from LP is a good move, and low PP are questionable. I'm not actually sure that I'm making money with these hands, but it seems to me the sort of thing more likely to make money than trying to play TPNK with Axs -- which works in limit, because when it goes wrong it's not that expensive.

3) It's all about the implied odds. If the other guy doesn't have a deep stack, you're not going to get paid off. If he's super-aggro, you're not going to be able to chase a draw. I think fishing for sets HU is unprofitable (e.g. one limper, small PP from LP -- not likely to get paid off, toss it).

4) How opponents play post-flop is critical to profit, so reads are critical. Noobs like me shouldn't be trying to play ABC NL. I'm playing fewer tables now than I was at limit, and I'm finding that it helps a lot because I have more time to review play, take notes, and figure out what people are doing.

5) Domination sucks. Stay away from the weaker dominated hands until you know what you're doing, and from what I've read, even then they're no good. I stopped playing KTo from EP long ago, and I'm not playing it now, but now I'm more cautious about KQo or QJs when someone else pushes back.

6) Stay calm. Don't be greedy. The money will come. Trying to 'force' a draw or marginal hand works sometimes, but when it doesn't work, it's killer. Bad beats suck, but they're not what's killing you in NL. The beats are variance, but what was actually killing me was having trouble controlling the action when OOP (#2), calling raises with just TPTK, or trying to push lesser hands to extract marginal profit like I would in limit.

Good post. I'm a semi-newbie, and most of this stuff I've heard before, but it's good to be reminded of them, and to have a nice list. Might actually save this and re-read it from time to time to keep myself on track.

[ QUOTE ]
Position is so grossly extremely valuable that playing mid suited 1-gappers from LP is a good move, and low PP are questionable.

[/ QUOTE ]

all pocket pairs are gold from all positions with 100bb against bad players. Suited 1 gappers not so much, even in late position after a couple limpers, if your postflop skills aren't all that great.

[JaBlue]

whatever works for you

<font color="red">Okay, I'm willing to put some thoughts out there. Also happy to hear if people with more experience agree or disagree.</font>


1) Don't be greedy. One bad call every four table-hours eliminates all your profit. As a result of realizing this, I'm trying to control pot size a bit more to make sure I don't get pot-commited to a risky, marginal hand. For example, big CB bluffs from EP tend to inflate the pot and lead me to make bad calls on the river. See #2.

<font color="red">I think that in NL cash games, "pot-committed" is an overrated concept. You're never completely pot-committed because when the hand is over you can rebuy and be right back. Any money you don't lose chasing some sort of draw is money made. See Mike Caro's section in S/S. Concentrate more on pot odds and implied odds right now.</font>

2) Position is so grossly extremely valuable that playing mid suited 1-gappers from LP is a good move, and low PP are questionable. I'm not actually sure that I'm making money with these hands, but it seems to me the sort of thing more likely to make money than trying to play TPNK with Axs -- which works in limit, because when it goes wrong it's not that expensive.

<font color="red"> Mid-suited 1 gappers are fine limped from LP as long as you're playing for straight or flush value. Be very wary of them when you flop some sort of 2pr with them and can't shake a player. In all likelihood he's made the straight you were hoping for.

Unless you've got 3 callers to a raise ahead of you (at least 4 players seeing the flop), you're not getting any where near the odds you need to call a pf raise with Axs or the connected/gapped cards.

ANY pocket pair is money provide you do two things: a) make certain you and the pf raiser have at least 7.5 times the raise so that you're getting correct implied odds, and b) play them for set value on the flop. Even the miracle of some sort of open-ended straight probably will not get the right pot odds to draw to. And flopping a board full of unders with 88 is a prescription for disaster to a new player. </font>

3) It's all about the implied odds. If the other guy doesn't have a deep stack, you're not going to get paid off. If he's super-aggro, you're not going to be able to chase a draw. I think fishing for sets HU is unprofitable (e.g. one limper, small PP from LP -- not likely to get paid off, toss it).

<font color="red"> I've made a ton of money fishing for my set HU IF the implied odds are there. Think about it. Very little is as well hidden as a set. If a player raises pf and the implied odds are right, when you spike the set you'll probably take his stack. Set over set happens, but it's about 100:1.</font>

4) How opponents play post-flop is critical to profit, so reads are critical. Noobs like me shouldn't be trying to play ABC NL. I'm playing fewer tables now than I was at limit, and I'm finding that it helps a lot because I have more time to review play, take notes, and figure out what people are doing.

<font color="red"> Noobs/Newbs should be playing ABC NL right now. Play the terrible 20, play them correctly, and soon enough you'll start expanding your play. But remember the best advice anyone ever gave me: in NL, sets, straights, and flushes win. Play hands that are going to get you those results.</font>

5) Domination sucks. Stay away from the weaker dominated hands until you know what you're doing, and from what I've read, even then they're no good. I stopped playing KTo from EP long ago, and I'm not playing it now, but now I'm more cautious about KQo or QJs when someone else pushes back.

<font color="red"> Nothing to add here. </font>

6) Stay calm. Don't be greedy. The money will come. Trying to 'force' a draw or marginal hand works sometimes, but when it doesn't work, it's killer. Bad beats suck, but they're not what's killing you in NL. The beats are variance, but what was actually killing me was having trouble controlling the action when OOP (#2), calling raises with just TPTK, or trying to push lesser hands to extract marginal profit like I would in limit.

<font color="red"> If you're playing top hands, logically you're going to suffer many more bad beats than you inflict. It's the nature of playing good poker. One of the toughest problems is learning to recognize when you did lose the lead. That's why sets, straights, and flushes are so important.

AA is great pf, but once you get a caller, you have to examine the texture of the board and the nature of your opponent very carefully if you don't improve. Flop all unders, CB and get a reraise. Coming from a rock, it means one thing. From a maniac, it's something completely different.</font>