Two of my problems

[Fredrik]

1) I don't raise enough pre-flop. I think this is SSHE fault. I'm seeing way too many draws/mediocre hands to the showdown thanks to the raise, making me reluctant to be the one raising.

2) I check/call HU on the river. I know I shouldn't do it. I can't see one single reason why I should. EVER. Still I do it.

Anyone got any tips on how to get rid of these flaws? Put a post-it on the monitor? Grow smarter?

[adsman]

Just off the top of my head, I can see a great reason to check call the river. Induce a bluff.

[jaxUp]

[ QUOTE ]
1) I don't raise enough pre-flop. I think this is SSHE fault. I'm seeing way too many draws/mediocre hands to the showdown thanks to the raise, making me reluctant to be the one raising.

2) I check/call HU on the river. I know I shouldn't do it. I can't see one single reason why I should. EVER. Still I do it.

Anyone got any tips on how to get rid of these flaws? Put a post-it on the monitor? Grow smarter?

[/ QUOTE ]

Not raising enough preflop is not SSH's fault. It's your fault for not being able to dump a hand once you've been shown you're behind. I'm not a SSH buff, but it sounds like you've got a leak, you know it's a leak, and you choose to make something else at fault so that you feel better about it. Don't do this. Realise it's your fault and WORK on it.

value betting doesn't come easy for some people. Become an active part of this forum. Keep playing. Keep reading. You will, without a doubt, improve.

edited for mild retardation

[the_rookie]

1) You mean people are calling raises with mediocore hands and drawing out on you? This is what you want...makes you money in the long run.

2) Try putting your opponents on a range of hands and then gauge by the texture of the board whether they most likley hit their draw and make the best play.

[aK13]

SSH emphasizes preflop play as much as postflop play (the much more difficult of the two). You've got the first part down, but if you can't get away from hands that you've raised with preflop, you obviously have a problem with postflop play. You should be able to judge when laying down a marginal or drawing hand is the correct play. Having said that, this doesn't mean you should "make big laydowns", expecting everybody to be holding a monster against you.

[PokerMatt]

1) It seems like you're afraid of people drawing out on you. Don't worry about it! You may occasionally lose to weak draws like this, but these same people will be paying you off on your big draws far more often.

2) There are certain situations that a check-call is the correct play when you are almost certain you are beaten. However, like jaxUp said, value betting doesn't come easily to everyone. The only advice I can give you on this is from nike: Just do it! Remember that while this may occasionally lose you a bet or 2, you will win more (and bigger) pots this way.

[Shillx]

I don't raise enough pre-flop. I think this is SSHE fault.

Yeah reading SSH was my biggest problem as well. I was a huge winner until I read it and then I hit a big downswing the week after for some reason. [img]/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img]

Brad

[MooFrog]

Play some cheap NL SnGs. I blew about $20 playing $1 and $2 tournaments, and spent a couple days reading through the SnG board. You get tons of hands, and it's a lot of fun. I found it really improved my limit play, since you retain some of the "All in or fold" mentality, which really has increased my aggressiveness as well as my willingness to bet on the river. Basically, if I'm in a hand I'm raising postflop. For draws, I'm looking a lot more at the odds, and it really helps to think that I would never chase it in a tournament. Combined with my desire to chase everything, and check/call till I get something good, I think it really has improved my postflop game.

For preflop raises, I have the loose limit strategy pdf from WLLH in front of me all the time for marginal calls (not sure of link, got it from these forums though). A lot of the time I'm finding that it prevents me from going on tilt (when I might be thinking about raising a hand that's so terrible it's not even considered). I also like looking at what it recommends to raise and call with, and the positions, and compare it to what I would be planning to do with the hand I have.

For chasing draws, if I'm not one card away on the flop and have no made hands or overcards, I'll get rid of it for any bet. May bet out, but will never call. With overcards or a middle pair, I'll probably bet out. Will take a general glance at the odds and make sure they aren't gigantic in either direction, but I'm still trying to get the hang of specific odds based play.

[MooFrog]

Ooops, I meant the Miller book (SSHE), not WLLH. I always do that [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

[stlip]

[ QUOTE ]
Play some cheap NL SnGs.

[/ QUOTE ]

Learning NL really helped my ring game, too. It makes you realize just how valuable flopping a top pair or holding an overcard pair is compared to someone on a draw. You're the favorite, and by a clear enough margin that you want to bet all you can, whether the game is limit or NL.