Introduction

[MagicFlea]

OK, so I'll turn that pointless post into something more pointful.

I'm a relatively new player playing 2/4 after reading SSH a couple times (which led me here). I'm doing well just starting out (way too well, actually, 5BB/100 in 3K hands since downloading PT and definitely + before then).

A few questions.

I'm concentrating on getting the fundamentals right now... how long do people usually wait before multi-tabling? I played a good bit of micro before picking up SSH

Second, now that I have PT I've got my little fishy icons and rock icons and such for people. Is there a guide on how to play against different player types?

thanks for your help

[Harv72b]

Welcome to the forums! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[ QUOTE ]
how long do people usually wait before multi-tabling?

[/ QUOTE ]

I think this varies widely from person to person. If I had to give a relatively concrete answer, I would say that when you start to get bored playing just one table, that's a good time to try adding a second one. It takes some time to get used to and it will lead to a slight decrease in your win rate per hand (more so when you get to 4 or more tables), but as long as you can keep winning at >50% of your 1-table rate, you're making more money multi-tabling.

[ QUOTE ]
Is there a guide on how to play against different player types?

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't know if there's a written guide anywhere per say, but there are some pretty obvious adjustments to make depending on player type. Bluffing will never work against a TP-P (rock), so there's no point in trying it (note that semi-bluffing is quite alright if you have a strong draw). You should value bet a lot more with less than top pair against a LP-P (fish). And you often have to pay off against a LA-A (taz).

If you aren't already doing so, take notes on individual opponents as well whenever you see them do something unusual. Things like bluff-raising the turn, calling to the river with 22 UI against a PFR on an A-high board, 3-betting preflop with 44, etc. Especially so long as you're only playing 1 table, individual reads can have a pretty big impact on your earnings.

The biggest piece of advice I can give is to get very active on this forum. Post hands that you've played & aren't sure about the line you took. Respond to other players' posts--even if the advice you give is wrong, both you and the original poster will learn from the discussion. Don't get scared away if people are a little rough in responding to your questions. The answer may seem obvious to them, but you can't learn without asking the "stupid" questions.

Oh, and use the search feature before posting a generic question. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[bigmac366]

you might find this useful in getting the most out of poker tracker.

[zagosh]

Psychology Of Poker by Alan Schoonmaker (2+2 Publishing)

[CallMeIshmael]

Harv:

a) Great post.

b) Can you elaborate on this:

[ QUOTE ]
Bluffing will never work against a TP-P (rock), so there's no point in trying it

[/ QUOTE ]

[Harv72b]

[ QUOTE ]
b) Can you elaborate on this:

[ QUOTE ]
Bluffing will never work against a TP-P (rock), so there's no point in trying it

[/ QUOTE ]

[/ QUOTE ]

There are some exceptions, but generally speaking a rock is going to call to the river with any made hand, unless the board makes it painfully obvious that you have a better hand than he does (i.e., you raised PF, he cold called with 44, and the board comes out AAKJT). So when you find yourself heads up with someone like that, there just isn't much point in bluffing your A high all the way to the river, because the only thing he's folding is a worse A high (and he'll usually fold that by the turn).

Of course there are times when there's an obvious draw on the board and a flop & turn bet thus make sense after the rock checks to you, and (a few) times when you can push a rock off of a better A-high hand than you have, but generally speaking, I've learned that it's far better to just check down UI vs. a guy that's never going to fold a pair.

[CallMeIshmael]

Ahh...

Our differences in opinion come what we define as a rock.

Generally, when I think rock, I think Slotboom: "I won't play from the flop on without at least top pair."

Clearly, THESE players can be bluffed a lot. I would think always betting the flop is the only plausible game plan when HU against one of these.

I might be wrong as to what a rock is, but semantics are irrelevant.

[Harv72b]

[ QUOTE ]
I might be wrong as to what a rock is, but semantics are irrelevant.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'd lay even odds on either one of us being wrong on the accepted definition. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[blumpkin22]

So apparently MagicFlea's original post claimed that he was up 25BB on a Pokerroom 2/4 table, and it had "nothing to do with luck" and there the table was "full of idiots." And it mentioned a player named Blumpkin (i.e., me).

Magic Flea cracked my AA with his QJc when he hit a flush on the river (note: he could have gotten in two bets on the river). He raised far too frequently preflop and got bailed out with many favorable flops (in this example, the flop was T9x, two clubs).

Magic Flea is a douchebag and a mediocre player at best. Magic, do us all a favor and go back to the micro limits where you belong.

[Harv72b]

[ QUOTE ]
So apparently MagicFlea's original post claimed that he was up 25BB on a Pokerroom 2/4 table, and it had "nothing to do with luck" and there the table was "full of idiots." And it mentioned a player named Blumpkin (i.e., me).

Magic Flea cracked my AA with his QJc when he hit a flush on the river (note: he could have gotten in two bets on the river). He raised far too frequently preflop and got bailed out with many favorable flops (in this example, the flop was T9x, two clubs).

Magic Flea is a douchebag and a mediocre player at best. Magic, do us all a favor and go back to the micro limits where you belong.

[/ QUOTE ]

[img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

What the [censored] are you talking about?