Have I not learned anything?

[anthonytrent]

I am a newbie and been playing online since Jan 1 2005. Since then I have read SSH. HEFAP, Finishing the Harrington on holdem book, The ciaffone no limit and pot limit poker, Sklanski's first book on hold em. I have laso started the poker tracker last week. I try to play the 1-2 to 3-6 rooms on Empire, Games grid and UB. The question is this...WHEN WILL I EVENTUALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE HECK I AM DOING!

Have I read too much and gotten confused? I can not maintain a profit. After the first two days of last week I was up $700 only to have lost it 8 days later. I know how to analyze my hands with the poker tracker and how to turn it on over a game but exactly what and how do I take advantage of this program specifically? Stupid question I guess but maybe I need to hear the obvious. Any help would be appreciated.

Also does anyone have a rating for me on empire. Anthonytrent

Thanks

[Grease]

I use Pokertracker to track my money made (lost) in the blinds to see if I'm too tight/too loose with them, keeping track of my opponents (Playerview is best for that; www.playerview.net), and for posting hands on 2+2. I have a little notebook where I write my hand down that I just played that I would like to post, then I go back into PT and find it. As for being confused, I don't think there's ever a point in poker when you can "know it all," only have a fundamental knowledge of the game and to be very situationally aware. It's not about applying rules or maxims to certain situations, it's about thinking your way though the incomplete information available and doing what you think is best. As you get better and glean more info from the players and understand the fundamentals better, you'll make fewer mistakes. Hang in there, it can only get easier. We've all been lost (many, including myself, still are).

[QTip]

When you say "I'm a newbie", I'm assuming you're a newbie to the game. In this case, I would suggest going to .5/1 for a while. This will make "paying for your education" less expensive. Things take a while to come together in your head no matter how much reading you do. It takes experience to recognize situations and properly apply what you've learned.

Also, why not focus on playing 1 specific game fairly well. The books you mentioned are a mix of limit and big bet poker. Get some focus on which you want to play.

[bobhalford]

I would get game time so you can get reads at the table on your opponents. The more hands you have on them the better. Just keep practicing and reading. I might just play 1/2 for a while and then move to 2/4. 3/6 is a tag-fest these days so you have to be selective. Takes a while to learn, don't get impatient. Poker would not be a gameworth learning if it was so easy.

[bobbyi]

Geez dude, you've only been playing for about six months. I've been studying the game for five years and I'm still trying to figure things out. If you're this impatient, poker is not for you.

[QTip]

[ QUOTE ]
Geez dude, you've only been playing for about six months. I've been studying the game for five years and I'm still trying to figure things out. If you're this impatient, poker is not for you.

[/ QUOTE ]

Bobbyi:

It's been about 9 months for me now. I've felt like him time and time again, and it IS a patience issue.

I just bumped a post I made a while back with a reply talking about patience and the complexity of this game.

This OP sounds like he may be a quick, tenacious learner and think he will quickly learn the game and then excel...not going to happen.

[Sarge85]

[ QUOTE ]
I know how to analyze my hands with the poker tracker and how to turn it on over a game but exactly what and how do I take advantage of this program specifically?

[/ QUOTE ]


*Warning* - Anti Poker Tracker Post.

Here’s what I would do. -- Forget about Poker Tracker.

Why?

1) If you just got it – you simply don’t have enough hands to tell you if you are playing “correctly” or not. You need tens of thousands of hands before you can make adjustments.

2) As far as when you are playing online - I think you are better having it “off” as well. You are not going to have any significant amount of hands on any one player early on.

I also believe as a whole, the forum puts way to much emphasis on these stats in the first place. When I see posts that start off with: Player is 35% V$IP/15% PFR – LAG over 50ish hands - followed by a hand that HERO overplayed (or maybe not overplayed, but was shown a “legit” hand, I’m not that surprised.

It is sort of ironic. We’ll get players that post their Poker Tracker stats over 50K hands, looking for feedback only to receive a chorus of “Sample Size To Small” from the fourm.

However we’ll get those players that scream sample size error, posting hands where they are making a “read” on a villain based on a uber small sample size.

Try making hand written notes in the Notes Box on Party Poker. Your own observations are exponentially more valuable. Seeing a player call down with Ace high, or second pair, or raising as a pure bluff – and then noting it is vastly superior to what PT will give you: 35%/15%/ AF 2.3 - 75 hands. Those 75 hands could mean anything – seeing a player call you down with bottom pair once or twice is HUGE.

I’ve been playing at TruePoker – (non PT supported, but has a notes feature) – Here are some of my notes off the top of my head:

Loose/Fishy
Will call down to river with sh*t
Will make “moves” on pot with scare cards
Tight
Could be 2+2er

Don’t get me wrong. PT does have value. When you have 15-20 instances of how you play 88 or certain suited connectors, then you can draw some conclusions. When/if you datamine and have several hundred hands on players (and visual hand histories) then you can more accurately determine LAG, Maniac, TAG, etc.

Ultimately my suggestion is this:

1. Leave Pokertracker off for a month. Simply import hands – don’t look at numbers, and don’t use GameTime/Player View. Use your own notes and solid poker skills.
2. If you are truly new to the game – read Winning Low Limit Hold’em by Lee Jones. If you have some back ground, and reasonably solid PF skills – skip WLLH and read Small Stakes Hold’em by Ed Miller.
3. Respond to hands – don’t be afraid to be wrong.
4. Post your own hands – with out results and only up to the point where you have a question on action

Good Luck

Sarge[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]

[niko421]

[ QUOTE ]


*Warning* - Anti Poker Tracker Post.

Here’s what I would do. -- Forget about Poker Tracker.

[/ QUOTE ]

I have to totally agree.... I just started posting on 2+2 which is great, you get a lot of different views on your hands, and normally instantly.

As for PT... since I turned Gametime+ on I have lost money, trying to use that information to my benefit has only hurt. It has helped agaist players I have 200+ hands, and NOTES giving details about how he played hands

Called 2 B cold T7s Early Pos.

R UTG w KJo

Min Raise with Painted Cards, bigger on Ace Paint

Etc... you see those notes, with 35% V$IP then you know to what to expect.

35% V$IP on 50 hands... ever hear of a rush?

I use PT for self analysis, and to find big fish. I also import all the hands 24hours a day from the 3 or 5 tables that I usally play at UB. This way atleast my stats will have some meaning.

I also find the biggest winners, and print out all thier hands, find out how they are playing certain situations, try to make reads on them and the players they are against etc... it makes a bus ride interesting lol

[anthonytrent]

Thank you very much for your reply and info. Your help is greatly appreciated!

[Sarge85]

[ QUOTE ]
I also find the biggest winners, and print out all thier hands, find out how they are playing certain situations, try to make reads on them and the players they are against etc... it makes a bus ride interesting lol

[/ QUOTE ]

Nice. I hadn't heard of many people using PT for this. I may have to try that.

Sarge[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]