How to grow out of nut-peddling

[sirtimo]

hi all,

Dang it, I'm not a poker player I'm a nut-peddler.... [img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]

What do I do to break out of the rut? I play good starting cards, bet them when I get them, try to trap the LAGs and check-call all my draws when the odds are there. Bonus whoreing lately hasn't helped since all I have to do is break even to end up ahead. Gets boreing and I'm not improving.

I play .25/.50 or .50/$1 NL on several sites.
I'm 18%/5%/1.2 in PT
I'm sure there is more out there than waiting for good cards.

Any hints?

regards,
Tim

[admo415]

Become alot more agressive and use position alot more, that helped me a good amount

[swolfe]

work on aggression and raising more hands (like suited connectors) preflop with position. it'll help with deception and help you get paid off when you hit your monster hands. work on your hand reading, and make aggressive bluffs when you are read weakness.

[Ghazban]

When you're having a long run of bad cards and are folding everything, just take the next hand and play it like its the nuts. Raise (or reraise) preflop, bet or check/raise the flop, whatever you'd do with a great hand. This doesn't mean you should call an all-in preflop with J4o-- use SOME judgment but, if you have enough chips for some postflop maneuvering, just play it hard. If you actually hit your oddball hand and end up showing it down, you'll have to tighten up again for a while as your image will go from rock to maniac.

[steaknshake925]

[ QUOTE ]
work on your hand reading, and make aggressive bluffs when you are read weakness.

[/ QUOTE ]

Good advice. for the OP, here's a concrete example that might be helpful:

fairly deep stacks, ur on the button w/ 89s, MP villain raises 4xBB, u call, everyone folds. flop is say K 6 7 with two hearts, u dont have a heart. villain pots it, u call. turn is a 2 of hearts. this time villain bets 1/4 pot, u make a big raise. villain folds. this is a really obvious and automatic play for a strong player, but a nut-peddler would probly just call here thinkin yay he's got a cheaper draw. there's plenty of spots like the above that you can take advantage of, some more marginal than others, but if u start exploiting them more often you'll be well on ur way to non-nutpeddling crazy LAGland.

[KowCiller]

[ QUOTE ]
flop is say K 6 7 with two hearts, u dont have a heart. villain pots it, u call. turn is a 2 of hearts. this time villain bets 1/4 pot, u make a big raise. villain folds.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sounds familiar! Here was one of my experiments with leaving the kiddie pool. It might help?

Kow in the Kiddie Pool

Good luck,
KoW

[edge]

[ QUOTE ]
fairly deep stacks, ur on the button w/ 89s, MP villain raises 4xBB, u call, everyone folds. flop is say K 6 7 with two hearts, u dont have a heart. villain pots it, u call. turn is a 2 of hearts. this time villain bets 1/4 pot, u make a big raise. villain folds.

[/ QUOTE ]

I like raising the flop and checking behind on the turn if I don't hit one of my "outs" (straight or heart). Then I'll bet the river if I hit the straight or heart. This sets up flop raises with sets as well, since the players know you can push a flush draw hard, and you can get paid off better on your made hands. Raising the flop also takes the pot away from QQ/JJ/AQ.

[maranello11]

Do you consider yourself an advanced player when it comes to starting hands and feel confident that you can outplay someone on the flop and maybe through a bluff out there once and a while

[sirtimo]

thanks for the replys so far!

I think I am a very good player preflop with flashes of compententcy postflop. [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

So what are some ideas about-

1. Playing a flush draw in position vs out of position- OOP, I'm pretty stuck on check-calling to try and hit my flush. Dosn't leave me much room to maneouver once the river misses and I'm not getting paid when it hits. In position, I'm more aggresive and will bet at it most of the time, especially with overcards.

2. Slowplaying sets. I used to always check-call a set. Now I'm trying to mix it up and pay attetion to how draw-heavy the board is. I also tend to call raises preflop with small pairs if I can put the raiser on a big pair, AK-AQ etc for the implyed odds.

3. AK- I almost always bet at any flop strong (3/4 pot) when I'm first to act after I PFR'd, but then when I get a called, I shut it down on the turn if I don't hit. I'll check-fold the river if unimproved. I think I'm losing too much money not picking up when my opponent has missed too.

regards,
Tim

[soah]

Fancy play against clueless opponents is pissing away money.