Looking for ways to improve my game - any advise?

Spuzz

Hi Neil

I'm a fairly new addition to Sky Poker although I have been playing for about 2 years.

At present struggling to improve my game and start getting ahead. On another poker site normally play between 1500 and 2000 hands per week due to the very low buy-ins available. However, getting sick of that site due what seems to be a large percentage of players treating poker like BINGO with all-in being the over whelming response to almost any call and the attitude of players in general when they have beaten another player. Watched many videos and often just sit and watch tables trying to predict what each player has in hand and what their opponents are going to do next.

Have read all the material here at Sky and watched all the videos.

Are there any Poker books you have read that have really helped you to improve your game?

What would you recommend to help me understand more of the poker jargonise? as I have limited knowledge beyond the basics.

Been watching out for your challenges to be able to watch you play to no avail so far.

Kind regards

Spuzz.

FeelGroggy

Hi Spuzz,

First I'd say that surely if players are treating poker like bingo, it makes it extremely easy to win by playing ABC poker against them If your opponents are overly aggressive or overvalue hands then wait for good hands and bet them hard.

I've read quite a few poker books, but I would say for me watching videos has been more beneficial to me. In terms of books Harrington on Hold Em Is a good book for a beginner. I would also recommend Moorman's book of poker, although this is a little more advanced.

I'm sure Neil is much better placed than me to give advice, but hopefully this is at least of some use to you

Spuzz

In Response to Re: Looking for ways to improve my game - any advise?:

Hi Spuzz, First I'd say that surely if players are treating poker like bingo, it makes it extremely easy to win by playing ABC poker against them If your opponents are overly aggressive or overvalue hands then wait for good hands and bet them hard. I've read quite a few poker books, but I would say for me watching videos has been more beneficial to me. In terms of books Harrington on Hold Em Is a good book for a beginner. I would also recommend Moorman's book of poker, although this is a little more advanced. I'm sure Neil is much better placed than me to give advice, but hopefully this is at least of some use to you
Posted by FeelGroggy

Hi FeelGroggy

Thank-you for your reply.

Have found a free two volume pdf download of Harrington on Hold Em so going to print it out and read

I try to play very tight in the early stages and only play A's, K's, Q's and J's more infrequently play 10's and 9's and to mix it up AK, AQ, AJ, and A10 with other top hands of KQ, KJ, K10, QJ, Q10 with occasional J10 all suited. The lower hands I only play once I have a read on what other players are using. If opponents are playing complete rags I will change down to any pair for the flop and fold if a set does not appear unless it's top pair on the board e.g 10's, 9's, 8's.

Even so as players are playing BINGO (all-in) pre flop means going all-in against bigger bankrolls which I really don't like doing unless I know that I have the nuts against an overtly aggressive player.

Despite this losing games more often than winning Grrr. Also have to factor in diminishing bankroll due to ante's.

Maybe that I am not ABC enough Lol.

shepspaul

yeah go to a  less corrupt site

TheMadMonk

if you go to poker twitch,theres some good players on there you can watch live each night,and learn their thought process about why to play or not to play certain hands,and about bet sizing etc.

NChanning

 Firstly thanks for the replies guys. I read Harrington on Hold Em as they each came out and for years I would have said you couldn't beat them among poker books. I would also say that talking through hands with people is one of the best ways to improve and that if you haven't got someone you know personally to do that with then getting used to discussing hands on a poker forum is the next best thing. Reading old posts of hands on forums is a good use of time.
 
 I do have to pick up on what you said about "bingo" players though. I have to totally agree with Groggy.

 If people are playing badly and you are playing well then you will win over a long period of time. It is totally correct that you can lose to bad players over the course of a session or a few sessions but if you can't beat them over time there are only two conclusions...either they are not as bad as you think and you need to figure out what they are doing...maybe you see people going all-in with what you consider a bad hand, being called by a better hand and then winning whereas I would say they are making a fine +ev 3-bet shove in a spot where they have good fold equity and a shot at winning if they are called...just because someone has the worst hand when the cards are turned over doesn't mean they played badly. Secondly it's always possible that you are not as good as you think.

NChanning

 I would say that if you find a large group of players who are playing badly then the thing you want to do is play them, play them and keep playing them until you either decide that several millions is enough for you or until they give up poker. If what you instead choose to do is moan about how they play then it maybe that you are the one playing badly as you haven't figured out how to exploit them.

 If people play badly by calling too many of your raises in position when you have a good hand pre-flop and they have a bad one then raise bigger and c-bet more often.

 If people play badly by calling with bad hands when you go all-in then, as Groggy said, make sure you have a good hand when you shove.

 If people play badly by calling when you bluff on the river then don't bluff on the river very often.

 If people play badly by calling very often when you semi-bluff your draws on the flop or turn then don't semi-bluff your draws but just bet more when you hit them.

 The game is about YOU as well as THEM and you need to see where they are making mistakes and adapt in order to exploit them.

Spuzz

In Response to Re: Looking for ways to improve my game - any advise?:

 I would say that if you find a large group of players who are playing badly then the thing you want to do is play them, play them and keep playing them until you either decide that several millions is enough for you or until they give up poker. If what you instead choose to do is moan about how they play then it maybe that you are the one playing badly as you haven't figured out how to exploit them.  If people play badly by calling too many of your raises in position when you have a good hand pre-flop and they have a bad one then raise bigger and c-bet more often.  If people play badly by calling with bad hands when you go all-in then, as Groggy said, make sure you have a good hand when you shove.  If people play badly by calling when you bluff on the river then don't bluff on the river very often.  If people play badly by calling very often when you semi-bluff your draws on the flop or turn then don't semi-bluff your draws but just bet more when you hit them.  The game is about YOU as well as THEM and you need to see where they are making mistakes and adapt in order to exploit them.
Posted by NChanning

Hello Neil

Thank you very much for taking the time to reply to my post.

Unfortunately not been very well over the last week and still under the weather.

Will respond more fully in a few days time with a review as if taking a "peer" review and critique from a work collegue/manager of all you have said with a particular emphasis on a very important word you have used "Moan".

Hopefully, I can then begin to move forwards to becoming the poker player in my dreams