Learning to Play Winning Poker

[PokerBratt99]

didnt know where to Post this Question.

What do you folks think would be the best way to Learn to Play Winning Poker?

Read, Ask Questions ...

Start out in Cash games, then Move onto SNG's then MTT's?

Any ideas, suggestions??

A lot of you guys are really good and I would love to hear from You.

Thanks

[excession]

[Cactus Jack]

A century ago, or so it seems, a common abbreviation on the Internet was YMMV. Your mileage may vary. I think it's particularly appropos here.

What I have learned, which certainly doesn't mean it's all correct, nor that I'm a good player, is...

I started out playing for the lowest stakes at limit. Once I had a few bucks in the bank, I started playing SNGs, then some low-limit NL cash games, then back to SNGs, where I seem to do best because they fit my nature best. I know I could make more in NL cash, but I struggle with them. (Believe it or not, I played a solid month on the play money tables, and would recommend to my own kids that's where they start. If you can beat them, you can beat most games you'll be playing for the next year.)

While doing this, I read. I read everything I could get my hands on about poker. Books, online articles, forums, everything.

And I played. A lot.

I would suggest a brand-new player start out with Lee Jones' book, Winning Low Limit Hold 'Em, and playing nothing but limit poker. 8 out of 10 players I play have no clue about pot odds. None. They have a glimmer of an idea about starting hands, but not a single thought about position. (Oh, how I love to see a new player squirm when I put them to the test when they are out of position with a marginal hand.) Most want to play NL because it's what they've seen on TV. Ok for most of us, as we appreciate the donations, but not so good for so many who are playing with money they can ill afford to lose.

Limit is where you learn the basics. It's oversimplified, but everything in limit poker is simply a mathmatical question. That's where it all starts. Do I have the proper odds to make this call? Doyle Brunson himself would not be successful if he didn't consider the odds when he's sitting at the table. If one cannot be successful at limit poker, I submit that they will find it much, much harder to win at NL. If one is struggling at fixed limit, he needs to find out why. Leaks are much easier to spot and fix at this level than at even the lowest level of no limit. Decisions are easier and variance is lower. Limit is hour after hour of grinding, which every player should learn how to handle and very few ever do.

What I've found playing several hundred thousand hands of poker is there is no substitute for experience. Every hand, every hour of every day is a completely different situation. The more of those situations you see, the better prepared to handle the next situation. One never has enough time to sit and think through each decision. It has to be done quickly and correctly. Without seeing similar situations hundreds and hundreds of times, it's easy to make mistakes. The player who makes the fewest mistakes is usually the winner. And when you can see your own and others' mistakes, instantly, your on your way to being a winning poker player.

Very few of us ever really understand how many decisions must be made on each and every hand. The new player has no idea. He's just playing the cards in front of him. The expert doesn't think about it, because most of his decisions are ones he doesn't have to think about. For him, it's automatic. Most of us are somewhere in between, and working our butts off to get from here to there and not lose all our money along the way. The in-between is where experience is gained. It's a long, strange trip, believe me. There are absolutely NO shortcuts. I have to repeat this and it must be perfectly clear--there are NO shortcuts.

There are, however, a very high number of detours. If a player learns how to focus, which he must do if he's to be a success, then he comes out the other side a really strong player. Think Phil Ivey. He is the epitome of the best. The very, very, very best playing the game. He is because there is no one who can focus the way he can. He's so deep in the game, you couldn't drop a bomb on him and shake him out of his zone. This is why the pro's pros fear him. They know. He got there step by step, one hand at a time, with no detours along the way. Most of us would like to BE Phil Ivey, but few could ever pay the price he's paid to be Phil Ivey. Failure was never an option for him.

So, if you're asking how to get from first hand to Phil Ivey, that's what I'd suggest is the plan. Don't worry, tho. There are plenty of places to come to rest up the mountain. It's a great game. The best I've ever played, the most fun I've ever had. At any point, you can be satisfied with where you've gotten to, from where you came from. There may be no shortcuts, but it isn't a pass/fail situation. You can be successful anywhere along the way and enjoy where you are. That, ultimately, is the point. If you aren't enjoying it, it's not worth it. It's a challenge, it's profitable, and it's fun. Who could ask for more than that?

This last is what I really have learned in my time climbing the mountain. YMMV. (But it shouldn't.)

CJ

[T-Rod]

[Felonius_Monk]

[laynegt]

i wouldn't worry about the specifics. my general advice would be:

1) play tight
2) play to learn and have fun
3) read btp for real world poker advice (clearly big name pros are the not the best source for advice about low-limit games)
4) try the different games (limit v nl v ring v sng v mtt) but try to pick one to get good at b/c the games are quite different (even b/w ring and tourneys)

[piersmajestyk]

[AlexMR]

[Tepshen73]

[Kuso]

[excession]

kuso - those tables are no rake are they? (I agree that HU really helps you develop reading skills)

[Kuso]

correct... no rake at the .01/.02. another reason why they are nice.