Studying

Besides actually playing the game how do you study and prepare yourself?

Sometimes I watch poker on TV to see how other players play. It helps sometimes.

There are scads of poker books available these days. Good bedtime reading.

PlayPLayPlay and remember what happens. If you have good math skills, you will learn the odds on your own over time, but a chart helps. Alot of the time the odds will mean very little as the players will not play by them. Just try and remember what your goal is every time out and stick to it.

Alot of the time the odds will mean very little as the players will not play by them

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This is completely untrue. Just because someone else isn't paying attention to pot odds, doesn't mean you shouldn't either.

Odds should ALWAYS play a role in your decision in some form or another. Poker is a game of luck...you want to use every tool available to you to give you the best advantage so over the long run you have the best of it more often thatn not.


To the actual question...
I have read several books on poker (Theory of Poker, Hold'em For Advanced Players) and this has helped me with basic play. However, I think I learn best from reviewing hand histories and replaying hands over and over until I make the most correct decision available to me at that time...

You wanna bet?

Actually, this is completly true. It may be different in higher level cash games, but in low entry tourneys, sorry, its always true. We both start out in a 2000 player tourney. You play straight by the odds and I will free lance a portion of the time. I will beat you almost every time. Every time if I know that you are playing that way. Playing only the odds wins in certain games, not the majority of tourniments the ones played online. It only takes one bad beat and you are out. If you wait for the nuts, you are dead. If you want to try and prove me wronge, I play at pokerhost everyday. Razorback01 is my name. Try out the 6:30pm east coast time $500 freeroll. Registration is at 5:30 pm. You have 2 min. to get in.There are 800 seats availible. You will see me there every night. Lets put it to the only real test.. You play odds, I will play my way. Lets see how it ends up. See ya there.

Read, read, read, read, and then when you've done that, read some more. During this time, play, play, play, play, and play some more.

Required Reading
Theory of Poker- David Sklansky
Winning Low Limit Hold 'em- Lee Jones
Super/System II- Brunson & Co.

The aforementioned are not in order of importance per se, but should all be read and poured over. If you're going to play a lot of tournament poker another must read is Harington on Hold 'em I & II.

If you're going to be playing mainly online (which is probably the case) it would be in your best interest to buy PokerTracker and use it and Game Time+. These two programs allow you to both analyze every miniscule aspect of your play and recognize any leaks that you may have which will allow you to adjust your play accordingly. In addition you will be able to keep tabs on all the players you play against frequently so that you can also exploit leaks and weaknesses in their game.

If you can't afford the programs I mentioned, continuously have your hand histories sent to you and if you feel you played a hand incorrectly or didn't maximize potential earnings on a particular hand, feel free to post it here in the Hand Analyzation forum for others to give advice or input on different ways to play certain hands.

Good Luck.

Sorry Mr. Freeroll, I was only making a point. I don't really count freerolls as tournaments with any resemblance of poker skill (until the last couple tables, then maybe...).


Yes, odds play a HUGE role in poker, but I guess that type of poker is too far above you...

That so?

No apology needed, Daddy Warbucks. I did not say that my post was for free rolls, I said low entry tourneys. But as far as that goes, I guess you play only "Big Money Games"? That's why you are here online giving out your "knowledge" to all that will take it, for free. Testing your theory doesn't take money. By your estimation, you would win all free rolls and low cost tourneys because you play the odds and the rest of us po dum broke folks cant figa yu out. Well, smart guy, come off your high horse and teach me a lesson. Just so your fellow poker gods can have a laugh. But, alas, I know you will not take that chance. You just keep typing your "words of wisdom". I will keep winning off of you strictly by the book hosiers. One day, you will figure out it takes both knowing the odds and playing the player to win with any consistency. By the way, HOW 'BOUT THEM CUBS?

lwillson said:

Besides actually playing the game how do you study and prepare yourself?

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Playing against better players and watching them closely should help - hopefully you learnt something from yesterday's game!

Preperation - make sure you've got enough time to play tournament to the end, and that there are no distractions (I bust out of a tournament last week because I was trying to set the video, empty the dishwasher, watch the football (real stuff, not the throwing rubbish) and play at the same time)!

Secondly, write a list of things you are and are not going to do. When I play low limit ring games, I write out DO NOT bluff, cos I always used to, and they never worked. One you could write down is DON'T CALL ALL IN'S WITH QJ! (on side note, that's another important thing to learn. Realising when you've made a mistake even though you've won a hand, so you don't do them again.

I feel that the big turning point from moving from beginner to intermediate is table position - learning to throw away A4's early on. Having this knowledge will give you an immediate edge over the majority of low level players.

robwhufc said:

One you could write down is DON'T CALL ALL IN'S WITH QJ!

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LMAO

Read Books and Playing is the only way.

Watching on TV is the worse way to learn. They show you an hour of the final table. Final Table at wsop this year went on for 13 or 14 hours. They only show you the good for TV hands. They don't show you the fold, fold fold all night long that actualy goes on. When you see them play weak hands on TV and or Bluff, there is a reason for it. But you don't get to see their reasoning behind it or the hands leading them to make that play.

Lots of great Books out there. First decide what game you will be best suited for. Than buy a book that is specific to that game. Read it than buy another book and read some more.