Amateur Poker Playing Thread

[calculusdork]

I felt bad dropping long posts in Kevin's thread, so I figured I would create a community thread.

I love to play NLH, but have never really played online (only in-person games). I play for very little money, enough for people to play honest but never more than I can afford.

I put $25 onto ACR this week, and burned through that pretty quickly, just learning how to play again. Playing only $5.50 single table games (9 players), where 1st gets roughly $22, 2nd $13, and 3rd usually $9. I've also played a few $2 three-man games, but I don't love those.

I put another $25 in on Thursday, and am currently sitting at about $40.

What I would LOVE to see in this thread:

(1) Results from games you play IP or online;

(2) Protips and strategies you've learned along the way;

(3) Resources you've found helpful;

(4) Anything else you want to share in the realm of poker.

I'll update this thread every now and then with my own results.

Enjoy!

[griffan15]

I didn't mind you posting in the other thread at all, but I will use this thread as my non bankroll challenge results (higher limits and tourneys).

I'll post some tips/resources along the way as well.

[calculusdork]

Originally Posted by griffan15

I didn't mind you posting in the other thread at all, but I will use this thread as my non bankroll challenge results (higher limits and tourneys).

I'll post some tips/resources along the way as well.

I just felt like I was starting to dominate the thread.

Lately, I'm re-learning the principle that its, um, OK to fold.

Also, I had forgotten how different your strategies need to change between playing at a full table as opposed to vs only 1-3 villains, and also how much more aggressive you get to be playing with a fat stack.

My focus going forward is just what CRT said ... playing the villain and not the cards, and just building my stack.

[preakness]

When playing in the $60-120 tourneys in Vegas I have been overbetting preflop to avoid the potential
Future bad beat

Best cashing more frequently and less pissed off

[griffan15]

Just made the money in a $30 MTT, only have 11 BB though

[griffan15]

On break, 40 left. Blinds are 1000/2000 and I have 22,600.

1st pays $1860

[DSizzle31]

Originally Posted by griffan15

On break, 40 left. Blinds are 1000/2000 and I have 22,600.

1st pays $1860

Wow. Good luck. Take it down!

[griffan15]

Whew


Won with A4 vs 66

29 left, have 36,750

[griffan15]

23rd for $73

Got blinded down to about 8BB. Lost with AJ vs JJ

[calculusdork]

Man, tough break. Even these little rinkydink games I'm playing, it sucks to be down and get hammered on the BB ... can't tell you how many times I've struck gold on the BB with a short stack only to have everyone fold in front of me

[griffan15]

ITM in the $22 Turbo.

57 left
Blinds are 2250/4500

I have 110k stack

[griffan15]

30 left
Blinds are 3500/7000
Have 92K stack

[griffan15]

13 left
Blinds are 8k/16k
Have 377K stack

[griffan15]

9th for $130.68....I played the final hand like a noob

[griffan15]

Cash game results:

Stakes: 0.10/.25 NL - All 9 handed tables
Tables: 5
Time: 2 hours, 55 minutes
Hands: 626
Won/Loss: $130.23

[jcmel323]

i used to play a ton in znyga poker and it was extremely easy for me.
Havent played with real money because i really dont know were to play.

Where do you guys play and whats NLH and ACR?

[calculusdork]

Originally Posted by griffan15

Cash game results:

Stakes: 0.10/.25 NL - All 9 handed tables
Tables: 5
Time: 2 hours, 55 minutes
Hands: 626
Won/Loss: $130.23

Awesome!

Kevin, what's your thoughts on this? Seems to be a somewhat well known player.

[calculusdork]

Originally Posted by jcmel323

i used to play a ton in znyga poker and it was extremely easy for me.
Havent played with real money because i really dont know were to play.

Where do you guys play and whats NLH and ACR?

No-Limit Holden on the America's Card Room site.

[Branesergen]

Yup this thread is speaking as much Greek as the other one lol

[NeedChapmans]

Serious Question.

When your wife finds you playing poker, how do you dispose of the body? Should I start my own thread?

[calculusdork]

Originally Posted by NeedChapmans

Serious Question.

When your wife finds you playing poker, how do you dispose of the body? Should I start my own thread?

Lol

Behind the casino, of course. Just make sure it isn't an Indian burial ground.

[Hollywood42]

I just recently got back into Zynga poker thru Facebook. It's all free, so obviously not taken very seriously, but it's fun and I've done pretty well. I'd consider into getting into some real money games online, but haven't really ever done that before

Originally Posted by jcmel323

i used to play a ton in znyga poker and it was extremely easy for me.
Havent played with real money because i really dont know were to play.

Where do you guys play and whats NLH and ACR?

[griffan15]

Originally Posted by calculusdork

Awesome!

Kevin, what's your thoughts on this? Seems to be a somewhat well known player.

As I've been playing more and more, I've noticed the bots as well. They are real and they everywhere.

So, what to do about them? You can either try to beat them (which is doable) or avoid them (which is what I have been doing). It's easier to do in the cash games since you don't have to beat every player like you need to in a SNG. I have also not noticed them in the MTTs that I play.

Use the Player Notes feature and mark each player accordingly. From what I've noticed, 90% of the bots are from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. So I've marked ALL of them in RED for bot. I also use Green for Fish and Yellow for Not sure yet. Everyone gets something. All new players get yellow until I can figure them out (except if they are from the 3 countries I've notated above).

In the levels I've been playing recently, I may have 1-2 bots per table and I just don't get involved with them unless I have AA-JJ or AK. Then I try to blow them out of the pot preflop (If they call my huge preflop raise, they also have a monster and I play cautiously, see the hand below as an example). I have the villain marked as a bot:

Seat 1: Davb88 ($31.81)
Seat 2: BallsInImDeep ($25)
Seat 3: 1madonkey ($19.58)
Seat 4: Smalls734 ($25.33)
Seat 5: Magnit_74RUS ($44.44)
Seat 6: griffan15 ($47.46)
Seat 8: danpe2000 ($10)
Seat 9: MUCKINGFUTHER ($30.50)
Button is seat 9
Davb88: posts small blind $0.10
BallsInImDeep: posts big blind $0.25
*** HOLE CARDS ***
griffan15: dealt [Qd Qs]
1madonkey: folds
Smalls734: folds
Magnit_74RUS: raises $0.75
griffan15: raises $2.50
danpe2000: folds
MUCKINGFUTHER: folds
Davb88: folds
BallsInImDeep: folds
Magnit_74RUS: calls $1.75
*** FLOP *** [7h 2s Td]
Magnit_74RUS: checks
griffan15: bets $3.75
Magnit_74RUS: calls $3.75
*** TURN *** [7h 2s Td] [Jh]
Magnit_74RUS: checks
griffan15: bets $4.25
Magnit_74RUS: calls $4.25
*** RIVER *** [7h 2s Td] [Jh] [5c]
Magnit_74RUS: checks
griffan15: checks
*** SUMMARY ***
Pot: $20.29 | Rake: $0.82 | BBJ: $0.24 |
Board: [7h 2s Td Jh 5c]
Seat 1: Davb88 lost -$0.10
Seat 2: BallsInImDeep lost -$0.25
Seat 3: 1madonkey didn't bet
Seat 4: Smalls734 didn't bet
Seat 5: Magnit_74RUS won $20.29 (+$9.79) [Kd Ks] One Pair, Kings
Seat 6: griffan15 lost -$10.50 [Qd Qs] One Pair, Queens
Seat 8: danpe2000 didn't bet
Seat 9: MUCKINGFUTHER didn't bet


I should have lost a lot more, but figured something was up. He most likely read my hand as AA with my line, that's why he never came back over the top since it's nearly impossible to bet for value against a bot.

Another way to spot these guys is using PokerTracker and look at their stats. Their lines are usually 25/18/7, or close to it. That's VPIP/PFR/3BET percentages.

For those who don't understand greek, that's Voluntarily Puts Money In Pot/Pre-Flop Raise/3 Bet Reraise percentages. Those numbers are huge when evaluating a player using your HUD setup.

[Siberian13]

Originally Posted by Hollywood42

I just recently got back into Zynga poker thru Facebook. It's all free, so obviously not taken very seriously, but it's fun and I've done pretty well. I'd consider into getting into some real money games online, but haven't really ever done that before

Just know they are not the same. But good luck to you

[Branesergen]

Originally Posted by Hollywood42

I just recently got back into Zynga poker thru Facebook. It's all free, so obviously not taken very seriously, but it's fun and I've done pretty well. I'd consider into getting into some real money games online, but haven't really ever done that before

It's like taking your 4 year old daughter out of her Barbie car and putting her behind the wheel of your Ferrari