Texas Hold 'Em

Phil · 01-16-2007, 02:31 PM

does anybody here play? we play every Friday night with friends just for laughs and an excuse to get together, but my better half takes it much more seriously : she has won 2 tournaments here in Cardiff, and numerous times on the internet. This Xmas, she landed £400 which was a big help.
i like Isabelle "No Mercy" Mercier : she's aggressive and is very good at trapping. Sexy too.
Gus Hanson is admirable too, if a little off sometimes.

Last Friday night i won the game for the first time in more than 6 weeks, and if i say so myself, i played well.

Shawnee123 · 01-16-2007, 02:51 PM

I play sometimes. I don't play the bigger tournaments; just the "friends and a 5 dollar buy-in" ones, but I have won a couple. My biggest problem is keeping up with how many chips I need to put in...I get very confused.

SteveDallas · 01-16-2007, 02:58 PM

I used to play quite a lot online and reached a point where I was sort of good, at least at my chosen game (limit cash games). I then burned out on it and I no longer have the "edge" I need. I still have about $40 in an account at one of the rooms that isn't squeamish about accepting US players, and I occasionally play at the penny tables.

I did win a couple hundred bucks in an informal neighborhood block party tournament. That's my only real live experience.

KinkyVixen · 01-16-2007, 03:15 PM

I play on my phone. Sometimes I wish it was real...like last night when I started my bank was $7,250. When I stopped playing it was up to $25,550. But I know that playing in that type of format is a lot different than playing it at a casino or somewhere like that. I play at family/friend gatherings...but usually there is too much going on, or i'm too intoxicated and I leave the table and my measly $5 or $10 buy in gets eaten up by the blinds.

Oh well.

I usually win when I'm not playing for real money. That's how my story always goes.

Undertoad · 01-16-2007, 03:29 PM

What did you do to get to the next level, SD? Did you approach it as a math problem, or just play until you got good, or what?

SteveDallas · 01-16-2007, 04:00 PM

One of the paradoxes of poker is that it's extremely difficult to tell if you're "good". You can make a mistake, and make a lot of money. For example, let's say you have a raise and a re-raise in front of you. Most people would say that if you're holding, say, a jack of hearts and a ten of hearts, you should fold. But if you do call, you might hit your flush or straight and win a pile of money. (The problem is you won't make a big enough pile often enough to counteract all the times you would lose.)

On the other hand, you can do everything right and lose. In the same situation if you had two aces instead of J-10, most people would say you would be right to raise again or maybe go all-in if it's no-limit. You could then lose the hand. But in this case, over the long haul, your wins from making this play will more than counteract your losses, and overall you are reducing your winnings by not getting your money on the table in a situation like this.

So just because you came away with more money than you started with, doesn't mean you played well. And vice versa.

I basically spent a lot of time reading poker books and, more importantly, forums, where everybody would pick apart each other's play. So I didn't just play, I got feedback on my play. It's sort of like music. Lots of people dabble, but not a lot actually practice and make a systematic effort to get better.

breakingnews · 01-16-2007, 09:10 PM

When I was in NYC I got invited to play a few times, but here I now have a regular game, and boy is it becoming a dangerous habit. Fortunately I'm still ahead in winnings, but it's been sheer luck - a few of these guys have a lot of experience and could easily clean me out if I don't play conservatively.

Most weeks the buy-in is capped at $150, but occasionally the host will double if there's a lot of people (there are 10-12 regulars, above 10 and we vote to split to two tables). There's a lot of money to be won. There's also a lot of money to be lost, but fortunately I don't think anyone is gambling their rent money, so the mood stays pretty light.

What's been kicking my ass is all the different games we play: no limit hold 'em, Omaha hi-lo, pineapple (variation of hold 'em), 7 card stud, triple draw low. In the the past I've only played hold 'em, so playing with these guys has been a real learning experience. I've finally got the hang of omaha, which usually involves a lot of betting.

Luck was with me last night though

I was almost out of chips when I caught someone's bluff and took a fat chunk of his stack. Then I hit three consecutive nut hands - cleaned out two players and ensured myself a nice dinner this weekend.

SteveDallas · 01-16-2007, 09:50 PM

I'm not sure about triple draw low, but you can play the others online for play chips if you want practice. (It took me a long time to just be able to figure out what was going on with Omaha Hi-Lo.) UltimateBet is the only place I know of that has Pineapple, but most of the big sites have the others.

breakingnews · 01-17-2007, 12:42 AM

Yeah, that's what I had to do - got on PartyPoker and played omaha for play chips. (Btw I was kind of surprised when I logged on a few months ago to find all that news about the U.S. legislation ... bastards.) Now that I understand how the game works, some of my biggest pot takes have been omaha hands.

Triple draw low is pretty simple, in my opinion: Either you have the low ball or you're bluffing. There's no reason - furthermore it's dumb - to try and play anything else.

These guys have some fun variations I've never seen: Crazy pineapple - drop a card after second round of betting (post-flop); and Watermelon - omaha hi-lo with five cards dealt, one dropped before the turn.

deadbeater · 01-25-2007, 03:28 AM

Damn here where I live I can play Texas hold 'em only for play money, without playing it illegally. Have to move to another state.

Phil · 01-25-2007, 04:38 PM

Championeee for 2 weeks in a row!

Phil · 04-13-2007, 12:39 PM

we've started a poker blog, if anyone is interested.
feel free to visit, leave comments, and visit again. :-)

http://hoogster61.spaces.live.com/de...x?_c02_owner=1

01-16-2007, 02:31 PM	#1
Phil Hoodoo Guru Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 304	Texas Hold 'Em does anybody here play? we play every Friday night with friends just for laughs and an excuse to get together, but my better half takes it much more seriously : she has won 2 tournaments here in Cardiff, and numerous times on the internet. This Xmas, she landed £400 which was a big help. i like Isabelle "No Mercy" Mercier : she's aggressive and is very good at trapping. Sexy too. Gus Hanson is admirable too, if a little off sometimes. Last Friday night i won the game for the first time in more than 6 weeks, and if i say so myself, i played well. __________________ Atheist n A person to be pitied in that he is unable to believe things for which there is no evidence, and who has thus deprived himself of a convenient means of feeling superior to others.

01-16-2007, 02:51 PM	#2
Shawnee123 Why, you're a regular Alfred E Einstein, ain't ya? Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 21,206	I play sometimes. I don't play the bigger tournaments; just the "friends and a 5 dollar buy-in" ones, but I have won a couple. My biggest problem is keeping up with how many chips I need to put in...I get very confused. __________________ A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones who need the advice. --Bill Cosby

01-16-2007, 03:15 PM	#4
KinkyVixen Marching In! Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Wichita, KS Posts: 580	I play on my phone. Sometimes I wish it was real...like last night when I started my bank was $7,250. When I stopped playing it was up to $25,550. But I know that playing in that type of format is a lot different than playing it at a casino or somewhere like that. I play at family/friend gatherings...but usually there is too much going on, or i'm too intoxicated and I leave the table and my measly $5 or $10 buy in gets eaten up by the blinds. Oh well. I usually win when I'm not playing for real money. That's how my story always goes. __________________ "Smile before bed.You'll sleep better."

01-16-2007, 09:10 PM	#7
breakingnews Q_Q Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: somewhere in between Posts: 995	When I was in NYC I got invited to play a few times, but here I now have a regular game, and boy is it becoming a dangerous habit. Fortunately I'm still ahead in winnings, but it's been sheer luck - a few of these guys have a lot of experience and could easily clean me out if I don't play conservatively. Most weeks the buy-in is capped at $150, but occasionally the host will double if there's a lot of people (there are 10-12 regulars, above 10 and we vote to split to two tables). There's a lot of money to be won. There's also a lot of money to be lost, but fortunately I don't think anyone is gambling their rent money, so the mood stays pretty light. What's been kicking my ass is all the different games we play: no limit hold 'em, Omaha hi-lo, pineapple (variation of hold 'em), 7 card stud, triple draw low. In the the past I've only played hold 'em, so playing with these guys has been a real learning experience. I've finally got the hang of omaha, which usually involves a lot of betting. Luck was with me last night though I was almost out of chips when I caught someone's bluff and took a fat chunk of his stack. Then I hit three consecutive nut hands - cleaned out two players and ensured myself a nice dinner this weekend. __________________ Gone crazy, be back never.

01-17-2007, 12:42 AM	#9
breakingnews Q_Q Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: somewhere in between Posts: 995	Yeah, that's what I had to do - got on PartyPoker and played omaha for play chips. (Btw I was kind of surprised when I logged on a few months ago to find all that news about the U.S. legislation ... bastards.) Now that I understand how the game works, some of my biggest pot takes have been omaha hands. Triple draw low is pretty simple, in my opinion: Either you have the low ball or you're bluffing. There's no reason - furthermore it's dumb - to try and play anything else. These guys have some fun variations I've never seen: Crazy pineapple - drop a card after second round of betting (post-flop); and Watermelon - omaha hi-lo with five cards dealt, one dropped before the turn. __________________ Gone crazy, be back never.

01-16-2007, 02:58 PM	#3
SteveDallas Your Bartender Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Philly Burbs, PA Posts: 7,651	I used to play quite a lot online and reached a point where I was sort of good, at least at my chosen game (limit cash games). I then burned out on it and I no longer have the "edge" I need. I still have about $40 in an account at one of the rooms that isn't squeamish about accepting US players, and I occasionally play at the penny tables. I did win a couple hundred bucks in an informal neighborhood block party tournament. That's my only real live experience.

01-16-2007, 03:29 PM	#5
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	What did you do to get to the next level, SD? Did you approach it as a math problem, or just play until you got good, or what?

01-16-2007, 04:00 PM	#6
SteveDallas Your Bartender Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Philly Burbs, PA Posts: 7,651	One of the paradoxes of poker is that it's extremely difficult to tell if you're "good". You can make a mistake, and make a lot of money. For example, let's say you have a raise and a re-raise in front of you. Most people would say that if you're holding, say, a jack of hearts and a ten of hearts, you should fold. But if you do call, you might hit your flush or straight and win a pile of money. (The problem is you won't make a big enough pile often enough to counteract all the times you would lose.) On the other hand, you can do everything right and lose. In the same situation if you had two aces instead of J-10, most people would say you would be right to raise again or maybe go all-in if it's no-limit. You could then lose the hand. But in this case, over the long haul, your wins from making this play will more than counteract your losses, and overall you are reducing your winnings by not getting your money on the table in a situation like this. So just because you came away with more money than you started with, doesn't mean you played well. And vice versa. I basically spent a lot of time reading poker books and, more importantly, forums, where everybody would pick apart each other's play. So I didn't just play, I got feedback on my play. It's sort of like music. Lots of people dabble, but not a lot actually practice and make a systematic effort to get better.

01-16-2007, 09:50 PM	#8
SteveDallas Your Bartender Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Philly Burbs, PA Posts: 7,651	I'm not sure about triple draw low, but you can play the others online for play chips if you want practice. (It took me a long time to just be able to figure out what was going on with Omaha Hi-Lo.) UltimateBet is the only place I know of that has Pineapple, but most of the big sites have the others.

01-25-2007, 03:28 AM	#10
deadbeater Sir Post-A-Lot Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 439	Damn here where I live I can play Texas hold 'em only for play money, without playing it illegally. Have to move to another state.

01-25-2007, 04:38 PM	#11
Phil Hoodoo Guru Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 304	Championeee for 2 weeks in a row! __________________ Atheist n A person to be pitied in that he is unable to believe things for which there is no evidence, and who has thus deprived himself of a convenient means of feeling superior to others.

04-13-2007, 12:39 PM	#12
Phil Hoodoo Guru Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 304	we've started a poker blog, if anyone is interested. feel free to visit, leave comments, and visit again. :-) http://hoogster61.spaces.live.com/de...x?_c02_owner=1 __________________ Atheist n A person to be pitied in that he is unable to believe things for which there is no evidence, and who has thus deprived himself of a convenient means of feeling superior to others.

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