First post.

I started messing around playing NLHE in Iraq a few years ago, but never really picked it up until this year when I got tired of the variances in blackjack. I prefer playing NLHE tourneys or the 3/6 limit cash game at the casino. I have no chance right now beating the LLHE online the way everyone calls everything down.

I read Daniel's book recently (Hold 'Em Wisdom for All Players) and would honestly place myself in the "novice" category he describes. With that in mind, I wanted to ask if anyone (or DN himself) had any more in-depth advice building on the information he provides in chapters 6 and 10-15.

DN advises home run hitters to raise 5X BB whether first to enter or ahead of callers and be ready to move all-in whenever the stack is short. My basic question is does that then severely limit the number of starting hands only to those you are willing to move all in with preflop? In other words, only AA, KK, QQ, JJ, TT and any combination of the above suited? What I have moved into is that kind of strategy (5X BB on any of the above hands) and trying to limp in and see a flop with anything less that I might want to play - which is limited to 99-22, A-x (only down to maybe 9), K-x down to J, and maybe Q-J. Leave everything else alone unless short stacked or in the cutoff or on button and trying to steal the blinds. There it is, pretty much my entire strategy as formulated from the book. I think one of my holes is that I try to bluff too much after an dry flop from early position. For example, if I raise 5X with A-Q suited from early-middle, I get one caller and the board is 9-7-2 rainbow, I very often continue betting as if I am in late position because I am assuming the flop missed them. While this may be true, I think position is a crucial element to this strategy so I should probably just check-fold ahead of other bettors if it missed me. Are there any others?

Basically, it's see the flop, if it helped or I can continue betting and take it down, it's good. If it didn't help and I face resistance, I usually shut down. I don't plan on changing this strategy too much for a while until I get more accomplished at reading the opponent. I would appreciate anyone critiquing my strategy or offering any helpful hints. I enjoy the forum, thanks.

I realize this isn't your question, but I lol everytime I see/hear this.

You realize that you make your money from their loose calls, right?

Same applies to NLHE, and all poker.

QFT

Yeah, poker variance is so overrated.

I did not read the rest of your post.
You have a major fundamental misunderstanding and will lose over the long run without a paradigm shift.
And then you still may lose; but at last not because you think playing aweful players is -EV
Or, are you just a constant bluffer?

sure about that?

OK poker has major variances also. Got it. What is QFT. The reason the casino 3/6 is easier is because the regulars there and the cards seem to play out more according to what they should than online, for whatever reason. To be fair I have only played LL (both varieties) here and 1 other site and might have just had a bad run of river beats online, doesn't happen nearly as much at the b&m.

So assuming I now understand loose calls in any type are good, I would appreciate any responses about the general strategy.

I'm not qualified to respond having not read DN's book.

Yah i as well have not read DN's book, but when i play limit rather than NL drawing hands seem to have more value, if that makes sense. Thats why you get called down more often, its real hard to shake people in limit holdem, unless you have the absolute nuts and get in a raising war. Since I don't really know how to word it better, i'll leave it at that.

QFT is "Quoted for Truth"... I think he meant to quote my post.

Anyways, another point I'd like to touch on is that online is no different from live, in terms of odds evening out, etc. You think you see more bad beats online, simply due to the pace at which the hands play out. Ie, you see many many more hands per hour, often 2-3 times as many hands per hour, and that is just single tabling. In reality, the odds even out the way they should a lot quicker online, due to that fact. Over the long run, as in a large number of hands, (100,000?), your results should follow the odds close enough. Online, you can do 100,000 hands in a few months, depending on how many tables you play. In live play, you see 20, 25, maybe 30 hands an hour, depending on the speed of play. It takes years to get a sample size big enough to outweigh the luck factor. That's not to say that it's not beatable, but you just won't have a definitive representation of bad beats, etc in a short amount of time.

I'd also like to point out that online poker IS tougher to beat, but not because of the odds, etc, it's simply that the average online player is infinitely better than the average live, recreational player, at the B&M.

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Ok, now that we've got that out of the way, if you are going to come to the strategy section here, you need to have an open mind. You need to lose the idea that online is rigged for bad beats, etc.

And, in all honestly, what you really need to do, is understand why people do win, etc.

I'm not convinced that you know why loose calls are good. You might, but you haven't shown it with the way you have been talking here.

So, the point of all of this post, is if you'd like that help of the forum here (and we love to help, that's why we're here, afterall), is that you accept all forms of advice. If you dismiss the easy stuff, such as "why we win" theory, then someone commenting on a certain strategy probably won't help. My view is that poker isn't just a game that you can be told what to do. Ie, you can't just read a book by DN and replicate it, and turn it into huge success. It might help, but since every single situation in poker is unique, you need to understand "why" people are advocating certain strategies, plays, etc.

Also, I haven't read DN's book, so I can't answer specifically.

What exactly is the strategy proposed?

I completely understand about loose callers. You were on the money also about seeing more hands online. I'm sure my play had something to do with it also.

The strategy is instead of a standard 2.5-3x bb raise, to enter a pot with a 5x bb raise. If someone has entered before you, make it 7x. The idea is to make anyone else pay a steep price to see the flop, since we ostensibly have cards worth entering the hand at 5x bb. The idea behind that is neutralizing the better player's advantage over someone like me in making post-flop decisions. He also highly stresses novices only playing strongly from position, with high suited connectors only (no j5d for ex.) and using the all-in liberally, but again only after hitting a good flop, with great pre-flop hands, or on the button to steal the blinds. Without infringing on the copyright and telling any more, that's the general idea.

I know most of you are probably beyond this concept but it seemed to fit where I'm at. My blackjack past probably also has me looking for something of a concrete strategy that I know I'll never find in poker, so I've identified that as well.

Appreciate the comments.

What exactly was your Blackjack past? Card-counting? If that's the case then pick up SS2 and read Jennifer Harman's section on LHE. I would also pick up the Sklanskys. The transition for a BJ cardcounter from BJ to LHE is probably the easiest and most smoothest. NLHE cash/MTTs would be the hardest.

Listen your example with AQ and a dry flop bad players will call after that flop with any 2 big cards...Last night online I had AK suited raised preflop and got 1 caller he made a probe bet post flop I put him allin on a dry flop and the donkey called with kq offsuit and yelled how he never hits anything.....just try to see where you are at post flop and watch what cards ppl play and you will be fine.....they may have a middle to low pair and just cant toss it so check the turn watch them check and check the river if you dont hit and watch them check or make a small bet and call your AQ may just win there....try to stick to a strict hand requirements for now till you get a better sense of the game basically RAISE with (AA-1010,AK,AQs) call with (KQ,QJs,99-55,Axs only) but you gotta be able to fold these hands even if you hit the flop if you think you are beat Axs is only good for hitting the flush or draw and trips on your kicker the ace is no good. I hope this helps.

ezmoney, welcome to the forums.

Your first 2 posts have been very solid.

I hope ya stick around.

2nd.
There are a few newbies contributing well... Asytnik.. above as well... several others too
I've been less actively welcoming and so forth... but its great to have new blood contribute

The problem with that flop is that it looks like it missed you, too. You're in much better shape if the flop contains some paint. I'd still bet at it often when I'm heads up with the villain, but it doesn't have to be automatic.

The AQ with the garbage flop is actually a good example of why the 5BB strategy Daniel mentions in the book can be problematic. At the lower levels, opponents will call big raises with much worse cards than they should. This is great if you're building the pot with a dominant hand, or if the flop hits you hard. But it's not so good when the flop misses you because you'll have to make a much bigger continuation bet to steal the pot.

Some good pointers in there. Thanks for the responses. I read HOH the last few days and seem to have answered my own question about starting hands. There's a wonderful chapter in that book about that topic specifically. Where they deviate is DN's advice to stick to 5xBB whatever cards you enter with, vs. Harrington's advice to vary the amount of the raise, and sometimes even just call. For now I'll assume that DN's 5x rule is more appropriate for a player at my level, even with the apparent risks of proceeding after a bad flop. Other than that, DN's book is of course a lighter read that HOH but I find it complements it well. As far as the AQ ex. goes, I think my strategy is if acting first after a bad flop, proceed with a half-pot bet and cut sling load in the face of massive resistance. It'd be hard for the villain to call that bet if they didn't hit the flop or have me beat from jump.

I finished 4th or 5th (cant remember now) in last night's 500 guarantee on this site so that was fun. I don't know the caliber of competition in those tourneys ($10 buy in) but it was a 500% return on my money so it's progress for now. Thanks again.