Some Studying

So my friend Chris on Cardplayer pointed me to Izmet Fekali's blog, and I must say, a lot of this stuff seems pretty interesting and is making a lot of sense.

Here's his link:

http://www.fekali.com/izmet/playing-with-the-fish/

That is basically the title page, and the articles below it have been good reads so far. Check them out.

Here's a little tidbit I liked so far:

"Hold’em is my game, sir, I do not dare giving advice on 7stud. On hold’em, I’m confident enough to offer the following to be brain munched:

When you get some experience, study Abdul’s Preflop Openers (http://www.posev.com/poker/holdem/strategy/preflop-abdul.html). This should help tremendously with your preflop game. It will make you understand the underlying mechanics of the game. Learn the preflop game well. It’s a rare occasion to call correctly preflop, it’s usually much better to raise of fold. Play tight.

Take a look at http://www.fekali.com, you’ll find more material on low limit hold’em there as days go by.

Play, play, play. When starting out, play a solid straightforward game, do not waste time with bluffs, slowplays, banks, good laydowns. Do not let them push you off your hand if you started good. Fight. Fight with raises, not calls. Learn when to run. When there’s a good (but not 100%) chance of holding the best hand, throw your chips at opponents like there’s no tomorrow. Aim for the forehead with a solid swing. Let them fear you.

Try not to call if you cannot raise. It’s OK to raise with speculative holdings, but it’s a disaster to routinely call with second best hands. You simply have to have a hand to call.

Call when drawing. Even then it pays to stick ‘em with a raise sometimes. Know your basic drawing odds down pat. What are your chances with a four flush on the flop? What are your chances of hitting your kicker? What are the chances your kicker is good? Is it smart to chase this pot with a gutshot? What are your chances of drawing dead? For thorough discussion on drawing, again see Abdul’s Theory of Sucking Out at http://www.posev.com/poker/holdem/strategy/outs-abdul.html.

It’s not an easiest read, but it surely is the most relevant advice published on the subject anywhere.

When surrounded with fish, learn to ram and jam. See http://www.fekali.com for this concept.

When raised, stop, think, reevaluate. A raise is an incoming message. What is the sender trying to communicate? Does he have something to say or has he just pressed a wrong button at the wrong time? Bets and calls are often automatic, not so with raises. When in doubt, fold. If you like winning, you’ll have to do lots of folding. Flea and live to tell.

Try to know your players. The correct poker move at any point is a function of the opponents. What are their tendencies, what are their motives, what are their habits? Who is the best player at the table? Who are the suckers? Who is having fun? Who is losing? Who is the village idiot? Who seems always to flip over a solid hand at the showdown? Who hit a gutshot-gutshot straight on the river? Who will you run from, who can you run over?

Examine your motives for playing. Some people play for money, some for fun, some for the excitement, some for the punishment. These are all valid reasons to play poker. Respect the losers, they have their own reasons for playing. They are usually getting what they need from the game. It’s OK to be a loser if that is what you need (I’m not speaking with tongue-in-cheek here, this is a fact. Self punishment is the underlying reason for most weird behavior in life). If so, be a loser in moderation.

Know yourself, play within your means, be aware of your motives. Have fun at the tables, there’s not much point in doing anything if it’s not fun, IMHO.

Build a bankroll. Treat it as a funny money. Have enough to withstand challenges of fate. Do not spend the winnings. After a while, if the game is good to you, buy yourself something out of the bankroll. A shiny gambler’s watch maybe. A little token of pride. A mark of achievement. You will feel good about yourself, that’s never a bad thing.

Think about the game. Listen to pros, listen to losers. You can learn both ways. Make your own opinions. Make your own mistakes. Re-evaluate. Post. State your opinions. Ask. Comment. Disagree.

Be comfortable at the tables at all times. If not, leave. The game of poker never breaks it just suspends for a moment. You can return whenever you are ready again. Take a fresh start. Maybe a kiss from a woman in love is all you need to come back with a vengeance. There are no blinds to worry about when away from the tables.

Be gracious at the tables. Win with flair, lose with style. Have pride, have strength. Do not steam, cuss, offend, whine, cheat, grunt or sneer. Do not masturbate. I’ve seen that too.

Be happy if you break about even after a few months. You proved yourself better than most, you have beaten the house. Not everybody can.

That’s off the top of my head. Have fun and learn. I hope you’ll be giving me advice soon."

Izmet