Texas hold em - I always lose!!!

1dgbass · #1 12-08-2010, 08:50 PM

Anyone here play hold'em? I don't understand, but I always lose. Any one have any advice? I know, don't play. Anything else? I like to play and it's a good way to hang with friends. Should i get new friends? We usually play 10 dollar games with 2 rebuys. I never rebuy. 10 dollars is alot for a college student. I hate it! What if we play 2-3 games a night? That's 30 dollars lost!! I gotta win.

Douglas.

Sonic_Death · #2 12-08-2010, 08:57 PM

It's just about developing your own style really. I played a lot back in college and got pretty good for a while (though that's always relative to the people you play against).

As I said, figure out what kind of game you want play, learn to develop your skill/judgment, go with your instincts, and watch other people intently (...and have fun, of course!).

Everyone plays differently and varies their style depending on the situation.. after a while you pick up on when you should try to push people out, play aggressively or conservatively, etc..

Then there's always the basics of what hands to go with and what not to typically, what's best and what to look for. It's hard for me to offer specific advice since poker can be very circumstantial, but talking in generalities... I would typically play most hands with a face card.. I'd generally consider playing a hand with anything suited also.

Then again, I've occasionally been beaten by people who barely even knew how to play the game. Dumb luck definitely exists. Don't over think it.

dangnewt · #3 12-08-2010, 09:05 PM

I hear you, my Dad fronted me and my son at a small tournament (25-30 people) at his social club. I was the second person eliminated - even my son lasted longer. My Dad won. I was pretty embarassed at my showing.

There are plenty of strategy books out there to help. My mistake was that I was willing to play too many marginal hands and sticking with them too long. When you are just starting out Tight is Right.

I bought a poker computer game and after a few hours with it, I think I could see some improvement. I'm not going to win any money, I just want to hang longer and not embarass myself.

SoonerMatt · #4 12-08-2010, 09:26 PM

Should've upped your luck SPECIAL, sonny

A lot of my friends play Hold 'em and a few of them were dealers at some of the casinos in and around Norman. The best tips they give are to learn when and how to bluff, know when to keep going and when to fold, and to get a lot of practice from playing the online free-to-play games.

Number27 · #5 12-08-2010, 09:48 PM

Watch poker on the TV. Those guys are professionals and the announcers generally do a pretty good job of explaining the reasoning behind what the players are doing and it gives you a great insight. Like black jack there is a kind of general strategy to Hold'em (involving card odds, pot odds, when to fold, when to raise, and yes when it's best to bluff), and after watching the pros do it for a while you should be able to get a grip on it.

Don't forget that no matter what some people will say there is always a large element of luck in every hand and that even the most well versed/experienced player can get beat by some lucky noob who doesn't even know that 3 pairs isn't an actual hand. So yea, don't get discouraged.

Also, $10 buy in isn't bad, and even if you lose it all so long as you had fun it was worth it. I think the key in a friendly game is playing with people who can have fun and don't try and take it too too serious. I think about it this way: $10 is like the price of a movie ticket, and waay less than a bunch of drinks at a bar, so if all i spent is a tenner to amuse myself for 3-4 hours during a night then that is money well spent (and of course even better if you win

)

68Goldfish · #6 12-08-2010, 10:33 PM

I allways play tight/aggressive. Only come in with good cards (big pairs or high face cards) or good drawing cards (suited connectors) and if you hit on the flop step on the gas to chase off anybody looking for a card. Then when you win turn over you cards for a while, show what kind of cards you play. Then you develop that reputation, that you only play good cards. Then it makes it easier to bluff when you feel the time is right. Of course there's a million differant ways to play. It's a great time, a great way to hang out with friends.

Waterpilot · #7 12-09-2010, 12:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Number27

Watch poker on the TV.

Be careful with that... Hands shown on TV tend to be more exciting, and unusual. They come after hours of sitting together and underling strategies happening. Or they are massive coolers...

Be patient. Use position to your advantage. Watch player tendencies (not tells) and see how they play different hands... It's seems like a simple game but it's more complicated then some think...

Downunderwonder · #8 12-09-2010, 01:48 AM

Most of the poker I have played is online. I'm up 110 bucks in a year and a half so I kind of know what I'm doing. Better than the average bass player anyway.

Face to face you need a read on your fellow players and you need to keep your own behaviours in check and consistent hand to hand. If you go all quiet or start yapping every time you have a hand the good players will notice and fold to you before you get anything out of them.

How you play depends a lot on how your game is structured with the blinds. "Ring" game where the blinds are static or knockout tourney where they go up every 15 mins? Big stacks or short stacked from start?

Face card and rag is never usually a starting hand though. I wouldn't even call that from small blind without a mess of callers and a passive player on BB. So many situations.....In a tourney ace rag could be allin half the times you get it. Or not, depending on situation.

I've won a few free pub tourneys calling pairs and raising QQ KK AA or AK. The rest is down to reading and playing your odds of making a winning hand. Bluffing other poor players is generally going to result in you getting called more often than they will pay you so it loses money. Only semi bluff if you really think they are holding less of a hand than you.

Losing consistently means you are probably what I call a CS no I. Don't be a calling station. Get lots of chips in when you think you have the best hand and the other guy is going for a flush or straight draw. If you just call him you're paying off his draw. If you bet your set you make him overbet to see cards. The times he misses his draw when he calls too much is good percentage to you.

Play the free online poker for awhile until you can rack up free chips at will. Then put ten bucks in a real money site and play 25c tourneys until you can win those. At that stage you should be able to take on your fellow sharks and hold your own somewhat.

baalroo · #9 12-09-2010, 03:42 AM

The best basic advice for amateur poker is to do your best to estimate the math of every situation, and treat each round of betting as a chance to reassess your hand's strength vs. your opponents. If you're not figuring out the basic estimated odds at a given time (for example, an open ended straight after the flop leaves you with about a 15% chance of getting the card you need to complete your hand... see I'm sure that's not exact, but it's close enough to get a decent idea of how to bet when you've got an open ended straight and nothing else out of the ordinary is happening) then you're really just yanking the arm on a slot machine when you play. IMO, to ever be decent at poker you need to be thinking about how many cards will improve your hand at a given time(and how likely it is that someone has a better hand than you).

The next step beyond that is understanding that the average player doesn't go beyond (or often even reach) that first step. With that knowledge you can begin devising ways to bet that will take advantage of other players assumptions.

The last step is recognizing the guys who skip the first step and go straight to the second one (the fast and loose, no guts no glory guys), for those guys just sit back, do the math, and play accordingly... basically, just bet in line with the odds and let them do themselves in.

The specifics beyond that aren't really that important, if you're halfway intelligent and follow those guidelines, you will do well above average at friday night poker games.

Number27 · #10 12-09-2010, 04:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Waterpilot

Be careful with that... Hands shown on TV tend to be more exciting, and unusual. They come after hours of sitting together and underling strategies happening. Or they are massive coolers...

Be patient. Use position to your advantage. Watch player tendencies (not tells) and see how they play different hands... It's seems like a simple game but it's more complicated then some think...

Yes, good point. The players on TV are far more patient than they appear as like Waterpilot said hundreds of hands are usually cut down to the 20 or 30 that are shown in an hour long program. Still i think TV is a quick and easy way to learn the basic stratagem.

Jim Campbell · #11 12-09-2010, 05:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1dgbass

Anyone here play hold'em? I don't understand, but I always lose. Any one have any advice? I know, don't play. Anything else? I like to play and it's a good way to hang with friends. Should i get new friends? We usually play 10 dollar games with 2 rebuys. I never rebuy. 10 dollars is alot for a college student. I hate it! What if we play 2-3 games a night? That's 30 dollars lost!! I gotta win.

Douglas.

learn the game.....the guys who win are students of the game....it's a lot of work and if you don't have the desire to jump in both feet,play only with money you are willing to lose.....personally i find poker a poor way to socialize as there seems to always be people there for un social reasons....

onlyoneZ · #12 12-12-2010, 07:55 PM

First a little background. I have played poker, not just hold 'em, for 6 years. I have won 500+ person tournaments live and 3000+ people ones online. I played in the Main Event at the 2006 World Series of Poker after winning a 350 person live satellite tournament. I taught myself how to play through several methods form the ground up. I went from not knowing anything to playing with the best in just a few years. However, even with the amount of time I have put in, there is more that I don't know than what I do know.

As far as winning poker games, there is no real quick answer here. Poker is a lifetime of learning. Since it sounds like you are just starting to play poker, I would suggest staying away from the bluffing and other advanced techniques such as "trying to read people." These are techniques that can only be successfully used with experience.

The basic idea is to play good cars and get maximum value out of your good hands. Also to minimize what you loose on your bad hands. The great thing about Hold 'Em is that you get to pick which hands you play. Poker comes down to small edges and by maximizing those in your favor, you can win. And by win, I mean in the long term. Dumb luck can and will crush your best hands, however, if you stay focused, you will be ahead in the long run.

Depending on how much you want to put into it, I might suggest a few books if you are inclined to do a little book learning on the game. The so-called bible for many years has been "Super System" by Doyle Brunson. There is an updated version called "Super System II." Either of these will give you basic strategy on how to play Hold 'Em. If you want to dig deeper after reading one of those books, I suggest "Harrington on Hold 'Em Vol. 1 and 2." by Dan Harrington.

You also need to put in the time playing hands. I would suggest one of the free online poker sites. Just be mindful that you can encounter some crazy play in these free games that you may not see in a home game or at a casino. You can watch the poker shows on TV, but keep in mind that these are usually the top playeers in the world and most have been playing for decades. The plays that they make are very advanced and the reasons behind them may not be readily apparent due to things such as editing. So take it with a grain of salt.

Hopefully my advice helps you on your path to a game that will give you a lifetime of enjoyment.

jonathan_matos5 · #13 12-12-2010, 08:07 PM

"i always lose!!!"

want to come over for a poker game?

sloasdaylight · #14 12-12-2010, 10:19 PM

I play a fair bit of poker, enough most weeks to actually legitimately supplement my income, and this is what's worked for me so far:

BE PATIENT! Don't worry about folding a 2-7 off suit that winds up being a full house on the river, it's statistically a poor hand, so don't play it. Stick to the high probability hands, suited connectors, face cards, etc, and don't be afraid to fold if you don't have anything.

Downunderwonder · #15 12-13-2010, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sloasdaylight

I play a fair bit of poker, enough most weeks to actually legitimately supplement my income, and this is what's worked for me so far:

BE PATIENT! Don't worry about folding a 2-7 off suit that winds up being a full house on the river, it's statistically a poor hand, so don't play it. Stick to the high probability hands, suited connectors, face cards, etc, and don't be afraid to fold if you don't have anything.

You worried your poker playing mates will suss your strategies??

**Staccato** · #16 12-13-2010, 10:24 AM

If you're talking casino action, don't blame poker losses on the house. It's not a house game, the casino's that have poker, keep it around due to the demand, not because of their income from the game.

Refine your skills, don't telegraph anything in the cards, and hope for a good hand...

sloasdaylight · #17 12-13-2010, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Downunderwonder

You worried your poker playing mates will suss your strategies??

No not really. At the time I wrote that I was on my way back to sober from schnonkered, so it's purposely vague. I'm not a great communicator, but the biggest thing that's worked for me has been to be patient and just practice.