Turned Over A New Leaf

[Tb1rd]

After a million losses and what I can only describe as poor play I felt it time to change my game. After reading many threads in the forum of people complaining about bingo players and over-betting I felt it time to make a change, or more likely, I realised it was time for a change.

So I stopped playing poker for a few weeks and just thought about it instead, watched it on Tv and figured out how they make their opponents bet into them whilst they held the nuts and all other crafty money makers.

I don't know how to describe my style of play but I love it. I have completely stopped betting more than five times the big blind after reading a thread by someone who rhetorically questioned 'Why risk 500 when the blinds are only 10/20' and a brilliant question at that. If the blinds are low I'm not going to risk a third of my stack when I can raise to 100 and make a nice pot out of small blinds. Moreover if I have the nutz I'm not going to want to knock everyone off of the pot with a bet of 10x the bb am I, hell no I'm going to want to get paid with this hand.

I've also realized and started to understand just how effective the check button is, I used to be in the frame of mind of 'bet or fold' but to check brings about a whole new set of opportunities, all completely reliant on the other player.

Also another thing I've come to realize is that a bluff will get me no where if I don't time it right or make it look believable. And seeing as I can't do that very well I've all but cut bluffing out of my game, bar a few every now and then if I'm in need of the chips.

In conclusion I have found that my new style of play is extremely effective, not only do I enjoy the game more but I'm now winning more. For example I've played four games in NY times. For two I used my new style and got Gold and Silveren I tried my older strategy and got 37th and 21st.

I don't know why I've shared all this as now I'll probably have to change again because you all now know how I'm playing, but I think I could be helpful to some of the newbies of poker to see my extreme change from losing to winnig, and it is that simple.

[JTreehorn]

thanks for the post.....i think it could be very helpful to the bingo players. Glad you have found the light my friend

[cuddycat]

Ive played against you whilst youve been playing both styles Tb1rd and as an opponent this new style is definitely more effective against me.

[M_80]

I think you become a better player if you change styles. I force myself to change styles of play even within the same game. If I don't I find myself going into automatic mode, which usually means automatic losing. If you don't change styles you become predictable. St_Jimmy told me one time, quite awhile back, that he knew I was going to bet. I was so predictable that all he had to do was check into me, wait for my bet, then raise me and take my chips. Thank you St_Jimmy, because after that game my play improved significantly. If nothing else I am now unpredictable.

I seldom bluff (some might argue that point) but I do like to check raise, sometimes with cards, sometimes without. Oh, I guess that would be a bluff - LOL.

I think if you can describe your style of play it is time to make some changes.

[OP66fozzy]

Didn't you post a few weeks ago a very similar thread ? Reformed character and all that, I'll wait for the next one in a few more weeks

Just searched through your posts, couldn't find it, must have been thinking of someone else.

[roo27]

i find the hadest part of poker is not mastering a syile of play but trying to find a balence of a fuw difrent syiles and knowing when to play withch and when to change from 1 to anuther its so simple to make the mistack of last time i had a hand like this i played it this way and that worked so from now on i'll always play it like that as then you become predictable and that play will no longer work if only i could find the perfect way to play 6 9 id be a happy man lol

[stepoff]

My thing is this.. First read the hand.. If you can not do this then play on the rings.. Second.. Be wise.. If you can not do this then play the rings as well. And third... Be smart.. If you can not do this.. Find another site.. I am by all means not the smartest knor the best.. But i do know how to play the game.. Play wise,, play smart .... Play another hand..(nice post tb1rd)..

[Tb1rd]

Originally Posted by fozzy

Didn't you post a few weeks ago a very similar thread ? Reformed character and all that, I'll wait for the next one in a few more weeks

Just searched through your posts, couldn't find it, must have been thinking of someone else.

Yeah you somewhat confused me there mate

Ayway thanks for the feedback, I'll be taking everything said into concideration, but for now I like what appears to be working. I fully understand what roo says about 'this hand won when i did this so ill do it again' I'm not like that but I understand when certain situations arise different aspects that can be drew from past experience can help to concider how to play the hand, or what to do next. If that makes any sense at all lol

[hands11]

Playn poker is all good but there is alot of bingo playn going on at the monent even on the big tables

[MrRoyal]

Congratulations on your success with your new style Tb1rd. I think that having a style can help with bluffing as your bets then have meaning to them. When you are going to bluff you can think, "What would I bet if I actually held XX and then bet accordingly".

Think about all the times you may have hit top pair then put out a bet which everyone folds to. Another time when you miss you can still represent top pair with a normal bet and you may well win the pot. This allows you to bluff with lower amounts of chips which limits your risk and means you have to succeed less often to be in profit.

Too many players bluff simply by dwarfing the pot but they have to succeed many times to make up for the one time when their opponent is actually holding the nuts or close to it and makes the call.

In the first example making a half pot bet as a bluff would only need to succeed 1 time in 3 to make a profit. This can be very useful when used on a semi-bluff.

[stjimmy]

Originally Posted by M_80

I think you become a better player if you change styles. I force myself to change styles of play even within the same game. If I don't I find myself going into automatic mode, which usually means automatic losing. If you don't change styles you become predictable. St_Jimmy told me one time, quite awhile back, that he knew I was going to bet. I was so predictable that all he had to do was check into me, wait for my bet, then raise me and take my chips. Thank you St_Jimmy, because after that game my play improved significantly. If nothing else I am now unpredictable.

I seldom bluff (some might argue that point) but I do like to check raise, sometimes with cards, sometimes without. Oh, I guess that would be a bluff - LOL.

I think if you can describe your style of play it is time to make some changes.

lol m_80. i wish i`d kept my mouth shut. you are a much better/unpredictable player now...

[future2112]

Originally Posted by roo27

i find the hadest part of poker is not mastering a syile of play but trying to find a balence of a fuw difrent syiles and knowing when to play withch and when to change from 1 to anuther its so simple to make the mistack of last time i had a hand like this i played it this way and that worked so from now on i'll always play it like that as then you become predictable and that play will no longer work if only i could find the perfect way to play 6 9 id be a happy man lol

roo, your post exactly sums up the whole balance of all the millions of people that play poker.

There are so many styles of play in poker, and to choose to switch from one to another isnt necessarily the right move.

For example: Lets say you decide to play tight throught a tourny, then you get moved a to a very tight table. You stick to your style of tight playing and find that you get beat on the river when you had two pair on the flop... are you going to continue playing tight?

Now you're on a very loose table and 70% of the flops are being seen, are you going to play loose...or are you going to play tight?

Tbird, when you reach a high standard in a circle of opponenents you have here on op66, those opponenents will respect you style of play. I for one will hessitate to call your all-in even if im holding A K Cards. Admittidly if it was at a ring table or a low stake table i might call. But, conversely, if it was on a higher stake table like the mammoth in a heads-up situation i'd defo fold.

However, If i was heads-up with you on the final table holding and Ace with an Ace on the board, if you checked and you i knew you was playing tight i would most certainly either raise or go all-in on your on arse.

All i can say is establish your style of play, but at times do mix it up a bit. Dont stick to to one style!

fut.