I hate Full Tilt

[Ghoulies]

I find it hard to believe that it's anything but random, tbh

Of course it is. Every argument I've heard for how online poker is rigged has made no sense and has had no solid evidence to back it up.

I'll admit that I used to call it rigged after getting hit by a bad beat, but the more hands you play the more you realise that it's just variance.

 

[HevyDevy]

People tend to conveniently forget the many times that they have sucked out on others. Just a few weeks ago I sucked out massively at a crucial stage of a tournament.

I flopped a set of 8s, the money went in and my opponent turned over a set of 9s. The river was an 8.

That said, my computer almost went through the window yesterday thanks to a hand that propably cost me a few grand deep in a tourney. UTG raises, I call with 9-9, flop comes 7-8-5. He checks, I bet, he calls. Turn 3. We both check. River 6. So the board reads 3-5-6-7-8 and I have 9s and of course we get into a raising war - he turns over 9-10.

Looking back over the hand there were a few spots where I could have done things better but how could I possibly put an UTG raiser on 9-10!!!!

But as Ghoulies says, these things happen.

 

[Everlovin' Antichrist]

Seriously, I rarely suck out and I rarely put all my chips in whilst behind. Only when seriously low stacked or seriously big stacked (which is rare in itself).

If I cash, 99% of the time it's because my hands held up, not because I sucked out. If I go out early it's always with the best hand, always.

I play a pretty low percentage of hands though and that's probably why I don't suck out very often.

 

[Everlovin' Antichrist]

Pretty much the same on stars though, not quite as often but just as bad. I just lost a hand with JJ v 8/3 (he hit 2 pair) against the table chip leader of course...

And to make it even sicker, this dopey f**k was 2/9 (7 paid) with 5 times what 8th had, and didn't cash...

 

[Everlovin' Antichrist]

I guess where I play, micros, it looks worse because of the quality of the players.

With the JJ v 8/3, he raised on the button, I re-raised all-in from the BB and he called. A better player may have raised on the button but would have folded to the all-in re-raise. I knew he'd call though, he was a very loose player.

Gus Hansen has a lot to answer for.

 

[watatank]

In SnG/MTT, particularly at micro levels all you can do is play solid poker, take advantage of other player's mistakes and get your money in with the best of it. You should be a long term winner if you do that. Also don't play to make the cash, play to win even if it means risking your stack earlier...I'd rather risk the bubble and put myself in a position to win it than try to grind my way into the money only to get bubbled anyway

 

[Everlovin' Antichrist]

I do that and it's working, my bankroll is up to $80 from zip at Stars so I can't really complain. In the long run, I'm well ahead.

I sacrifice big finishes for plenty of cashes.

 

[HevyDevy]

Good work mate. Your primary concern at the moment is building your bankroll so whatever works for you in doing that is fine for now.

Once you get it up a bit higher it might be worth looking to go deeper and taking some calculated risks (If I had followed my own advice today I would have been looking at very nice cash).

:lol:

But seriously that's great stuff to start from zero and get to $80. Poker is a process anyway and you are always learning.

Can I recommend Daniel Negreaunu's Power Hold'Em Strategy as a great book for tournament players of your style that don't play wild? It explains the theory of small ball poker which is the same style I like to employ. Rather than throwing a heap of chips in all the time, the goal is to chip away and build your stack slowly. If you do it right you never have all of your chips in the middle unless you have the nuts (or pre-flop with Aces or Kings).

It took my tournament game to the next level.

 

[watatank]

I do that and it's working, my bankroll is up to $80 from zip at Stars so I can't really complain. In the long run, I'm well ahead.

I sacrifice big finishes for plenty of cashes.

That's awesome work...just keep doing what you're doing but aiming higher is something to think about too.

 

[watatank]

Of course it is. Every argument I've heard for how online poker is rigged has made no sense and has had no solid evidence to back it up.

I'll admit that I used to call it rigged after getting hit by a bad beat, but the more hands you play the more you realise that it's just variance.

Yeah...a lot of people think that if they get a bad beat but they need to realise that even if their QQ gets called by 5/7 or something they are still going to lose 18% of the time...all you can do is get your chips in while you are ahead

 

[Tigers_are_Pro]

Good stuff EA.
I managed to build 2 dollars into 36 but then just downswung back to earth. Started with a AA defeat to J3 in the $3 ko tourney.

Was near the bubble, was in the money for certain and some guy tries to steal the blinds.
Needless to say he flops a couple of 3s.

 

[Everlovin' Antichrist]

Yeah Hevy, that's the book I'll be buying. I've read a fair bit on the net, mainly Ferguson's stuff on building a bankroll (discipline is the key)but I reckon Daniel's the go to go further.

I've decided that once I get to $100 I'll open up a bit but till then I'll stick to the 10 centers and 25 centers.

The good part is that I play a hell of a lot of poker for no outlay at stars.

 

[Everlovin' Antichrist]

Good stuff EA.
I managed to build 2 dollars into 36 but then just downswung back to earth. Started with a AA defeat to J3 in the $3 ko tourney.

Was near the bubble, was in the money for certain and some guy tries to steal the blinds.
Needless to say he flops a couple of 3s.

Full tilt?

I've found it much more to my liking at Stars with a small bankroll, 360 man 10 cent sngs, 45 and 90 man 25 cent sng's, not much outlay and if you play tight aggressive you cash plenty. I'm running at 20% in the 360s and near 30% in the others.

 

[Tigers_are_Pro]

Yeah, Always.

 

[watatank]

Whoa is that all you play? That's impressive working up from that...at $80 or so you have the bankroll to try some $1 tournaments (up to 45 players on Stars) if you're feeling confident enough and then there is the occasional $2.20 90 man SnG which is probably worth your while. While they as bad a spewy fest as those $0.25 tournament it's very beatable, the quality doesn't go up much.

 

[Tigers_are_Pro]

I wish I had money.

Sigh... I would deposit but cbfed.

I still freeroll it all the way though.

 

[Tommy Smith]

I dont know how some of you guys do that - build up the bank roll with the tiny SnGs. Credit to ya; i don't have that patience.

My method has always been to put $20 in and on the back of a 4 or 5 match Heads-Ups winning streak that can turn into $200.

Of course it can also go badly quite quick, but the key is to play a few $5 matches before you reach $40 odd dollars, then go for the 4 player $20 HU. If you fail build up again with the smaller HU. But on a good day you can turn $20 into $200-$400 nicely.

But the key is definately discipline. Especially when the bank roll builds up or it can go wrong very quickly...

 

[Everlovin' Antichrist]

Whoa is that all you play? That's impressive working up from that...at $80 or so you have the bankroll to try some $1 tournaments (up to 45 players on Stars) if you're feeling confident enough and then there is the occasional $2.20 90 man SnG which is probably worth your while. While they as bad a spewy fest as those $0.25 tournament it's very beatable, the quality doesn't go up much.

The tourneys are on at terrible times, mainly during the day. I play the 50 and 25 centers on the weekends occasionally. (cashed 7 of 8 in the 50 for a while there).

When I get to 100 I'll move up to the better sngs.

Gotta stick to the plan. lol

 

[Everlovin' Antichrist]

Tommy, I do it because I get to play a sh*tload of poker for not much outlay. The missus plays too and it stops her wanting to play the pokies. lol

 

[Tigers_are_Pro]

Poker > Pokies.

It's worth it.