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I was speaking to my mate Blagger the other day. He’s been on a sabbatical from poker recently, due to various reasons, one of which he described as ‘just can’t be bothered.’
I know this feeling, as that’s exactly what my thoughts have been for around the last month. Any game I’ve played this past month has been absolutely garbage, whether it’s not getting the starting hands or suck out city. But the real reason is the same as Blagger… I just can’t be bothered! I do my bit for the league though by taking part in some of the games at the weekends. That’s a commitment that I like to take care of win or lose. But apart from that I’m playing very little.
I think there comes a time when you’ve got to take a step back from the coalface (or poker table in this matter!), and assess what it is that’s making you feel this way. In my case, after a long time thinking about it all, and my wee chat with Blagger, I’ve came up with the answer. And it’s a simple thing. I’m what I call PC’d out! Basically, I’m spending far too much time in front of the computer.
I’ve played so much poker in the last year that now I need a complete rethink on the game. To me it’s the only way to get some enthusiasm back for the game. As I’m playing terrible online, I’m going to start playing more live games instead. I’ve already posted in this blog about my previous experiences at the casino, but I really need more practice in the ‘live’ arena. So, home games mixed with casino visits is going to be the order of the day.
Sometimes, just that wee change in perspective can do wonders for the mind. A certain amount of monotony creeps in when you are sitting at a computer for most of the day, almost every day. Computers are heavily involved in my job with freedom to roam the internet. So on average, I’m sitting in front of a computer for around 10 hours a day.
I know a lot of people will think this is nothing and that they are at the computer for a hell of a lot more time than me and they can cope with it fine. But, each to their own I say!
So, my plan for the next wee while is to limit myself to time on the computer. At work, I’ll have no choice but to work with them, but I can try and limit my ‘surfing’ sessions to a minimum – probably just floating around our forum.
At night though, it’s a different story.
For the next wee while I’ll be restricting myself to 2-3 league games – probably weekends and only at the sites where we really need to get good numbers playing. The rest of the time, I’m staying away from the computer, other than to check emails and update this blog to you, my wonderful readers! Apart from that I'll be trying to get as much 'live' experience as I can, even if its just against 4 or 5 others.
I’m hoping that this does the trick and I can find that enthusiasm for the computer again - and online poker - which I hope in turn will get me back on track in the online games. I’ll also be going ‘back to basics’ and going over all the basics of poker, which I wrote about a few weeks ago. In doing all these thing I hope to be back on track, being my usual mad self (especially on Fridays!) and winning again.
I’ll let you know how I fair week by week with this little experiment. It seems the best thing I can do for myself at the moment. Be sure to pop back for some more strategy and tips as well as my progress.
Most people know or have heard of poker ‘tells’. In live games (at the casino etc) it is easy to pick up on tells from a player as they are sitting in front of you. You can observe their behaviour and deduce if they are holding a monster hand or a pile of crap. Everyone has a tell, even the greatest poker pros. You just have to find out what they are!
For example…
One of the guys who I play in home games used to wear his glasses while playing. Just by watching his movements/behaviour I picked up on a very big tell that he was unaware of. If he decided to play after looking at his cards he would do one of two things. He would push his glasses up his face by the leg (of the glasses) if he had a strong hand and by the nose-bridge if he had a weak hand. I kept quiet about this for several weeks before telling him. He never wore his glasses again while playing poker! Instead he reverted to contact lenses!!!
You might ask, ‘Why the hell did you tell him?’ Well, because basically, he’s my mate and we were both trying to improve our live game. We had agreed to let each other know what ‘tells’ we were giving out. I wouldn’t tell someone I didn’t know what their tells were. I would use that information against them as often as possible.
But what about online poker? How can you get a read on a player on the virtual felt? The answer….. Many ways!
The more you play poker the more likely you are to pick up information on players. First up though, you have to try and work out playing styles - you have to have a READ on them. That is, are they loose, aggressive or passive players; tight, aggressive or passive players. Or are they calling stations (rarely raises with very good hands and will just call bets rather than make a raise).
Just remember the famous saying - 'If you can't spot the fish at the table in the first 5 minutes then YOU are that fish!'
But what about the tells you are asking? Here are a few easily recognisable tells you should be able to make very easily.
If a player folds instantly when it’s their turn to act, it will be because they have used the ‘quick action’ boxes. These quick action boxes are shown after the hands are dealt and before it’s your turn to act. They normally consist of
Fold box – this instantly folds your hand when it’s your turn. If you see someone folding instantly when it’s their turn to act, they have almost certainly been using the fold box.
Call box/check box – again if someone calls or checks instantly then they have checked one of these boxes. But beware though as there is also sometimes a 'call raise' box too. If they instantly call someone else’s raise they could be one of the calling station players and could be holding a monster.
Raise box – If they instantly raise, it normally means they are holding quite a good hand, but not necessarily a monster hand. If they were holding a monster hand they would normally not use the action boxes, but wait until their turn before making a raise.
These quick action boxes give away a lot of information. Seeing someone fold instantly, you know they have been using the action boxes. If, after 7 or 8 hands they limp into a hand or raise it, be wary of them. It’s very likely they will have a very good hand.
Other tells you can pick up are through betting patterns. Watch how people bet at your table. So many people will bet the flop and if they get a caller will then check on the turn card. This action alone will normally tell you that they have a reasonable hand – maybe even hit part of the flop, but it’s not that great that they are willing to carry on betting it. If the caller then raises the pot with a big bet they can normally take the pot down there and then.
Another betting pattern you might see is the ‘continuation bet’. This is when a player bets the least amount possible on the flop. They might be chasing a flush or a straight, so in all reality it can be seen as an information bet. If you have tight players at the table and they have hit nothing on the flop, you will normally see them fold. If you are at a table where someone is constantly making continuation bets, it is worth your while to raise them. Not just a small raise but one of at least the size of the pot. If they are chasing the straight or flush you have to make them pay to see the next card. Obviously you are not going to do this every time a continuation bet is put out there. Pick and choose you places.
But I do have to stress that you must have all the players at your table catagorised and act accordingly when these situation arise. Following the same pattern with every player at the table is in effect, YOU giving away a tell, and a good player will use it to HIS advantage.
There are so many articles on poker tells spread across the Internet that I’ve barely scratched the surface, but its somewhere to get started. If you’ve never thought about online poker tells, go and do some reading. You’ll be surprised just how much information you can pick up. The major authority on this subject is Mike Caro. He has written plenty of material on poker tells and even has an online poker university, which includes lectures and material on the subject. He mainly writes about tells in a live game but has plenty of tips for the online game too. I have to say also that this is a fantastic site for all of your poker reading from beginner strategies to the expert levels and it’s all completely free! You can check it out here.
As usual, comments and critique are welcome.
I said in the last entry I would tell you my ideal preperation before playing poker - online anyway. So here goes. It is very basic and is a bit of a no-brainer, but trust me.... very few people take ANY time to prepare for a game.
Now, I'm not talking about cheap and cheerful tournaments here. I don't really do any preparation for league games, apart from a few beers or so, but that's because I've played there long enough to know how the members play. I'm talking more about multi table tournys with between 50 and 500 people entering, with buy-ins ranging from $10 upwards. But for the novice playing lower buy-ins, it would be good to try and get into a routine, so this may help.
First off, select your game. Don't make it a last minute entry to it. Look for a game thats maybe 2 hours away from starting. Register for it early. You don't want to leave it only to realise you forgot to register once it is underway. This might sound silly, but it happens.... a lot!
Once you've selected your game, walk away from the computer. Do something relaxing. Go watch some TV, listen to some music, have a nap, read a book.... whatever you like to do to relax. Reading a poker book at this time is a good idea, as you might be able to impliment what you've read into the game you will be playing. Even crack open a beer. Just don't start guzzling them though, or your concentration will be impared when you come to play the game.
Try to remove any obstacles that could cause distractions during the game. For example, if you have kids, make sure they are not around, whether in bed or staying over at relatives. And for that matter, get rid of your spouse/partner. Slip therm £20 to go out with their mates or something. You don't want them interupting your game.
Think about the tactics you are going to use in the game, and most importantly be confident in your own ability to follow those tactics through.
Self belief is really important. Without self belief you will not win a bean. You will be the fish in a small pond of sharks - and thats even before a card is dealt.
Come game time, you should be prepared for a long haul. If you smoke, have plenty of ciggies close to you. Have a drink within easy reach of you. Have some munchies ready in case you get hungry. Basically, you don't want to leave your computer for anything other than paying the bathroom a visit.
So now you are relaxed and prepared, shuffle up and deal! Now put that strategy you were thinking about into gear and go get 'em!
Now, here is a must for the novice and the more experienced players out there. Go have a look at my mate Blaggers blog. This week he has a video to show you. In it he plays a sit and go and takes you through every step of the way of how he played the game. Now as one of his mates who plays quite regualrly against him, it gives me an insight of how he plays. Good stuff for me. But I know he is more than capable of adapting to different situations and players so he's not given away as much as he thinks.
But if you want to learn, and I do mean LEARN an effective way of beating the sit and go tournys, then this is a must watch moment. I can't stress enough how much you can learn from this. Go check it out!
I have to say, it took some balls to make the video as he knows all the league members will be looking at it, but as I said, I know him well enough as a poker player that he can adapt to almost any situation, so I don't fear for him. Enjoy!
