**Official** Ask Isura anything about SSNL thread

[Isura]

FishSticks,

I stated in early thread why I play ssnl these days. I withdraw my winnings quite often, so I don't play the bigger games that much. I will hopefully move up for good when I have more time for poker.

[Isura]

machine,

I hate this spot. I will just evualate the board and try to figure out the likelyhood that shorty has a pair. If I think the chances are good that he doesn't, I would bet hands like AJ-AK for value and call a raise. If my hand is more marginal (no showdown value) like QJ or something, I will often take a free card and see what the turn brings.

[Isura]

slapjack,

I think the key against a preflop lag is to get lots of money in PREFLOP. A lot of players have it backwards: they loosen up and call a lot preflop with speculative hands, hoping to bust the lag. But this is playing right into his hands, because a good lag is not going to payoff without good hands, it is is hard for the non-aggressor to win the pot postflop without a good hand. I don't think that much about implied odds against a lag. My hand selection is more based on my chances of not making a mistake when I have marginally the best hand, or when I have a slightly worst hand but I can win the pot with aggression. For example, 45/25 decent lag opens in MP, you have 88 on the button. I will call sometimes, but I will also reraise the pot a good percentage of the time. If you are not willing to go to war sometimes with one of best hands in holdem, then a good lag is just going to grind away at your stack and never pay you off when you hit big.

[Isura]

craig,

I suggest you learn to play a solid TAG game before learing a lag style. When I came from SNGs, my postflop skills were woeful because there is no real postflop skill involved in these. Even a good $55 SNG player has about the same postflop skills as a nl25 2+2er. Regarding the notes, I just look for general tendencies and styles. Stuff like "can't fold pocket pairs after the flop", "chases draws with horrible odds", "always slowplays big hands" etc.

[thejerkface]

I hear alot of discussion where people say something like, "Call flop and donk bet turn," etc. But what exactly is a donk-bet?

[Isura]

clark,

Facing the minraise OOP is really tough. This is when you need to understand the opponent, your current image, and the table dynamics. In a sb vs bb battle, I would be more reluctant to fold a hand like top pair QJ. You can stop a bluff by calling and betting the turn: you know that he is not bluffing if you get raised again. Or you can calldown against aggro opponents, but do this in moderation because passive play can get you into more difficult spots.

[Isura]

gremlin,

I hope the thread grows slowly but steadily. I am tired. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Isura]

Redd,

Yes, I remember you from the old micro-limit days. Your current approach seems fine. Since you are 1-tabling NL, you'll have plenty of time to think about hands and absorb/apply the stuff you learn on these forums. Just keep lurking/asking questions, and post any confusing hands. I good way to accelerate the learning process is to have a more experienced player look over some HHs, or sweat a session.

[Isura]

jerkface,

Donk bet typically means you bet into the aggressor on the previous street. So you call the flop, and then take the lead by betting out on the turn. Another type of donk bet is to bet/call raise, and then lead the betting again on the next street (this is more common in limit holdem though).

[MilkMan]

Isura,

Great thread - really enjoying your responses. Q: when you say a certain hand has a greater "showdown value" than another, what does this term mean? I have some vague notion in my head but I'm not a big fan of vagueness of thought.