Re: LIVE 1/2 WORKSHOP
1) Making -EV plays to create an image is beyond useless. It's -EV.
2) Some players will fold to c-bets, some won't. Make sure you know who's who. C-betting multiway is not great no matter where you're playing. Bet your good hands and your strong draws.
3) Your opponents aren't all as bad as they play. What I mean is that most of your opponents will play terrible, but if they were to really try to play their best, they wouldn't be terrible. Many of them would still be pretty bad, but if they're playing to have fun, let them have fun. To this end:
4) Always say nice hand. And mean it. The more contempt, arrogance, whatever you have towards your opponents the less they'll want to pay you off.
5) Be friendly. Talk to your neighbors. People play live poker because they enjoy human companionship and comraderie. It doesn't matter that you're there to take their money. If you do it with a smile, they'll keep giving it to you. Don't sit around with your ipod and sunglasses on all the time. If you get bored and everyone at your table's a schmuck, whatever. But make an effort.
6) Always lead your sets. Overpairs/TPGK will raise you and you will stack them. That's 1/2. In fact, I believe you could play only pocket pairs and beat 1/2 for $15/hr+ unless it's a weak/tight game, in which case you should be able to run over it anyway.
7) Watch the other players. Most people have the same tells, but their range based on a tell may vary. For instance, I almost always know when someone sitting next to me holds a big pair. Occassionally it turns out to be just AK, but that's because this player thinks AK is the nuts. Watch every player. Learn. Improve. Profit.
8) Watch yourself. You have tells. Everyone has tells. Just notice the little things you do when you have a big hand. Maybe you pull your cards in a little closer. Maybe you stop playing with your chips. Maybe you start playing with your chips. Whatever you notice, you can use that either by not doing it anymore, or doing it while you are bluffing.
9) Have a tell. When you've got all your chips in and you want to get called, just do something fishy. Move your eyes this way or that way, fiddle with your cards a little. And then stop. People are curious. They want to know why you did whatever you did. They can only find out by calling. They also like calling. They can only win the pot by calling. People like winning pots.
Again, there is absolutely no reason to make -EV plays to create some kind of false image in the hopes of getting paid off later. First of all, the turn over in a 1/2 NL game at a casino is too fast for you to be able to maximize any advantage you might gain from a particular image. Second, many (not all) of your opponents are not paying attention to such things. Of those that notice, few of them will even make any adjustments. They'll say, "Is that the first hand you've played in three hours? Okay, I'll call with my 74 suited. After all, it is my favorite hand. And it's SOOOTED!" If you push your strong draws and sometimes something like AK before the flop, many of your opponents won't understand why you did it. There are enough +EV spots to mix up your play that -EV plays should not even enter your imagination.
I meant to post something last night, but then I decided to watch the Bourne Identity again before I go see the Bourne Ultimatum, so I kinda fell asleep before writing anything. Sorry.
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