Too Much Information -where to start?

[cuadpi]

I don’t know exactly what I am hoping anyone can suggest (of course, if I knew what I wanted, I wouldn’t need you guys); but I basically am hoping that someone might have a list of suggested first steps, or a schedule or something that can get me started on improving my game. I have begun reading Dan Harrington’s first poker book (just today) and think a chapter a day is reasonable. There is so much information out there that I am feeling overwhelmed and not sure where to start.

For the past 3 years, I have been playing poker and; while I enjoy it quite a bit, have not been interested enough to want to read/study/practice it away from the tables. I am a mediocre (read: losing) player (down $600 over 3 years) and play micro to low level NL cash games (up to $1/2 but only rarely and usually only live), MTTs ($3-$10), and SNGs (same as MTT range). Recently, I have found myself unemployed (through no fault of my own – the company went out of business) and have gotten more into poker. I have been focusing on SNGs (mostly $5) lately and am down about $100 (10%) over the past 3 months. I like NL better than limit but don't always have the stomach for NL cash, so have turned to tournaments more and more. I have enjoyed it more than ever, though, and would like to turn my game around. I really hope someone can give me some suggestions.

Boyfriend has turned me on to PokerTracker and 2+2 and I have been trolling here for about a month or so. He also has lots of books on poker. My hope is that I can turn my game around enough in the next month without spending any money. I’m not looking for an extreme change, but just enough to become a winning player. I would like to make a little bit each week at first so that I can pay for new books or online tutor packages or whatever else I believe will improve my game.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. I have read the Hold’Em General and Gambling Beginners FAQs and they were not exactly what I was looking for. However, if there is another FAQ in another link, feel free to direct me to it.

Thanks
R-

[King Spew]

Read every link

The only other bit of advice I will give you is to play a lot of hands in position. Whenever presented with a "close decision" out of position (especially pre-flop), I recommend folding. ALWAYS.

Good luck on your journey.

[SheridanCat]

Welcome to the forums.

Reading 2+2 strategy forums for the games you're interested in is a great education. If you couple that with playing very low limits online, you'll be in good shape.

Also, take a look at the Poker Wiki here, and especially the Beginner's FAQ, which will answer a lot of questions.

I think it's important for you to pick a concentration to begin; otherwise you might find the information overload to be too much. You say you prefer NL to limit, and it sounds like you prefer tournaments to cash games. My suggestion would be to concentrate on playing NL sit-and-go tournaments because the variance will be much smaller than in mult-table tournaments.

If you want to concentrate on SNGs, read Harrington On Hold'em, vols 1 & 2. And read the One Table Tournament strategy forum here. Be sure to read the FAQ for that forum first.

Your goals seem reasonable, however you need to remember that poker is a journey. There will be setbacks, and you have to play through those.

Good luck.

[phydaux]

My advice would be to listen to SheridanCat. He's a good, winning player, great forum brother and all-a-round top feline. He helped me a lot when I first started posting here, back when I began playing seriously.

Just a note, though. He's not as handsome as he sounds.

[SheridanCat]

Busted! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[cuadpi]

Thanks, i will definitely try to concentrate on SNGs and read the suggested books.

[runout_mick]

[ QUOTE ]
Thanks, i will definitely try to concentrate on SNGs and read the suggested books.

[/ QUOTE ]

One note:

Please realize that even after you develop a SNG skillset, this won't automatically translate to ring games. When you DO decide to venture into NL ring games, start at the micros.

You'll likely develop your bankroll faster than your general NL skill by playing SNGs.

Good luck!

[Hoss1193]

You might try limit hold'em as well. Disparaged by many of our NLHE brethren, limit HE is a complex game of nuances; it is a game of who plays the marginal hands a shade better. Extremely frustrating at times, but also extremely lucrative (and relatively low-risk) for those who excel.

[cuadpi]

I just read something on another discussion, that I think might be a big part of my problem. The guy was talking about an $11 SNG and he said "Basically our opponents typically play backwards such that their range of hands with which they call a large raise > range of hands with which they raise themselves."

I think I might be doing this. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

[SheridanCat]

Can you provide a link to that discussion, cuadpi? I think I understand what that quote is getting at, but I'd like to make sure given the context.