Noob - 1st hand post - pocked 8's

[Dr. Matt]

Reread SSHE... it's directly applicable to 0.05/0.10 level. I personally find it hard to take that level seriously... but if you're losing money at that level then you are doing something waaay waaay wrong. That's not a downswing... that's just pure wrong play.

[Flexusmark]

I have not stopped reading that book. I should have mentioned that my play is improving. Most of my losses were during the first 2k hands. I have modified my play since then with better results. I do plan on staying at this level for now.

[kickingit]

I would have folded on the flop or turn, i dont think you played it bad but it was a small pot to be chasing in.

[fretelöo]

[ QUOTE ]
Thanks for the replies. I see all of your points and I do agree with the flop fold.

Some of the comments directly relate to playing .05-.10.
Am I wasting my time at this level? My initial deposit was $68 which is now in the $52 level. I now my game needs allot of work so my plan is to stay at .05-.10 until I at least break even back to my starting level before moving up.
I have no problem increasing my BR to $150 to play .25-.50 but this my seam pointless if I am just going to lose more.

I assume that SSHE should apply to all lower limits.

Any advice on this would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[/ QUOTE ]

You're not wasting your time. One CAN beat this level. Very easily so. You should be at least 200BB in the green before moving up, and moving up means 10/20c. There another 200BB at least. Generally recommended roll for .25/.50: $200.

[martybonus]

i'd have folded on the flop. you've got just BARELY better than bottom pair. in a 5-handed pot, someone prolly has that A. Q9 or K9 is another frequently limped hand.

the turn doesn't change anything. now you have a GS to a non-nuts straight. if the T you need calls, somebody with KQ has you drawing dead. no way you're raising with 88 here.

Even with implied odds, this isn't a call on the turn. if you catch your near-miracle T, you still don't have the nuts.

my two cents: fold flop, fold turn, as played, the river fold is a no-brainer.

[nichtsnutz]

Flexus: Stay at 5c/10c until you have made some money, played tens of thousands of hands and basically feel that all your opponents are complete retards.

SSHE applies to the very lowest limits online. It was written for live play where opponents at $2/$4 are beyond atrocious. Use and memorize the book. As you go through limits you will notice yourself how some things just don't apply any more.

[nichtsnutz]

[ QUOTE ]
the turn doesn't change anything. now you have a GS to a non-nuts straight. if the T you need calls, somebody with KQ has you drawing dead. no way you're raising with 88 here.

[/ QUOTE ]

He isn't "drawing dead" against KQ, he's beating KQ right now. "Drawing dead" means being behind and not able to draw out.

Not trying to be an ass :-)

[Zeldark]

SSHE is still invaluable. The ideas from the General Gambling Concepts alone revolutionized how I saw poker when I first got it. The in depth description of the strengths, weaknesses and general properties of the PF categories/hands is still accurate, even though the appropriate situation to play certain hands comes up less often than they used to online. How to read the flop and analyze the strength of your hand. Pot odds. The book is still a must.

And then of course the tactics will still apply to the casinos well, so I don't think there's much information in that book you won't some day use. Friends that come to me interested in getting into poker, this is the first book I direct them towards.

[martybonus]

er, yeah, well spotted nichtz. meant just to say that his GS isn't worth banking on because if he DOES his his miracle T on the river, he's beat by KQ. hehehe, no such thing as 'drawing dead' when there are no cards to come! [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

as for SSHE, it is a very good book. the PF sections are especailly useful because they are more than just a hand chart. they help when you're reading to take the training wheels off.

as a bit of advice, play in tempo. Playing in tempo is a HUGE leak plugger. in fact, if you do the hand quizzes at the end of SSHE and just try to stay in tempo, you get the correct answer in many of the trickier-seeming problems.

basically, just focus on
1) playing the strength of your cards.
2) not slowplaying anything
3) determining if your villains are passive and if they are VERY passive, then be very suspicious if they raise or 3bet. You should have notes on every player by the end of the session.
4) folding marginal hands on the flop unless you have an OESD or FD - don't bank on your backdoor draws or GS's.
5) betting for value
6) don't bluff.

[DavidC]

It's pretty safe to get rid of your hand on the flop.

Grab a piece of software called pokerstove, and monte carlo your hand vs a bunch of random hands. It's not that great.

When you consider that they'll have significantly better than random hands, it's horrid.