Won entry in to casino tourney - Need to learn hold em in a day

[numbnuts007]

i think there have been some successful push bots that just go all in with AA-TT and AK, maybe a little broader range. Something like that might be the best idea, just give her a range of hands to push with pf since she will almost certainly be out played in any hand post flop. Is the entry transferable? can she let you play in the tourney and you guys can split the winnings?

[Chunky]

Ed Miller's 7 Easy Steps:

http://www.notedpokerauthority.com/artic...play-tight.html

[hockeyav]

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Ed Miller's 7 Easy Steps:

http://www.notedpokerauthority.com/artic...play-tight.html

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Nice find there, a bit lengthy, but definitely worth the read for a beginner.

[pzhon]

If she doesn't know how to play poker, she can still have a fighting chance in a typical live tournament by playing push or fold preflop.

When stacks are deeper or she is in early position, she can push with a tight range. When stacks are shallower and she is in late position, she can push with a wider range. She doesn't have to learn anything other than to determine how many big blinds are in her stack and how to evaluate two cards according to a simple chart. She doesn't have to know the difference between a straight and a flush, or how to determine your hand at showdown, or how to size a bet. She can just say, "I'm all in," which is actually a lot of fun for many people. The hardest part is probably just learning to post the blinds, not act out of turn, and not show too many people your cards while you check them.

Here is an example of a set of ranges to use.
Tight range: Push with AK, 88+ regardless of the action in front.
Loose range, stack less than 10 times the big blind and not acting before 6 players: Push with any ace, any pair, any two cards 10 or higher.

I don't think it would take more than about an hour, and this might even have a positive return on investment in a tournament with rapidly escalating blinds, as is typical in low stakes live tournaments.

[numbnuts007]

[ QUOTE ]
If she doesn't know how to play poker, she can still have a fighting chance in a typical live tournament by playing push or fold preflop.

When stacks are deeper or she is in early position, she can push with a tight range. When stacks are shallower and she is in late position, she can push with a wider range. She doesn't have to learn anything other than to determine how many big blinds are in her stack and how to evaluate two cards according to a simple chart. She doesn't have to know the difference between a straight and a flush, or how to determine your hand at showdown, or how to size a bet. She can just say, "I'm all in," which is actually a lot of fun for many people. The hardest part is probably just learning to post the blinds, not act out of turn, and not show too many people your cards while you check them.

Here is an example of a set of ranges to use.
Tight range: Push with AK, 88+ regardless of the action in front.
Loose range, stack less than 10 times the big blind and not acting before 6 players: Push with any ace, any pair, any two cards 10 or higher.

I don't think it would take more than about an hour, and this might even have a positive return on investment in a tournament with rapidly escalating blinds, as is typical in low stakes live tournaments.

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this is the best idea, fo sho. absent actually taking the week to study and buy books, this will yield the best results.

[Jaswarbrick]

Actually, when the blinds are low and you are in early position with pocket queens, pushing is -EV as shown by Dan Harrington in volume 1. Maybe at the first blind level tell her to push with aces or kings, and when the blinds are at level 2 and above, push with the range that pzhon provided above.

She should really learn some basics about checking, betting and folding though. If she's in the big blind and needs to check without pushing preflop, she should learn when to check and bet, and when to fold, etc.

[France]

I'm kinda surprised no one is suggesting getting a computer program and actually playing the game. I was in the same situation; I was invited to a rourney before I even knew the game and I had a basic "Casino games" software pack that had Hold'em. The night before the tournament, I played for an hour or so. Poker Academy has a free demo available for download. I would recommend reading a list of the rules, and then launch the program and try it, to at least get a feel for how game play flows.

As far as strategy goes, this forum is helpful, but it would probably be extra helpful to be in a simulated game before the real thing comes around.

[pzhon]

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Actually, when the blinds are low and you are in early position with pocket queens, pushing is -EV as shown by Dan Harrington in volume 1.

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While there are some aspects of the strategy that are -EV, or else it would be how everyone should play, I don't think pushing with QQ is one of them.

First, in many live tournaments, the stacks are quite shallow even at the beginning.

Second, it's only -EV when people react correctly, folding hands like JJ and AK, which they won't.

[MikeTheGeek]

There was a short chapter in what I think was one of Sklansky's books - I read it while browsing in a bookstore (Tournament Poker for Advanced Players?? not sure) - it discussed this 'pushbot' strategy, kind of an interesting read but not sure how well it would work. I think it advocated pushing AA and KK only, otherwise check/fold... Someone who has read more than I may be able to elaborate. It was discussed in the exact same context; a working strategy for someone with zero poker experience.

[CincyLady]

One more thing to caution her, if she's played like 3 card poker (the Casino game that is), is that a straight does NOT beat a flush.

I used to see a number of women in Ladies Only events coming in, who've never played any poker but that kind, and lost it all because they thought they had the best hand with their straight, with a potential flush out there.

BTW, you didn't say, but is this a mixed event, or a ladies only tourney?