advice for playing ssnl today?

[TheDunePariah]

I have been a long time winner at ssnl but took a pretty extended hiatus where I played only very rarely over the past year and a half (more important personal issues got in the way, boo).

Recently I have started playing again, but find myself a lot more up and down (only a little more up than down, given how many hands I've played) than I used to be. I started playing lower stakes so I can remember how to not suck, planning on moving up again when I gain my confidence back.

Anyway, I started to wonder if maybe I just have not adjusted well to the new overall style of online ssnlhe poker, which has become a lot less fishy, a lot more grindy, and a lot more aggressive since the US legislation was passed.

I guess what I'm wondering is this:
a) has anyone else experienced this type of thing in ssnl? (namely, not doing as well as they used to, in terms of say, BB/100, since online gambling was shot in the foot)

b) can I get some general tips on playing in today's ssnl poker climate? what might I need to do more of/less of to be successful today that I did not have to do a year and a half ago?

[thac]

General tips are way too vague, but yeah the games have improved. I'd just focus on posting hands you're unsure of and getting advice on specific decisions as opposed to a basic way to beat the games.

[Ajahn]

You need to get better.

[TheDunePariah]

[ QUOTE ]
You need to get better.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks. Anything on how to go about doing this except for reading, playing, posting?

[Ajahn]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
You need to get better.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks. Anything on how to go about doing this except for reading, playing, posting?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm writing an article about that while we speak.

[TheDunePariah]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm writing an article about that while we speak.


[/ QUOTE ]

Sweet, if you could send me a link through this post or pm me, that would be awesome.

[wrschultz]

At ssnl right now, you will definitely have to table select much more than you did years ago. The games are certainly tougher, and there are actually some pretty tough 200nl tables at times.

Remember that you make THE MOST money from fish, not grinding 2p2 regulars, (even if they have leaks), and attack the fish. If you're playing someone who is limp/calling a lot... raise him with any two in position and go from there. If he's calling down light, value bet thin and don't semi-bluff. If he's folding a lot of flops, just bet every flop.

Playing pots with nitty regulars can be profitable too, and they're just as easy to play against as the loose/passive. It will never be nearly as profitable as playing with fish though.

This is so simplified and poorly written, but I hope it at least gets some point accross. Understanding how to play against different types of villains is all about thinking about what hands they're playing, and understanding how they value those hands.

[TheDunePariah]

[ QUOTE ]
If he's calling down light, value bet thin and don't semi-bluff.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, here's a question that is going to make me sound like a complete moron that shouldn't be playing poker in the first place, but here it goes. Does semi-bluffing include trying to build a pot on a flop when you have a flush draw or oesd?

man I feel foolish... [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[Wolfram]

I agree with wrschultz.

The key to winning at poker is to play bad opponents (well, opponents that are worse than you). The bigger the skill difference is, the more money you make. The average skill level has risen so you need to table select better. Also, the aggression level of the games today has increased the variance imo, so you need to be able to handle swings better (i.e. tilt less).

[soon2b]

Dont just try to grind. Playing 8 tables and having no reads and looking at every hand in a vacuum will make you a marginal winner. Play less tables, focus more on every decision using the reads you have(not just PAHUD)