Strategy - There is no typical villian (+vbetting)

[fsista]

I remember when I started out playing poker, that I always wanted to know the right answer how to play a hand in a given situation. Most of the time, things worked out fine, since I'm always supposed to reraise my aces preflop, and other such basic things. From time to time though, I got into situations where people would start asking me what type of villian I was playing against.

Since I had no idea, I basicly said, "assume no reads, he's just a normal guy".

During the course of the last 3 months. I've come to realize that playing poker is not about playing cards in a given situation. It's about playing cards in different situations, accordingly to how different people will respond to your play. When I understood this, I was finally able to start making some progress. In order to maximize your profits, you cannot just back out of hard descisions and begin to play your hands in a weak way in order to stay inside your confort zone.

I hear lots of talking on these forums, advocating pot control and such by checking numerous turns or even rivers. I believe these concepts are getting out of hand. If I have tptk and my 50/10/1 opponent checked to me twice, I'm not going to put the guy on a set and hence I'm not going to act like a weak tight loser by checking on the turn (I don't care if it's a scary turn). People have to stop thinking that their marginal hands should win marginal pots, because in some cases they are supposed to win huge ones.

That's all, I'm going to sleep now.

[Stealthy]

A lot of the pot control issues are driven by situations where you could get raised by an aggressive player when you are ahead but your hand cannot stand a raise, then often checking the flop and/or turn is correct.

Other times you might check the flop/turn cause you know you are way ahead but villain likely has a very mediocre hand that will not call a turn bet but once checked may bluff or call a value river bet.

Nobody and I mean NOBODY is ever suggesting that you cannot bet all 3 streets against a predictable calling station as you describe.

In almost every session I will at some point value bet 2nd or even 3rd pair on the river into the right villain.

[fsista]

People don't have the balls to cr you with a draw after calling the flop. Do you seriously believe aggressive people chose to wait for the turn to play agressively?

[Stealthy]

[ QUOTE ]
People don't have the balls to cr you with a draw after calling the flop.

[/ QUOTE ]

I do, and you will see it a lot in more aggressive games as you move up.

[fsista]

I'm beating the higher games you are talking about, don't want to get into numbers.

[Stealthy]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm beating the higher games you are talking about, don't want to get into numbers.


[/ QUOTE ]

Hey don't throw your toys out of the pram. You asked why players sometimes check instead of betting and I answered as best I could. That is what we do on here. I had no idea what stakes you played and only stated things as I saw them.

[fsista]

I just became a bit annoyed since I thouht you were trying to teach me some kind of lesson. I believe checking is the most overused button there is in this game. If I could take it away, I bet it would make me a better player (not winning more, but I'd become MUCH better).