Get Your Noob Out-SSSH edition

[Leader]

Got a question you think is too noobish to ask?

Afraid your post will get locked because it's stupid?

Think you've got a frequently asked question that isn't in the FAQ?

In the first installment of Get Your Noob Out we're inviting all of you to post your noob questions - as silly as you think they might be - in this thread.

This thread is reserved for ON TOPIC questions only. This is not "Ask Leader Anything." Attempts to troll this thread (where the mods will be politely providing answers) will be met with swift punishment.

Looking forward to it:

<font color="red">Leader</font>,<font color="green">StellarWind</font>, <font color="blue">MrWookie</font>

(thanks to Citanul, and the uNL mods for the idea)

<font color="blue">Mods will be giving answers by editing in to your posts. Other posters should not be answering questions. This is to keep the thread simple and readable. If you're really dying to answer a question, PM a mod and we'll edit it in.


MrWookie edit: I'll be popping in from time to time, but I'm going on vacation for the next week and a half or so, so I won't be around as much.</font>

[yourface]

list these in order of importance for SHLHE:

hand reading
position
value betting
implied odds
pot odds
hand protection
semibluffing
bluffing

<font color="red">Well I think these are two different lists put together. One is about the structure of the game: position, pot odds, implied odds. The rest are able how you play. Understanding the first list is far more important then the rest because they're relevant every hand. Of the rest, I'd go:
Value betting/raising
Hand Reading
Hand protection
semibluffing
bluffing

1 and 2 are pretty close though</font>

<font color="blue">I agree with Leader's list for the most part, but the relative positions of hand protection and semibluffing will vary depending on what stakes you play, where you play, and what game conditions you play under. For example, if you play HU, hand protection is essentially meaningless. All "hand protection" means when playing HU is value betting/raising and then hoping your opponent doesn't happen to have odds to draw to the number of outs he happens to have against you. On the contrary, the semibluff becomes a very powerful tool indeed when you only have to convince one person to fold. As you move towards looser, lower stakes games, and as you move to games with more players, hand protection will move towards where Leader has it on his list. In that environment, you'll be playing in larger pots, so taking some unexpected steps to deny proper odds to your opponents increases in value significantly. However, trying to get three players to fold to your turn bet when all you hold is a flush draw is usually an exercise in futility.</font>

[emKay]

What is your 3betting range in the SB vs. unknown BTN and BB? (1/2 BB structure). This might be a serious leak in my game.

<font color="red">Well, game texture is pretty important. 55+,A5s,A8o,K9s,KTo,QTs,JTs,T9s The bottom of that range is 50/50 raise/fold for the most part. I CC some too. CC'ing discussion is linked to in the sticky</font>

<font color="green"> 44+, A7/A5s, KT/K9s, QJ/QTs, JTs and I never coldcall.</font>

<font color="blue"> I've been playing around with using Stox's range lately, which is just like Leader's, except he uses 22+, and A8/A6s. Definitely check out that book if you've got more questions on blind defense. </font>

[danzasmack]

lol whoops. I thought this was like "post newbish questions and get responses". Now i get it.

obv ans. is danza for mod.

[rzk]

what are the relative advantages/disadvantages of these poker sites: stars, ub, ft, absolute, wpex?

<font color="red">I'm by no means an expert on all these sites:

Stars: Security, wide selection of games (i.e. high volume)
UB: meh games are ok
FT: same as stars but less security, datamining
ABS: Well, it's good if your a prop.
WSEX: 100% rakeback, no datamining/HUDs </font>

<font color="green"> Stars is a class act with excellent software, good service, and a very good reputation. The games can be difficult and there is no rakeback. The player reward system is stacked toward the multitabling pros and against recreational winning players.

UB's client software is quite different and some love it while others don't like it much. Reports of unethical practices and terrible service repeatedly surface and I personally don't consider them to be a fully reputable place to trust with money. Search the Zoo for details.

Word on FTP is unlimited datamining plus rakeback have made the games really bad. But they are a highly-regarded room with good software and reasonable service.

Absolute Poker uses props and anyone who plays regularly should be aware of that so they can understand the dynamics of some of the games. But I wouldn't call it a problem as most of the props aren't any better than other regular players. Last time I played there the software was OK and underrated. Just be sure you get a nice table skin as the default color scheme is vomitrocious (see Software forum).

WSEX players are worse than certain religious groups we all know. They wander the internet spamming the glory of rakefree poker. I've never played their because of their datamining policy. In my book datamining is OK and no datamining is also OK. Unfortunately they have with best intentions created a system where datamining is flatly illegal but also widespread and this even extends to collecting stats on your own hands. So I either have to cheat or accept a large disadvantage.</font>

[efficacy]

1) What is an optimal VPIP for UTG and MP?

2) What is your minimum kicker for opening with suited aces in this positions in standard games?

<font color="green"> The most important thing is not to limp first in. I play tighter than most people in these seats. UTG: 77, AT/A9s, KJ/KTs, QTs, JTs. Hijack add 66, A9, A8s, KT, K9s, QJ, T9s.

The important leaks for low-VPIP players are the button and the blinds. Most players underrate the importance of the button. It is immensely more valuable than cutoff. This may be partially due to many books that discuss "Late Position" as if the two positions were very similar. Pretty inexcusable even for a beginner book to misrepresent one of the most basic concepts of the game.

In the blinds it is important to take almost any excuse to play hands against bad players when the additional cost is one bet or less. Most "good" players with low-VPIP issues are way too tight with their blinds. You would have to search long and hard to find a truly strong player who is tight in the blinds.</font>

[zinna]

If it matter assuming either 1/3 or 2/5 blind structure. CO or button opens sb coldcalls, what of suit hands do you call with? Do you call with all suited hands?

<font color="blue">We're in the BB, right? Assuming the SB has already called, the size of the SB doesn't matter all that much, unless we assume that the SB is smart enough to play tighter in a 1/3 or 2/5 game. I've been loosening up in this spot lately, but I'm not to any two s00ted yet. I might take connectors 43s+, one gappers 64s+, two gappers 85s+, and three gappers 95s+ </font>

<font color="green">Once the SB completes it doesn't matter what his blind size was unless it matters to him. The pot size is the same regardless so the only question is what is his hand range?

I just completely reworked this part of my game after reading Stox's book. I was playing too loose with hands that didn't play well multiway.

Against a top-40% steal raise and a loose SB who has coldcalled but would have 3-bet a premium hand, I defend: 22, Q2s, J4s, 43s, 53s, 63s, T6s, A5, K8, Q9, T9, J9.

You have good relative position so if you can manage your opponents well you should be able to do even more.
</font>

[GMFlash01]

What is a prop? Are there any good books to read on short handed play?

<font color="red">A prop is someone that is paid by a site or poker room to fill seats and provide action in games that don't fill much. On the internet, props are generally paid 100%+ rackback. You can google "poker prop" for more info.

Winning in Tough Hold 'em Games: Short-Handed and High-Stakes Concepts and Theory for Limit Hold 'em</font>

[PMR]

Which stats of your opponents are most important to have displayed on the table?

I am gathering plenty of data on FTP. My table overlay shows each player's:

# of hands in my database, $ Won
VPIP, PFR, Post-flop AF avg

What am I missing? Should I be looking at any session-specific stats, in case opponents are altering their play for each table? Thanks!

<font color="green"> $ won is a useless stat. It's almost impossible to figure your own win rate, much less other people with much smaller sample sizes. Besides knowing someone wins or loses doesn't tell you how he plays.

Session-specific stats are highly affected by variance. Actual changes in a regular player's style are much less common that statistical flukes. If someone has actually changed their style you need to detect that by watching the table.</font>

[Apanage]

1. What hands do you raise from SB first in against a loose opponent that always raises if you limp?And what hands do you raise against a TAG that defends 80% against an open raise from SB?


2. Is there any way to separate the stats from true (SB against BB) blind fights from the other ones, in Poker Tracker?
Posters often analyze how different hands perform in blind fights. But IMO this is very difficult to do if we don´t separate the above stats. Defending BB against SB is a different ballgame than defending against CO.
It also seems to me that the HU stats in more details contains all hands where two players sees the flop after a open raise from CO,Button,or SB.

<font color="green"> You can set the Known Hands Filter to "Small Blind" and "Raised First In". That will allow you to see your results as SB when you raised. I can't offer any ideas for when you open-completed or when you are the BB. </font>

<font color="red">The first question is pretty hard to answer without knowing how the guys play postflop. A lot of loose guys pf still fold too much post. It also makes a big difference how much you get 3-bet. I guess in general I'd go with: PP, Ax, Kxs, K4o, Q6s, Q7o, J8s, J8o, T7s, T8o, 97s, 97o, 86s, 87o, 75s, 76o, 65s, 54s</font>