Anybody play poker?

[Baldbrewer]

Got a texas hold em night on friday and I don't want to lose too badly

anybody got any tips?

:

 

[scott78]

last poker game we had, one lad came second without playing a hand. so ensure the beer is flowing and you should do OK.

 

[Baldbrewer]

best take my 5.7% brew for the "lads" then

 

[ScottM]

I love poker nights. I'm fairly good with the old psychology so I tend to do quite well.

There aren't really any tips if you are all amatures. Don't bet big on anything under 3 of a kind, but always bet when you have a pair. At the start of the game people will be quite edgy and scared of losing their money so be sure to bully as much as you can when you get a decent hand.

We always end up blazing and one of our mates doesn't drink. I don't think he's ever walked away without winning the last game, as we're all blazing and chucking in money on 10 high lol.

 

[Baldbrewer]

Sounds about right one of our gang bought this :http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Shot-Gun-Drink-Dispenser-Beer-Gun-/180779076122for a mates birthday last weekend, the half mile walk home was about 2.5 miles by the time I stopped bouncing off SWMBO and falling into assorted hedges on the wobble home! :drink:

 

[theboytony]

Watch Rounders

 

[Djtrouble1982]

Play some online poker, fold unless its decent pair or two high cards. Don't jump in to raise if you get a decent hand, like homebrewing patience is the key haha

 

[oldbloke]

Cash or tournament?

Rule 1 (imho) - Money you don't lose is at least as important as money you win. Ie don't go chasing rainbows.

Position matters. More than you think. In early position you can't go with anything less than a premium hand. In late position you can blag a bit.

If it's a tournament, take it easy in the early stages. There's no rush. But later, you have to speed up.
Anytime you have less than 10 big blinds you're going to have to pick a spot to push all-in.
Watch the stacks of the other guys - a small stack may be taking his last shot at survival and not have much, a big stack is less likely to be playing fast and loose.

 

[narmour]

Cash or tournament?

Rule 1 (imho) - Money you don't lose is at least as important as money you win. Ie don't go chasing rainbows.

Position matters. More than you think. In early position you can't go with anything less than a premium hand. In late position you can blag a bit.

If it's a tournament, take it easy in the early stages. There's no rush. But later, you have to speed up.
Anytime you have less than 10 big blinds you're going to have to pick a spot to push all-in.
Watch the stacks of the other guys - a small stack may be taking his last shot at survival and not have much, a big stack is less likely to be playing fast and loose.

These are my top tips too. Another would be that if your friends know you're an amateur, they will match everything you bet, because they think you don't know what you're doing. Get yourself prepared, think about your betting/ bluffing strategy, and then play dumb when you get there. Make a few mistakes such as betting on a pair of 5s or similar early on so they think you don't really know what you're doing. Make out like you're bluffing when you're not. Stuff like that. You should be able to reel them in.

IMO, poker is only 20% about the cards you have in your hand, and 80% about what you want your opponents to believe you have in your hand.

 

[oldbloke]

Don't slowplay big hands (except occasionally to badfoot your opponents).
Lots of beginners lose a lot of money not betting their big hands, hoping to keep more people in the pot. Keeping more people in means there are more people to outdraw you. Even AA is only a 1in4 shot against a full table. You don't want extra opponents, especially if you let them in cheap so you have no idea at all how strong their hand might be.

 

[Crastney]

lots of advice - all good.

we nearly had an online tournament going on here a while ago, as you can see there are several people who play. trouble was getting enough people on the same site, at the same time.

play tight and aggresive, and you won't go far wrong - but there's always the chance that you'll shove with a premium hand, and get called by Muppet McFuckwit holding cheese, and he hits flop turn and river to take all your chips... and then thinks he played the hand well.

 

[Swazi]

Oooh, I love poker. It's my other hobby. What everyone else has said is about right. Pick your hands carefully and when you do play, be aggressive and make your opponents think hard about their hands. Most of all, enjoy it. :hat:

 

[Baldbrewer]

Well thank you guys, came 2nd and came home £10 up so well chuffed!
Had a few sketchy moments and was saved on an all in by believe it or not a pair of 2's with a jack kicker.

Also had a few hands I folded on that turned into flushes etc.

Only had 3 bottles of home brew so stayed fairly sober.

Thanks again :

 

[ScottM]

Job done! Well done :)

 

[oldbloke]

Also had a few hands I folded on that turned into flushes etc.

Inevitable that some correct folds would, _that_ time, have made a good hand. The thing is, the other 76.33% of the time, they don't.
(Assuming your folds were correct of course!)

I seem to be missing a game I was invited to tonight, but just too knacked after a karate grading on Thursday night and frantically sorting my kid's birthday party for today. Making a cake with a Minecraft themed icing top, against the clock, was slightly stressful! Plus I have to be up in the morning for standard karate session. And we have a bottle of champers in the fridge for our annual "still not had to take him to A&E" celebration.