Liverpool FC Forum

[bigmick]

I've been playing poker now for about three years or so. I'm talking no limit hold'em of course. This is where (for those who don't know) you pay an entry fee and get a stack of chips. You then play with those chips and you can bet as much as you have. If you get knocked out, your gone and it's last man standing.

It started off like most people from watching it on the telly, and then a game in the Pub after we'd kicked everyone out, and then online and then to organised Live poker.

I've always been a bit of a punter, and particularly now I live over here and the horses are simply unbettable on (it's all tote and they usually have chariots) I've probably got more into it. I play on the Betfair mostly, for small stakes. Usually sit and go's, for people who don't play this is where you play against either 5 other people or 8 other people, it's just like a one table mini tournament. I also started playing in a Live tornament in Christchurch once a week around Novemeber last year. Been going Ok too.

Anyway I really like it. there's so much to it when you get into it, so many little nuances. I thought I'd start a thread on it, and anybody who likes a game can swap ideas on here.



I'll kick it off by referring to Jon's comment on another thread that he likes the pocket Jacks. I don't as I'm never sure how to proceed with them. If somebody really gets into it pre flop I never really feel that confident about proceeding. Nine times out of ten only a Jack will improve you enough to win against a big pair, and hands such as AQ and AK have a habit of hitting against the J's. I generally play "super turbo" tournaments as you have to be very aggressive what with the blinds going up quickly. That's because my Live tournament is the same and it's good practice. Under those circumstances, I'd push in a big pre-flop raise with the J's, and be prepared to go all in if pushed. I wouldn't do so though with masses of confidence.

On this thread, it'd be good if people didn't try and dazzle everyone with technicalities and slang. Hopefully people who haven't previously played poker could find the thread interesting, and if any of the stuff I've posted is gobbledygook to people, I'd be happy to go into it if anyones interested.

[112-1077774096]

gambling is illegal here mick, however a trip to the border at cambodia finds a few casino's in between the two passport controls. i went a couple of weeks back to poipet for the night, if you change 15000 baht into chips you get a free room, the chips are marked as promotion so you cant cash them in, you need to play them and the winning chips are normal chips.

anyway poker is not my game, i hit the craps and the pontoon and have a few goes on the roulette. i really must learn to play poker

[SupitsJonF]

I like to play certain hands slow, others fast.  With JJ (6th best hand in the game) I feel like I can keep it slow pre-flop.  I usually have a decent amount of chips, and if I'm in a position where I can play in my comfort zone I wont raise pre-flop.  All about slowly waiting, staying in and raising with small bets, until your opponent gets cocky enough to put a big raise and you double it.  Once hes pot devoted after the river (final card) you can take what you please.  Unless he just kicked your as.s, which sucks.  Taking stats though helps me with my decision making 

I find poker more fun then dice games and Black jack, luck plays a great deal but you also have a big say in what you win.

[Bam]

Great game.

[ConnO'var]

I suck at it..... can't keep a poker face.
The suspense kills me and I chicken out.

I like a bit of excitement when i punt..... as long as I can scream and shout and act undignified, I'm happy... so cr@p's more my game.

[laza]

The game sucks, the over rotation of cards through my hand just makes for non winning combination

Give me cribbage anytime, two in the box and slamming the peg in the hole

[Emerald Red]

Love it. Been playing it for roughly 7 years now, before it became really fashionable. No limit TH is preferable, but Omaha is interesting also and a bit more complex. Stud is also interesting, and I play it sometimes also. It can get a bit mental with the amount of crazy hands that can be dealt in that game, though bad beats are a little easier to take, whereas in Hold'em, I often feel like cracking someone for calling over the odds and hitting a one outer on a Turn bet.

BTW, internet poker sites are fixed. I've seen too many crazy situations and beats on there, more so than playing a live game. People suck out far too often on them when odds should dictate otherwise. Sit'n'go's of course. Cash games are a different matter.

[fivecups]

I love poker - introduced to it just over a year ago, mainly playing in home games with a few mates. I was in America in the summer and had a few days in Vegas. I played in a multi-table tournie at the MGM and miraculously cashed. After that I played a bit on Pokerstars, low buy-in sit-n-go's but even in them the standard was high - after a couple of months I was down 11% and I haven't played online for money since.

Great game though although I think it would be extremely hard to make real money out of it. E.R. was talking about games being fixed. I don't know how widespread it it but I know UltimateBet were exposed at one stage.

I don't think poker rooms are legal in Northern Ireland - can you believe that?

Lastly - is that right that JJ is the sixth best poker hand. I would have thought it was only beat by QQ, KK or AA?

[Dundalk]

Just started playing recently and at the moment just playing TH but really enjoy it

[bigmick]

Don't know about the JJ ranking. It can be surprising as when you go down the ladder of pocket pairs you get into territory where you can hit straights in each diirection. I don't necessarily think the interent is fixed, although I do agree with Emerald that sometimes you get some ridiculous beats that you never seem to see Live. I've been beaten many times full house to full house, and I've seen quads over quads which I've never seen live.

I'm off tonight to my weekly live tourney, normally about 40 people with about 12 rebuys. I won it two weeks ago and was fourth last week so have been going alright. I was joint chip leader last week and called an all in from the other fella to put me out. I've mulled over it all week, and I'm kind of happy about me call although obviously I now know I shouldn't have done it. I was small blind and was folded to. the blinds by this stage were big, no good not playing.

I had 3 6 of Hearts. sh!t hand but the big blind (joint chip leader) hadn't raised up once to a call and had folded to raises. I figured he was just biding his time and hoping for first and second. I call. Fortunately for me, he taps the table and we're into the flop.

Flop is 3 4 5 of random suits. I decide to make a continuation bet of half the pot. I figure I have an up and down straight draw and a small pair, so time to find out what I'm up against. I'm obviously hoping the flop missed the other bloke. He ponders for a second, then pushes all in. Losing would put me out, winning would make me huge chip leader and practically a certainty to win an unprecedented two weeks running. Time to get the thinking cap on.

Firstly my hand. I've got an up and down straight draw, so any two or seven makes my straight, and from there I reckon I'm a certainty. Any 3 or 6 gives me two pair and I hope that's a winner for me as well.

What's he got? Well I figure he may be A5 or A4, perhaps pocket pairs, or even the best case scenario, AQ or AK which would make me a huge favourite. There's by now a crowd of people watching, and I'm hiding under the baseball cap trying to figure it out. I figure that I'm just a shade worse than Even money to improve, which I'll need to do if he has a pair to beat my bothom pair. That said, there is a chance (quite a big one) that he's just pushing in as he's p!ssed off at missing his AK. He's probably figured the flop missed me as well, so he's applying the pressure.

Anway, after a minute or two, I call. He turns over 99 which is a bit funky as I'd have re'raisewd off of the big blind with that. Now I need to improve to win, and assuming he doesn't hit a 9 I've got a stack of winners (any 2 (four of them), any 3 (two of them) any 6 (3 of them) and any 7 (four of them). there are 47 cards we aint seen yet, and I reckon that 13 of em are winners for me, and I've got two hits at it.

Cut a long story short it was Miss, Miss and I was out. Still cashed out as they pay first four, but bad call or not?

[SupitsJonF]

Fivecups this is the list I'm familiar with as the top 10 hands, but you might find more then one version.  Has to with odds I think, or at least I hope:

1.) A-A
2.) K-K
3.) Q-Q
4.) A-K Suited
5.) A-Q Suited
6.) J-J
7.) K-Q Suited
8.) A-J Suited
9.) A-K offsuit
10.) 10-10

But this website seems to have the hands by payout, or something.  Different rankings but for ALL hands

[JoeTerp]

as American male in college in the 2000s I played a LOT of texas hold em in my dorm. I liked playing really crazily. Sometimes I would even play blackjack style and show my opponent one of my cards. I am certain I finished down but I did have two big pay days. Thank god I never got into online play though many of my doormates did.

Used to play hold em a lot on a cd rom when I was 10 and 11 so I had a bit of a head start on most of my friend when it first got popular. Although in that game it was really easy to just raise until the computer folded

poker is on tv entirely too much now and I can't stand it and its too much of an overblown fad. I hope that it dies out soon so that it can become cool again

Huge fan of Daniel Negreanu, I think his reading ability of peoples styles and tells is incredible

[Kharhaz]

Ive played poker for a few years now, five card draw and Texas, both my kids know how to play but the long and short of the games are simple. Its down to pure luck, when luck isnt involved, you will win a small amount, but luck is the majority of the game. You get the players bragging "its down to skill", then you can counter argue why they have lost so many "good" hands.  Of all the card games I have played, poker is the most fate reliant game there is, what other game can you win with a 2 of spades and A queen of clubs? Even snap has some sort of skill involved, that would be reaction ! Poker is a convenience game, just like blackjack. Doesnt it make you wonder why the two biggest games of luck are the two biggest games in casinos?

[bigmick]

Its down to pure luck, when luck isnt involved, you will win a small amount, but luck is the majority of the game. You get the players bragging "its down to skill", then you can counter argue why they have lost so many "good" hands.  Of all the card games I have played, poker is the most fate reliant game there is, what other game can you win with a 2 of spades and A queen of clubs? Even snap has some sort of skill involved, that would be reaction ! Poker is a convenience game, just like blackjack. Doesnt it make you wonder why the two biggest games of luck are the two biggest games in casinos?

Hey I absolutely totally disagreee with you mate, but that's what aforum is for. If it was luck, the same players would win 2000 seat tournaments all the time though. IMHo it's got an element of luck toit roughly the same as a game of football. Put a top player in a room with each and every member of the forum with even numbers of chips, and they'd come out on top on most occasions.

Check out some of the footage on Youtube. Check out Joe's pick Daniel Neagranu, no luck involved when the fella can tell what cards you've in your hand, and actually tells you  .

[Kharhaz]

Check out some of the footage on Youtube.

Tried that with my defence of Kuyt, failied miserably. Something to do with You Tube and Clips coverage !