Help From Afghanistan

mickgreen

As a few of you know i am in the Armed Forces and currently serving away in Afghanistan. Unfortunatly i dont get the time or internet connection to play out here, however i am looking to improve my game! I am currently a break even player at best. I think realising this is the first part to becoming a profitable player. I am looking to improve my game and i want to know, besides playing what is the best way to do this ie books, articles etc? I want to get more involved in cash games here at sky and become a winning player. Plus i think this will be a good little discussion to start and help pass some time out here in the desert! Hopefully this thread may be able to help me and others at our game. For now tho guys, enjoy the sunshine back in England and i look forward to your resposes!

Cheers, Mikey

THEROCK573

well im an mtt player so cant help you with cash games but massive respect to you and all the rest of the the men and women out there. 

BorinLoner

Well, the best way to improve is always to find people to discuss your game with. They don't have to be poker geniuses but as long as you can bounce credible ideas off one another you'll be gaining something.

If you want to read books, I'd say definitely read:

"Harrington on Hold'em" volumes 1 and 2, by Dan Harrington.
"Kill Everyone" by Lee Nelson, Tysen Streib and Steven Heston.
I've also heard good things about "The Raiser's Edge" but I haven't read it myself.

Harrington's books cover the basics and you could be beyond those already. Even so, they might be worth a read. The other two are a little more advanced. A lot of people knock books as a way to learn but they contain some good ideas and will help you with your thought processes. The benefits of books are pretty clear for someone that can't get online very often. Just don't try to put it all into practice, lock, stock and barrel without being critical of those ideas.

Lots of people swear by watching training videos. I don't think I've ever watched one but I'm sure they have some value. Not being interactive, in my eyes, limits their usefulness but they might help. I'm sure others will happily suggest some Youtube links and training sites that you can use whenever you get chance.

Most important is to be critical of yourself and your own thoughts. The game's not about luck, it's about making good decisions. Whenever you have a chance to play online, post some hands in the poker clinic to discuss with other players or on other forums like 2+2. Explaining your own thoughts to other experienced players and getting their feedback is the best way to learn, in my opinion. Also try posting your thoughts on other player's hands. Defending your ideas in the face of scrutiny is a great way to eradicate bad habits and reinforce good ones.

Tough to improve if you don't get chance to play too often, though. I doubt the poker scene in Afghanistan is thriving at the moment.

BorinLoner

Those books are mostly tournament books. I missed that you want to play more cash. A lot of the ideas are transferable from one format to the other, though, so they're still worth a read.

Not sure about books that are specifically for cash games.

jams88

In my expeirence of cash games in which i am fortunate enough to be a winning player 1 of the key things is to adapt to the opponants you are playing. You will see so many players on this sitewho have only 1 style of play. If you can idetify this it becomes alot easier to play there maybe 3 or 4 types of players on your table try and Identify who is to tight who is to lose who can't put down a draw whatever the price whos aggro whos passive ect. Once you done this switch up you play depending on which 1 of them you are in a pot against. Also try and think about the hands you have played and what has been seen at showdown and take an educated guess at your opponants preception of you and again adjust accordingly.

Good luck