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This one was yesterday......remember, if you can help, or give an alternative answer, please do.
"....Hi TK,
Without sounding too 'xxxx licky', I am an admirer of you and have watched you play live down Southend a few times. I was wondering if you could help me with an aspect of my game.
Basically I find myself playing too tight. It doesn't help that 3/4 of the regs in the Southend casinos think they are Tom Dwan and play any 2 regardless, so therefore that also closes my starting range somewhat!! I often min-cash because of this, but never make the big payouts because I spend the closing part of the tournaments playing with 10BB's or an M of about 6 or 7!
Lately, I have been calling raises in position with a wider range, suited connecters, suited gap connectors, etc but seem to never hit, whilst other people (it may be my imagination...) seem to do the same and always connect in some way!
What advice whould you to give to becoming looser? I don't want to be lag (yet!!), but I seem to naturally become a shrinking violet when others around me are being Laggy, and it's making my tournaments suffer in the later stages.
For guidance, I tend to play the £40 freezeout in the Mint casino, Southend. Starting stack is 8000, blinds start 25/50 and are on a 25 minute clock. The tournament starts to become a shove fest roughly around the 300/600 level which is roughly level 7.
It may be such a stupid question, I really don't know. (Is that a good thing or a bad thing?) But any advice would be gratefully received if you get 5 minutes spare.
Kind regards,
xxxxx (suffering poker player)....."
I replied....
".....It's a tough one xxxxx, & I suffer from it too, but us "nits" do better over the longer term than the one-time winners who play technicaly poor poker.
From what you write, I only pick up one clue - you are now "calling wider". Change that to "raising wider", (& slightly more often) in late position, dependent upon Table dynanic. Do NOT attempt it before Levels 4, 5 or even 6, because it is MUCH tougher at that stage. I pretty much sit out the first 5 or 6 Levels in well-structured Tourneys. One or two nice coups later soon catches up with average stack.
Don't forget, too, even if you miss the flop completely, (& most times you will) you can stll try to outplay them, rep strength from late position.
The "squeeze" works well these days, too, as from Level 6 onwards, players still serial-limp. When half the Table limps, if you are button or in the Blinds, be brave, shove the lot in, "call THAT" sorta thing. I get most of my chips with squeezes, incredibly. NEVER show the bluff, though.
Good luck xxxxx......."
Another of yesterday's batch......this one is from a (female) Sky Poker regular.
I am looking for some advice from you please and I do hope that you will have time to offer me some words of wisdom to help keep my spirits up.
I have been enjoying playing your deepstack tournaments on skypoker and I am consistently going very "deep" into them, but I seem to be having trouble getting across the finishing line.
I played last night, got to the final table, then bubbled the money and went out 6th!!! It isn't the money really as I am playing for the love of this wonderful game and I am loving learning more and more each day. XXXXXXX said last night that he would rather go out 16th than 6th as my tournament ended with no cash at the end of 3 hours play and concentration !! I strongly disagreed with him, my explanation being that I simply want to stay in the tournament as long as I possibly can. He says I have the patience of a saint !!
What I would really like to know from you Tony is whether you have a strategy for successful deepstack play. xxxxxxx does advise me but tells me to make different moves depending on how far into the tournament I am, the result usually being that although I am consistently getting near the top of the table, I usually get there with one of the shorter chip stacks so I feel like I am "just trying to survive!!" I hope this makes sense ...
I do appreciate that you are very busy but if you could spare me a minute or so to reply, I would be most grateful.
Thank you
(Name deleted)....."
My reply......
Good luck. ....."
She wrote me the most lovely letter of thanks afterwards, by the way.
Don't forget, if you have better, or alternative advice, feel free to Post. But no sarcastic or mocking replies, please.
Another from yesterday.....
How's it going buddy? I'm a regular tourney player as well as cash games, and I regally cash or get high place finishes. Lately I can't win a thing, everything I do is wrong! Wether it's making the wrong move at the wrong time or getting called by fishes. (can't be helped I know) why you think this is? You think I'm getting to creative? Maybe I need to go back to basics?
Thanks in advance
Reply.....
On the above post i would just make notes on the players who are re-raising you on these hands and see what they are re-raising you with and if its just you or they are doing it to others as well and adjust my play accordingly to each player.
My question for you Tikay is a bit of an easier one you,ll be glad to hear. I was looking in the lobby at the Newcastle SPT and noticed you there. I,ve not known you to play an SPT before as you always seem to be working.
Are you actually playing it and if so who,s gonna be doing your job of, ermm walking about and stuff ( you know what i mean - keeping everyone updated and organising stuff)
Ps - Got to comment on the post above - Trevor Harris for me speaks a lot of sense and is a great part of the Sky Poker Team. (doesn,t get talked about as much as some of the others ) Its just a shame you can,t message him for advice but look forward to seeing him in Newcastle
Bit of an internal battle going on about that.
Rich Milner, the guy from Head Office who "owns" the SPT, one of several bosses I work for here (the company is very departmentalised, hence several reporting lines), has been nagging me to play an SPT Event for a year or more, & tries to have me Registered for every one.
He's been on the blower again, & somehow arranged to have me Reg'd for it, & told me I have to play it.
We shall see.....
If you fancy a bet, bet against me playing.
It's not that I don't wan to play it, I'm just stubborn & obdurate, & I enjoy doing what I do at SPT events.
Who will take over from me if I play? I'd not worry too much for the sake of 20 minutes......
Thanks for your reply earlier re the Omaha question (before you went typo crazy!) much appreciated.
As an add on to this I find a position I'm in frequently is that I will probably limp with a good/ish hand only to be called by 2/3 peeps then the pot raise comes in followed by another raise etc - this comes round to me and its already about £1.20 to call (2/4p stuff) probably with 3/4 people still in. Becoming Roulettey.
I'm obviously playing at this level not "for a bit of fun" but because i'm not bankrolled higher. I want to enjoy the game (surely should be the main objective for an inexperienced player?) but find it difficult in these situations as to me there is no skill in this if everyone just throws their £4 in the middle each hand & hopes for the best.
I KNOW some of these are playing their AAxx, KKxx hands but do I call & fold when missing the flop (which obviously will be most of the time - seems to be a leak). Would also need to raid the kiddies money boxes, one would think.
What tactics would you suggest I employ (PS I wont sue) - I generally call this with hands like Qjj10, 9876 etc. Is this right or wrong?
Once again I would like to thank you for your time & effort replying to my questions. My first 3 months on the site (indeed playing poker) have been very enjoyable, mainly due to the feedback from yourself & other helpful guys & girls on the forums (and the fact that I havent actually lost any money yet, thanks to winning 10 of the £2.20 deepies).
Couple of Omaha pointers here.
1) We almost ALWAYS know pre-flop when oppo has Aces, by the aggrssive pre-flop raiseage.
2) Aces are nothing like as powerful in Omaha as they are in Hold Em, because "1 pair" is rarely good in Omaha multi-way, & even Heads-Up it's not beating much by the River.
3) In Omaha, there are "good Aces" & "bad Aces". A-A-9-5 single-suited is poo, really, A-A-J-T Double Suited is much, much, better. A-A-K-K DS is something we can Raise to the Heavens pre, because we want this one Heads Up, may as well try to get it all-in pre with such hands. A-A-K-K DS multi-way is dead in the water unless we flop one of our draws, or set up.
Thank you for your nice comments, much appreciated.
i for one do not think Sky neglect the lower levels, or any level for that matter. The Premiership league and Cup tournies a case in point and the £2.20 deepstacks which i will, one day, get around to playing when i get the chance. the forums are also another example.
good luck at the tables although i doubt you need it as much as i do!
Well the villain won't wake up very often with Quads here, so in that respect, a shade unlucky I'd say. He can barely have a bare deuce in his hand if it was Raised pre, so he is either on quads, air, an overpair, something like A-K, or a flush draw, & the latter is far more probable. Any FD is likely to be ahead of your Flush, but that's OK, as you have hit your 9 already.
On balance, a bit unlucky really, but "silly?", deffo not.
If poker is a new hobby for you, worth remembering a couple of things.
1) You WILL get very unlucky quite a lot. You will also get very lucky a lot, too. Remember BOTH, or it will do your head in. Many players can't come to terms with this, & as a result, don't really enjoy poker, they just spend their time bemoaning "that's how bad my luck is". Bleurgh.
2) Remember it's just a game, but it does test your character, mettle, & backbone. If you can handle the beats, & win & lose like a grown-up, it's a terrific game which will give you many years of fun at no cost.
Sky Poker, £ for £, spend more on Freerolls & supporting the Community than any other Site, & I think they try to look after everyone, no matter what their spend level is. Sadly, like all poker Forums (fora?), we have our share of Moaning Minnies, & they seem to make more noise than everyone else!
I really was not at all comfy with "that" thread, but that's another story.
PS - Post more!
I feel that you DO cater to us guys so a big thumbs up!!
A £2.20 deepie somewhere in the afternoon between the 2.20pm & 7.15pm (especially at weekends) might plug a gap though.
Hi Tikay,
When sat at a table in live play, You look around and see a 18-20 year old sat across from you, Do you prejudge them and look at them as less experienced as anyone else at the table?
Question goes out to all
Ps.
What hair gel do you use Tikay?
I don't know the full schedule, as it rolls through the day, & tomorrow's Tourneys are not necessarily all up yet, but there are various Toureys which meet exactly that criteria.
There is a "220 @ 220" (£2.20 @ 2.20PM) every day, which attracts a decent & enthusiastic field of regulars, & every evening at 7.15, there is a £2.20 Deepie too.
A little tip which might help you see what suits you from the overall Tourney schedule.
Go to the Tourney Lobby, & click the "Buy-In" link at the head of the Buy-In column. That will then sort every Tourney (EXCEPT those in the Highlighted section at the very top) into buy-in value, ascending or descending. If it opens in ascending order (from freerolls up) & you want it the other way round, just click it again.
Same with type of Tourney. If you prefer Deep Stacks, for example, click the "Tournament" tab, & it sorts all Tourneys into first numeric (value) then alphabetical. Again, click it again to turn it the other way round.
The same trick works with all the Tourney, Sit & Go, & Cash Lobby tabs.
I hope that helps you find what best suits you.
Have a good weekend.
I gather it will next be aired on Wednesday 24th November, at 5pm.
PS - Whollly unrelated, but as a Luton regular, this may interest you in the "small world department".......
There is a Luton Regular, I think his name is "Veekay", "vikay", or something similar, a most amiable guy of Asian descent I think, the same sort of, err, portly build, as you. (Not plump, Dylnesque, just portly). He lives in Bushey, & works, I think, in IT.
We shared Tables, & eventually chopped 3 way, Luton's £100 on Sunday, & then again last night we shared Tables in the £300 at The Vic, (don't ask) & he got himself well caked up early on both occasions. Very good player imo, with a spectacular ability to put players on a hand. (He will probably have cashed in that £300 today).
Anyway, we got chatting, & it turns out that there is a small poker Club near or in Bushey in which this "vikay" (sp?) plays cash a few nights every week. And he started asking me if I knew a guy called Redmond Lee, (!) as this Redmond fella plays there once a week. "He's quite a handy cash player" says my man. Well, err yes...... Apparently Reds sits in a £1 £2 game with £500 or so, & just chills, as a break away from Online now & then.
Small world. I will be inviting Reds to come down to G-Luton in the next few weeks, & will word you when we fix a date up, as I think you'd enjoy meeting, & playing, him. He really is a most likeable chap, very bright, & sharp, lightning fast thought process, & he impresses me greatly in his demeanour.
Jeez, I've rambled on again. I'll get me coat.
and VK is a cool guy. played with him a fair bit....
It's the way of the world, I'm afraid, especially on Poker Forums, that 5% (the Minnies) make 90% of the negative noise. It's a very peculiar thing, & despite a lifelong interest in, & a little knowledge of, human psychology I still don't understand it any more than I understand why peeps vandalise phone boxes, or "key" car paintwork. But they just do. The mystery is why they would stay here if they dislike it so, nobody forces them to. Constructive & balanced feedback is what is needed, not serial trolling.
Having said that, the fact that the majority remain silent does not mean they don't have a voice - they do, but they just go about things more intelligently, or subtly.
It's amazing, but people who don't raise their voices get more attention when they do actually have something to say.
There used to be a TD at Blackpool Grosvenor called Danny Bell, aka "Yogi-Bear", in fact he is now a TD at DTD in Nottingham. When there was a call for "ruling", & everyone was hooting & hollering & shouting, trying to be heard, Danny would amble up & almost whisper his ruling. And everyone fell silent. "One more word & you'll be out of the Tourney" he'd say, & Harry Aggro would go as quiet as a quiet thing.
Danny had worked out how to get his message across, & his whole manner suggested authority. I never once saw or heard Danny shout, or lose his temper. He always got his way, though.
Have a good weekend, & maybe I'll see you on the Tables tonight.
My point about the deepies tho is that there isnt 1 between 2.20 & 7.20 - as I get home from work at 3pm quite annoying. Maybe at weekends even, one can be added at say 4PM ish - as you said they seem to be well supported.
If you have a mo, can I ask you to have a look at my thread in the shed (titled Is it true?) as you should be able to answer this one easily.
Have a good Weekend
Daran
In the example you cite, yes, of course I do. If he's 18, by default, I know I have more experince of live poker than him - but he may have played more hands Online in a year, than I have in a lifetime. But obviously, I know he's less experienced at Live poker.
It goes further, though & I'm sure everyone does it to a greater or lesser degree.
All scandies are lags, all kids are loose, all old peeps are nits, women only play Aces, kids with hoodies, shades, headphones & the full Argos PokerPlaya kit are legends in their own lunchtime, guys who wear baseball caps backwards are all a bit lacking upstairs, etc, etc.
All nonsense, of course, but these are standard stereotypes.
I have my own little book of stereotypes. Guys with their eyebrows close together should never be trusted, players who wear brown shoes always have the goods, for example. Trust me, it's true, gospel.
A particularly strong stereotype is how players stack & handle, their chips.
In the late stages of comp, when the stacks run into tens & hundreds of thousands, & we all have juicy stacks, mine are always perfectly stacked in piles of 10, 20, or 40, seperate denoms, with the oddments seperate. At ANY stage of ANY Tourney, ask me my stack, & I know it precisely. Thewy stacks his chips like a barbers pole, all higgly piggly & different colours mixed up, a pal of mine called Lucky Bink McBink must be OCD, as he lines the little lines on the edge of each chip up perfectly in beautifully symmetrical stacks. So we KNOW if he raises a pot, he probably has a hand, as it's taken him 20 minute to set his stack "just so". Orford always keeps both his chips side by side.
But seriously, in Live poker, yes, if you are observant, there is a huge amount of free info there to be absorbed, & those who pay attention are at a definite advantage. And those playing music, hoodie up, shades on, & eyeing up the valets, are always gonna miss the little tics & nuances. As to being observant, older players are far, far better, on the whole.
Online, some players use software to track opponents game style, VPIP etc. In Live poker, we don't need that, we just need to concentrate, & place them in the correct stereotype "compartment". We either get them right, or wrong, there's no in-between, & I expect to get it right nearly 50% of the time.
After an hour of any Live Tourney, I can tell you how many times every player on my Table has opened pots, called, 3-bet, da de da, & I know every players stack size to within a 100 or so. (Because relative stack sizes help determine hand ranges). I will often ask a player "how many are you playing, mate?", but it's rhetorical, as I'm just trying to gauge his reaction to my question. Jeez, Live poker is a thing of beauty. Online is nice, too.
What hair gel do I use? I borrow James Williams's, of course.
PS - Good to see you last night. Did Ali Mallu behave?
I can't bring myself to speak about my exit. "Unforced error".
Tonight, it's Sky Poker Rebuy night, & I'm looking forward to it. See you later maybe. After the Tourneys, I'll be on the Omaha Hi-Lo Tables, hopefully with Mere-ATM.
Hope you find it helpful.
But on a serious note, Great answer! Thanks!
Just a quick message, I have deleted a post as it was against the forum rules, I have also deleted 2 posts alluding to it so they didnt look out of place.
Many thanks
Sky Mod