5 Quick (obvious) Tips that will make you Suck Less at Cash Games

This is not a book. But lately, I've just realized how important these tips are to achieving success.

1) Before you make a bet, any bet, have a plan for what you are going to do if you are raised. It is SO much easier to make the right decision when you have already decided what the right decision is beforehand. If you flop a gutshot, just say to yourself "I'm going to c-bet, and I will only call a raise if it is less than $XX." Getting into that mental habit will keep you from making so many quick & ill-advised calls that destroy your win-rate.

2) Stop playing tilted. Almost every regular player I know attributes their biggest leak to tilt. I rarely see anyone say "I wish I were better at poker, so I could make the right decisions". However, so many of the regular players confide to me that if they could fix anything with their game, it would be their tilt management.

Realize that tilt is an emotional response, and you can't ever stop tilting. Instead, learn to recognize what triggers your tilt, and quit playing once it gets triggered. No matter how great the situation is, it almost never pays to play through your tilt.

3) Be tight, especially when playing no-limit games. You can't lose money when you don't put any in the pot. And even when your opponents know you are tight, they will still find reasons to play with you. They'll play because its fun, or they'll just play a hand out of habit without considering how tight you are. Checking and folding in tough spots, or passing on bluffing opportunities may not be sexy, but its guaranteed not to be a losing play. And money saved spends just as well as money earned.

4) Think about the other player's cards. Poker is a game where you try to make the right decision based upon imperfect information. If you knew what your opponent's cards were, then you could always make the right decisions. So get better at thinking about your opponent's hand, and all the other decisions you make will be better. Give them a range of hands, and thin that range down as the hand goes on. It sounds straight forward, but so many players just look at their cards and play on auto-pilot. If you get into a habit of doing this every hand, it will massively improve your game.

5) Study away from the table. Studying does not mean browsing these forums, or making a post about AK being a drawing hand. If you have never used PokerStove/PokerRazor/the Troutulator, or any other range calculator, then you have never really studied anything related to poker. Read opinions by people who's opinion is worth a damn (not your average joe with 30 posts), and perform your own analysis on situations that you get into. Figuring out how to handle situations away from the table will make handling them in the heat of the moment so much easier.

So yeah, do that stuff, and you will suck less. I promise.

Nice thread and great advice!

just curious regarding cash games how often should you top yourself off? I seem to be missing out on value when I do hit a big hand cuz I haven't gotten into the habit of doing it. Just always do it after the blinds pass or I lose a pot?

You play at full tilt, you should be auto-rebuying to a full stack/whatever stack size you're playing with.

Always full stack buy in. Once you double your buy leave the table because you will be raised by smart players who know you don't want to burn through your newly earned money

Good post. I know personally one of my biggest leaks is playin on tilt.

Other peoples cards are much more important that your ones!

always think about their betting story, why did they do what they did.. Why did they raise pre-flop and check after it from good position? Why did they do this or that... If you can understand this then you will be a better player!

c9, as always, excellent stuff, hope everyone pays attention to these posts...

Great post c9, anything on limit???

All of those 5 things should apply just as well to limit games. Playing tight is less of an instant path to riches in the limit Omaha, Hold'em, and draw games, since you're often getting better odds to play more marginal hands. However, its still not bad advice to nit it up, whatever game you happen to be playing.

In the stud games, where there is an extra betting round (instead of pre/flop/turn/river you're getting 3rd/4th/5th/6th/7th), playing nitty is still a pretty clear path to success, unless you play on Full Tilt where the ante structure forces you to play a wider range of hands. Getting tied on to the river in the stud games is more costly, because you've got the extra big bet round to get owned on. Thus, you should still be folding anything you think might be close to a loser on 4th/5th street.

Fantastic post c9...

great concise list of probably the top things people don't do and should... anyone that starts doing these things will show immediate improvement

Great post, so obvious yet items many forget. cheers

Great post.

Tight is important in limit, too -- except that limit is a bit more like playing small ball. It helps your game to open up a bit to hands that can hit big, and you can afford to do it, too. But, like playing small ball, play the interesting hands only in position in an unraised/uncalled pot, and raise them. And, yes, know what you are going to do with those hands on the flop...

I'd add patience to your short list. Patience in waiting for playable hands in position, against weaker players or known styles. Patience in asking yourself, every time, is this reasonable? Reminding yourself that you have time -- don't rush it, don't push due to impatience.

C9...awesome post. You always give me great advice. Even if I am too stubborn to always listen. I will keep these five points in mind next time I am sitting at the felt.

I notice how you stuck this in at the end. If this had been point #1 I could have stopped reading much earlier! Damn u C9!

j/k obviously, good stuff as always.

Good post. Good things to follow.

Great Post...
the 2 things that really stick out to me are controlling tilt and thinking about what others have..
I seem to have trouble doing that.. but im trying.

Thanks for the advice. next time i play a ring game, i will keep these tips in mind, or many i'll just keep this thread open, hahahah.

5 good advices for any poker player!
If you regard to them you will not loose money so easily....

What a great post. Thank you!

The big one I don't do enough is thinking about my opponent's hand. When I look at how I played after the fact, it is so obvious, but hindsight is always 20/20. I need to stop and think more about my opponent's cards and not so much about my hand before I put my chips in, and I am sure I will improve my game.

All 5 tips are great, but #4 is a very weak spot for me.

Thanks!

Great thread and great advice c9! Well done! #1 is so very true! I lost a lot of pots when I first started playing because I would not have a plan in advance and make snap decisions that were often the wrong ones. I look forward to more of these from you! Now get to work! Haha!

6.Never call, raise or fold!!!

cheers and gl...
wooter

ya 5 very simple things that people don't often remind themselves of. Good post i like it

I reload everytime i am below the max buy in. You never know when you will have the nuts and some donk will bet like he has the nuts.

imo
Joe

I appreciate this thread c9. Great stuff and something I have bookmarked it for when I need to be reminded.