Observations from a Novice

I've been playing for over a year w/ real money (live and online) and over 3 years play money.

Before you start reading, I have to put a disclaimer that I just had wisdom teeth surgery this AM and I'm on percoset. So it may not flow very well...in fact, it may seem more like rambling.

There was a thread about someone's pointers on playing Hold em. That prompted a reply, but then I decided to make my own thread.

Against ovrerly aggressive Donks that don't seem to value their money - I play very TAG. My raising hand requirements increase because I don't want to raise with say 10 10 then get reraised all-in. I'll have to fold. So I'll try to limp more often and catch a flop. I'll fold more marginal hands to a very big raise from the donk - but I'll call his 3-4X raises if I have like 78s or pckt 8s for example. If I don't catch flop, I'm done. But usually they raise too much preflop. So I sit back and wait for a premium hand to go after him. What is a premium hand (in that situation). Depends on his play. If he's in LP and a lot of limpers, then I may not give him credit for a monster hand and prepare to go after him w/ QQ. If he raised a lot in EP (or rereaised a reasonable raise in MP) then I won't go after him w/out AA or KK. Maybe with AK if I don't think he has a pair (I've seen him do this w/ say KQs or something earlier). But I don't want to go up against a donk w/ AK in a coin flip if he is holding a med pckt pair. I'll wait for another opportunity. When a LAG donk pushes, I want to KNOW I have him as a dog. Now, for donks - this is all for RING games where I can be patient and wait for the monster to have a donk double me up. In a tourney, I can't afford to be that tight vs a donk - blinds make it imperative to make a move based on reads a little sooner. Same principle, but I won't give him credit for hands that maybe I would in a ring game. Ex: Say I have TPTK after flop. If a LAG donk checked a flush or flush draw board post flop I'll raise like 4X - if he just calls, I'm thinking he doesn't have it. If the card comes out to give a flush, and he checks again, I'll raise again and see if he calls or raises. If he then bets big at a blank on river, and I'll call and I've won more of those than I lost. (THIS IS AGAINST A KNOWN DONK...good players suck you in and I play it 180 degrees opposite). Usually, in my experience at low stakes, a donk will raise preflop, then wait until river to make a big move if he doesn't have anything. The minute he has something (say he made his flush on flop or turn) he'll bet BIG and I'll credit him w/ the flush/str8. Same with trips. Of course, this is not at all hard and fast (as we all know with poker). Even a donk can make a good play and check-raise, suck you in, and make some moves. But they don't do it enough for me to be constantly worried about it. But if I can't get a good read and the donk puts me all-in, I'll fold and live to fight another hand when I do have the nuts. Donks are also easy to put check-calls on and then get them bet big on the river. If a donk doesn't have anything and raises your check with like a 92o at a safe board, and you check raise him - he'll fold. But if you just call as if you are drawing, you can make some $$$ on river. KNOW THE DIFF BETWEEN A DONK AND A GOOD PLAYER...or you will be OUT $$$.

I get on here and rant after a bad session...but I love this game and I'm obsessed. My wife hates that I've gotten so obsessed, which means I'm playing it right!!! LOL So if you can bear my rants, know I get over it quick and get right back on the table.

For those that are interested in starting a league w/ friends/coworkers. Let me tell you - we have a BLAST doing it. We play at least 2-3 times a month (sometimes more...but maybe not league sponsored games).

We have about 20-25 people on any given night. If we just have 20, we run a 2 table tourney. If it's more, we go to 3. We have several of the nice tables (two were custom built, one was just bought at a store). Not the Wal-Mart octagon tables...but the long oval ones. Anyway, nothing special, just setting the scene. We play at two places and we rotate and just bring the tables and each house we play at, we have a nice big setup. Lots of fun.

We give points for final table appearnce (top 6 - I am only one to be at each of our 5 final tables). We play circuits based on seasons/qtrs. With each qtr we open w/ a "Dog Tags" (our substitute for bracelets) named event and close w/ a circuit championship. You also get points for eliminations, winning with a 7-4 hand (more on this later), eliminating a bounty (pre selected), and your finish...from last to first. Then again, extra points for final table, then top 5, then points for in the money (top 4) and of course bonuses for 3,2, and the winner.

After all points are tallied, we have our rankings. The top 9 folks get a guranteed seat at our championship. The 10th seat goes to a satellite winner of the next 10 in rankings. Again, dog tags issued for the winner.

Very good idea. I'm in the AF and this has really brough our shop together in the name of fun (we pay dues each qtr to help the host w/ food/drinks). Our buy-ins are only $10 (no rebuys).

Back to the 7-4 - we had a coworker who played with us (before we started a league and kept stats). He passed away and it was very sad. Well, he was made fun of cuz he liked to play 7-4 (suited or not). So we named our league the 74 league (7even 4our Poker). So if you win w/ a 7-4, you get 1 point toward your total. Usually, only way to win w/ 7-4 is to bluff...so to get credit, you of course have to show it.

My only criticism (and if you look out our standings) is our point totals. I'm saying this so if you like the idea, you can watch out for this. Hopefully we change it for our summer circuit. We give too many points for eliminations. I am currently in 5th place in our Spring circuit. We have only had 2 events. Both I finished 3d and in the money. The guy who leads the points finished 20th and 2nd - and he is LEADING. Everyone else above me finished in the teens why finished 3d in each. Why? Cuz he has a ton of eliminations. To me, where you finished is more important than eliminations. I equated it to football. It doesn't matter how many points you scored...only wins and losses are counted. If you won one game by 100-0, lost the next one, your record is 1-1. In golf, if you get 4 hole in ones, but double bogeyed the other 14 holes, you aren't that good and won't do well. But that's my only gripe. I like giving points for eliminations, but we give 5 points per. You only get that many points for making final table. So if your goal is lead in points, it's better to play homerun ball and eliminate people in coin flips than to grind it out to final table.

Here is our website: 7even 4our Poker Tour

Anyway - just bored and laid up from my surgery. Hope you got something out of it cuz I have no idea what I wrote.

BTW: I love this site. It has been a great help to my game (along with Harrington's Series (plug) and SuperSystem). Along with the other books I'm too cheap to buy so I read them at Barnes and Noble's coffee shop.

Edit - just more on our league - buy in is $10 and you get $1500 in chips in 5 denominations ($5/10/25/50/100) and blinds start at 5/10 and go up to 10/20/ - 25/50 - 30/60 - 50/100 - 75/150 - 100/200 - 200/300 - 300/600 and so forth.