Monster card

Hi guys so I have read that to be really good at poker you should fold until you get monster cards I have tried this on a sit and go I had no monster cards and the blinds just took me out. Should you just play with monster cards to win or do take the chance and call with probably nothing. I am scared when I raised I feel like I shouldn't try and bluff but I feel like I should go for the bluff. Please help me

Hi Lauren and welcome to CC. The problem with waiting for monster cards are 1) you may never get them and 2) when you finally do get them any player paying attention will know you only play monster cards and probably fold to you. I feel you need to widen your starting hand range. There are a lot of great strategy articles here that may get you started in the right direction. The only way to get over your fear of bluffing is to do it. Hope this helps, read some of the strategy articles on sit and goes and bluffing, and good luck on your poker journey.

You should try to steal blinds from position like UTG or D even though you don't have strong cards. Poker isn't only about cards but also about positions

I would recommend if you are relatively new to the game to learn some starting hand charts. I don't mean use them like a robot and only follow the chart but they will help you become familiar with the strength of certain hands. Poker is a very dynamic game and extremely fluid when it's played well, meaning that just copy starting hand charts won't be the be all and end all. But it will help you starting out.

Ps It is worse to be too aggressive than to be too passive in poker.

One just does not get to play monsters. You have the map and on the middle and small pocket pairs play. You should sometimes bluff. But all this must be properly applied.

Thankyou guys x

Laurenfergus said:

Hi guys so I have read that to be really good at poker you should fold until you get monster cards.
...There's a bit more to it than just waiting for good hands. However, if you're new to the game, then there is some merit to it.

Basically, by playing only good hands and folding the bad ones, you set yourself up to win more pots (or money) while reducing your risk of losing pots/money. You do this my playing hands that are statistical favorites over other hands.

That's not saying that you wont lose when you play hands like KK or AA, but they will win more times than not. At the same time, by not playing bad hands (or hands that'll statistically lose over time), you keep your loses to a minimum.

I have tried this on a sit and go I had no monster cards and the blinds just took me out.
...This will happen sometimes. Playing tight in the early stages of an SNG/MTT is fine. (though, some will argue you should play loose). However, when blinds increase and stacks become shallow, you will have to open your hand range.

Honestly, there is just way too many variables and situations to really go into detail about this, so I'd advise you to look up:

-Stack sizes in MTTs/SNGs
-How to play different stack sizes in SNGs/MTTs

Should you just play with monster cards to win or do take the chance and call with probably nothing.
...Eventually, if you aren't being dealt hands and blinding out, you will need to take some risks. As an MTT player myself, I always believe that taking risks at certain points, given the proper situation, will always be a better option than blinding out.

So, if you do find yourself getting blind out, you may have to do so. Look up:

-Stealing and re-stealing
-Short stack play
-Short stack push/fold chart

I am scared when I raised I feel like I shouldn't try and bluff but I feel like I should go for the bluff. Please help me
...If you're new, I wouldn't worry too much about pulling off bluffs. Semi-bluffs will probably be a little better than a full blown bluff as it will give you a better chance to win the pot.

I would look up:

-Semi Bluffing
-Cbetting
-Reading boards for semi-bluffing and/or c-betting

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Above.

A lot of stuff can be found on this forum. It can also be found at: The Poker Bank

thylmanoid said:

Ps It is worse to be too aggressive than to be too passive in poker.

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Depending on situation and opponent, being aggressive > being passive.

Aggression gives you 2 ways to win the pot, being passive only gives you 1.

read the article and watch the video!