What is something you learned that really improved your game?

RazorG

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Just like the title says; what is something you have learned/watched/read that you were able to apply to your game and see major improvements? I'm fairly new to poker and as far as learning goes, I have been watching training videos on duecescracked along with reading articles, but that's about it, which is why I'd like to hear from other players, things that have been helpful to their overall game so that I can incorporate it into my learning.

For me so far, BR management and Real Life NL Grinder videos on DC have been the most beneficial to my game.
 
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ScooperNova

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You got to know when to hold em and know when to fold em!
 
RazorG

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It's almost impossible to avoid singing that comment.
 
jdihzy

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I think something that is really improving my game is to practice hand reading when i'm not in the hand.

It's amazing how many times you'll get perfect reads only if you use very very basic reasoning..... This is making me more and more comfortable playing more post-flop situations

The other thing was to know what i'll do before i do it, and to follow that rule;

"If you can't find a reason to do it, you probably shouldn't.... Poker must make sense.."
 
ScooperNova

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I think something that is really improving my game is to practice hand reading when i'm not in the hand.

It's amazing how many times you'll get perfect reads only if you use very very basic reasoning..... This is making me more and more comfortable playing more post-flop situations

The other thing was to know what i'll do before i do it, and to follow that rule;

"If you can't find a reason to do it, you probably shouldn't.... Poker must make sense.."

That's a good point about using basic reasoning many times. Watch out for the sharks though!
 
RazorG

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I think something that is really improving my game is to practice hand reading when i'm not in the hand.

It's amazing how many times you'll get perfect reads only if you use very very basic reasoning..... This is making me more and more comfortable playing more post-flop situations

The other thing was to know what i'll do before i do it, and to follow that rule;

"If you can't find a reason to do it, you probably shouldn't.... Poker must make sense.."


I actually just tried doing this and it's surprising how good your hand reading skills are when you aren't involved in the hand.
 
Sil3ntness

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Some of the hand reading is SO OBVIOUS. One guy min raises UTG, another guy 3 bets, another guy 4 bets. The UTG 5-bet SHOVES 3 bet guy folds, and the 4 bet guy calls the shove.

Then the 4 bet guy gets mad that he's getting coolered with his KK against AA. No crap the guy had AA he just 5 bet shoved in front of two raisers UTG. I wasn't involved in the hand, but I already knew UTG guy had AA. That's the only logical explanation for his/her shove into two other raisers.
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I think my only big improvement, was underestimating position & initial aggression. Having position with the initial aggression is like having super powers haha. Only problem is when you go up against a calling station that will not fold once they hit the flop. You're kind of screwed unless you hit the river.
 
PapaC

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Don't go on tilt when you have a bad beat. Just let it go and go on to the next hand. It happens to all of us, so keep your game in your control instead of letting it control you.
 
Bee

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I learned that the passive play the baddest.
That's very bad to lose patience.
 
RazorG

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Don't go on tilt when you have a bad beat. Just let it go and go on to the next hand. It happens to all of us, so keep your game in your control instead of letting it control you.

BR management has definitely helped me tilt less. Tilting was a huge problem when I first started playing though.
 
thetick33

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four things first and most important was sick a long time played with annie duke howard lederer and others at night online at times they helped and taught me limit. This helped incredibly on patience!! Especially when played my first live tourney and had to wait for hours for hands it seemed lol and how slow was dealt am used to playing four rooms at a time lol.

Second is part of same thing and patience is key im a tourney player so knowing I cannot win in the first hour lets me throw out garbage hands unless im on a rush and hitting everything:)

Third be unpredictable the biggest compliment I feel I get is in tourneys where guys will say I have no idea what he had a lot of times I actually tell them:) If I bet and confuse people I am doing well. So change your betting habits sometimes limping is ok even with aces against certain opponents. So you got to mix it up at times.

Fourth and probably most important to me is dont be afraid to lose. Feel you will win if is jacks or aces and if lose just move on. I dont tilt. I have lost too much and too many ways to go on tilt. I have played enough hands of cards where bad beats are a whatever honestly. Sure if is a big event and it happens is crushing for all of seconds but im usually playing somewhere else too and 2.00 win works too lol.

I think attitude is everything I think I am a better player than you maybe I am not but firmly believe it and in time even if not better good enough that will make my way. No fear I guess of loss it makes it simpler so just have it to do.

I make misreads I make bad plays but not often imho. Sometimes know am not gonna win so take chances probably shouldnt but if lose daily for a few days which im going through and know still playing well just being seriously unlucky.

Case in point yesterday nice tourney nutted str8 on flop went all in called guy hits str8 flush on river with his hand cant blame him but also know poker is a cycle and yep what happened did happen but in time some day maybe not today or tomorrow that hand holds up I get the chip lead I do some damage:)

Is all good for me I play for the love of it the money will come it has in the past.
 
gus201

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Great Question !!!!!

For me its reading the table and evaluating each indivdual player quickly with the ability to put players on hands before the turn or sooner. I was lucky to find a person who helped me develope this gift from the OLD PSO.

Good Skill at the tables
 
RazorG

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Great Question !!!!!

For me its reading the table and evaluating each indivdual player quickly with the ability to put players on hands before the turn or sooner. I was lucky to find a person who helped me develope this gift from the OLD PSO.

Good Skill at the tables

That's something I'm currently having a hard time perfecting. Is there a video or article you suggest taking a look at regarding the topic?
 
RazorG

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Also, has anyone here read small stakes Hold'em by Ed Miller? I'm currently reading it, and it has a wealth of knowledge that I didn't expect.
 
punctual

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I have learned that you can never climb your way to the top with standard play. You must always keep opponents guessing: you must strive to always do what your opponents do not want (or expect) you to do and strive to not do what your opponents do want (or expect) you to do!

So whatever you read in books as standard plays is good knowledge to have so that you know what learned opponents will expect you to do in certain situations. In other words, the knowledge you gain from reading is ancillary only so far as it is used to ascertain the minds of your opponents (i.e. for knowing, given game variables such as position, blind levels, chipstack sizes, what flopped, and etc., what your opponents expect you to do). If you are developing a style based entirely upon what you read in books, then you are not, IMHO, properly putting to use what you have read.

as a disclaimer, I am not a pro but this is what i have learned after intense and almost obsessive study (practical and theoretical) of poker over the past 15 months
 
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PokerFunKid

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Don't go on tilt when you have a bad beat. Just let it go and go on to the next hand. It happens to all of us, so keep your game in your control instead of letting it control you.

Yep, all you can do is getting it in for the right price. If you do so i'm happy. When you start playing poker you need to understand you can lose often, even if you get it in for the right price. That is also what i learned. You don't always get it in with the best hand, poker is about getting it in with the right price.
 
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Avoid the tilt, stay focus even when you are not envolved in pots, fold when you really know you have to fold (do not bluff).

Resuming: avoid to be your own opponent in the table! Play to win the tournament not to win one pot!
 
DrazaFFT

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I think that truly understanding the importance of position is what changed my game and turned everything around. By that i dont mean of just simply knowing that position is importand and that is it, i mean by totaly understand how being IP or OOP affects the flow of a hand, once i understood that i was a diferent player...
 
RazorG

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I have learned that you can never climb your way to the top with standard play. You must always keep opponents guessing: you must strive to always do what your opponents do not want (or expect) you to do and strive to not do what your opponents do want (or expect) you to do!

So whatever you read in books as standard plays is good knowledge to have so that you know what learned opponents will expect you to do in certain situations. In other words, the knowledge you gain from reading is ancillary only so far as it is used to ascertain the minds of your opponents (i.e. for knowing, given game variables such as position, blind levels, chipstack sizes, what flopped, and etc., what your opponents expect you to do). If you are developing a style based entirely upon what you read in books, then you are not, IMHO, properly putting to use what you have read.

as a disclaimer, I am not a pro but this is what i have learned after intense and almost obsessive study (practical and theoretical) of poker over the past 15 months

Is there a book you recommend reading that isn't outdated by now? I'm noticing, as I read Small Stakes by Ed Miller, that a lot of the advice given in the book wouldn't work as well today as it probably did when the book was published.
 
TheBigFinn

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Almost all starting hands are playable when you get to open from the button, especially in tournies, if you are not afraid to 3 barrel.
 
rogerdelpk

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in cash if you dont like the situation......fold.
 
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Practice, Practice, Practice
 
BiliousBetil

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The Rule of 4 and 2. While not precise to the last decimal, it is accurate enough to help one understand risk/reward.
 
Arjonius

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When I was starting out, the most productive piece of advice I got and actually followed was to learn to play solid TAG poker. IMO, this is akin to building a sound foundation and making sure it's set before erecting a house on it.
 
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