What one thing will improve my game?

C

Caesura

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I know that is a very vague question but I just want to improve step by step.

For instance:

I used to think K9 was a good hand. I read one book and learnt that it wasn't so I stopped playing it. Now if someone beats me with it I am actually quite pleased because I think that player has bad hand selection. The occasions when I do play it, from blinds or desperate shoves it still fails me 8/10.

Fold any 10 in normal game conditions.

Stop shoving when I don't have to.

Only play marginal hands from position - this was the single biggest revelation I made, used to play QK from early, now I only play from button or cut-off.

Now, what can I add to my game?

I don't understand EV.

I don't use a HUD.

I don't understand ICM.

I play micro sit and goes where 3 betting and such doesn't work too well.

Of those three above which will help me most, or is there something else I can add (or remove) to my game?

Thanks
 
JusSumguy

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Start here... Sklansky's hand ranking chart. Red is good, blue is bad.

sklanskymalmuthstartinghands.png


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baudib1

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Hand strength is relative, not static.

You're probably not shoving enough.

SNGs are all about bubble play, so learn ICM.
 
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Nooneinparticular

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Definately try and learn ICM.

Single most important things I have ever heard are:
1. Every hand tells a story. Stop and think through that story.
2. If every hand tells a story, make sure you tell a story and stick to it. Even if the story isnt actually what your hand is.
3. If you 2 to 3BB raise with 78s, then you can play it as though it is a good ace on the right flop, or KQ, or a pocket pair, so you can get hands through which are not actually what they are. Hope that makes sense?!?
4. Phil Helmuth once muttered that "you can't go out if you don't put all your chips in". He couldnt be more right. If you want to steal some blinds at 50/100 when you have 3000, why do you need to bet 3000?
 
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Caesura

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ICM it is then.

Looking at Sklansky, is JJ still a top hand? I can't count the amount of times I've lost with it. Would you play it the same as AA?
 
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baudib1

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4. Phil Helmuth once muttered that "you can't go out if you don't put all your chips in". He couldnt be more right. If you want to steal some blinds at 50/100 when you have 3000, why do you need to bet 3000?

This is awful advice for a SNG player.
 
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Morracey

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JJ imo is definitely not a top hand in fact neither is QQ but that is just a basic chart to give a vague idea. Jacks are one of, if not the, most hated starting hands among many top players. I for one hate them, even more so now as I went out of the Sunday millions with them last week!!

Sklansky is a must read but does contradict himself at times, but I guess that's because his books have been rewritten and revised so many times to try to adapt to the evolution of the game. I also think he puts too much emphasis on understanding EV. As long as you understand how certain situations affect the long term success of a decision you don't need to worry about it all too much to begin with. Start with icm and when you have that down you should already notice an improvement in SnG results.

Also if you're not yet familiar with the 'gap concept' I'd advise giving that a look.

Good luck.
 
jordanbillie

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Learn another game besides sngs
 
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baudib1

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JJ imo is definitely not a top hand in fact neither is QQ but that is just a basic chart to give a vague idea. Jacks are one of, if not the, most hated starting hands among many top players. I for one hate them, even more so now as I went out of the Sunday millions with them last week!!

Sklansky is a must read but does contradict himself at times, but I guess that's because his books have been rewritten and revised so many times to try to adapt to the evolution of the game. I also think he puts too much emphasis on understanding EV. As long as you understand how certain situations affect the long term success of a decision you don't need to worry about it all too much to begin with. Start with icm and when you have that down you should already notice an improvement in SnG results.

Also if you're not yet familiar with the 'gap concept' I'd advise giving that a look.

Good luck.

This is terrible advice. JJ/QQ are premium hands.
 
Dank Hugh

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if you can stop making those

WTF plays that almost every player sometimes does,,,

that will plug a big hole
 
JusSumguy

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ICM it is then.

Looking at Sklansky, is JJ still a top hand? I can't count the amount of times I've lost with it. Would you play it the same as AA?

JJ is the devils hand...

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E

emirlidan

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The one thing I would suggest is patience sometimes I will go around 3 to 4 big blinds before I will play a hand and it kills me but It's smarter to lose that blinds and win a good hand then to keep limping in and just losing more and more
 
Poker Orifice

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Hmm... 'one' thing? I'd say 'table selection' - try to get onto some tables with most of the people responding on this thread & it'll surely increase your winrate.
 
D

DanziM

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For me its position. Plugging the leak when playing hards out of position will rapidly improve your winrate. Position gives you information, information wins you dollars.

Obviously this is only 1 aspect of the game, however once i fully understood this when i first started, i won at a much better rate than before i bothered about it.
 
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Nooneinparticular

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No, it isn't.

Oh and if you're going to state it's bad, then at least state why. Muppet.

Stealing 150 in blinds by pushing all in for 3000 cannot possiblt be right in any situation (except late on, on the bubble or just before it...).
If you want to win 150, then 450 gets the same job done as 3000 without the risk of walking into monsters.

If the same person does keep reraise push stealing you then adapt to that person......
 
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baudib1

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3xing on 20 BB stacks is ridiculous. For the most part SNG play is going to be push/fold.
 
Arjonius

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The single most important thing to learn / improve depends on the current state of your game plus what the most significant opportunities are to improve your EV against the opponents you face. Absent the former, any advice is general, not specific to you.
 
GOIVIT

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The one thing I learned early on was "Don't Chase", it will bleed off your chips faster than any other thing you do.

Poker is about variance, you will have winning times and losing times. You need to avoid going on "tilt". It will kill you mentally and negatively affect your bankroll.
 
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Nooneinparticular

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3xing on 20 BB stacks is ridiculous. For the most part SNG play is going to be push/fold.

Looks like we're going to have to disagree. It probably depends on how you play. You sound like a mass tabler who plays by numbers and doesnt actually play any "poker".

For me, 3xing or even 2xing pre works wonderfully, far better than push/fold. All I see for those push/folding is people who end up playing a flip, then another flip, and so on. They don't read range or think hands through.

Put a load of Push/folders together and it becomes a load of 50/50 flips which over time no one wins from by definition of something being a 50/50.
 
JusSumguy

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You sound like a mass tabler who plays by numbers and doesnt actually play any "poker".
More like a kick ass player who knows what's what.

Two ears/eyes... one mouth. The reason for this is so that you take in twice what you spew out.

-
 
dj11

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Baudib has been known to favor the ring tables and approaches tourney's from that POV.....;)
 
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baudib1

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Anyone who wants to play "real poker" shouldn't play SNGs. SNGs are about playing solved spots over and over, abusing the bubble, maintaining FE and optimal/unexploitable shoving ranges.

When you have 20 BBs effective you have more options than push/fold but 3Xing is going to be horrible at those stack sizes no matter what format you're playling.
 
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