How to improve your game?

sumoward

I was wondering what the best way to improve your game is.

In Poker as in life I am a big believer in experience, so I play and try to learn from what i see.

I also like to read around the subject, which seems to help.

I am however curious if there is anything else that I should be doing.

Would some coaching be beneficial?

Chucky the tree

get pokertracker if you dont already have it.

Brayruit

Pokertracker is for on line. The live game is a bit different and there is imo no substitute for experience. So play live... but €220 is pricey!

sumoward

Brayruit wrote:

Pokertracker is for on line. The live game is a bit different and there is imo no substitute for experience. So play live... but €220 is pricey!

I was treating myself. My expenditure is usually a lot lower!!

I will be away on Holiodays for 2 weeks so I looked at this weekend as my budget for 2 weeks.

The experience of the Emporium and the game at the Red Cow was well worth it. Enjoyable with a lot to ponder.

Brayruit

sumoward wrote:

I was treating myself. My expenditure is usually a lot lower!!

I will be away on Holiodays for 2 weeks so I looked at this weekend as my budget for 2 weeks.

The experience of the Emporium and the game at the Red Cow was well worth it. Enjoyable with a lot to ponder.

You played the Red Cow as well... really going for it!!

What is your profit / loss on line?

rag2gar

sumoward wrote:

I was treating myself. My expenditure is usually a lot lower!!

I will be away on Holiodays for 2 weeks so I looked at this weekend as my budget for 2 weeks.

The experience of the Emporium and the game at the Red Cow was well worth it. Enjoyable with a lot to ponder.

Im going through the same path as you at present. Played both, played well in both and went far in both but ultimately got nothing in both.

I am asking the same questions too myself here now but I think the only answer is to try again another day and hopefully our day in the winning enclosure will come!!

sumoward

Brayruit wrote:

You played the Red Cow as well... really going for it!!

What is your profit / loss on line?

I cashed out in party poker a month ago and was even for my online career to that date.

Since then I am down $200 US dollars, Poker and a bottle of Malbec don't mix.

I usually play Sit and Goes and was doing fine until I tried to loosen up my play and turned into a maniac.

This weekend was very exceptional in terms of expenditure in live Games.
When I get back from what I hope is sunny Tuscany I intend to start monitoring my online play with Pokertracker as suggested above.

I need to figure out an incremental approach to improving my game so that i don't over spend and I continue to enjoy my play.

I play poker for enjoyment but I also enjoy winning so I wouldn't mind improving my play.

Brayruit

Sounds fair enough... enjoy, and hopefully see you again in SE / RC

sumoward

rag2gar wrote:

Im going through the same path as you at present. Played both, played well in both and went far in both but ultimately got nothing in both.

I am asking the same questions too myself here now but I think the only answer is to try again another day and hopefully our day in the winning enclosure will come!!

Glad to hear that you played well. I got as far as 19th in SE and 30th in Redcow. I played some good hands and also a few poor ones. One of my hands in the red cow was possibly the worst hand played by anyone all day. I actually blush thinking about it.

I don't think I will play them both again the same weekend but I will certainly play them again.

I am considering seeing if it is possible to get some Coaching.

rag2gar

sumoward wrote:

Glad to hear that you played well. I got as far as 19th in SE and 30th in Redcow. I played some good hands and also a few poor ones. One of my hands in the red cow was possibly the worst hand played by anyone all day. I actually blush thinking about it.

I don't think I will play them both again the same weekend but I will certainly play them again.

I am considering seeing if it is possible to get some Coaching.

Contact hectorjelly for the above

Doc Farrell

improving your game through whatever means including coaching is of course essential but unless you pay attention to the one golden rule you will never find long term benefit from this game.

and that rule is, as always, play within your means.

no matter how good you think you are, or could be, or will be, if you can't afford to take a half dozen bad beats at the limit you're at and then a half dozen more then you will go broke.

because those bad beats will take a run at you. ask anyone here.
making a profit takes years of slow accumulation and you may find it just isn't much fun to play cards that way.

i'm as guilty of ignoring this rule as much as anyone else, unfortunately.

good luck.

sumoward

Doc Farrell wrote:

improving your game through whatever means including coaching is of course essential but unless you pay attention to the one golden rule you will never find long term benefit from this game.

and that rule is, as always, play within your means.

no matter how good you think you are, or could be, or will be, if you can't afford to take a half dozen bad beats at the limit you're at and then a half dozen more then you will go broke.

because those bad beats will take a run at you. ask anyone here.
making a profit takes years of slow accumulation and you may find it just isn't much fun to play cards that way.

i'm as guilty of ignoring this rule as much as anyone else, unfortunately.

good luck.

Thanks, This is something I am concious of. It is also one of the reasons I prefer to play Sit and Goes over cash games online. I know what my intial "loss " is. I have been trying to find the appropriate level of Buy in, that allows for:

1. Playing with in my means
2. A decent level of competition
3. That I am not out classed
4. That I enjoy it

I have been trying the different levels in party Poker $ 11 $ 22 $33 and $55.

I didnt enjoy the $11 and while I won some at $ 55 I felt it was beyond my comfort level. I am happy enough to play about at the $22 as it met my criteria.

Recently the online poker I have enjoyed the most is the Steps Sit and Go on Party poker. You buy in at any of the 6 levels (I tend to start at the Bottom) and work your way up winning entry to the higher level. For very little investment you get to play a lot of poker and at this stage for me playing a lot of games provides a greater learning experience. So far I have managed to get as far as entry to the $70 level.

I hope to lay out a structure for myself to more closely monitor expenditure versus play, the software recomended by Chucky above might be useful. I was considering something simple such as playing the $11 until I have accrued 15 times the entry for the $22. Should I wait longer at the lower level to 20 times the entry to the next level perhaps?

Does anyone have opinions on the value of Sit and Go?

Doc Farrell

sounds so sensible that i think i'll start asking you for advice.

best of luck.

(you'll soon get sick of continuous sit and gos so enjoy them while they're fresh)