I definately feel I've just gone over the next peak of the learning curve. Over the last week or so my game has improved dramatically. Here are a few things I've clearly realised...

1) When you have good cards - RAISE! - sometimes for me , and I'm sure this is not common, you have something like AJ and you think , "Hmm, I've got 6 players to act - if I raise, say 3xbb, then I might provoke an all-in by someone and I really don't want to go all-in on AJ off!"

It just doesn't work like that. Most of the time most will fold and there will be 2 or 3 of you left. If someone pushes, then it's your call whether to fold (I would). Then when the flop comes you have the power to bet large again (not too large or it looks like you are trying to defend crap) and represent pairing or tripping of any of the picture cards. You raised so it's very believable that you are holding picture cards.

Picture this - you flat call AK suited to slow play your monster, and the flop is low like 7 4 10. Your hand is all but dead - you have 9 players still in, and it's very likely you are playing against a pair at least (plus the limpers with 44 etc). Most of these guys would be gone if you'd raised. At least with a raise they will start to suspect you might be holding 10 10.

Raising is pretty much always good on good hands. Slow playing them just wastes their power. All the books tell you to maximise your value of good hole cards, but I can't remember reading about the psychological power of being the preflop raiser. It puts you in THE seat of power. It gives you so many options post flop that you don't have by flat calling or chucking in small x2 min raises.

This is standard stuff, but something I shyed away from due to trying to avoid huge conflicts. It's something I did a lot early in my game, due to being over confident - and I won a lot. Then when I learnt to keep my chips safe and save them for a battle where I was the clear leader, I got into the bad habit of avoiding raising. I've fixed that.

2) Don't call a preflop raiser if you have a speculative low hand like 56 suited. It may be for you, but not for me. You call, the flop is KKQ. He bets pot, you are stuffed. OR a weak flush draw like Q 10 Hearts. The flop is Ah 7c 8h. He either checks, and then if you check he KNOWS you are drawing and raises huge (destroying your pot odds), or he bets big on the flop and again you lose the odds to call the turn.

3) Don't let people get cheap cards / good odds. I've really got my head round pot odds now and every time someone lets me see a cheap card I laugh out loud (online only of course lol)

One chap let me see the turn in a tournament for 8000 chips (I had 60,000). I had 2.4:1 odds of hitting by the river on a straight draw. The pot odds were around 2.5:1 . I had plenty of chips, and could afford to play. The turn was a blank. He then CHECKED !!! I checked. River made my straight. He went all in, I called - I won of course. He cursed at me saying "8k to see the river!?!?!?" - I replied, "yep, you priced it right - thanks". Wasn't the best value call but it was cool.

4) Don't be afraid to follow your instinct of a tell. I nearly always would fold if I kind of thought I was in the lead and then was raised big. I'd start thinking "he must have me beat to bet that much". But more than the logic of it, I'd not want to get involved because more often than not it would involve half my stack. Recently I started to notice I was thinking, "no way! - I have him beat, his betting makes no sense at all", and the classic "why is he trying to push me off a hand if his is so good? - he shoudl be slow playing it". Then you convince yourself it's a double bluff-rebluff ! :-) - I call (or push) now if I'm happy I have a handle on his hand, and most times I'm right.

If people's betting patterns don't make sense, nearly always it's because they are hiding weakness.

5) Tournaments - take risks early on. I got good and reliable in tournaments. I could pretty much always end up in the top 40. I'd ALWAYS make the 1st break at least. BUT - I was rarely making any decent money, and finding myself in the top 60 with 6k chips on tables with everyone else with at least 20-30k. I was playing too safe. Hoarding my chips, waiting for THAT moment. Not doing anything risky. Of course, with a low stack you are totally buggered. You don't get to make any moves. No control. It's a total luck scenario to place in the top 10 with a low stack after the 2nd break.

So now I've started taking risks early on. Two people gone all in preflop and I'm holding AK? Previously I'd have bailed out - why get into a race so early on? why not pick a moment later when I have AA? Well, I can tell you why. Two hours into a tournie with 6k chips is no fun at all! I used to think it was a waste of my money getting into races early in a tournie. I wanted my value for money! What a load of tosh! - I play 10$ MTTS at the most (well I treat myself to the $30 10k GTD once a month!) - For some reason, I convinced myself it was expensive and I should try to be extra cautious. I now realise I got the "expensive" attitude by the sheer fact there would be a few hundred opponents rather than 10. So the player to money ratio was massively worse than a 10$ SnG.

Then it twigged - what's different about a 10$ SnG and a 10$ MTT? Nothing - apart from the prize money! - of course the strategy is different, but that's it. I now mentally treat 10$ MTTS just the same as 10% SnGs. It makes a huge difference. And once you get a good stack from double/tripling up early on, the rest of the tournament up to the last 30 player stage is a doddle. You can make moves, exert power, control the table. If you lose early - well, you've just saved yourself 2 hours or more of hard work for probably your stake back at best.

6) Don't be afraid to call modest raises with speculative hands. Example: I'd hold 9/10 off. Flop is J K 7 . Blinds were 50. One guy raises to 150. Now this is a gut shot and normally I'd fold, but now, if I can afford it, I call. If you hit, you are in a mega position. You are playing probably against someone with a K in his hand and you have a straight. You have to be careful with this , but I found if you get involved in these kind of hands, the payoffs can be the ones that make your tournament. If you only involve yourself in the hands where you do great on the flop, after limping in with the rest of the table, you often find you are up against other monster hands.

7) Timing - I learnt a great thing from a friend here - simply make sure you take the same time acting on every single move. One of the major tells I'm getting online is the speed people react. Of course there is a lot of acting going on. The worst is the guy who takes an age to check. We all know he has crap :-)

8) Don't ever slow play trips when the board pairs. Full houses - enough said (and enough lost lol)

Well, that's a few of the things I feel I have nailed. I'm sure it's full of mistakes, but hey! Just sharing my experience as I "develop"!

Wow, that was a long post Dodge, cool stuff - I went down a couple of levels to a $1 stt and managed 2nd, could it be the end of my down swing? I'll let you know

Okay, I will analyze this post in greater detail when I'm not busy/am in the mood.

Starting off, though. I agree with 1, 3, 4, 7. Not exactly well thought out, but good points none the less.

I will critique the others soon. However:

"If people's betting patterns don't make sense, nearly always it's because they are hiding weakness."

DEAD WRONG. Period. The End.

I have to agree with Borgo on the betting patterns, it doesn't always mean weakness.

Here is an example I had and it shows why you should pay attention at the table.

It was a Sit n Go (all I play these days seriously ) on PKR. I had a female to my right who was fairly aggressive. Whenever she saw a flop, she ALWAYS bet out. Sometimes she was caught bluffing, sometimes she took it down and sometimes she just simply got beat. Then this one hand she was in the BB, I was in first position. I had A-Q so I raised, everyone folded and she called. Now this is a long time ago so I can't remember the cards exactly, but this is generally how it went.

The flop came down something like Q-J-8. Now she is first to act but she CHECKED. This sent alarm bells ringing for me. She never checked, she always bet out. After thinking for a while, I bet about 2/3rds the pot to test the water. She called. Now this is even more suspicious and I put her on trips or Q-J. Turn was a Jack. She checked again. Now I have top 2 pair with top kicker, but by the manner of her betting pattern, I think I could be beat by a full house. I check. River was a blank. She thought for a long time here, almost timing out and she checks. So that is 3 times she checked and she is normally aggressive. I smell a trap. I check. She turned over 8-8, she had a full house, 8's over J's.

So this change definitely didn't hide weakness, quite the opposite. She was trying to trap me all the way. Luckily I had position and thankfully I was paying attention. Top 2 pair with top kicker would normally see me bet aggressively in most cases, but this just didn't feel right

I just re-read John Vorhaus' book. "Killer Poker Online 2" After reading it the first time it took my game up a notch. And now, after re-reading the chapters on making book and reading betting patterns, my confidence has been upped dramatically.
The tells ive picked up and acted on in the last few stt's have allowed me to make some pretty hard laydowns, not to mention go for the kill before that miracle card even has a chance to show!!!
I think it was Assistanc3 who said "Play the players...". Couldn't agree more.
And Kenny Roger's said " You gotta know when to fold'em, know when to hold'em..." and "know when to walk away"

Hmmm....maybe its time to deposit a "real amount"

Thanks again for all the great insights!!

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I've got leaky quads, and I call, after he bulldozes the pit with half his gold towers.


Couch

:-) - of course betting patterns tell all sorts of stories - but what I meant was when someone changes their pattern mid hand.

I think I was too brief explaining it.

i.e. someone follows the pattern you expect from then, then makes a drastic U-turn. Usually piling it on.

I think it's something I "feel" and am having a hard time explaining as I don't truly understand it. Put it this way, when someone pulls a fast one on me, I'm finding I notice more often than not now.

Just won another $50 on a 10 seat SnG. :-)

The biggest thing that I'm noticing, as mentioned above, it's it is all about the players. I can play a game and surf the web/watch tv and I'll get 3rd or 2nd at best, probably lose. If I concentrate on the players (and their chips stacks have a huge contribution) I do much much better,

Dodgey, if I'm not watching tv or playing multiple tables when I play, I'll be out in minutes. Poker is just too boring at times, I need to be distracted. It only takes a few hands for me to figure most players out. If theres a player that confuses me, then I will pay more attention until I get him/her figured out.

I've been playing with Borgo for years now and I still dont have him figured out. He'll bet 1/2 his stack with crap sometimes. Worse yet he'll catch his cards. But if he reraises allin, he usually has you beat.

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I have no doubt - I've sat to the right of Borgo ;-) I had absolutely no idea what was going on!

I'm talking about the general population of players at my stakes. They are very predictable. Very predictable.

Funny you should mention watching TV/multitabling. I just played another SNG (hourish after my previous post). I'm slightly drunk, I've smoked some, my Sis and wife are waffling to me, and I came 1st again :-) I pretty much only paid attention when I had to. Mostly though, I need to concentrate all the time at my skill level. I tried multitabling (read two!) several times and it's too much - I just lose :-p

I'd add - at cash tables I definately want distraction - it's mega boring. But I play only SnGs and MTTs. I do a quick cash game when I'm tired but want a little poker action.

You should multitable. Nothing special, just open 2 tables and play on them. On 2 tables you can still track the players and also get twice the action Evading the big mistake to play minor hands "just because you are bored"

If you are focussed enough, you can perhaps consider opening 3 or 4 tables.
Some idiots play up to 12 tables at the same time at pokerstars, getting all their info and reads from their pokertracker and HUD's.