Tweaking Your Game

[BoxingCritic 1]

So lately i've gotten heavy into cash games. I seem to win a lot of small pots but keep losing everything in big pots. I usually have the best hand when i'm getting my chips in there, however i must be doing something wrong to let people hang in there w/me. Would helpful tweaks be:1. higher betting Post Flop2. Re-Raising instead of calling if i'm in position and Person Bets on flop3. Getting super aggressive on the turn4. Pulling back a bit if it seems they have a good draw or my notes say that they are a calling station and will hang in there even w/bottom pairAny suggestions for adjustments YOU would make yourself is appreciated.BC

[erac22 0]

So lately i've gotten heavy into cash games. I seem to win a lot of small pots but keep losing everything in big pots. I usually have the best hand when i'm getting my chips in there, however i must be doing something wrong to let people hang in there w/me. Would helpful tweaks be:1. higher betting Post Flop2. Re-Raising instead of calling if i'm in position and Person Bets on flop3. Getting super aggressive on the turn4. Pulling back a bit if it seems they have a good draw or my notes say that they are a calling station and will hang in there even w/bottom pairAny suggestions for adjustments YOU would make yourself is appreciated.BC

Number 4 is redonkulous. If they're a calling station, get maximum value by betting a lot. There are 3 reasons to raise: Getting someone to fold whose ahead of you, getting someone to call whose behind you, and to give opponents a bad price for their draws. Keep this in mind.** I guess finding out where you're at is a fourth reason**erac

[BoxingCritic 1]

I like that ty. Helpful tip to keep in mind. I figured betting more or re-raising/raising would be the solution. Maybe i just need bigger Matzah Balls.BC

[ryansd 0]

Not sure exactly what limits you play...but...I would say to make sure you are very aggressive with your big hands. In general, online games are pretty looooose and will pay your big hands off. Be patient, pick your spots, and make sure you are getting maxium value in those spots. It sounds like you are stealing a good share and picking up the little ones. Slowplaying= death in online poker.

[dansheetz 0]

There are other reasons to raise: to get a cheaper card on a later street when you are drawing, or to get information about where you're at in the hand.For the OP, this is the best simple advice I can give: Try to play smaller pots with vulnerable hands like top pair or an overpair. Try to play big pots (and get the money in early) with big hands like sets and top 2 pair.

Number 4 is redonkulous. If they're a calling station, get maximum value by betting a lot. There are 3 reasons to raise: Getting someone to fold whose ahead of you, getting someone to call whose behind you, and to give opponents a bad price for their draws. Keep this in mind.erac

[BoxingCritic 1]

These are 1/2 NL games where i buy in for about $100I really think i'm not being aggressive enough w/my hands. I'm very afraid of going broke w/top pair and a great kicker. Seems to be my weakest spot.Got to remember if you don't see the river you can't get beat.

[erac22 0]

These are 1/2 NL games where i buy in for about $100I really think i'm not being aggressive enough w/my hands. I'm very afraid of going broke w/top pair and a great kicker. Seems to be my weakest spot.Got to remember if you don't see the river you can't get beat.

I edited to include gettin info. Also, in nl ring games, raising in position for a free card is not as standard a play as it is in limit, so I didn't include it. (it can be risky as you can face a re-reraise of more than a small bet on the flop. To the OP, if you're buying in for 100, you should drop to .5/1 nl. In nl games it is always advantageous to buy in for the max, and have maximum stack to blind ratio. (unless you're playing miller shortstack strat).

[BoxingCritic 1]

Thanks for all the great advise guys. Appreciate it.Gotta get them to stop calling me on the turn. I lose way too much money w/top pair. It's not needed. I will come back to this thread often just to remind me of your simple and smart suggestions. Hence a tweak.BC

[Actuary 3]

There are other reasons to raise: to get a cheaper card on a later street when you are drawing, or to get information about where you're at in the hand.For the OP, this is the best simple advice I can give: Try to play smaller pots with vulnerable hands like top pair or an overpair. Try to play big pots (and get the money in early) with big hands like sets and top 2 pair.

use this one.

[Blake Brentwood 0]

Damn, I thought this thread was gonna be about Chris Moneymaker and how he tweaks his game on PokerStars.net and how we should too.

[cu in 4years Dan 1]

Number 4 is redonkulous. If they're a calling station, get maximum value by betting a lot. There are 3 reasons to raise: Getting someone to fold whose ahead of you, getting someone to call whose behind you, and to give opponents a bad price for their draws. Keep this in mind.** I guess finding out where you're at is a fourth reason**erac

[Dice_3008 1]

So lately i've gotten heavy into cash games. I seem to win a lot of small pots but keep losing everything in big pots. I usually have the best hand when i'm getting my chips in there, however i must be doing something wrong to let people hang in there w/me. Would helpful tweaks be:1. higher betting Post Flop2. Re-Raising instead of calling if i'm in position and Person Bets on flop3. Getting super aggressive on the turn- I don't like this plan. Any decent player will pick up on this and set a trap for you.4. Pulling back a bit if it seems they have a good draw or my notes say that they are a calling station and will hang in there even w/bottom pair- Keep in mind you want calling stations calling you down to the river with bottom pair. Sounds like you're overplaying your hands a bit. I don't like getting all my money in when I only have top pair.Any suggestions for adjustments YOU would make yourself is appreciated.BC

[crazyplaya6 0]

Damn, I thought this thread was gonna be about Chris Moneymaker and how he tweaks his game on PokerStars.net and how we should too.

i mean who doesn't? apparently i can be the next ME champ if i just play there!! sweet deal!sw

[hblask 1]

You also have to look at the possibility that you are just having a bad run. This month has been bad beat month for me, and I've had the results you have: small wins, big losses. I swear I've lost at least half the time when I'm 80% or better on the river, and those are the hands you need most. If you are getting in as favorite, you are doing well, and more betting can only help long-term (assuming the additional betting doesn't chase away fish who would pay you off otherwise).The biggest problem with accepting the "bad run" theory is that it is easy to fall in love with it rather honestly examining your game. If you look at your game and see big bets when you are a big favorite, but you are losing anyway, well, what can anyone say? Sometimes the idiots get lucky. A Lot. For longer than you can imagine.

[BoxingCritic 1]

I understand about the bad run theory, however IMO if something keeps happening over and over and i keep getting the same result then IT HAS TO BE MY GAME. Or i have to CHANGE/TWEAK my game to adjust. Smaller pots w/top pair seemed to be the most reasonable/quick fix suggestion. I'm going to try and implement that today and see if i get a better result.I'll still make my bet on the flop but i'm really gonna concentrate more on what i think they could have and if they play back at me or over me well.......I'm also going to play my really strong hands STRONGER. I do think i've subconciously been slow playing them and burning myself trying to get more $.Thanks for all the feedback. This is exactly what a message board is for.BC

[freak2304 0]

These are 1/2 NL games where i buy in for about $100I really think i'm not being aggressive enough w/my hands. I'm very afraid of going broke w/top pair and a great kicker. Seems to be my weakest spot.Got to remember if you don't see the river you can't get beat.

Like they say...Scared money is dead money.

[mellinac 0]

To me, winning small pots means you are betting guys out with inferior hands, which is a good job of taking the pots that you should. Conversely, if you are constantly losing the bigger pots, maybe your opponent's hands/draws are better than you think they are. Make sure you are properly counting your outs and calculating your odds for each hand. Also, work on your reads some more if you are getting stuck.

[Actuary 3]

Like they say...Scared money is dead money.

[freak2304 0]

[Actuary 3]

I'm just saying..unless you got mad reading skills..goig broke on TOP pair..especially by betting pot bets on each street and then callnig a river small raise..is not good. Make your money with big edges.Now..we can talk about game theory and playing that style of overbetting big draws and big hands..and bluffs..but... OP ain't there yet.and neither am I, of course.For most palyers, keeoping the pot manageable with TP makes sense.

[freak2304 0]

I'm just saying..unless you got mad reading skills..goig broke on TOP pair..especially by betting pot bets on each street and then callnig a river small raise..is not good. Make your money with big edges.Now..we can talk about game theory and playing that style of overbetting big draws and big hands..and bluffs..but... OP ain't there yet.and neither am I, of course.For most palyers, keeoping the pot manageable with TP makes sense.

I was just commenting on him saying he's "afraid of top pair, good kicker" and I just feel you can't always play in fear of the check-raise. I understand what your saying. Top pair is still only one pair.