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Q&a With Steve7stud


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This is a thread where you can ask me any poker related questions.I will always give you my honest opinion.Please keep in mind that I might not be correct, hopefully I am. But I will do my best to help.

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in!in badugi, on the button you have A2. UTG (6 handed) raises, it folds to you, standard line is?assume first hand you've ever played with anyone at the table.
I will usually re-raise here. You are against a 1 card draw about 80% of the time, so you are technically behind, but can catch up quick with any low card. Lower than a 5. You don't want to let the blinds in, if it is just a raise and a call, they will often call with marginal hands and be priced in later. a2 is not a hand that I will typically snow with because of it's drawing power. I do like to try and get it heads up with that hand. Badugi is a strange game. Not a lot of literature has been written about it. Many people have different views on the game itself. It is the one game that plays bigger than any other limit I have seen. For example.......200-400 plays like 300-600 or 400-800. It can be a crazy game. Lots of fun, lots of bad beats, lots of bluffing. Hope that helps.
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Ok...here's one for you. What can I do to widen my raising range, specifically in plo games. I find I'm playing very "timid" and my pfr range is ~3-5% most sessions. I know this is low, but I find it spewing to raise "too many" speculative hands when so many of them have to either fold on a whiffed flop, or risk spewing more money with a standard continuation bet that has no choice but to fold with ANY pressure.

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I will usually re-raise here. You are against a 1 card draw about 80% of the time, so you are technically behind, but can catch up quick with any low card. Lower than a 5. You don't want to let the blinds in, if it is just a raise and a call, they will often call with marginal hands and be priced in later. a2 is not a hand that I will typically snow with because of it's drawing power. I do like to try and get it heads up with that hand. Badugi is a strange game. Not a lot of literature has been written about it. Many people have different views on the game itself. It is the one game that plays bigger than any other limit I have seen. For example.......200-400 plays like 300-600 or 400-800. It can be a crazy game. Lots of fun, lots of bad beats, lots of bluffing. Hope that helps.
Would it be too much to ask for some guidelines to use when playing badugi? Perhaps just starting hands, raising hands, etc. to propel some discussion.
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Ok...here's one for you. What can I do to widen my raising range, specifically in plo games. I find I'm playing very "timid" and my pfr range is ~3-5% most sessions. I know this is low, but I find it spewing to raise "too many" speculative hands when so many of them have to either fold on a whiffed flop, or risk spewing more money with a standard continuation bet that has no choice but to fold with ANY pressure.
I wish I was a better PLO player. I think there is a lot of money to be made in the game. I have played in rather large games, and faired well. I have noticed that most of the smallish to medium games are pretty tag. Certain premium hands in plo you want to play heads up, certain hands you want a multi-way pot. A lot of this depends on who you are playing with, how well you know them, and how well they know you. It seems like everyone knows how to play sets and huge wraps/flush draws. But people don't know how to value bet two pair, or make big bluffs.A couple of things I would reccomend. Play at a smaller limit for awhile. Experiment with various hands so that you don't feel the sting of losses. I would start to open with a variety of hands so that you can see what it feels like to be a lag player. In any no limit or pot limit game you are often going to be put to the test. It is best to be tested at a limit that is most comfortable for you. The most successful players I know in nl/pl are aggressive. Some are selective, some are loose. But they all apply maximim pressure. I would say that dropping down to a limit that really won't bother you at all is the best thing to do for right now. Confidence is key in those games.
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One more.In a cash game what pieces of information can I take into account for altering the amount of a standard preflop raise and how should I alter it?How does the number of limpers affect my PF raise?Should I always have the exact same PF raise regardless of situation?How does the tightness of a table affect my PF raise?What other reasons are there for a PF raise besides getting weaker hands out or getting more money into the pot?Thanks for your time.

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How do you deal with 120 BB downswings that occur over < 500 hands?Actually, in general, I think my only tilt problem occurs when I suffer 4 or 5 bad beats or coolers or 2nd best hands, etc, within a few minutes. That's kinda when I can sorta feel the wire snap, so to speak.I tend to think, other than those occurances, I'm good at handling the beats and swings of SH LHE, but what do you do, or recommend for accepting the beats, and controlling the tilt issues a bit better?

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The most successful players I know in nl/pl are aggressive. Some are selective, some are loose. But they all apply maximim pressure.
Ok, to follow up on that point, in pot limit games specifically, should I be varying the size of my bets or as a general rule, should I always be betting the full pot, or close to it - so as i) not to give any information about my hands through my bet sizes and ii) to apply, as you say, "maximum pressure"?
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Would it be too much to ask for some guidelines to use when playing badugi? Perhaps just starting hands, raising hands, etc. to propel some discussion.
Badugi is a triple draw game. You get 4 cards. The goal is to get a234 all different suits. That is known as a wheel. You will see that hand quite seldomly in a session. Ideally you are looking for three low cards to start. Low cards containing an ace and below a 5. That is a premium starting hand. Obv the best drawing hand is a23 different suits. Position is also important in the game. You can raise people off of made hands like jacks, queens, or kings. These are badugi's, but bad ones. It is important to try and keep track of the suits when playing badugi to try and figure out who has which cards, and how live you are drawing. Again, this is a simple game, but there are certain complexities involved.
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One more.In a cash game what pieces of information can I take into account for altering the amount of a standard preflop raise and how should I alter it?How does the number of limpers affect my PF raise?Should I always have the exact same PF raise regardless of situation?How does the tightness of a table affect my PF raise?What other reasons are there for a PF raise besides getting weaker hands out or getting more money into the pot?Thanks for your time.
In a no limit game I tell people to generally raise 3x's the BB.Limpers affect my raise more in a tourney than in a cash game, but I will almost never go over 4x's the BB with limpers.I still raise 3x's regardless of how tight the table is.Raising pre flop can give the illusion of action. This can be a great weapon when used properly. People like to play with action players. If you are known to raise often, you will get called often. You can set more traps, build bigger pots, and generally keep your opponents guessing.
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How do you deal with 120 BB downswings that occur over < 500 hands?Actually, in general, I think my only tilt problem occurs when I suffer 4 or 5 bad beats or coolers or 2nd best hands, etc, within a few minutes. That's kinda when I can sorta feel the wire snap, so to speak.I tend to think, other than those occurances, I'm good at handling the beats and swings of SH LHE, but what do you do, or recommend for accepting the beats, and controlling the tilt issues a bit better?
If you really take time to think about tilt, you will become quite sad. Think of all of the charities you could give your money to as opposed to poker players who are looking to take your money anyway. Think of how much you could have used that money to spend on yourself, loved ones, bills, etc. If you begin to look at tilt that way, it will happen far less.People often tilt when they are not prepared emotionally for a session. You need to be well rested, nourished, and in a good frame of mind. Tilt is a natural part of poker. So is gambling. These are habits that you want to work on fixing. They are leaks. Everyone has them to a certain degree. The first thing you do is acknowledge it which you have done. Through repetition, you can fix these problems. Listen to soothing music. Take breaks as needed.One very important element of tilt that many people don't understand is br management. If you are playing within your br, you should not have a reason to tilt. In fact you should welcome people to draw out on you, make mistakes and get rewarded, etc.It is those people who are temporarily holding your money for you. That money is in a huge interest bearing acct. When they show up again, they will not only have your money, but plenty more of their own. Let them hold for a bit. It will come back to you if you are the better player.
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Ok, to follow up on that point, in pot limit games specifically, should I be varying the size of my bets or as a general rule, should I always be betting the full pot, or close to it - so as i) not to give any information about my hands through my bet sizes and ii) to apply, as you say, "maximum pressure"?
I personally think it's a good idea to keep the size of your pf bets the same. It completely hides your hand. Again this is my opinion. But it is quite difficult to read someone when they raise the same amount every time with any four cards. Post flop I like the idea of betting the same amount as well. Obviously not the same amount as pre flop, but keeping the bets the same size time after time will never give your opponent any additional info.
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Steve,This is appreciated; but you will get over run and will not be able to keep it going in it's current format, unless you simply skip over most questions.You've always been high class and never responded to my swipes of you and your ego. Indulge me a sec. One day, I said to my mom, who ran the house, "Well, I'm the only one that ever keeps you in check" (I was 34 and pretty much was the closest to her of anyone and knew her better than even dad did). She said "I'm 55 years old. I don't need you to keep me in check" I pretty much regret making that comment. It's sorta like how I've looked at you. I know you are a great player and helpful; but I felt it as if you had reached an untouchable state here and needed to be checked, albeit slightly and probaby no one even noticed. Anyway, it was pretty gay for me to say it to Mom and unnecessary towards you as well. Now my question:Please address the concept of "I'd rather play with players who at least have some clue"I've suggested that if I'm a 7, I'd rather play with 4s than 1s. I don''t know if I agree with that but only to explain the sentiment of those that seem to hate playing with total fish.thanks for your time.

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Zomg, thanks for the new sig quote. Seems like something out of a poker-fortune-cookie.
Ya, that post really hit home with me. Thx for this Steve, great idea. I got a feeling though you're gunna be rather busy.
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One very important element of tilt that many people don't understand is br management. It is those people who are temporarily holding your money for you. That money is in a huge interest bearing acct. When they show up again, they will not only have your money, but plenty more of their own. Let them hold for a bit. It will come back to you if you are the better player.
What is the S7S theory of br management? I know the forum "standard" has been 300bb for most limit ring games, 500bb for 6max, and 30-50 buyins for tourney or NL play (all rough estimates)On the second point, I had that exact thought just yesterday playing plo with a guy. He was shortstacked, playing the obvious try and double up quick strategy. We got it all in and I bricked 18 outs twice (imagine that...) and doubled him up. I still had him covered though, and low and behold, we got it all in again on the very next hand when I flopped 2 pair, wrap draw w/flush backup on my 5689 against his AAxx that totally whiffed the flop, but he called all his (my) money anyways. I literally almost typed in the chatbox that I should have charged him interest for letting him hold on to my money for those 30 seconds, BUT, I remembered the old don't tap on the glass adage and just typed a meek "sry" about cracking his aces. hehehehe -- I wasn't sorry :club:
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Steve,This is appreciated; but you will get over run and will not be able to keep it going in it's current format, unless you simply skip over most questions.You've always been high class and never responded to my swipes of you and your ego. Indulge me a sec. One day, I said to my mom, who ran the house, "Well, I'm the only one that ever keeps you in check" (I was 34 and pretty much was the closest to her of anyone and knew her better than even dad did). She said "I'm 55 years old. I don't need you to keep me in check" I pretty much regret making that comment. It's sorta like how I've looked at you. I know you are a great player and helpful; but I felt it as if you had reached an untouchable state here and needed to be checked, albeit slightly and probaby no one even noticed. Anyway, it was pretty gay for me to say it to Mom and unnecessary towards you as well. Now my question:Please address the concept of "I'd rather play with players who at least have some clue"I've suggested that if I'm a 7, I'd rather play with 4s than 1s. I don''t know if I agree with that but only to explain the sentiment of those that seem to hate playing with total fish.thanks for your time.
I like to play with a combination of players. Some pretty good (not great), some avg, and some bad. That always seems like a good balance to me. I have never been a fan of playing with a table full of bad players. If someone is totally clueless and the rest of table is clueless as well, I think you would have little chance of winning. You can take the best hand in hold em, but if you are against 7-8 other poor players, you are never that big of a favorite. The same is true in most games. 2-7 would be an obvious exception. If I had 23457 and had a table full of people calling me, that would be nice.In reality, you need to have a mix in there. I'm not sure if it's my playing style or if it is how most people feel in general. But I too feel more comfortable with people who can occassionally lay a hand down. Pros and cons, and many arguments can be made either way. For the sake of simplicity, I agree with your sentiment about wanting to play with 4's. It doesn't hurt to have a couple of 1's in there either though. It is hard to figure out the 1's at the table, whereas the 4's at least have some sort of rhyme and reason to what they are doing. You as a player should be a step ahead of the 4's and thus be able to figure out where they are at. The 1's "can" be dangerous in theory. But in small doses, they are a welcome addition to any game.
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What is the S7S theory of br management? I know the forum "standard" has been 300bb for most limit ring games, 500bb for 6max, and 30-50 buyins for tourney or NL play (all rough estimates)On the second point, I had that exact thought just yesterday playing plo with a guy. He was shortstacked, playing the obvious try and double up quick strategy. We got it all in and I bricked 18 outs twice (imagine that...) and doubled him up. I still had him covered though, and low and behold, we got it all in again on the very next hand when I flopped 2 pair, wrap draw w/flush backup on my 5689 against his AAxx that totally whiffed the flop, but he called all his (my) money anyways. I literally almost typed in the chatbox that I should have charged him interest for letting him hold on to my money for those 30 seconds, BUT, I remembered the old don't tap on the glass adage and just typed a meek "sry" about cracking his aces. hehehehe -- I wasn't sorry :club:
My theory about br management is to always have more. I reccomend that a recreational player should have 300bb and a pro should have at least 500bb.Oddly enough, some of my friends who are MUCH better than I am have told me that you don't need nearly that much money if you are a winning player, and better than your competition. While I see their point, I disagree. I personally feel that the more cushion you have, the better off you are. Poker is a business. The last thing you want to worry about is going out of business. I also believe that when a player is losing for an extended period of time it is because they are outclassed. NOT because they are running poorly. Running poorly is an excuse. Nothing more, nothing less. Most people are not honest with themselves about their game. You should find a limit that you can beat, take advantage of it, and have a cushion for those days when things are not going your way.If you truly are a good player, your results will show just that.
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I like to play with a combination of players. Some pretty good (not great), some avg, and some bad. That always seems like a good balance to me. I have never been a fan of playing with a table full of bad players. If someone is totally clueless and the rest of table is clueless as well, I think you would have little chance of winning. You can take the best hand in hold em, but if you are against 7-8 other poor players, you are never that big of a favorite.
We don't have to be a favorite to make a lot of money when we're getting 8:1.I don't enjoy playing in limit games with a bunch of idiots, but not because I think it's a good way to make money.
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Thanks for the Q&A forum, Steve!I play almost exclusively NLHE large MTTs and 45 man SNGs at the micro-limit levels ($1-2). I'm your typical bonus-whorer, trying to turn $50 into a brazillion. I run real well in the micro Razz and Horse tourneys, but with the lack of tourney and (especially) SNG options at micro stakes, I'm stuck in hold 'em hell until I clear bonus.That said, my question is this: I have two leaks in my game that I have identified. #1 : I play entirely too aggressively once I am ITM in NLHE MTTs in order to accumulate chips. Although it depends highly on read, M, stack size, and FIV, do you have some general guidelines for chip accumulation once you are in the last 10% of the field of a large field? It is much more difficult (bordering on suicide) to wait for legitimate hands late, but any more than one "steal" an orbit seems to bring the wrath of the doomswitch. Do you put any stock in stealing from the blind-stealers, or is that play best left until the FT, where the prize jumps really make even the marginal players put on the brakes with KJsooooted?#2 : The first hour of NLHE MTTs. Holy god. I don't even know where to begin. Sometimes I feel any money put into any pot pre- or post-flop before the blinds hit 25/50 can be classified as a dark tunnel bet. How do you advocate approaching the first hour? I think in 80% of my last 20 MTTs I've sat at the end of the first hour comparing my stack size to the field and realizing I was better off sitting out. There's the basic thoughts of staying away from connectors except in late position in unraised pots, not getting too involved with A-rag up through AQ PF. Playing small pairs for set mining only. I don't even worry about playing too tight that I do not get big hands paid off, because absolutely *no one* notices. They are too busy being the 6th cold caller of a large UTG raise, or the 4th post-flop all-in where no one has either an overpair, or the straight or flush draw. :club: It truly is insane getting anyone to lay anything down postflop in these donkfests. Can we truly decide to be as tight as to play only top 10-type hands until at least 25/50 or 50/100 blinds? It's almost criminal to stay out of pots with all the dead money being tossed around, but reducing yourself to getting into so many marginal spots against calling stations has got to be -EV in the long run. I almost feel better about calling raises with suited connectors in position as opposed to calling in unraised pots, because its actually rather difficult to get substantially paid off in unraised pots with connector-friendly flops. At least when we call raises with the connectors, we can play them much similar to set-mining a small pair, so it takes a lot of pressure off us to make a hard decision post-flop. But once again, risking much more than 5% of our chips on connectors has got to be a big no-no, right?OK, I think I provided enough content before I started to ramble. Thanks in advance, Steve.

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If you had one method and one month to improve yourself as a player without actually playing, would you read books (HOH, etc.), pour over hand histories or rail similarly styled successful players? Obviously, a combination of all of these is ideal, but how do you feel is the BEST way to improve your game WITHOUT actually playing?

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I know this question can be very situational but I can't think of many others at the moment. I usually play LHE 1/2 and 2/4. Are there certain hand guidlines that you usually play by? Or what do you usually raise with and are there ever situations where you would limp instead of raising preflop? I know it really depends on the situation (position) and reads on the other people but that's all I've got. I was also interested to hear what types of games you usually play or enjoy the most.Also, I'm turning 21 soon so are there any things I should know about live play that is different from online? (tips,style,how much I should buy in for)Thanks for answering everyone's questions. I appreciate it.

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I don't know how much you play HU, or have thought of the issue...so I'm just asking outta curiousity...How many buy-ins do you think are appropriate to play 2/4nl - 10/20nl HU cash games...taking into consideration that "you" have beat .5/1-1/2 with a little 2/4 over the course of 100k+ hands.For a "pro".I personally have tried to play with no less than 100 buy-ins, which is not necessary for .5/1 or 1/2 really at all, but I wanted to take my time coming back and make sure I had discipline. So really I'm wondering what you think, if anything, about 2/4, 3/6, 5/10 and 10/20...Would you keep the 100 buy-in rule, or look at 50 buy-ins as "good" for any limit in that range, and take shots in good games if you have say 35 buy-ins? Or maybe 100 buy-ins for your main game, and say 50-75 buy-ins for the next limit up if taking a shot?Just curious what you think...something I've been debating...- Jordan

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