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Poker a huge trap?

Blogs > avilo
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avilo
Profile Blog Joined November 2007
United States4100 Posts
November 11 2009 08:03 GMT
#1
Hmm...it is great the TSL is being sponsored but poker just seems like a huge trap to me. Perhaps because of my bad luck?

Experience with poker so far:

I started playing a bit ago, and started at 1c/2c tables as well as 2/5 cent tables and 5/10 tables but I did horrible at those when I started - it seemed like people would call with anything, and I would always get sucked out on no matter what I was holding

So one of my friends that has made a lot from poker convinced me to deposit a bit and start to play more seriously, and I went ahead and started on 10/25 c tables, which actually seemed to help me do better, as idiots could not just call of their chips and get lucky as often...but I went down a lot, around 170 bux, but then started to go up, and was up 170...and then...

bad beat, after bad beat after bad beat. I have aces, I get sucked out from pocket kings -> trips, or even worse, I remember losing kk/aa to idiotic callers with 7/5 off that would hit two pair and such...

and it's kept going on, I will hit the nut straight, have the hand locked the entire way, and they hit a runner runner flush, or full house, just wtf...

I do not see how it is possible to profit from poker if you are making the "right decisions" but end up losing your backroll for making them. I did go down limits of course, but the same suckouts keep happening, the same types of things, over and over. Like I do not see how it is possible variance wise to be that unlucky.

Is Poker just a trap or what? There surely are not many "fish" online, sighs...do I have to now stick to only exclusively playing kk/aa/ak? I am exaggerating of course, but poker is getting really annoying when you get sucked out on this much.


*
Sup
theron[wdt]
Profile Blog Joined January 2009
United States395 Posts
November 11 2009 08:05 GMT
#2
i don't understand how some people make a profit off of poker but whatever it is they're doing, it works.
Turbovolver
Profile Blog Joined January 2009
Australia2451 Posts
November 11 2009 08:12 GMT
#3
do I have to now stick to only exclusively playing kk/aa/ak?

LOL YEAH DO THIS YOU WILL SEE BETTER RESULTS
The original Bogus fan.
Mortality
Profile Blog Joined December 2005
United States4790 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-11-11 08:13:55
November 11 2009 08:12 GMT
#4
Poker is a zero sum game. Every dollar somebody earns is a dollar somebody else loses. Unless you're really good at playing the odds, don't play for any significant amount of cash, because somebody who's better will just take your money.

Edit: I just noticed that whenever you write poker in a comment, it automatically creates a hotlink to liquidpoker. LOL
Even though this Proleague bullshit has been completely bogus, I really, really, really do not see how Khan can lose this. I swear I will kill myself if they do. - nesix before KHAN lost to eNature
talismania
Profile Blog Joined December 2007
United States2364 Posts
November 11 2009 08:18 GMT
#5
hmm poker poker poker

doesn't seem to work for me.

(just kidding yeah it does.)

also so far I've only played poker twice (10c/20c) with people I know and am up 46 bucks... presumably I will lose that shortly though.
Chill
Profile Blog Joined January 2005
Calgary26003 Posts
November 11 2009 08:20 GMT
#6
I don't know what to tell you. Obviously if you make the right moves more often than your opponent you are going to win money. How is this a question?
Moderator
7mk
Profile Blog Joined January 2009
Germany10157 Posts
November 11 2009 08:35 GMT
#7
On November 11 2009 17:12 Mortality wrote:
Poker is a zero sum game. Every dollar somebody earns is a dollar somebody else loses.

That's not true, if you play with someone and the money just goes back and forth between you two, you both lose, and the poker company wins (via rake)


"Is Poker just a trap or what? There surely are not many "fish" online"... Yes, there are that many fish online.

I know your pain man, someone going all in with like 7,4 offsuite preflop and beating your aces hurts.
But after all you WANT them to do that. dont forget that he did have a certain percentage to win with that hand. You want him to take that risk, because 9/10 you win all of his money. 1/10 times he does, that's life, deal with it.
Just keep playing, if you really didnt do any mistakes, got sucked out on really badly, then it's not your fault, youre just unlucky for a moment.
But if losing the money hurts too much, go down to lower stakes again.
Thinking "I'll go to higher stakes, because there the people are not as retarded and dont call with nothing and suck out" is NOT the right way to think.
You want people to be stupid and to call you with stupid shit, just adapt your game and play tighter, they will only suck out on you a certain percentage of the time, as long as you play long enough.
beep boop
Divinek
Profile Blog Joined November 2006
Canada4045 Posts
November 11 2009 08:38 GMT
#8
On November 11 2009 17:03 avilo wrote:

I do not see how it is possible to profit from poker if you are making the "right decisions" but end up losing your backroll for making them.


It does not sound like you're making the right decisions then. You shouldn't ever lose your br. And even if you have downswings, that happens. But in the long run you're winning more if you're playing better, and i mean LONG run. Downswings can last a long time.
Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
Oh goodness me, FOX tv where do you get your sight? Can't you keep track, the puck is black. That's why the ice is white.
Heyoka
Profile Blog Joined March 2008
Katowice25012 Posts
November 11 2009 08:38 GMT
#9
Yep. A trap.
@RealHeyoka | ESL / DreamHack StarCraft Lead
SK.Testie
Profile Blog Joined January 2007
Canada11084 Posts
November 11 2009 08:48 GMT
#10
That guy that won the tournament was a hustler. Big fat ugly guy with shades.
Social Justice is a fools errand. May all the adherents at its church be thwarted. Of all the religions I have come across, it is by far the most detestable.
meeple
Profile Blog Joined April 2009
Canada10211 Posts
November 11 2009 08:48 GMT
#11
Not a huge trap, but a trap... I mean all gambling is really. I never play poker to actually gain money, thats just a perk. If I'm part of a friendly game, I consider that 10-20 bucks money paid for entertainment. Not seeing the 50 bucks as potential income is a great way to make the game fun, instead of stressful.
Vivi57
Profile Blog Joined September 2007
United States6599 Posts
November 11 2009 08:54 GMT
#12
poker is free money, get better at the game and you'll win
Flash hwaiting! Nal_rA forever!
29 fps
Profile Blog Joined March 2008
United States5725 Posts
November 11 2009 09:04 GMT
#13
it may or may not be a money trap, but it sure is a time trap. you'll lose so many hours to this game if you get addicted (to the game itself or just gambling in general)
4v4 is a battle of who has the better computer.
Ao_Jun
Profile Blog Joined July 2003
Denmark396 Posts
November 11 2009 09:31 GMT
#14
It was kinda like that in the beginning for me as well.. However i really started to analyze the hands that i lost and i actually found out that most of the suckouts i had was because i:
1) Didn't bet enough. (slowplayed alot because i felt that was what maverick and matt damon would have done...)
2) Called a high bet in pure spite, even though i 'knew' he had hit his card on the river.
Dunno if it's like that for you - But what helped me was to think more about why i'm making the move i am. Not just anger-calling.
Also playing more tables helped me because i didn't get 'emotionally involved' at one specific table.

But maybe you're just unlucky.. it happens sometimes.
you are one of the least benigtedly unintelligent organic life forms it has been my profound lack of pleasure not to be able to avoid meeting.
CharlieMurphy
Profile Blog Joined March 2006
United States22895 Posts
November 11 2009 09:33 GMT
#15
lol if you saw the WSOP final table and how bad those guys were playing you'd know that luck> skill in tournaments.
..and then I would, ya know, check em'. (Aka SpoR)
50bani
Profile Blog Joined June 2009
Romania480 Posts
November 11 2009 09:50 GMT
#16
I know what you mean, man, I recently took a 12 buy-in downswing at nl2! Killer bad beats are possible and take a huge toll on your bankroll. Review your own play though and plug the leaks if any.

Remember that 72o will crack aces almost 12% of the time so don't think they are unbeatable. Aces are good to shove preflop, postflop they are a mere one pair hand that needs to be treated as such otherwise you will win the small pots and lose the big ones.
I'm posting on twoplustwo because I have always been amazed at the level of talent that populates this site --- it's almost unparalleled on the Internet.
avilo
Profile Blog Joined November 2007
United States4100 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-11-11 10:02:05
November 11 2009 10:00 GMT
#17
On November 11 2009 17:20 Chill wrote:
I don't know what to tell you. Obviously if you make the right moves more often than your opponent you are going to win money. How is this a question?


Because you can make the right moves and still lose.

On November 11 2009 17:38 Divinek wrote:
Show nested quote +
On November 11 2009 17:03 avilo wrote:

I do not see how it is possible to profit from poker if you are making the "right decisions" but end up losing your backroll for making them.


It does not sound like you're making the right decisions then. You shouldn't ever lose your br. And even if you have downswings, that happens. But in the long run you're winning more if you're playing better, and i mean LONG run. Downswings can last a long time.


well, the entire time I have been playing poker has been a downswing =/
"in the long run" is nice for someone that has the money to throw around.

I do not see how it is possible to profit when in such a "downswing," like, for example, you have AA preflop, you are re-raised 3x big blinds, you re-raise, and they re-raise too...they prob have kings right? well, this if you end up losing somehow with AA like this having ridiculous advantage, or other types of hands...wtf you supposed to do?

it is just a killer to have the best hand, protect the hand, and the guy stays in on a random gutshot with like 10% chance or whatever of hitting on the river and he hits...or like how the fuck are you supposed to play fuckers that re-raise pre-flop with random shit like 7/5, 4/6, hell, even 9/10, j/10, they stay in the hand, you have kings/queens or overpair etc. you get your money in, and they just happen to hit...like god, it is so frustrating.

!!! then it snowballs, because I am not going to play while I am frustrated either...that will not help, but then I end up not playing hands at all so that doesn't work =/
Sup
exalted
Profile Blog Joined March 2004
United States3612 Posts
Last Edited: 2009-11-11 10:14:05
November 11 2009 10:08 GMT
#18
i don't have the time to really explain in depth, but here are some quickfire thoughts:

o you are losing because you are just as bad as the "fish" you berate
o while playing better cards than your opponent (tighter than them) is in itself an edge, it is not a large one, and it certainly is not a large enough edge by itself that you will profit every time in the short run (because your edge is small, your resulting variance will be high)
o if you only play premium hands and pay them off when they "suck out", then they are not really making a big mistake "drawing to random 2 pair crap", because if they hit, they will take your stack, and if they don't, then they will fold (so, you will win small pots and lose big ones)

these are some really generalized points, but the bottom line is, playing tight =/= big edge over loose players (in fact, while you are playing better cards, you also become easier to read, while it is impossible for you to know what the "fish" has because he could be chasing "anything")

tight does not mean better

it just reduces potential "short-term" variance while cutting your bottomline winrate, effectively increasing your long term variance

to just end the post with a little hypothetical that might change your poker mindset

you are playing heads up say, 110bb deep with your opponent, and he accidentally shows his AA to you (he does not realize). he then raises 3xbb. what is the correct play?

your first instinct may be fold, but the correct answer is to call with 100% of your hands... and then play perfectly postflop (in otherwords, hit 2p or better, bluff your stack if it comes 4-flush and he doesn't have that As obviously)

do you understand?

g2g badminton
too easy
Patriot.dlk
Profile Blog Joined October 2004
Sweden5462 Posts
November 11 2009 10:09 GMT
#19
If people calls you with anything then the solution is quite simple. You are in heaven. Deposit enough so you can play 6-8 tables and start playing your cards more then the opponents.

only play QQ,KK, AA and play them aggressively. You you feel you get to few hands to play then open up a table or two more.


avilo
Profile Blog Joined November 2007
United States4100 Posts
November 11 2009 10:17 GMT
#20
On November 11 2009 19:08 exalted wrote:
i don't have the time to really explain in depth, but here are some quickfire thoughts:

o you are losing because you are just as bad as the "fish" you berate
o while playing better cards than your opponent (tighter than them) is in itself an edge, it is not a large one, and it certainly is not a large enough edge by itself that it will allow you to simply profit in the short run (because your edge is small, so your variance is high)
o if you only play premium hands and pay them off when they "suck out", then they are not really making a big mistake "drawing to random 2 pair crap", because if they miraculously hit, they will take your stack, and if they don't, then they will just fold (so, you will win small pots and lose big ones)

these are some really generalized points, but the bottom line is, playing tight =/= big edge over loose players (in fact, while you are playing better cards, you also become easier to read, while it is impossible for you to know what the "fish" has because he could be chasing "anything")

tight does not mean better

it just reduces potential "short-term" variance while cutting your bottomline winrate, effectively increasing your long term variance


where did I berate anyone calling them fish? o.O

and I have been playing a lot of hands, winning with nothing as well, playing solid I suppose, it is just when I actually do have a hand, and they do (or even if they don't...), and end up in those situations, I have been losing them...

there have been times i have been aggressive, won pots that I probably should not have, other times have folded hands when needed, even a/k routine folds when nothing hits and they obviously did.

just dunno thx for the advice though
Sup
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