Where to learn 'other' poker games?

[aaron1867]

Are the alternative games a bit gambley?

They say to me "You'd lose X game" (because I like to gamble) and I am like wtf? Any two can win?!

[Simon Galloway]

Learning comes in two parts.  The first is theory and will require you to read forums/books and watch videos.  For example, split pot games, understanding that the key concept is to have a 2way hand (even better with re-draw potential) and to put all your money in against an opponent who is only playing one way.  Once you can understand that concept (and other basics for other games that aren't split pot) then you can move to stage 2.

Can't swim without getting wet.  In the old days that meant playing £500 deep with a table of sharks and hoping to at least learn something before being sent skint.  Now you can learn quicker for a tiny fraction of the price.

micro stakes, now you can get a feel for the game.  In the split pot example above, I see novices bang the shit out of a pot where they can only possibly be good for the lo (and possibly splitting the lo, or getting counterfeited for it)  so with experience, you will learn how not to be that guy and also what to do when you are up against that guy.

Further finesse comes from getting a feel for who is doing what.  If you are going lo (unbreakable) and other 2 guys are going hi, it is fine obviously for you to encourage a big pot.  You put a third in and get a half out.  If you have the nut hi (but not an obvious straight which someone else might have too) and 2 or 3 opponents are clinging to the lo, again a good time to bump it up.  Having a feel for when to do that (and get it right, otherwise you are raising in your own face) won't come from a book, just from practice.

[jgcblack]

Are the alternative games a bit gambley?

They say to me "You'd lose X game" (because I like to gamble) and I am like wtf? Any two can win?!

Don't a lot of them have capped betting which actually makes the edges smaller?

Like Dave said somewhere else on blonde recently, PLO is more fun for everyone because you will almost always have some equity.

[rfgqqabc]

Are the alternative games a bit gambley?

They say to me "You'd lose X game" (because I like to gamble) and I am like wtf? Any two can win?!

Don't a lot of them have capped betting which actually makes the edges smaller?

Like Dave said somewhere else on blonde recently, PLO is more fun for everyone because you will almost always have some equity.

Limit games can vary from super fun to super shit depending on personal preference. I love FL Stud Hi, but despise Hold'em, however, both pretty much involve hitting the call button a lot "Post flop".

[SuuPRlim]

Learning Stud or Sutd8 is a complete waste of time unless you are going bracelet hunting imo - there is no money (and therefore no REAL enjoyment) in the games, you'll never find a live game outside of 100.200 in the summer in LV or the 5 games that run over alll the sites between $1/$2 and $300$600 online.

Aaron you said you prefer to play live, so learn the english mixed games superstud, plo, plo8, padooki and you'll get loads of fun out of them , they are all great games and the variety of playing different games is really fun as well.

To prove my point one of my best mates got coaching from the guy who is likely #1 in the world at stud8, he's devoted his time to learning every aspect of the game but he has to work full time as well and when he won the $10k stud8 championship he had >20% of himself as he couldn't afford to stump up the $10k buyin. If he was half as skilled at NLHE he'd prolly be a multi-millionaire from the game.

Money isn't everything but there is not enough action at those games atm to make even a recreational player get value for his time learning them. (imo ofc, I could well be wrong)

[Simon Galloway]

I think you are wrong Dave   And not just about which way round you put your > and your < ~ which I assume you got wrong in your post.

Most books for learning stud will all be to a limit structure - so there's not much in there that will tell you what to do about getting re-potted on 4th....

However, 7CS, even just for hi only, all the building blocks are there to learn the fundamental mechanics of the game.  Razz, London Lowball, Superstud, HORSE, even holdem is a 7CS derivative!

Would always say that learning stud key concepts (like when a smooth draw is better than a rough made hand, card removal, opponent starting tendencies, etc) is time well spent, often opportunities to use the same knowledge in other formats, even if you never sit down and play a game of limit 7CS cash in your lifetime.

[The Camel]

Learning Stud or Sutd8 is a complete waste of time unless you are going bracelet hunting imo - there is no money (and therefore no REAL enjoyment) in the games, you'll never find a live game outside of 100.200 in the summer in LV or the 5 games that run over alll the sites between $1/$2 and $300$600 online.

Aaron you said you prefer to play live, so learn the english mixed games superstud, plo, plo8, padooki and you'll get loads of fun out of them , they are all great games and the variety of playing different games is really fun as well.

To prove my point one of my best mates got coaching from the guy who is likely #1 in the world at stud8, he's devoted his time to learning every aspect of the game but he has to work full time as well and when he won the $10k stud8 championship he had >20% of himself as he couldn't afford to stump up the $10k buyin. If he was half as skilled at NLHE he'd prolly be a multi-millionaire from the game.

Money isn't everything but there is not enough action at those games atm to make even a recreational player get value for his time learning them. (imo ofc, I could well be wrong)

Nothing to add to this except bravo for recognising the name padooki instead of the bastardised American name they use.

[Tal]

I learned to play poker on a school trip and that was 5 card triple draw. This was six years before I started playing NLHE. I have played brag (3, 5, 7, bastard and anything else someone makes up) for years with friends and family. Card games of any variety are helpful for any games.

I don't play much online (even less now than I used to) but when I do I find NLHE boring. I play low level mixed games or one of the mixed games and concentrate WAY more because I am being challenged to apply the basics in a different context.

I picked up a few books like the Stud for Advanced Players Sklansky book that gave me a solid background but then it is all about applying it to the extent you want.

I'm a filthy "rec" so it is purely for enjoyment for me. I like having a hobby that basically pays for itself (chess costs a blooming fortune!) and online low limit mixed games are a hard way to lose a tenner!

[SuuPRlim]

I think you are wrong Dave   And not just about which way round you put your > and your < ~ which I assume you got wrong in your post.

Most books for learning stud will all be to a limit structure - so there's not much in there that will tell you what to do about getting re-potted on 4th....

However, 7CS, even just for hi only, all the building blocks are there to learn the fundamental mechanics of the game.  Razz, London Lowball, Superstud, HORSE, even holdem is a 7CS derivative!

Would always say that learning stud key concepts (like when a smooth draw is better than a rough made hand, card removal, opponent starting tendencies, etc) is time well spent, often opportunities to use the same knowledge in other formats, even if you never sit down and play a game of limit 7CS cash in your lifetime.

Yeah, you're absolutely right on this point simon.

For a recreational player playing mostly in the UK though with limited time to learn I'd still say getting into the english DC games is the way to broaden your horizons, but if you wanna get better at poker overall learning about 7CS can only do good things for you

[rfgqqabc]

I think you are wrong Dave   And not just about which way round you put your > and your < ~ which I assume you got wrong in your post.

Most books for learning stud will all be to a limit structure - so there's not much in there that will tell you what to do about getting re-potted on 4th....

However, 7CS, even just for hi only, all the building blocks are there to learn the fundamental mechanics of the game.  Razz, London Lowball, Superstud, HORSE, even holdem is a 7CS derivative!

Would always say that learning stud key concepts (like when a smooth draw is better than a rough made hand, card removal, opponent starting tendencies, etc) is time well spent, often opportunities to use the same knowledge in other formats, even if you never sit down and play a game of limit 7CS cash in your lifetime.

Yeah, you're absolutely right on this point simon.

For a recreational player playing mostly in the UK though with limited time to learn I'd still say getting into the english DC games is the way to broaden your horizons, but if you wanna get better at poker overall learning about 7CS can only do good things for you

Much more than 20 hours of actual 7CS would be a total waste really. Your assessment of the games before was 100% correct. 5/10-10/20 runs a bit and has a few fish but for the most part game is killed by chinese regs.

[Skippy]

Learning Stud or Sutd8 is a complete waste of time unless you are going bracelet hunting imo - there is no money (and therefore no REAL enjoyment) in the games, you'll never find a live game outside of 100.200 in the summer in LV or the 5 games that run over alll the sites between $1/$2 and $300$600 online.

Aaron you said you prefer to play live, so learn the english mixed games superstud, plo, plo8, padooki and you'll get loads of fun out of them , they are all great games and the variety of playing different games is really fun as well.

To prove my point one of my best mates got coaching from the guy who is likely #1 in the world at stud8, he's devoted his time to learning every aspect of the game but he has to work full time as well and when he won the $10k stud8 championship he had >20% of himself as he couldn't afford to stump up the $10k buyin. If he was half as skilled at NLHE he'd prolly be a multi-millionaire from the game.

Money isn't everything but there is not enough action at those games atm to make even a recreational player get value for his time learning them. (imo ofc, I could well be wrong)

Nothing to add to this except bravo for recognising the name padooki instead of the bastardised American name they use.

Badugi and Padooki have different rules.

[Ironside]

you can play online for 1c/2c for most games easy and cheap way to learn the games

dealers choice game you need to know what your doing before you sit imho

the double flop omaha games and the 3/4 card double flop holdem games can get really wild
i remember one hand in the where a guy playing dealers choice games for over a decade
got bamboozled in a 3 card double flop holdem game thinking he had the nut straight forgetting
that a flush house and quads on any board

[easypickings]

DeucesCracked by far the bsst of the training sites for mixed games, it has loads of videos on each game. Would really recommend starting with Joe Tall's series on the stud games