Cash Games

[Max]

Hi guys, I'm new to the forum.

I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice. I've been playing poker now for about two years and have stacks of experience in tounament play - mainly short handed SNG's.  I can beat these games no problem at all over a decent spell.  However I've recently started playing ring games and I'm finding it hard going.

What tactics do i need to employ?  I'm finding that i get the usual swings from week to week and from sesseion to sesssion etc but also get swings during each individual session (quite violent at times too).  Also I've noted that I seem to get called all the time, even if my opponent has second pair of whatever and quite often they end up out drawing an overpair for example.  Suppose I'm used to making a bet on the flop in a SNG and taking the pot there and then whether I'm paired or i have complete garbage.  I find myself waiting for ages for a bog hand and then pretty often losing a big pot to a pre flop underdog.

I'd like some advice from players who are more experienced in this type of situation.  Cheers.

[Sark79]

 


I am sure there will be many replys from the ' Good ' players from Blonde.



But, I will just say       to the forum

[Liam]

thats a hell of a question! what levels are you playing at - getting called down every hand might point to playing at too low limits

[Max]

You're quite right Liam it is a hell of a question, but its also a hell of a problem coz i either make a whole load or more often than not at the minute lose a whole load real quick.  I've been playing $200 tables so its not as if they're real small.  I've also played $400 and $600 and i always get loads of action to my raises.

[TightEnd]

Where to start?

May I suggest chucking up some hand histories to give us a few examples?

We will have to assess whether you have a leak in your game/too predictable a betting pattern etc

Also cash games are much more about long term EV in making calls/passes than tournament situations of stacks relative to blinds etc, perhaps you are getting called because you are always offering the right odds to call?

no idea really until I have more details....

[lazaroonie]

to be honest, if I though I had the beating of a game "no problem" at all, then I wouldnt be looking to play anywhere else.

Its all about the money at the end of the day isnt it ?

[way_too_tight]

Hi,

  Can I just confirm that you're playing online, $200 buy-in so presumably 1/2NL and people are calling your raises down with just middle pair ?

  It sounds like a Good Thing (tm) to me, there's a couple of things that we'd need to know before advice time though :

  1) How long have you been playing at this level and noticing this ?
  2) Are the people with second pair routinely beating you at showdown ?
  3) Do you know how many hands you're playing ?
  4) Are the people who are beating you consistently winning, or are they losing their a$$ and getting lucky occasionally doing it ?
  5) Where is this happening ? I'd like to watch and probably play.

  In short though, if you can find a game where you can get called when you're a substantial favourite to win, providing you're not playing beyond your available funds, you are having a wonderful day.

And what TightEnd said too : post a couple of hand histories and we'll have a look.

Welcome too, BTW,

Bryan

P.S. If this turns out to be a limit poker question then I'd ignore my advice completely.

[The Baron]

Max,

there is some great reading on blonde on this subject where loads of really good players have posted their views. Your best bet IMO is to search previous threads for "cash games".

Welcome to blonde.

[bolt pp]

the two most important pieces of advice i could give you for succeeding in online cash games are as follows:

1)Always play when drunk; there are so many bluffers in online cash games that being drunk allows you to make those difficult calls time after time again, and dont worry about being called a fish that just means you're winning.

2)If you hit a bad run then most would advise you put in the hours at a lower level to replenish your roll but dont bother, just get your whole roll into a big no limit cash game that's way above your means and you'll probably trebble up in a fraction of the time.

More impotantly though always remember to bombard your opponents with torrents of unabbatting abuse as they are inferior poker players to you and undoubtably desereve it!!!

good luck m8

[thediceman]

One problem I see alot of players have in a cash games is that they bet too weak or try to be to cute thus allowing people to limp in cheaply for outdraws. If you have a table of calling stations don't be afriad to be aggressive at the earlier stages of the hand and try a close the pot early. Better to take some profit for your winning hands rather than trying to milk a pot and invite the outdraw unless you have the nuts.

Be aggressive, get your money in when infront and close pots before the river. Most calling stations get scared by larger pots. If they do continue to call with weak hands like middle pair this is good news because as favourte you will get well paid more often than not. Granted you will still experience the occassional loose call and get outdrawn but that's poker. NB: You do need to have a reasonable bankroll to play aggressively.

I'm sure some people will disagree with this style but it's works for me online.