What is a "soft" game?
Poker and the Beginning Trader
- Thread starter FanOfFridays
- Start date
What is a "soft" game?
Just a game where your opponents make alot of mistakes, thus boosting the expected earnings of a skilled player.
Not any specific type of mistake, just alot of mistakes overall (of all different kinds).
Damn.... Rearden, if you wouldn't mind, could you mention a few specific things from the Cloutier book that you feel are questionable for those of us playing the $10 SNG games at Party and Stars? I ask because I had basically been using the strategies outlined in this book as a starting point for developing a plan for these games. I know that he talks about multi-table tournament play a lot and maybe you feel that his rules are too tight for the crazy odds you can get at some of these loose SNG tables?
I have TOP and I get as much, theoretically speaking, out of that as I do from any other book, but as a beginner it's harder for me to apply the examples which cite i.e. razz.
Understand - I am definitely not questioning your opinion, rather just REALLY want to know what you would consider questionable advice in this book, either generally or specifically.
No one has mentioned Brunson's Super/System here very much and I thought it was the only other book with specific strategies for NL hold-em. However, from what I've heard, his super aggressive style won't work so well when there are players who will call you no matter what they have in their hands; you need to use his style when you are a table with players capable of a laydown.
I have been thinking about sending you about a PM about this but I might as well ask here - at what limit do things change significantly in terms of the 'loose maniac' syndrome - I have moved from $5 SNG to $10 SNG and I can't see a difference. Can you see a big difference at the $50 tables? The summer coming up will be my time to take a decent stake and see if I can actually make a weekly profit at the higher limit SNG tables. Thanks.
SNG is short for Sit n' Go - yes, it is usually a single table or occasionally a two-table tournament. You can 'sit down and go' right away because you are only waiting for 8-19 other people. It can be No Limit or Pot Limit or straight Limit poker.
The take too small? Well, I guess the take is relative to the buy - in. Each player pays $11 to play. $10 from each player goes to the pot; 50% goes to the winner, 30% to second place and the remainder goes to third place; the extra buck goes to the house.
I am playing the lower limits with the idea of gradually moving up the ladder to the bigger buy-in tables. I like them because although your winnings are limited, so are your losses. I find my 'equity curve' is smoother playing these tables and they suit my personality much better than the open ring games.
As in trading, it's all about your equity curve/Sharpe Ratio. I guess the return on trading a single contract of an E-Mini might seem small to someone used to trading 10 of the big contracts, but it's an effective way for a beginner to get started, IMHO.
you can get some info about SNG and other types of tourneys here
http://www.pokerstars.com/tournaments2.html
i have just more than doubled my $ in yahoo poker having learned how to play less than a week ago. i started with $1000 (fake $), went down to $700something (had no clue), and now i'm over $2100.
Hi traderNIK, I'm sorry but I read parts of the Cloutier book a while ago, and can't remember specifics. I didn't even read the whole thing- just enough to know that I don't like it.
I've never played at the lower limits, so all I can tell you is that there IS a significant skill gap between the 100+9 NL and the $200+15. Yeah, I know that wasn't much help.
I've never played at the lower limits, so all I can tell you is that there IS a significant skill gap between the 100+9 NL and the $200+15. Yeah, I know that wasn't much help.
I recently read Positively 5th St. (a good read, but anecdotal, not instructional), and afterward wanted to read the Champ NL just from some nuggets mentioned in 5th St (was surprised to hear that you didn't like it Reardon). Also Reardon, I've been playin them 200 sng's for a quite a while (on and off), 4 at a time, avergaging gross a little over $250, wondering how many u play at a time and about how many hours/wk and what ur gross is to get the 20k/mo figure (also over how long a sample), an amount I aspire to, been "wasting" too much time on multitables I think, particularly satellites. You go on Stars cruise? How did it go? I got 29th; 2 outta money. I plan on going to WSOP, you? Haven't won my seat yet thou, won cruise via sng, unfortunately, they don't have them for wsop.
Thanks.
FOR NEWBIES:
If you wanna start playin online, here is a link to get a deposit bonus at party poker - not the best software/support (pokerstars has best software/support_, but most "fish" - bad players, and most games (you could just use play money in the beginning for free, to get idea of what it's about):
http://www.partypoker.com/index.htm?wm=2027585
You will get 20% of your first deposit up to $100 (if
u deposit $500, but u can deposit less if you want). I
use neteller.com to send them money directly from my
bank acct. If you play alot, will also get % of rake back (Full disclosure, I get a bonus too, and will share it with you). Feel free to PM with any questions.
Thanks.
FOR NEWBIES:
If you wanna start playin online, here is a link to get a deposit bonus at party poker - not the best software/support (pokerstars has best software/support_, but most "fish" - bad players, and most games (you could just use play money in the beginning for free, to get idea of what it's about):
http://www.partypoker.com/index.htm?wm=2027585
You will get 20% of your first deposit up to $100 (if
u deposit $500, but u can deposit less if you want). I
use neteller.com to send them money directly from my
bank acct. If you play alot, will also get % of rake back (Full disclosure, I get a bonus too, and will share it with you). Feel free to PM with any questions.