[journal] This list is for me to remember all the things I've learned playing poker. If you are not completely familiar with poker, I BEG you not to read any further because you'll undoubtedly be convinced of my nerdom, which I try so hard to conceal.
I'm going to constantly update this list as I learn new things and have a link to it on my sidebar. These things I've learned can be applied to cash tables, but they remain strictly from my tournament experience.
1. It's better to raise limpers than to call raiserscorollary A: If you are on the button and everyone limps in then you could profit by making a raise. However, if others before you have raised, you should definitely fold (unless you have premium hole cards).
2. The majority of raises on the River are not bluffscorollary A: If you've played all the way to the end, hoping to draw a set, but failed, and now face a huge raise by the other person, cut your losses and step down.
corollary B: If you really wanted them to fold (only if you think they have a pair), you could make a huge bet on fourth street (semi-bluff them). They do not know what the River will bring AND they think you could have something already.
3. Check does not indicate weakness (especially if the check was done in early position), but two checks in a row by the same person does!corollary A: If someone checks twice on you, you should feel fairly confidant to raise on them and they will fold. But you can only do this if the turn brought a new card (face cards are better) and not one of the existing cards from the flop, otherwise they might think you are just buying the pot and call you.
4. In tournament play, as the tournament progresses, pairs and Ace high cards increase in value and suited connectors get weakerThis phenomenon is due to the raising cost of blinds. Since the blinds are so costly late game, you don't have the funds to see many flops, turns and rivers. Trying to draw sets could cost you a lot of money. Meanwhile your plain ace high card or pair could just win you the pot instantly if you bet high enough.
corollary A: Early in the tournament always play suited connectors while late in the tournament don't.
corollary B: Early in the tournament, don't value your pairs unless on the flop they turn to trips. Your pairs are very valuable in the late game.
5. The button is power unless you're playing against someone whose style is loose and aggressive and has money on youcorollary A: Feel confidant with a raise on the button mid to late game with only decent cards if you don't have a loose aggressive player still in the pot.
corollary B: Fold to those loose aggressive players in tournaments, unless you have the nuts. In that case, punish the sucker.
6. When you have a large stack, you MUST protect your chipscorollary A: Don't bother playing versus anyone close to your chip stack unless you have premium cards.
corollary B: Feel free to play against the low stack.
corollary C: Bully on the button constantly, except when another large stack limped in.
7. If two Aces flop and the other person raises, more often than not, they are a lying sack of shitcorollary A: If they really have triple Aces or four of a kind Aces, checking is so automatic (they have the nuts; they will try to slow play you) that any raise should be instantly reraised by you. However, if they call your raise, they really do have it (although they played it the wrong way or they are playing some serious advance mind games with you and really respect your skills).
8. Pairs lose value as more people play and Suited connectors gain value as more people playcollary A: If you have a (good) pair, call or raise so you are only playing against 2-3 people.
9. Low pairs are good in a loose + a little agressive gamecollary A: If there is not a multiway pot going on or if people are especially passive, then the low pair is not good to play.
