LIVE Low-Limit hold em casino games (2/4, 3/6, 4/8) are generally very loose as they are populated by a typically older crowd who tend to be playing for enjoyment more than grinding out profits. Trust me, the low-limit games in Atlantic City are VERY loose across numerous casinos. the book is certainly still appplicable to these games. In fact, i believe it was written mainly for live games as ed played in these games.

Online games tend to be tighter and tougher as there are far more younger, serious players who have come up with aids like the ones you mention (Poker Academy. books, etc).

also, this book is not useful at all for 1/2 No Limit cash games except maybe the section on calculating pot odds, which is the best i have ever read. You'll need to study other material to beat these games.

Assuming you're talking about No Limit Holdem, I've found that anything under $0.25/$0.50 is pointless.  It's almost as bad as playing free money.  People will call anything because there's not enough stress or pressure on loosing money.

People playing $0.25/$0.50 to $1/$2, the play is a little more "normal".  You've got people that have experience, but are too scared to play at higher levels because they don't want to loose that much money.  I find that $0.50/$1 and $1/$2 are "the money zone".  Unlike newblies, who don't know when they're in trouble in a hand, players at this level can be pushed around.  Most are still scared not to lose too much money.

$2/$4 and above, you're playing against players that are a lot more experienced and typically have a decent size bankroll, so they can take a few big hits and still be in good shape.

When you're ready to play real money, I'd say start with $0.25/$0.50.  When you're consistently winning money and growing your bankroll, move up to the next level.  If you get beaten down at that level, drop back down a level and build you bankroll again.  Keep doing this and keep moving up levels.  You can always drop back down to a level that you know you can beat to build your bankroll.

Good luck,

Alex

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you are correct.  That is usually how it goes.  I have played in live tournaments where a re-re-raise doesn't HAVE to double the re-raise amount.  However, I think that those are specific house rules.

Alex

***** 2 FREE => Texas Holdem Strategy Guides <= or if you're interested in reading more tips and strategies, Click Here => Texas Holdem Poker Tips *****

Although I LOVE playing live tournaments, if what you're looking for is solely table time and experience, online is going to get you the biggest bang for you buck.  The speed of online play is MUCH faster, so you get to play WAY more hands than playing live poker.

It really depends what you're working on.  If you're an beginner to intermediate player working on player profiling and learning how to read betting patterns, then online is better because you get to see more hands.  If you're a more advanced player working on something like reading tells, then obviously, the only place to do that is playing live poker.

Hope that helps.

Alex

***** 2 FREE => Texas Holdem Strategy Guides <= or if you're interested in reading more tips and strategies, Click Here => Texas Holdem Poker Tips *****

Yeah, it loosens you up and maybe calms your nerves a bit.  If you've got a tolerance better than mine , then I'm sure one wouldn't hurt if you needed it.  Too many and you won't be playing at your optimal level because you won't be able to concentrate.

If I HAD to answer yes or no...I'd say no.

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Alex

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I would like opinions on drinking alcohol while playing poker, I have heard it can calm your nerves but also might throw off my game. Do the professionals drink while playing? Please advise!

Dazed and Consfused,

- Amanda

and what if the next player wanted to re raise? would he have to re raise double the previous raise (800.00)?

I have been playing Hold Em for 2 years now. I play on line s&g's for micro stakes and some tournaments for smal stakes but they usually have huge fields.

I play $30 ten person s&g's and $30 buy in MTT's with fields of 40-110.

I have a few small cashes both line and on line BUT which offers the best opportunity at winning some money and which offers the best way to get better at the game?

This is Stan again. A typist I am not. The second paragraph refers to Live play at so called "charity events". So my question still is: live poker or online....what's the best way to go

I play $30 ten person s&g's and $30 buy in MTT's with fields of 40-110.

I have a few small cashes both line and on line BUT which offers the best opportunity at winning some money and which offers the best way to get better at the game?

try it at http://www.bazingapps.com/TxCalcMain

   I have been thinking about this and reading some stuff. What is bothering me is that from the fact that that these players (on two different tables) were observant enough to fold to my raises after long runs of very bad cards I would tend to think that they are going to be playing tighter than I would have thought. The advice that I got was to play more hands and raise more, which would be playing looser. Wouldn't that be exactly the wrong thing to do? I'm thinking that I need to play some more hands in this type of game, and see what happens when I get more normal hands, so I'm not folding all the time. Then if things are going badly, perhaps I need to use a different strategy than that from SSHE, which is for loose games. Perhaps they were trying to steer me towards a LAG type of play?

Thanks,

sst

I have just started with my seventh poker book (and probably more to come) 'small stakes hold'em, winning big...'. I think this will be one of the best books of poker. However this book, as is the case with more poker books written around 2004, talk about very loose players at the lower limits. Although I haven't played one $ for real money yet I think that small limit poker games (let's say $5-$10 and below) are far less loose. These days the lower limits are probably much tougher to beat. Losing players either stop playing or are becoming better players, and since poker is a zero sum game.. (the rake notwithstanding, which makes it a minus sum game actually).

Also, tables usually don't have 10 players but normally 6 or less, so you have to adjust for that in your hand selection etc., something that is not addressed in the book. There is no doubt a separate book on short-handed play as well.

For the time being I  practise with various styles of AI opposition with the use of Wilson's software and Poker Academy, as well as analysing my (and my opponents) game with Poker Prospector and Hold'em Manager, before I begin at the $1-$2 tables for real money and see if I can work my way up with strict bankroll management. No-limit I plan to start separately after I can beat the middle limit games first.

   Since I can find my second post but not my first, I'm going to repost the first.

I recently made a post on 2 plus 2 here:

http://forumserver.twoplustwo......st15432914

They said that the starting hand reccomendations in sshe were out of date, and made some suggestons about modifying them. I am pretty sure that at least some of this advice was pretty bad. could someone take a look and help me sort out the sheep from the goats here?

Thanks,

sst