Fish tricks

Thanks to The Edge ( http://www.financialcharting.com/poker/blog/ ) for his comment asking what fish image strategies I use.

Well I found what I feel may be the best ever strategy so pay close attention because its completely fool proof.

Heres my secret fish formula.....play like a fish!

Yes I lost $70 last night at Pokerroom and most of it was my own fault as I played very poorly.

I had read a great post at http://www.suckout.blogspot.com/ about betting your draws at fixed limit and didn't start my session well as I joyfully bet my flush draw post flop and after the turn only to miss completely and be left wondering what the hell to do after a blank river with 2 eager callers waiting on my next move.Make a weak bet and lose was the answer.

Recipe for disaster: Take one excellent fixed limit strategy post. Take a pinch of some recently purchased strong herbs and smoke,mix up an excellent theory on raising with drawing hands like KQ with some screwed up "raise all draws" theory of my own and end up blowing $$$ in hand I was always behind in.

I'm just starting to try and understand the kind of theory that says if its a $10 river call into a $100 pot that I'm getting 10-1 on my call and in the long run even if I'm 80% sure I'm beaten its worth a call because while I'll lose 8 times out of ten ( $80) when I win on those two occasions it'll mean I show a profit overall.

My style has always been very simple.Wait for a great made hand and make the donkeys pay to draw but I have to keep learning and trying to improve.

I'm learning that as Poketracker shows AA has won 80% of the time for me this means that if I win $100 every time it holds up I should try and see it as an $80 win in the same way as if it loses I should still see it as an $80 win as thats my expected value for it.I'm starting to limp more where I feel I have the odds.6 callers at .50nl means theres at least $3 in the pot so many more hands are worth a call as I'm getting 6-1 for my 50c.

Sorry if all the above seems like rambling nonsense but I'm only just starting to understand this kind of poker theory and while my arithmetic is good I'm no maths geek.My short term memory isn't always the greaest either......


To answer your question Mr Edge I did show my bluff the other night which is why I hoped he would then call my next large raise pf but I generally don't ever show and I'm just starting to mess about a bit with it to see where it takes me.I don't chat much either but using chat to tilt or put off opponents is another route I may go down but not until I'm sure I can handle whats thrown back at me without tilting myself.I've never tilted yet after someones chat comments and I don't want to create a leak where there isn't one for the sake of only the possibilty of gaining a small edge. Sorry to hear about you tilting at Pacific Mr Edge but you'd need to be made of stone not to let their software drive you completely nuts.

Can't blame any software but the other night I was sprinting back to my seat after a toilet break and just missed KK on one screen and JJ on the other.Both folded just as my finger was poised over the bet key.Very frustrating.

We live and learn and last nights small downswing was probably overdue.JJ and KK both ran into a pair of Aces and I never made a draw all night. ( no full bladder to save me last night!)

I also think I was too keen to play when I sat down. I played two .50 nl tables but was itching for action from my first hand and thats no way to start a game."I'm going to switch on my pc and fold for a while" would have been better.

Also started my session herb free and I was far too alert and eager but when I did spark up eventually my new herbs plus general tiredness meant my concentration levels were very poor and I paid the price in a series of fishy moves.I even chased a gutshot on the turn with no odds which isn't like me.

To go back to The Edges question about projecting a fish image in truth I'm not sure that's what I'd always want.I normally like either a tight image so my bets get respect and I can bluff more or a loose image to help disguise my monster hands.The attention levels of most of the other players though at the low stakes I play it mean its not worth the effort to try and be too fancy or mix it up much especially as there are usually 3 or 4 mulit-tablers at my .50nl or $1 nl table.

Occasionally though I do feel it can be worth a few $$ advertising when new to a table to help set up a move later but very rarely for the reason above.

Only 9 days till holiday time.Bought some more books at lunchtime.Another Carl Haissen,Tony Parsons latest,another Colin Bateman and the auotbiography of a recently retired football referee.

Time to blow the whistle on todays witterings.......