Intermediate Poker Strategy
"If you must play, decide upon three things at the start: the rules of the game, the stakes, and the quitting time."
-- Chinese Proverb
Realistic Returns :: Money Management :: Documenting Your Progress
Level Progression :: Playing Multiple Tables :: Strategy: Stealing the Blinds
Strategy: Matthew Hilger's "Position & Pot Odds"
Strategy: Small Hands = Big Pots
Intermediate Poker: Reading List
Realistic Returns by JoblessJoe
At this point your poker skills are improving as well as your knowledge, and your dreams of instant millions are starting to dissipate. Now its time to look at what you can expect as a realistic return from your poker playing. The old gambler credo is “one big bet” per hour of play. For example assuming you play $3-$6 limit poker, this means a good poker player can expect to make $6 per hour of play. Doesn’t sound that exciting huh? Well, don’t forget your playing poker, a game, and getting paid for it. Poker is a game of progression. The longer you play the better you will get, the larger your “bankroll” will become, the higher the limits you will be able to play. Players cant expect to make a serious income playing poker until they reach at least the $10-$20 table limits.
Money Management by JoblessJoe
Building your bankroll is an important step in becoming a long-term poker player. This is where many players make terminal mistakes by playing beyond their means. Things like playing with more money than they can afford to lose, moving up to higher limits than their bankroll dictates, and playing at games that they are not quite ready for can all lead to "poker bankruptcy". A good poker player does not expect to win every time, he/she expects to win in the long run. You must build a bankroll that withstands “the swings” of poker in order to maintain a steady profit. For more information about this topic see Level Progression.
Documenting Your Progress by JoblessJoe
Documentation is the cornerstone of a serious poker player’s game. It enables players to revisit their poker history and analyze their play. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses as a poker player is an excellent way to improve your skills. Keeping complete records can also be helpful for any kind of financial needs, or just bragging to your friends. Basic records should include:
1) Date and time/ length of play
2) Money amount prior to starting session
3) Game played
4) Limit played
5) Location played
6) Money Amount at end of session
From this you can analyze key figures like how much you made and when, what games your most effective at and what limits, where your game is most effective, and your hourly rate.
Level Progression by JoblessJoe
Level progression is an important concept both for finding out what level you, as a poker player, are ready to play at, and what limit your bankroll is able to withstand. A good rule of thumb is a player needs at least 100 hours of play at a previous limit, and their bankroll must consist of at least 500 big bets at the level they wish to play. This well ensure, in theory, that the “good” poker play will never go broke, their bankroll can withstand the swings while still making a long term profit.
Lets say that you begin your poker journey at the $.50-1.00 limit tables, this means that your bankroll should consist of at least $500. After 100 hours of play your bankroll now consists of $1,236 and you feel you are ready to move up to the $1-2 level. You should keep your bankroll at least at $1,000 and are free to cash out the $236 as profit. At this rate you should have a total of $3,000 in dedicated poker money to play at the $3-6 tables. This does not mean that you cannot play at the higher limit tables it is simply a figure to illustrate “the swings” a poker player can take. This also doesn't mean you need to have that much money set aside strictly for poker, in fact you can sit comfortably at a $3-$6 table with about $150, but it is reccomended for the serious poker player. This progression can be duplicated all the way up to the high limit tables. This system can also be used to step down levels as well. If after a certain amount of play you find you are less successful, or your bankroll has fallen to a certain level, it may indicate that you have advanced levels to quickly. It may be better for you to descend down to a lower level and work your way back up. Level Progression is a great way for a player to keep themselves “playing within their means”, and if done correctly it can assure that a good poker player never goes broke.
Playing Multiple Tables by JoblessJoe
One advantage to Internet play is you can play multiple tables, and increase your hourly return. Some experts say that playing multiple tables decreases you concentration, and in turn decreasing your hourly rate per table. While other people such as myself prefer to play multiple tables because it keeps me from becoming impatient. Spending less time waiting for good hands keeps you from playing bad hands out of pure boredom and allows a player to throw away marginal hands that would normally cost a player money in the long run.
Its true it does leave quite a bit less time to study your opponents, but on the Internet that can be a plus. Table image is less important on the Internet because players are in and out of tables at a much more rapid pace. At the higher limits it is vital to study your opponents, but at the lower limits players can often be misleading either because they don’t know how to play or other factors effect them such as distraction, intoxication, exhaustion, etc.
Strategy: Stealing the Blinds by RazinCaucasion
Stealing the blinds is the act of raising with a hand you would not normally raise with in order to drive out the players that have pre committed money to the pot due to the position they are in. In most cases this is done because of the position you are in, and/or the lack of action on the hand. Stealing the blinds can be a good way to increase your profit margin, and is sometimes vital in tournament survival. This action is much more efficient at higher limits, but can also be effective at tight low limit games, however at most lower limit tables stealing the blinds is less effective because players opt to call one more bet with a bad hand rather than fold.
Most poker experts agree that the average hand still favored over any two random cards is Q7 off suit. So logically this hand or better can be assumed better than the “blind hands”. The best time to “steal the blinds” is when a player is in late position and everyone at the table has folded to them. A more conservative approach to this method is to place a requirement on the hands you can “steal” with. A solid requirement is A9 off suite. Where as if a player has A9 off suite or better, in late position and everyone at the table folds to him, he can go ahead and raise his hand. However if even one player calls or raises in front of him, the hand is not even playable. Use this strategy with caution, one must remember that even the blinds can get a hand too from time to time, and must be able to not become too committed. If you are played back at and believe that your opponent has a better hand that cannot be beat or bluffed by your hand, you must release your hand the moment you know it is no good.
Strategy: Matthew Hilger's "Position & Pot Odds" by DeezNutz
This strategy is a great second step for the intermediate to advanced player. It incorporates many known concepts of play into one pre-flop strategy. It weighs the hand strentgh versus position and contrasts it with how many players(how much money) are/is already in the pot/hand.
The preflop strategy is mapped out in detail on a easy to reference guide in Matthew Hilger's book "Internet Texas Hold'em: Winning Strategies from an Internet Pro".
This is an excellent strategy and although it is best to adapt it to your own personal style of play this strategy is so extensive that it could easily be played straight up with little predictability.
For more information consult: "Internet Texas Hold'em: Winning Strategies from an Internet Pro" by Matthew Hilger
Strategy: Small Hands = Big Pots by NoLimitMike
This strategy is good to play with moderation. It can also be used to throw off opponets if you feel that you are becoming to predictable.
The strategy consist of "limping" in with hands that are not strong hands to play short handed but have the ability to make strong hands with a draw. Hands like small suited connectors, and Aces with a suited kicker have the ability to make strong hand like straights, flushes, and straight flushes. These hands may only be played in hands where many players have already committed to seeing the flop. This strategy is especially effective in No Limit and Pot Limit games.
However, in order to make this strategy profitable the player must be able to fold his/her hand on the flop if the flop requirements are not met. Avoid calling down with small pairs, and never to rarely call two bets cold before the flop. A good player will be able to fold his/her hand even if a very strong draw is hit on the flop but are playing short handed againest agressive players because the pot odds do not dictate a call.
Intermediate Poker: Reading List by Bluffer9
The below list of poker books is recommended for intermediate level poker players. Warning - reading poker books that are to advanced for you can be detrimental to your poker game.
Internet Texas Hold'em: Winning Strategies from an Internet Pro by Matthew Hilger
A must read. This is geared specifically for online play, and touches any many key subjects. Emphasizes pot odds and position, includes one of the most complete starting hand strategies using those two key concepts.
Hold'em Poker for Advanced Players by David Sklansky, and Mason Malmuth.
Excellent book. Complete explanation of almost all known poker concepts and stratagies. Inludes great hand examples and quizes. This book is very advanced, and may need to be read multiple times in order to fully understand.
Movie: Howard Lederer's, More Secrets Of No-Limit Hold'em by All-In Productions.
Howard Lederer, "The Professor", is one of the top professional poker players to date. He is best known for is ability to calculate odds on the spot, and his sixth sense for "reading" his opponets. This video offers great insite for learning your opponets "tells".
Beginner :: Intermediate :: Advanced
