Questions and Thoughts.

[Chase_The_Ace]

Hey Everyone I'm quite new to the forum and I have a few questions that I would like to find the answer too so I can improve my game, I started Holdem a couple weeks back with a mates dad who is quite good and we play in npl (National Poker League) Its hosted by party poker or they work alongside it one of the two.

I've been reading some tips online and it has improved my game play greatly, I decided to try cash games online but lost 150 guess you got to take the good with the bad and we all start off bad before we get better its just life.

I've got a question about positioning I understand that their is Early, Middle and late position and that hands are played differently in each three of these positions.

When you play with only say five players or four how do you work out where the positions are here? I know that in a 10 man game seats three, four and five are early, six and seven are middle and eight, nine and ten are late as well as small blind and big blind.

Can anyone help me out? Also what are some good books to look up on how to improve game play? So far I've been hitting final table and points which is the top 17 players for every venue and I play two to three times a week.

[supafrey]

To answer the book question, use the "search" function under "Forum Rules and Guidelines" up near the top of this window. Just type in "poker books" or "books recommend" and you'll find the dozens of threads we've had on that.

For the first question, it sounds like you're using a preflop hand chart (one that tells you which hands to play, and in what position). While this is an okay way to start, you'll soon start to get comfortable with the fact that no two tables are going to be exactly alike. How does this relate to your question?

Well.. at a full 10 person table, most people have the hands they "typically" play from "early, mid, late" positions, but depending who's at the table, your range of playable hands may get slightly wider or narrower. At a strong, aggressive table, playing hands like king + jack unsuited from middle position may not be advised, but at a weak table full of passive players, you can easily raise them from most positions based on your comfort level.

Generally, the first couple of people after the blinds are considered "early", the next couple are "mid", and the ones directly on the button or one behind (called the 'cutoff') are late position. Use these as guidelines. When it gets to a very shorthanded table of 3-4 players, only the button is in "late" position (he's the last one to act), the blinds are in "early", and the remaining players are in "mid". Please be warned that shorthanded play is exactly where hand charts and guidelines are their LEAST effective, as strong players are going to be playing based on table flow and dynamic MUCH more than whatever 2 cards they may happen to be holding.

[miaowmiaowchowface]

my first tip would be to take all the knowledge NPL taught you and forget it asap

[Chase_The_Ace]

To answer the book question, use the "search" function under "Forum Rules and Guidelines" up near the top of this window. Just type in "poker books" or "books recommend" and you'll find the dozens of threads we've had on that.

For the first question, it sounds like you're using a preflop hand chart (one that tells you which hands to play, and in what position). While this is an okay way to start, you'll soon start to get comfortable with the fact that no two tables are going to be exactly alike. How does this relate to your question?

Well.. at a full 10 person table, most people have the hands they "typically" play from "early, mid, late" positions, but depending who's at the table, your range of playable hands may get slightly wider or narrower. At a strong, aggressive table, playing hands like king + jack unsuited from middle position may not be advised, but at a weak table full of passive players, you can easily raise them from most positions based on your comfort level.

Generally, the first couple of people after the blinds are considered "early", the next couple are "mid", and the ones directly on the button or one behind (called the 'cutoff') are late position. Use these as guidelines. When it gets to a very shorthanded table of 3-4 players, only the button is in "late" position (he's the last one to act), the blinds are in "early", and the remaining players are in "mid". Please be warned that shorthanded play is exactly where hand charts and guidelines are their LEAST effective, as strong players are going to be playing based on table flow and dynamic MUCH more than whatever 2 cards they may happen to be holding.

Thanks for the help you pretty much answered everything I wanted to know, I looked a site that told which cards to play how and where so your right about the chart but lately I've been changing here and there because I go to npl a lot I know many of the players I also know if their loose or tight and their play style. I'm hoping to hit the finals this season ^_^