Learn Texas Holdem

Question: Hello,

Thanks for the input on my "Betting Draws in NL Question". I have another, more challenging issue.

I have moved up to $100NL ($2, $1 blinds) and still hold my own. Winning a little but not losing a lot. My large losses are usually heads up post flop with a slightly better hand winning, however.

Do you have any tips, tricks or just common sense in regards to playing with discipline? I play too many hands. I know this. I don't chase the trash, but I fall into a certain rhythm sometimes where I will call a preflop raise with trash, usually late, just to see the river. This eats up money. Usually the money that I have played well to get.

I understand that you can't have it both ways but how do I rid myself (if even a little bit) of this bad habit. (Please don't say play with more discipline).

Best Regards,

JD

Answer: Let me start off by saying that calling post flop in no limit holdem cash games is something you should be concerned about. Calling definitely has its place in all games but in no limit it can be deadly since each mistake you make can be very costly (unlike limit holdem). If you call post flop, you should have a very good reason for doing it. You must assume you are the best or have a good draw that if it gets there you'll win.

So this is the first point to remember to help you keep disciplined, keep in mind that if you commit a decent bet on the flop, you have committed a lot of chips. If you call the turn bet, you are basically committing yourself to the river. In no limit holdem, you have to look at the hand in terms of how much it is going to cost you in total to see a showdown. This should be seen as both a deterrent for you and a weapon for you.

The next tip I can give you is to think hard about why you win money. If you have a good understanding for what strategy works and why it works then you won't be so tempted to get into situations where you could lose a bunch of your chips with a marginal hand. That doesn't mean you'll only play AA preflop, it just means you need to recognize situations that you are vulnerable in and then pass on them.

I try to keep in mind that making a big mistake scratches one of my good moves that won a pot before so to save some chips by folding is just as valuable as making a move that won a bunch. Take pride in making a good lay down that saved some money.

Lastly, it sounds like you are playing online poker. That's fine but be careful. What happens sometimes is that you are so comfortable playing at your house on your PC that you get into a mechanical mode where you aren't as aggressive or nervous. Your nerves are your friend, they keep you sharp and paying attention.

The last thing you want to do is let your guard down. I find myself doing that sometimes and what happens is you start playing defensive poker where you just are at the card's whim and you start only playing your own hand instead of taking into account what other people have. That's less of a problem if you play live poker (at least for me).

Even though I've been playing poker for years and years, sitting down at a table and getting that first hand still gets my heart pumping. And I can play for 12-15 hours live without losing my edge but online I can't. With online poker my mind wonders and I get soft after 4-6 hours. So that's the last tip, make sure you know the limits of your attention span so you can take a break or call it a day when things deteriorate.