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10 commandments for being a poker pro!

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Not sure if this belongs in the poker forum or discussion forum so if it's in the wrong place a mod can move it 😁

This was a list I made to counter a list of top 10 ways to be a donk on another forum. But I included tons of wisdom. Hopefully reading this will make alot of you better players =).

I was a major Donk when I started (sometimes I still am in freerolls since I don't give a crap lol.) So below is my counter to Donkdom and all the wisdom I've learned! This means you get a simple list of commandments but a bonus of excellent wisdom and further detail below each.Hell I'm probably going to make some of you better player, oops!

The 10 Commandments of Poker Pro's.

1. Don't play every hand! "The chips you lose (words by Chris Feruson) Are worth MORE than the chips you win".

Everytime you lose chips you short stack yourself more against player you build up. Example you have a 1k stack and your opponent has a 3k stack. You bet 500 on a silly 10 5 offsuit to risk it and the flop comes AAK and your opponent goes all in for you to fold. Now the stack you have a 500 chip stack and your opponent has a 3500. Aka you just set him from a 2x chip lead to a 2.5 chip lead over you. Better to wait for a good hand and protect your stack then to push yourself into tilt. The only time this rule doesn't apply is when your down to final heads up against a bigger stack. Then you need to "push" as you can't wait for every hand to be a good hand. At this point it comes down to having some major cahones and knowing when to bluff your opponent.

2. "Only play suited cards when looking for a flush if you prefereable have Ax or Kx."

If you hit a flush draw with something like 7 4 in your hand and call/all-in against multiple opponents you're likely to lose to someone else who has it with a higher kicker. Now on the other hand if your low cards are suited connectors you might place a small bet in hopes for a straight flush.

3. "Fold any face card with a kicker of less then 10."

While you might end up with a good flop you don't have the odds. Someone will almost always have a face card with a better kicker. A2, and A5 (only when suited is it worth the risk) can be great cards but only to bet in small with. An exception to this is face card with a lower kicker when you hold suited cards. It can then be beneficial to bet in SMALL to see the flop if you are looking for a potential flush (see above commandment). Generally though its best to fold any hand including your a2's and a5's and wait for a better hand. It becomes a judgement call.

4. Use the blinds to see where your opponent is at!

Big Blind: If your hand is crap FOLD better to lose your blind then trying to protect it and taking a bigger loss. Always take a free check though if able.

Small blind and The button: You get to see how everybody else bets. Make a judgement call on folding, calling or raising. Even if you hold a hand like KQ or QJ or a low pair like pocket 7's if 2-3 people before you have raised/re-raised it's likely you're already beat. In pot limit it's not so much a problem but in No Limit the more hands involved in the pot the lower the odds for your big hand of winning becomes.

5. Read your opponents!

Sure an opponent can bluff, but they can also hold a great hand. If you hold A5 and the flop comes J 10 5 and your opponent bets 500+ in blinds of say only 5/10, FOLD. It could be a bluff but is more likely they have the higher pair. The best way to decide to call a bluff is to think to yourself "is my hand the type of hand I'd go all in with?". In most cases it's not so you should fold instead of call. If it was a bluff you still managed to protect your stack (see rule #1). If it's a small raise like 75 you might smell something fishy and try a decent re-raise like 150 to try and scare them away or check the real strength of their hand. But if they re-raise FOLD! If they call if you don't catch another 5 and your opponent does anything but check FOLD! you were beat before the turn and probably should not of been involved that far to begin with.


6. "Don't bet your life on the river."

There are only so many outs in a poker hand. If your amount of outs is fewer then 10 FOLD. If your outs are 10-13 possibly call or raise Minimally, if your outs are 13-20+ it might be worth going for it if you feel your opponent has a weaker hand. If you decide to bluff with very few outs and make the call thank God for it. However you should never do it in the first place. It tells your opponents you are a loose-agressive player (which you probably are) and you'll find yourself with people raising against you alot. You'll basically have made yourself the tables "mark".

7. "Table Image is everything."

If you lose because you didn't get your 2 outer you're probably in a hand you never should have been and should have folded on the turn. Congratulate the winning player on a "good call". This tells the table you were bluffing even if you weren't and can save you from looking like a donkey/mark. It will also give you respect and people will think you have major cahones and have people questioning whether you're bluffing or hold a good hand in the future which is great. If you whine, kick, scream and bitch you tell the table you were just being a donk and lose all respect. Plus you'll find yourself never able to bluff in the future as everybody is going to call you a easy money.

8. Slow play against 1 player but be agressive against more.

So you're holding A10and the flop comes A108. Congratulations you possibly hold the best hand. But how you play it should depend on how many people are in the pot. If it's you against 1 or maybe 2, you could check and make a big raise on the turn. Never wait on a hand like this to bet at all on the river unless your fishing with your check/raises. If 2 or more people are in the hand it's better to make a bet the size of the pot or bigger to scare away some of
Join: 2008/08/06 Messages: 4
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SubtleInfluence wrote:

Not sure if this belongs in the poker forum or discussion forum so if it's in the wrong place a mod can move it 😁

This was a list I made to counter a list of top 10 ways to be a donk on another forum. But I included tons of wisdom. Hopefully reading this will make alot of you better players =).

I was a major Donk when I started (sometimes I still am in freerolls since I don't give a crap lol.) So below is my counter to Donkdom and all the wisdom I've learned! This means you get a simple list of commandments but a bonus of excellent wisdom and further detail below each.Hell I'm probably going to make some of you better player, oops!

The 10 Commandments of Poker Pro's.

1. Don't play every hand! "The chips you lose (words by Chris Feruson) Are worth MORE than the chips you win".

Everytime you lose chips you short stack yourself more against player you build up. Example you have a 1k stack and your opponent has a 3k stack. You bet 500 on a silly 10 5 offsuit to risk it and the flop comes AAK and your opponent goes all in for you to fold. Now the stack you have a 500 chip stack and your opponent has a 3500. Aka you just set him from a 2x chip lead to a 2.5 chip lead over you. Better to wait for a good hand and protect your stack then to push yourself into tilt. The only time this rule doesn't apply is when your down to final heads up against a bigger stack. Then you need to "push" as you can't wait for every hand to be a good hand. At this point it comes down to having some major cahones and knowing when to bluff your opponent.

2. "Only play suited cards when looking for a flush if you prefereable have Ax or Kx."

If you hit a flush draw with something like 7 4 in your hand and call/all-in against multiple opponents you're likely to lose to someone else who has it with a higher kicker. Now on the other hand if your low cards are suited connectors you might place a small bet in hopes for a straight flush.

3. "Fold any face card with a kicker of less then 10."

While you might end up with a good flop you don't have the odds. Someone will almost always have a face card with a better kicker. A2, and A5 (only when suited is it worth the risk) can be great cards but only to bet in small with. An exception to this is face card with a lower kicker when you hold suited cards. It can then be beneficial to bet in SMALL to see the flop if you are looking for a potential flush (see above commandment). Generally though its best to fold any hand including your a2's and a5's and wait for a better hand. It becomes a judgement call.

4. Use the blinds to see where your opponent is at!

Big Blind: If your hand is crap FOLD better to lose your blind then trying to protect it and taking a bigger loss. Always take a free check though if able.

Small blind and The button: You get to see how everybody else bets. Make a judgement call on folding, calling or raising. Even if you hold a hand like KQ or QJ or a low pair like pocket 7's if 2-3 people before you have raised/re-raised it's likely you're already beat. In pot limit it's not so much a problem but in No Limit the more hands involved in the pot the lower the odds for your big hand of winning becomes.

5. Read your opponents!

Sure an opponent can bluff, but they can also hold a great hand. If you hold A5 and the flop comes J 10 5 and your opponent bets 500+ in blinds of say only 5/10, FOLD. It could be a bluff but is more likely they have the higher pair. The best way to decide to call a bluff is to think to yourself "is my hand the type of hand I'd go all in with?". In most cases it's not so you should fold instead of call. If it was a bluff you still managed to protect your stack (see rule #1). If it's a small raise like 75 you might smell something fishy and try a decent re-raise like 150 to try and scare them away or check the real strength of their hand. But if they re-raise FOLD! If they call if you don't catch another 5 and your opponent does anything but check FOLD! you were beat before the turn and probably should not of been involved that far to begin with.


6. "Don't bet your life on the river."

There are only so many outs in a poker hand. If your amount of outs is fewer then 10 FOLD. If your outs are 10-13 possibly call or raise Minimally, if your outs are 13-20+ it might be worth going for it if you feel your opponent has a weaker hand. If you decide to bluff with very few outs and make the call thank God for it. However you should never do it in the first place. It tells your opponents you are a loose-agressive player (which you probably are) and you'll find yourself with people raising against you alot. You'll basically have made yourself the tables "mark".

7. "Table Image is everything."

If you lose because you didn't get your 2 outer you're probably in a hand you never should have been and should have folded on the turn. Congratulate the winning player on a "good call". This tells the table you were bluffing even if you weren't and can save you from looking like a donkey/mark. It will also give you respect and people will think you have major cahones and have people questioning whether you're bluffing or hold a good hand in the future which is great. If you whine, kick, scream and bitch you tell the table you were just being a donk and lose all respect. Plus you'll find yourself never able to bluff in the future as everybody is going to call you a easy money.

8. Slow play against 1 player but be agressive against more.

So you're holding A10and the flop comes A108. Congratulations you possibly hold the best hand. But how you play it should depend on how many people are in the pot. If it's you against 1 or maybe 2, you could check and make a big raise on the turn. Never wait on a hand like this to bet at all on the river unless your fishing with your check/raises. If 2 or more people are in the hand it's better to make a bet the size of the pot or bigger to scare away some of

I moved it to poker strategy.

That's a good list to remind yourself of what you may have forgotten to get back on track.

Sometimes im getting on sidetracks as well and everybody needs a reminder every now and then.
Join: 2006/12/07 Messages: 2120
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SubtleInfluence wrote:

Not sure if this belongs in the poker forum or discussion forum so if it's in the wrong place a mod can move it 😁

This was a list I made to counter a list of top 10 ways to be a donk on another forum. But I included tons of wisdom. Hopefully reading this will make alot of you better players =).

I was a major Donk when I started (sometimes I still am in freerolls since I don't give a crap lol.) So below is my counter to Donkdom and all the wisdom I've learned! This means you get a simple list of commandments but a bonus of excellent wisdom and further detail below each.Hell I'm probably going to make some of you better player, oops!

The 10 Commandments of Poker Pro's.

1. Don't play every hand! "The chips you lose (words by Chris Feruson) Are worth MORE than the chips you win".

Everytime you lose chips you short stack yourself more against player you build up. Example you have a 1k stack and your opponent has a 3k stack. You bet 500 on a silly 10 5 offsuit to risk it and the flop comes AAK and your opponent goes all in for you to fold. Now the stack you have a 500 chip stack and your opponent has a 3500. Aka you just set him from a 2x chip lead to a 2.5 chip lead over you. Better to wait for a good hand and protect your stack then to push yourself into tilt. The only time this rule doesn't apply is when your down to final heads up against a bigger stack. Then you need to "push" as you can't wait for every hand to be a good hand. At this point it comes down to having some major cahones and knowing when to bluff your opponent.

2. "Only play suited cards when looking for a flush if you prefereable have Ax or Kx."

If you hit a flush draw with something like 7 4 in your hand and call/all-in against multiple opponents you're likely to lose to someone else who has it with a higher kicker. Now on the other hand if your low cards are suited connectors you might place a small bet in hopes for a straight flush.

3. "Fold any face card with a kicker of less then 10."

While you might end up with a good flop you don't have the odds. Someone will almost always have a face card with a better kicker. A2, and A5 (only when suited is it worth the risk) can be great cards but only to bet in small with. An exception to this is face card with a lower kicker when you hold suited cards. It can then be beneficial to bet in SMALL to see the flop if you are looking for a potential flush (see above commandment). Generally though its best to fold any hand including your a2's and a5's and wait for a better hand. It becomes a judgement call.

4. Use the blinds to see where your opponent is at!

Big Blind: If your hand is crap FOLD better to lose your blind then trying to protect it and taking a bigger loss. Always take a free check though if able.

Small blind and The button: You get to see how everybody else bets. Make a judgement call on folding, calling or raising. Even if you hold a hand like KQ or QJ or a low pair like pocket 7's if 2-3 people before you have raised/re-raised it's likely you're already beat. In pot limit it's not so much a problem but in No Limit the more hands involved in the pot the lower the odds for your big hand of winning becomes.

5. Read your opponents!

Sure an opponent can bluff, but they can also hold a great hand. If you hold A5 and the flop comes J 10 5 and your opponent bets 500+ in blinds of say only 5/10, FOLD. It could be a bluff but is more likely they have the higher pair. The best way to decide to call a bluff is to think to yourself "is my hand the type of hand I'd go all in with?". In most cases it's not so you should fold instead of call. If it was a bluff you still managed to protect your stack (see rule #1). If it's a small raise like 75 you might smell something fishy and try a decent re-raise like 150 to try and scare them away or check the real strength of their hand. But if they re-raise FOLD! If they call if you don't catch another 5 and your opponent does anything but check FOLD! you were beat before the turn and probably should not of been involved that far to begin with.


6. "Don't bet your life on the river."

There are only so many outs in a poker hand. If your amount of outs is fewer then 10 FOLD. If your outs are 10-13 possibly call or raise Minimally, if your outs are 13-20+ it might be worth going for it if you feel your opponent has a weaker hand. If you decide to bluff with very few outs and make the call thank God for it. However you should never do it in the first place. It tells your opponents you are a loose-agressive player (which you probably are) and you'll find yourself with people raising against you alot. You'll basically have made yourself the tables "mark".

7. "Table Image is everything."

If you lose because you didn't get your 2 outer you're probably in a hand you never should have been and should have folded on the turn. Congratulate the winning player on a "good call". This tells the table you were bluffing even if you weren't and can save you from looking like a donkey/mark. It will also give you respect and people will think you have major cahones and have people questioning whether you're bluffing or hold a good hand in the future which is great. If you whine, kick, scream and bitch you tell the table you were just being a donk and lose all respect. Plus you'll find yourself never able to bluff in the future as everybody is going to call you a easy money.

8. Slow play against 1 player but be agressive against more.

So you're holding A10and the flop comes A108. Congratulations you possibly hold the best hand. But how you play it should depend on how many people are in the pot. If it's you against 1 or maybe 2, you could check and make a big raise on the turn. Never wait on a hand like this to bet at all on the river unless your fishing with your check/raises. If 2 or more people are in the hand it's better to make a bet the size of the pot or bigger to scare away some of

Very good post. There are so many rules of poker, so having 10 to follow should be easier. I try hard to follow those 10, but I usually run into players that have no rules at all. LOL. GL X
Join: 2008/08/08 Messages: 158
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SubtleInfluence wrote:

Not sure if this belongs in the poker forum or discussion forum so if it's in the wrong place a mod can move it 😁

This was a list I made to counter a list of top 10 ways to be a donk on another forum. But I included tons of wisdom. Hopefully reading this will make alot of you better players =).

I was a major Donk when I started (sometimes I still am in freerolls since I don't give a crap lol.) So below is my counter to Donkdom and all the wisdom I've learned! This means you get a simple list of commandments but a bonus of excellent wisdom and further detail below each.Hell I'm probably going to make some of you better player, oops!

The 10 Commandments of Poker Pro's.

1. Don't play every hand! "The chips you lose (words by Chris Feruson) Are worth MORE than the chips you win".

Everytime you lose chips you short stack yourself more against player you build up. Example you have a 1k stack and your opponent has a 3k stack. You bet 500 on a silly 10 5 offsuit to risk it and the flop comes AAK and your opponent goes all in for you to fold. Now the stack you have a 500 chip stack and your opponent has a 3500. Aka you just set him from a 2x chip lead to a 2.5 chip lead over you. Better to wait for a good hand and protect your stack then to push yourself into tilt. The only time this rule doesn't apply is when your down to final heads up against a bigger stack. Then you need to "push" as you can't wait for every hand to be a good hand. At this point it comes down to having some major cahones and knowing when to bluff your opponent.

2. "Only play suited cards when looking for a flush if you prefereable have Ax or Kx."

If you hit a flush draw with something like 7 4 in your hand and call/all-in against multiple opponents you're likely to lose to someone else who has it with a higher kicker. Now on the other hand if your low cards are suited connectors you might place a small bet in hopes for a straight flush.

3. "Fold any face card with a kicker of less then 10."

While you might end up with a good flop you don't have the odds. Someone will almost always have a face card with a better kicker. A2, and A5 (only when suited is it worth the risk) can be great cards but only to bet in small with. An exception to this is face card with a lower kicker when you hold suited cards. It can then be beneficial to bet in SMALL to see the flop if you are looking for a potential flush (see above commandment). Generally though its best to fold any hand including your a2's and a5's and wait for a better hand. It becomes a judgement call.

4. Use the blinds to see where your opponent is at!

Big Blind: If your hand is crap FOLD better to lose your blind then trying to protect it and taking a bigger loss. Always take a free check though if able.

Small blind and The button: You get to see how everybody else bets. Make a judgement call on folding, calling or raising. Even if you hold a hand like KQ or QJ or a low pair like pocket 7's if 2-3 people before you have raised/re-raised it's likely you're already beat. In pot limit it's not so much a problem but in No Limit the more hands involved in the pot the lower the odds for your big hand of winning becomes.

5. Read your opponents!

Sure an opponent can bluff, but they can also hold a great hand. If you hold A5 and the flop comes J 10 5 and your opponent bets 500+ in blinds of say only 5/10, FOLD. It could be a bluff but is more likely they have the higher pair. The best way to decide to call a bluff is to think to yourself "is my hand the type of hand I'd go all in with?". In most cases it's not so you should fold instead of call. If it was a bluff you still managed to protect your stack (see rule #1). If it's a small raise like 75 you might smell something fishy and try a decent re-raise like 150 to try and scare them away or check the real strength of their hand. But if they re-raise FOLD! If they call if you don't catch another 5 and your opponent does anything but check FOLD! you were beat before the turn and probably should not of been involved that far to begin with.


6. "Don't bet your life on the river."

There are only so many outs in a poker hand. If your amount of outs is fewer then 10 FOLD. If your outs are 10-13 possibly call or raise Minimally, if your outs are 13-20+ it might be worth going for it if you feel your opponent has a weaker hand. If you decide to bluff with very few outs and make the call thank God for it. However you should never do it in the first place. It tells your opponents you are a loose-agressive player (which you probably are) and you'll find yourself with people raising against you alot. You'll basically have made yourself the tables "mark".

7. "Table Image is everything."

If you lose because you didn't get your 2 outer you're probably in a hand you never should have been and should have folded on the turn. Congratulate the winning player on a "good call". This tells the table you were bluffing even if you weren't and can save you from looking like a donkey/mark. It will also give you respect and people will think you have major cahones and have people questioning whether you're bluffing or hold a good hand in the future which is great. If you whine, kick, scream and bitch you tell the table you were just being a donk and lose all respect. Plus you'll find yourself never able to bluff in the future as everybody is going to call you a easy money.

8. Slow play against 1 player but be agressive against more.

So you're holding A10and the flop comes A108. Congratulations you possibly hold the best hand. But how you play it should depend on how many people are in the pot. If it's you against 1 or maybe 2, you could check and make a big raise on the turn. Never wait on a hand like this to bet at all on the river unless your fishing with your check/raises. If 2 or more people are in the hand it's better to make a bet the size of the pot or bigger to scare away some of

Thanks for a great post *SubtleInfluence* :dirol
Join: 2006/12/07 Messages: 29893
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SubtleInfluence wrote:

Not sure if this belongs in the poker forum or discussion forum so if it's in the wrong place a mod can move it 😁

This was a list I made to counter a list of top 10 ways to be a donk on another forum. But I included tons of wisdom. Hopefully reading this will make alot of you better players =).

I was a major Donk when I started (sometimes I still am in freerolls since I don't give a crap lol.) So below is my counter to Donkdom and all the wisdom I've learned! This means you get a simple list of commandments but a bonus of excellent wisdom and further detail below each.Hell I'm probably going to make some of you better player, oops!

The 10 Commandments of Poker Pro's.

1. Don't play every hand! "The chips you lose (words by Chris Feruson) Are worth MORE than the chips you win".

Everytime you lose chips you short stack yourself more against player you build up. Example you have a 1k stack and your opponent has a 3k stack. You bet 500 on a silly 10 5 offsuit to risk it and the flop comes AAK and your opponent goes all in for you to fold. Now the stack you have a 500 chip stack and your opponent has a 3500. Aka you just set him from a 2x chip lead to a 2.5 chip lead over you. Better to wait for a good hand and protect your stack then to push yourself into tilt. The only time this rule doesn't apply is when your down to final heads up against a bigger stack. Then you need to "push" as you can't wait for every hand to be a good hand. At this point it comes down to having some major cahones and knowing when to bluff your opponent.

2. "Only play suited cards when looking for a flush if you prefereable have Ax or Kx."

If you hit a flush draw with something like 7 4 in your hand and call/all-in against multiple opponents you're likely to lose to someone else who has it with a higher kicker. Now on the other hand if your low cards are suited connectors you might place a small bet in hopes for a straight flush.

3. "Fold any face card with a kicker of less then 10."

While you might end up with a good flop you don't have the odds. Someone will almost always have a face card with a better kicker. A2, and A5 (only when suited is it worth the risk) can be great cards but only to bet in small with. An exception to this is face card with a lower kicker when you hold suited cards. It can then be beneficial to bet in SMALL to see the flop if you are looking for a potential flush (see above commandment). Generally though its best to fold any hand including your a2's and a5's and wait for a better hand. It becomes a judgement call.

4. Use the blinds to see where your opponent is at!

Big Blind: If your hand is crap FOLD better to lose your blind then trying to protect it and taking a bigger loss. Always take a free check though if able.

Small blind and The button: You get to see how everybody else bets. Make a judgement call on folding, calling or raising. Even if you hold a hand like KQ or QJ or a low pair like pocket 7's if 2-3 people before you have raised/re-raised it's likely you're already beat. In pot limit it's not so much a problem but in No Limit the more hands involved in the pot the lower the odds for your big hand of winning becomes.

5. Read your opponents!

Sure an opponent can bluff, but they can also hold a great hand. If you hold A5 and the flop comes J 10 5 and your opponent bets 500+ in blinds of say only 5/10, FOLD. It could be a bluff but is more likely they have the higher pair. The best way to decide to call a bluff is to think to yourself "is my hand the type of hand I'd go all in with?". In most cases it's not so you should fold instead of call. If it was a bluff you still managed to protect your stack (see rule #1). If it's a small raise like 75 you might smell something fishy and try a decent re-raise like 150 to try and scare them away or check the real strength of their hand. But if they re-raise FOLD! If they call if you don't catch another 5 and your opponent does anything but check FOLD! you were beat before the turn and probably should not of been involved that far to begin with.


6. "Don't bet your life on the river."

There are only so many outs in a poker hand. If your amount of outs is fewer then 10 FOLD. If your outs are 10-13 possibly call or raise Minimally, if your outs are 13-20+ it might be worth going for it if you feel your opponent has a weaker hand. If you decide to bluff with very few outs and make the call thank God for it. However you should never do it in the first place. It tells your opponents you are a loose-agressive player (which you probably are) and you'll find yourself with people raising against you alot. You'll basically have made yourself the tables "mark".

7. "Table Image is everything."

If you lose because you didn't get your 2 outer you're probably in a hand you never should have been and should have folded on the turn. Congratulate the winning player on a "good call". This tells the table you were bluffing even if you weren't and can save you from looking like a donkey/mark. It will also give you respect and people will think you have major cahones and have people questioning whether you're bluffing or hold a good hand in the future which is great. If you whine, kick, scream and bitch you tell the table you were just being a donk and lose all respect. Plus you'll find yourself never able to bluff in the future as everybody is going to call you a easy money.

8. Slow play against 1 player but be agressive against more.

So you're holding A10and the flop comes A108. Congratulations you possibly hold the best hand. But how you play it should depend on how many people are in the pot. If it's you against 1 or maybe 2, you could check and make a big raise on the turn. Never wait on a hand like this to bet at all on the river unless your fishing with your check/raises. If 2 or more people are in the hand it's better to make a bet the size of the pot or bigger to scare away some of

You make some very good points here!
Join: 2007/02/24 Messages: 1205
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kennex wrote:

You make some very good points here!

I think you have really hit the nail on the head. Especially the 10th one, never stop learning.
Join: 2008/06/20 Messages: 2
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neilzelkin wrote:

I think you have really hit the nail on the head. Especially the 10th one, never stop learning.

Nice post but I think I would not much agree with tip number 3. If you're going to fold a Q with a 9 as its kicker then... 10,8 and J appear to be the flops... you missed the straight! hehe πŸ˜‰

But in the other way around... you're still right... it is just a game of luck. hehe πŸ˜‰
Join: 2008/12/04 Messages: 43
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SubtleInfluence wrote:

Not sure if this belongs in the poker forum or discussion forum so if it's in the wrong place a mod can move it 😁

This was a list I made to counter a list of top 10 ways to be a donk on another forum. But I included tons of wisdom. Hopefully reading this will make alot of you better players =).

I was a major Donk when I started (sometimes I still am in freerolls since I don't give a crap lol.) So below is my counter to Donkdom and all the wisdom I've learned! This means you get a simple list of commandments but a bonus of excellent wisdom and further detail below each.Hell I'm probably going to make some of you better player, oops!

The 10 Commandments of Poker Pro's.

1. Don't play every hand! "The chips you lose (words by Chris Feruson) Are worth MORE than the chips you win".

Everytime you lose chips you short stack yourself more against player you build up. Example you have a 1k stack and your opponent has a 3k stack. You bet 500 on a silly 10 5 offsuit to risk it and the flop comes AAK and your opponent goes all in for you to fold. Now the stack you have a 500 chip stack and your opponent has a 3500. Aka you just set him from a 2x chip lead to a 2.5 chip lead over you. Better to wait for a good hand and protect your stack then to push yourself into tilt. The only time this rule doesn't apply is when your down to final heads up against a bigger stack. Then you need to "push" as you can't wait for every hand to be a good hand. At this point it comes down to having some major cahones and knowing when to bluff your opponent.

2. "Only play suited cards when looking for a flush if you prefereable have Ax or Kx."

If you hit a flush draw with something like 7 4 in your hand and call/all-in against multiple opponents you're likely to lose to someone else who has it with a higher kicker. Now on the other hand if your low cards are suited connectors you might place a small bet in hopes for a straight flush.

3. "Fold any face card with a kicker of less then 10."

While you might end up with a good flop you don't have the odds. Someone will almost always have a face card with a better kicker. A2, and A5 (only when suited is it worth the risk) can be great cards but only to bet in small with. An exception to this is face card with a lower kicker when you hold suited cards. It can then be beneficial to bet in SMALL to see the flop if you are looking for a potential flush (see above commandment). Generally though its best to fold any hand including your a2's and a5's and wait for a better hand. It becomes a judgement call.

4. Use the blinds to see where your opponent is at!

Big Blind: If your hand is crap FOLD better to lose your blind then trying to protect it and taking a bigger loss. Always take a free check though if able.

Small blind and The button: You get to see how everybody else bets. Make a judgement call on folding, calling or raising. Even if you hold a hand like KQ or QJ or a low pair like pocket 7's if 2-3 people before you have raised/re-raised it's likely you're already beat. In pot limit it's not so much a problem but in No Limit the more hands involved in the pot the lower the odds for your big hand of winning becomes.

5. Read your opponents!

Sure an opponent can bluff, but they can also hold a great hand. If you hold A5 and the flop comes J 10 5 and your opponent bets 500+ in blinds of say only 5/10, FOLD. It could be a bluff but is more likely they have the higher pair. The best way to decide to call a bluff is to think to yourself "is my hand the type of hand I'd go all in with?". In most cases it's not so you should fold instead of call. If it was a bluff you still managed to protect your stack (see rule #1). If it's a small raise like 75 you might smell something fishy and try a decent re-raise like 150 to try and scare them away or check the real strength of their hand. But if they re-raise FOLD! If they call if you don't catch another 5 and your opponent does anything but check FOLD! you were beat before the turn and probably should not of been involved that far to begin with.


6. "Don't bet your life on the river."

There are only so many outs in a poker hand. If your amount of outs is fewer then 10 FOLD. If your outs are 10-13 possibly call or raise Minimally, if your outs are 13-20+ it might be worth going for it if you feel your opponent has a weaker hand. If you decide to bluff with very few outs and make the call thank God for it. However you should never do it in the first place. It tells your opponents you are a loose-agressive player (which you probably are) and you'll find yourself with people raising against you alot. You'll basically have made yourself the tables "mark".

7. "Table Image is everything."

If you lose because you didn't get your 2 outer you're probably in a hand you never should have been and should have folded on the turn. Congratulate the winning player on a "good call". This tells the table you were bluffing even if you weren't and can save you from looking like a donkey/mark. It will also give you respect and people will think you have major cahones and have people questioning whether you're bluffing or hold a good hand in the future which is great. If you whine, kick, scream and bitch you tell the table you were just being a donk and lose all respect. Plus you'll find yourself never able to bluff in the future as everybody is going to call you a easy money.

8. Slow play against 1 player but be agressive against more.

So you're holding A10and the flop comes A108. Congratulations you possibly hold the best hand. But how you play it should depend on how many people are in the pot. If it's you against 1 or maybe 2, you could check and make a big raise on the turn. Never wait on a hand like this to bet at all on the river unless your fishing with your check/raises. If 2 or more people are in the hand it's better to make a bet the size of the pot or bigger to scare away some of

Great article :thumbsup
Join: 2006/12/20 Messages: 978
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snobben wrote:

Great article :thumbsup

The reason of this Article is to teach and announce gamblers of the facets of sports gambling. With the Need of premier to a more money-making wagering know-how for you, the player. I have had the distinct delight of talking with numerous gamblers and it appears the one locality that most need help with is a cash administration scheme to apply into their sports Gambling.
Join: 2009/06/29 Messages: 5
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mhuktar wrote:

The reason of this Article is to teach and announce gamblers of the facets of sports gambling. With the Need of premier to a more money-making wagering know-how for you, the player. I have had the distinct delight of talking with numerous gamblers and it appears the one locality that most need help with is a cash administration scheme to apply into their sports Gambling.

Your points are very good. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Join: 2009/07/03 Messages: 49
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