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Server Time: 11/20/2009 7:04:08 PM PACIFIC |
 Poker Geeks, Banning, 25. May 2003 11:42 | ||
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| My and my friends background leading to our interest in poker originates from alot of different games. I have played such games as bridge, alot of other card games, but also other games of strategy such as Axis and Allies, or Risk, or alot of other more tedious board games that involve dice rolling and proper probability management. For those of you that are also huge geeks such as myself: Avalon Hill, or Wizards of the Coast, Warhammer might ring a few bells. Coming into poker my friends and myself adapted quite quickly to the environment and play quite intelligently. The majority of them have never even looked at a poker book. I'm the only one although I am converting one of my friends. I am constantly amazed at how astute my friends are; what I mean is that very often I would read about how to play better in some article and then a few weeks later some friend would just say out of the blue the exact same thing that some "pro" poker players article just said. When we first started playing it was a whole lot of loose, passive or aggresive play depending on the person. But with almost every single session we play my friends have started tightening up and playing harder and better. Alot of them started giving themselves starting hand selection that is remarkably similar to alot of those posted in websites and/or books. They never used Turbo computer programs just the wonderful computer that is their brains. Anyhow; I was just curious if anybody out there is a "Poker Geek," somebody who used to play all sorts of other games and came to poker because of it, and adapted well because the idea of playing using odds and statistics was very normal to them from other games. Thanks | ||
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| Re: Poker Geeks, kaleb2000, 25. May 2003 15:41 | ||
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| Fellow geek, I have spent many a nights playing risk, axis and allies, euro rails and my all time favorite: Advanced Squad Leader. ASL is by far the most realistic war game ever created. About 15 years ago it was very popular amongst our fellow nerds. With the popularity of the computer however, the game died out quite a bit. There are still some who play but nowhere near how it used to be. Axis and allies is pretty fun too -less complex and faster to play (can still be 8+ hours if everyone is good). For me, poker was always fairly intuitive and after playing for about 2 months now almost daily, I've refined my skills to the point where I at least have now broken even. I only play 7card stud at empire poker 1/2 limit usually. Poker is definelty a fun game that takes some skill in the long run. I have posted many strategy questions on this website in an attempt to refine some of the more non-intuitive plays. At first, I assumed any pair at the start was good enough to bet with. Now I only do so if no other cards of my low pair are out and if no-one is betting aggressively. I'll fold a raise. I also will not look too highly on a low 3 str8. Same type of deal, only now I use a pot odds approach. Usually if only 3 people are betting I won't play a 3 card low str8 since right off I'm not favored to win. I've found that the only way to make money is if you minimize your losses and maximize your gains. Because of this I don't play as much usually 25-35% of my hands will go to 4th street. But my win % is usually fairly good when I do. To me, taking these little steps (really all it is is exercising discipline) is the key to winning low limit poker. At these limits you have usually half the people playing like fish and the other half playing smart. Given the high number of poor players, bluffing rarely works. I've been using check raises though very well and maybe some other tactics I've learned from this board. But going back to your original comment, I think that anyone with some prior wargame experience(or a semi-strategic brain and some discipline), should be able to get at least the basics and probably be able to at least break even at low limit online poker games. At these limits it certainly isn't rocket science. Bet when you have a good starting hand, fold when you dont. Minimize risk, maximize gain. Again I am a newcomer and by no means consider my comments to be the gospel or even close - simply my experience from the last 2 months. People on this forum that have been playing for years might disagree or have other opinions. Chau!! | ||
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| Re: Poker Geeks learn, flintsword, 26. May 2003 06:41 | ||
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| Before there were books & Turbo poker computer programs, ... good poker players developed from playing experience. I played a LOT of chess and I find the parallels really uncanny. The main advantage "gamers" have is that they learn rules and are "mentally flexible" enough to then take the next step, which is to "unlearn" bad habits in order to replace them with "better" playing habits. This is improvement and the path to mastery of any game. Most people have a hard time unlearning habits. It takes discipline & it is not everyone's favourite activity. Look at smoking, ... the habit kills people, yet stopping that habit is tough. Playing A2 offsuit UTG is not life threatening, but "wallet-threatening" ... in the long run. Gamers want to play better so they are hardwired for change. I suppose the message here for anyone is to think about changing your habits of play to play better. flintsword | ||
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| Re: Poker Geeks, stdioh, 26. May 2003 08:55 | ||
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| I think a lot of us started with geeky beginnings. I'm a mathematician and computer scientist by education, but I grew up playing Risk, Warhammer, Magic, Jyhad, and the rest of it. I was a giant video game nerd and can still tell you all the minutae of Starcon II. I started playing a lot of backgammon in first year university and came to realize that I could make decent money doing that. I diversified into Mah Jong and Blackjack. I also had grown up playing poker with friends and when I realized that lucrative poker could be played in casinos instead of with friends, becomming a semipro was the next logical step. So yeah, I grew up with various games of strategy, chess, checkers, and the rest of it. Actually, the lovely Wren is something of a gamer herself. I've *never* been able to beat her in a single game of Carcasonne or Carcasonne II. | ||
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| Re: Poker Geeks, Wren, 26. May 2003 10:05 | ||
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| I am very much a game geek, though I prefer "nerd" as geek has (to me), very strong slashdog-esque connotations :O) I used to play quite often on http://www.brettspielwelt.de, a German board game site. There are dozens of great games on there, including Settlers of Catan, Lost Cities and, one of my personal favourites, Carcassonne (both the original and the new "hunters and gatherers" version). I'd imagine that adeptness at boardgames (the logic & strategy-oriented ones, at least, as fun as chez dork may or may not be ;) does correlate with good poker playing, as they both involve similar types of decisions, (often) some probability, "out-playing" your opponents and getting into their heads, observing and interpreting new information, etc. etc. Yet, stdio insists on hating carcassonne, so the correlation can't be altogether strong ;) | ||
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| Re: Poker Geeks, stdioh, 26. May 2003 11:40 | ||
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| I only hate Carc because you school the bejesus out of me every time we play. I'm reminded of a Parking Lot is Full cartoon in which they mention how depressing your life will be if you actually get to heaven since everybody there will be so much better than you at everything: "Today, painting with the renaisance masters - tomorrow, marial arts with Bruce Lee." I do not relish, "Carcasonne with Wren," when we get there some day. | ||
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| Re: Poker Geeks, noiseboy, 27. May 2003 09:35 | ||
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| Yep, I was a game geek before I took up poker. As a teenager it was D&D and chess. In college it was computer strategy games like Civilizations and Heroes of Might and Magic. I played in some chess tournaments, did pretty badly as my mind isn't quite exact enough for that game. Plus, there's no money in chess, unless you are part of the super-elite. The nice thing about poker is that you can make money, as long as you have a good sense of table selection, just play with people who are worse than you. | ||
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