*** READ THIS FIRST!!! What do the numbers xx/yy/zz mean? *** BEGINNER FORUM FAQ ***

[Cry Me A River]

Beginners Forum Frequently Asked Questions.

[Cry Me A River]

I'm going to leave this thread open for a while so anyone who has any comments, suggestions or additions for the FAQ can post here.

I think the collapsible format is really helpful for beginners since it keeps them from being overwhelmed by a large document. I've tried to avoid nesting question as with the other FAQs I've done in this format so everything is obvious to people so may not know what sub-heading to look under.

The other FAQs I've written like this are:

Micro Full Ring No Limit Texas Hold'em Master Sticky and FAQ.
Small to High Full Ring No Limit Texas Hold'em Master Sticky and FAQ.

So if you think there's anything I should include from them, let me know.


I've used most of the original FAQ, but not the preamble because some of it is no longer current (ie: the search is very different with this software) and I didn't think it was really needed.

The original FAQ is here:

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/32/beginners-questions/read-first-what-do-numbers-xx-yy-zz-mean-beginner-forum-faq-1387/


- I've wimped out in the starting hands section because I don't really want to get into it since we'd need a bunch of different starting hand guides to cover all bases and as I posted in the thread that's linked in the micro full ring FAQ:

the real reason there's no chart is that putting one really does a disservice to beginning players. It's a lot more complicated than just a simple chart.

In no limit hold'em, postflop play is way more important than preflop play. And your preflop play should be flexible and change to suit table conditions. If there's a hand chart posted in the FAQ, people are going to play that chart slavishly and not think or adjust as they should.

Ideally, your hand chart should be, "Play tight up front, play looser with position. Stay aggressive." The particulars are far less important and depend more on your skill and table conditions. If you're much better than your opponents postflop, you should pay a much wider range of hands. If you basically suck and you're barely better than the droolers then tightening up is a better idea. Either way, you want to adjust your play to the table. If it's tight, run then over. If it's loose, value bet them to death. If it's aggro, trap them.

Ozi Edit: If you want to join the good fight against Bad Beat threads.....here is the PSA
http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/32...hreads-333844/

[zzzaacckk]

Might want to link to a discussion regarding the advantages and disadvantages of sng vs ring as well as STT vs MTT and 6 max vs FR

[frumpus]

Maybe touch on EV

[frumpus]

Oh and the old 6 Max vs FR

[Cry Me A River]

Links?

[frumpus]

Expected Value

6 max or FR threads get posted a lot. I don't feel qualified to choose the one with the best advice in it though and I can't find anything stickied about it.

[Cry Me A River]

Yeah, there's a 6 max vs full ring in the two Full Ring FAQs, but I don't really want to be sending people out of forum. I'm not sure there's really been a definitive thread in here other than the usual Variance vs #Tables. I'll poke around and/or try and write/cut and paste something definitive together.

[Cry Me A River]

Bump - Going to try to keep this at the top of the list.

nice FAQ good job with that

[theone09]

excellent job, thx

[Hollywood Cole]

What exactly does a "passive TAG" mean ??

[Cry Me A River]

Bump to put this on top again.

[antonioconto]

Very much information and no idea where to start...but i will start somewhere.

[gedanken]

it seems page 1 always includes an "omg, my won w/o showdown is horrible" thread lately.

I respectfully suggest:

Why are my "won without showdown" winnings lower than my showdown winnings?

At very low stakes, players make the same mistake over and over again: they call too much. Therefore, you should expect to make the easiest money when exploiting that mistake by taking stronger hands to showdown. Showdown profits are normally the way people make money at the lowest stakes.

To profit in non-showdown hands, you must get your opponent to fold when you are behind, (if you are ahead, you profit more by getting them to call). It can be relatively difficult to get low-stakes opponents to fold better hands than what you hold yourself, on average, so non-showdown winnings are typically low for micro-stakes players.

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but that's just a quick draft. somebody could probably construct a more concise, lucid and accurate answer...