4/2 rule

Correct number of outs for basic hands
https://www.cardplayer.com/poker-tools/odds-and-outs

Odds of backdoor flush draw (23-1)

Pot odds for common fractions of the pot

Then you start getting in to opening hands for every position

3-bet hands for every position

Probably should know about free tools like Equilab and HUDs

What else?

Bankroll management

Bankroll management

Bankroll management (that important that it is number 1, 2 and 3)

If you are tilted or otherwise not playing your best game, leave the table

Too many things to list here.

Bankroll management is a good one but I've always played extremely conservatively so I've never had much of an issue with it.

Not playing tiled is also an EXCELLENT idea.

The problem is simply that if you're under-rolled, you'll tend to play too conservatively to be successful.

This is a really good post i am hoping to learn lots from it !

Whats 4/2 rule mate ?

google it or search the forums for it if you want a detailed explanation.

basically, with two cards to come you multiply your number of outs by 4 to calculate your pot odds
this happens on the flop when you're facing a bet and you don't expect your opponent to bet the turn

with one card to come, you multiply your number of outs by 2 to calculate your pot odds
this is usually on the turn, with only the river to come
but also on the flop if you expect your opponent to bet the turn

simple example:
You have 56o Flop is K34r
Your opponent accidentally showed their hand as is holding AKo
So you know you need to hit a 2 or 7 to win the hand.
Say there's 100 chips in the pot and your opponent bets 50.
You think it's very likely they will bet again on the turn.
So you have 8 outs (4x2 + 4x7)
That's 8*2 = 16% chance to make a winning hand on the turn card.

Your pot odds are (bet / (pot + bet + call)):
50 / (100 + 50 + 50) = 25%
You have to call 50 to win 200, so 50 / 200 = 25% (200 because you win back your own bet as well)

So you know you're not getting pot odds to make the call and you can fold your hand.
Unless you think you're getting implied odds to call.

If you think your opponent would not bet the turn then you would multiply your outs by 4, since there are 2 more cards to come, the turn and river.
This would then become 8*4 = 32%, giving you correct pot-odds to call.

The 4/2 rule gives an estimate of your pot odds, not an exact number.
But it's close enough to be useable in real time.

Here's a few things I can think of atm:

- Manage your expectations.
You're not going to become a pro player if you're asking questions here anytime soon.
Unless you get very lucky, might as well go play the lottery.
Don't play poker for money, play it because you enjoy playing. If you enjoy it for long enough, the money will come.
If you want to get rich quick, you'll probably leave broke and disappointed.

- Balance study and practice.
Studying for hours makes no sense if you don't learn to apply what you've studied to your games.
For most beginners it's probably better to study for 30-60 minutes and then go play for a few hours until you're actually doing what you've studied.
Then repeat for the next thing you want to improve in your game.

- Stop worrying about GTO and solvers.
You'll know when you need them, it's not when you're asking questions here.

- Exercise, get enough sleep, eat healthy.
This will help you study and stay focused while playing.

- Don't over-do it.
Burning yourself out by studying/playing too much won't help you.
Take at least 1 day / week where you don't do anything poker-related, no reading, studying or playing!
This will actually motivate you and help you study and play more!

- Stop thinking you're good at this game, you're not, I'm not.
The second you think you start getting good, you'll notice there's a ton more stuff to learn which you've never heard or thought about just around the corner.

- Start with preflop, everything else builds further upon that basis.
If you make mistakes preflop you will end up in a lot of post-flop spots where you have no other option but to make big mistakes.

- Then work on your flop game.

- BTN and CO first, most of your profit will come from these positions.

- Then learn how to defend your BB.

- After that work on your SB.

- Play tight from EP & MP until you find the time to work on those spots.

- When and why should you cbet?
- What cbet sizing should you use in which situation?

- When should you cbet turn?

- What's a turn probe and when should you use it?

- How do you adjust to people calling too much?
No really, are those people you tag as call stations even calling too much? Or are you maybe just folding too much?
Or are the just calling too much preflop, but not post-flop?
What are they doing with those hands they're calling but shouldn't be calling? Bluffing? Folding? Calling?
How do you adjust in each situation?

- Get a feel for how much value you can get with your made hands and start value betting!
- What is a value bet?

- What are good reasons for betting?
- What are bad reasons for betting?


I could probably go on for a while

I cant thank you enough for this insight. I am going to use this information you've given me, ive learnt so much already !!

I have now joined a site called pokercoaching run by Jonathan Little so hopefully these topics you've mentioned are in it. I'm going to start with poker fundamentals and go from there !

Do you offer poker coaching ?

I believe there are mixed reviews here on JLittle, so use your first 30 days to really comb the site and then go for the refund if you feel it's not for you. The one major aspect of that site are the quizzes, which give you instant feedback with explanations. (You just need to be able to understand the explanations) He is also all over YouTube for free.

Beginners need to first 'play cards', not poker. Know the value of your hand as it connects to the Board and whether or not it can (and how) improve.

If you can afford it, play towards the table max, newer players that are afraid to lose often get taken advantage of due to short stacks and way too much folding when they don't have much behind.

Your bets need to make sense. Your opponents bets also need to make sense. The more you play the more you will recall previous spots and 'see' what the right thing is to do.

If you're playing live, then you need to profile your opponents and adjust your play accordingly. While I did say you need to 'play cards' not 'poker' you still need to recognize that the 'hoodie' kid will call larger bets than the little old lady. So when you are ahead try to get max value for the opponent type you think is in the hand.

There is nothing wrong with taking down pots before Showdown, so if you don't have much behind when compared to what's in the middle, then it needs to go in or you fold.

Work on your math. You need to know the pot size at all times, at least roughly and don't worry about rake. Before each hand you should know the approximate stack size for each opponent and where they are in relation to the Button, especially the short stacks. You will look down at KQs and want to call an opening bet .. only to see the Big Blind shove and you have to fold, tossing away 3-5 bb into the process.

You will never be done learning about poker and as long as you can try to keep that age old adage '**** happens' fresh in your mind then you can ride out the variance. You will play bad, your opponents will play bad, your cards will run good and your cards will run bad on any given day. When you mind slips .. time to go home. GL

Too many things too list..."

And then you go ahead and write two very high quality posts, lol.

Solid stuff.

The biggest thing for me was, always remember they will be playing tomorrow.

Never go broke in a limped pot.

A little acronym I have always used. I even stuck it on my monitor when I was first learning.

DNFA

Do not force action. Sometimes you’re card dead. Sometimes every call station stays in every hand and you can’t ever connect to the board. It happens. Playing nothing but suboptimal hands or bluffing call stations is a leak. Don’t force yourself to play losing hands just because you’re not getting anything worth playing.