First time post here. I'm not really a beginner, in fact I began playing poker at a young age sitting around the family table playing with change. 7 card stud, 5 card draw, baseball and midnight baseball (because my mom loved those). I doscovered TX Hold em just a few years ago and at first sort of shunned it thinking it a bastardization of "real" poker (My mothers faves notwithstanding). But, eventually, about three years ago, I played in a game of hold em and I was hooked. So far I have played quite a bit online and in several live games. I generally make SOME money and my fair share of FTs in the smaller MTT stakes stuff 5-10 range. I've won a few and even when I lose its usually bubble or not far from it. People have described me as a tight aggressive player but I tend to think of myself as more of a rock thats very cautious with my chipstack.

In any case, a newfound friend directed me to this site and I have enjoyed reading some of the poker theory pages and the generally educated discourse on poker. I've only read a few books, Mike Sexton and "crushing the internet game" and only a few others. I do read all of Full Tilts articles that the pros submit. I've been playing a little at Carbon poker lately as well as a couple of live games.

My question, such as it is, relates to various poker software aids. I'm really wondering whats free and whats useful. I have done the 5 free a day thing at sharkscope and I just downloaded poker stove though I haven't really started figuring out how best to use it yet. Any advise that anyone has on the subject of good software to help elevate my game, without going too far out of pocket to use would be apprecciated. Thanks and good luck at the tables to all of you.

ACE

Where can I contact support/mods about an account detail?

First to reply gets a virtual high five!

Pokerstove is a great tool, as you know. There is a similar online tool at twodimes.net

Sharkscope is prohibited on Pokerstars, so don't use it while you're playing.

I would get a tracking program like Hold'em Manager or Pokertracker3 as soon as you can. You need to keep track of things like your win rate and review hands often. They are both about $80 I think, but they are invaluable.

Another free tool to help with reviewing hands is Popopop's Universal Replayer, which I like a lot.

How long does a NLHE Turbo DoN on star last for?

Average is just over half an hour, 45 mins if you win. That's for $20 and $50 DoNs, will vary slightly by level (ie; lower should get a little shorter).

Is the shortstack strategy still worth it,after so many ppl playing it...?!

I have another question on terminology, specifically the proper use of the word "nuts" as in "I have the nuts" pertaining to a flop, turn or river:

Let's say I am holding A5 and the flop hits AA5, can I say I have the "absolute" nuts? Even though hypothetically speaking Quad A's would be the nuts, my thinking is that it's impossible because I have one of the three A's represented, so in this situation quad A's would be impossible, similar argument with quad 5's.
So, when saying "absolute nuts", is it purely hypothetical poker, or does it pertain to the context of "reality" in any given hand??

Many thanks to everyone for answering my previous two questions. You guys are awesome

Do you earn FPP faster then FTP player points?

Not sure what you mean by the "absolute" nuts, but yes you have the best possible hand (or the nuts) with A5 with AA5 flop at this point.

You must realize that another player could also have A5 and thus both of you have the nuts.

This is my understanding of a nuts hand

Yes but you have to realize that you're comparing apples to oranges. FTP's primary value of that sort comes from rakeback. Stars doesn't have rakeback and the VIP program and FPP fulfills that function.

With A5, you have the nuts, but A5 isn't the absolute nuts, basically. Also, another way to look at it is that AA has a boardlock whereas A5 can get outdrawn.

Thanks RO,

But in the example I quoted, AA isn't possible, since I have A5 and board is AA5. So, my confusion lies in that I had this hand and I flipped the cards and called it I have "the nuts". Someone responded that is not the nuts, the nuts would have been quad Aces. I argued that Quad Aces aren't possible given three of the Aces are accounted for.

You're right of course, but it's just semantics. I will often say something like, "well, I basically flopped the nuts," when I have little doubt that anyone has my hand beat. Like if I have JJ on a TJ744 board. Of course there is a hand that beats mine (44), but I'm not too worried about it with top FH.

Yeah, see, you don't have the "absolute nuts", which is "the strongest possible holding on this board", but you have the "nuts" which is "a hand that cannot lose", ducy?

I'd say you have the nuts, but not the immortal nuts. QQ is still drawing to running queens, and there might be straight-flush possibilities. Very few hands are the immortal nuts on the flop. But you did flop the nuts.

"Absolute nuts" is not a term I hear very often, so I doubt there will be consensus on what that means.

I think yoy will get consensus here. I mean the absolute nuts on that flop would be a str8 flush draw assuming the A5 are suited someone could have a 23,24,34 of that suit and draw you out. On that flop though, at that time you have the nuts and it would take one horrible bad beat to out draw on you. regardless your villian would be darwing to 4 cards twice if they had the Str8 flush draw. I certainly would not be worried about it and could not get my money in fast enough.

Absolute nut hands are the best possible hand that can be made with the flopped cards and can change with each street. Lets say you have AA and the flop is AA5, you have the nuts, but not the absolute nuts because of the same situation describe about the Str8 flush. But if the turn was a king suited to the Ace on the board and the river was a Q of that suit then a person holding the J10 of that suit would have the absolute nuts.

As wild as this sounds it has probably happened a time or two.

How long will it take to import 1500 HHs into PT??

Its been going on for over and hour....

it takes 1 hr 40 mins to import 1,530 HHs and almost 75k hands.

Uh, this is going to be different for every computer. This is sorta like asking 'How many miles per gallon will my vehicle get?" Kinda makes a difference whether you're driving a Vespa scooter or a Lear jet.

How to calculate how big bankroll do i need, for i.e. $1-$2, $10-$20 game etc.?

Beginners Forum Frequently Asked Questions

I hear a lot of people talk about variance in terms of bad beats and percentages of wins for example I was flummoxed during one run to be beaten with KK for 13 straight times that I held them, but what seems most important is the amount lost even if one is winning more than one should.

Say I win 8 of 10 times when I have QQ, but the two times I lose are bad beats that don't financially make up for the other 8 where a lot of people fold to one bet or it gets folded to you in BB etc.

So my question is, is there anyway to limit one's losses when say one plays QQ vs. KQ and villain spikes a K on the riv?

Don't pay them off when they suck out?

Okay, similar question to last time, how long does a regular 9man STT last for a) on average b) to win, what about turbos, and how many tourney tables can you have at once on stars? More than 24 right?

Is it impossible to 24 table turbo SnGs?

I posted this in the Omaha high forum but it didn't get a response so I figured I will post it here. I'll just quote myself to make it simple.

What I'm saying is I really like playing Omaha but I'm not sure what to play Omaha high or eight. Keep in mind I have no clue how to play either of these. And what should I play 6max or full ring (I kind of like full ring better for these games).

Basically what would be more profitable in the long run to learn even though I'll probably end up learning both anyway. Thanks