My Poker - $1k Challenge

[aldric]

I hardly ever play poker these days and the only games I have played recently have been the Team Challenge, betfair challenge and Billy's HU sponsored game. I've played against a few players from here now due to these challenges and wonder if you think its worthwhile me having a more serious go at my poker play? I don't really see myself as a much of a MTT player, but i've always done ok at DoN or HU games. With some focus I seem to have done ok since the betfair challenge started (I was down almost $175 before the challenge started, cant seem to post the chart).

Username	Games Played	Av. Profit	Av. Stake	Av. ROI	Total Profit	Form	Ability /100	Network	Filter
BigWhopper	489	$0	$13	1%	$28	-	59	Betfair

Any thoughts on if I should try a bit harder and give poker a real shot? and if so what should I do?

[Samba_SamPa]

Re: My Poker Here ya go mate With regards to your question - (I'm biased as I am an MTT player) the best starting point would be Added Value MTTs within your bankroll. There's a few micro buy-in tourneys with added value around (Gnuf Dollar Baby, Victor Chandler MAT are 2 that spring immediately to mind). Read. There's many strategy books out there covering every aspect of every variant of poker. Absorb what you read rather than play 'by the book' - no single book is 100% right, but the more you absorb the more have in your conscious to draw on when you're faced with a decision about how to proceed. Employ proper bankroll management - don't buy in to MTTs for any more than 4% (I'd say) of your bankroll. Keep records of all the tourneys you play. Observe your opponents - look at betting patterns, see how they bet when they have the goods and how they play differently when they're bluffing. Make notes against each player - you never know when you'll be on their table again. Look back over any hands that you're unsure about how you played them, ask yourself if you could have done anything better, and realise the things you done well. Don't be a "bah my Aces got cracked by KJ!" - look at the hand see if there's a point in the hand when you could have done something different (often there isn't, and it's just variance kicking you in the pods) - maybe bet more pre-flop, bet out on the flop instead of trapping etc. Ask questions - use the strategy forum on here. I probably sickened everybody with the times I opened threads in there, but it was a genuine help to me. Also, read past posts in the Strat section, they could well help. Look on other forums' strategy sections too. Finally, for now (I'm sure others will think of things I've neglected), always remember that you never stop learning. Poker isn't something that can be cracked - strategies evolve to counter current 'best practises' and you have to evolve with them. If you stand still you go backwards.