I took third place in last weekend's Saturday tournament for $180 gross. Perhaps I am on a small roll or over the worst of it anyway. The biggest problem I have is patience and I'm trying really hard to get over that. It's tough. I am also trying to figure out things like how much to bet in certain situations, i.e., if I flop a set, do I bet? If I do bet, do I bet one-half the pot? Two-thirds? Are there any hard and fast rules in this regard? I don't think so. I guess a lot of it depends on who is in the pot with you. If it's an aggressive player, perhaps checking and letting them bet is best depending on the lay of the land. If there's a straight or flush draw, it's probably best to lead out.
These are the things I have the most trouble with - the strategy part. It's like a little war and the chips are your soldiers. I have been reading "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu and that has a lot of great stuff in it for poker players. My favorite "rule" has always been, "Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer." When you hit a big hand, you want them to bet or call. I guess this is the one thing I really love about poker - the unknown qualities of every hand and how they can change on the turn of a card - and what you do about it. Fascinating.
Happy holidays everyone. I probably won't be playing again until Saturday. I think I'll win it this time!
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Congratulations, looks like you are on a roll (butter). I agree with the question how much to bet depends upon the opponent, but I also have found that the continuation bet is extremely important. It is usually a huge mistake not to follow up with a bet unless you have flopped the immortal nuts and want people to catch up. I like a bet big enough to make draws pay pretty dearly, but not big enough that I can't get away from them if they come back over the top. Usually that means about 40%-50% of the pot if I want to get away, but a pot sized bet if I don't want to. A huge overbet usually means weakness, but can also mean extreme strength disguised as weakness. I think bet sizing is both an art and a science. Have a great Christmas. See you after the first.
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