Is it just luck that beat me?

So I'm only playing play money right now, trying to improve my game..

Anyway, in a torunament I have Q 3 and I'm heads-up against 6 6. Flop comes Q Q 6.

Was I wrong to go all in? He wins with a full boat. Should I of considered a pocket pair, pocket 6's or even Q 6?

Play money will teach you nothing but how to click the buttons.

I highly suggest putting together a little money and playing micro limits. Still bad play but not play money bad.

Playing with any money that is significant to you in the least is infinitly better than play money.

-'rilla

Hmm... playing with play money shouldn't be much different. I am getting used to hands, not the way people play.

Also it was a tournament and pretty far into it, which would have less of the lotto players..

Originally Posted by SavX

Hmm... playing with play money shouldn't be much different. I am getting used to hands, not the way people play.

Also it was a tournament and pretty far into it, which would have less of the lotto players..

Nope, there's a big difference. People can still play like absolute morons in play money but even in microlimits the money represents an extra pack of smokes or some soda. That psychological aspect of poker is removed in play money and that really turns it into a bastard form of the game.

I highly suggest getting some money on a sight and playing 2 or 5 dollar buyin.

-'rilla

I see. I just don't want to make a deposit and lose it all. I want to be at least a little skilled before I play for real money..

Originally Posted by SavX

I see. I just don't want to make a deposit and lose it all. I want to be at least a little skilled before I play for real money..

With just a general knowledge of preflop hands and the ability to bet when you make a hand, you should do well. Also, you can't be afraid to invest 50 bucks to learn how to play a game that could return you thousands in the not so distant future.

It's just like buying a book.

-'rilla

It is actually quite a large difference. When I went from play money to real money I was actually suprised how different it was. Even the play tournaments cant compare to how it is with real money.

The thing that finally got me to invest some money was that I read the posts here and realized that I wasn't getting the knowledge that the good players on here were getting. I was benefitting form their knowledge but not getting the real experience I needed. If you want to play and win...Invest in your hobby. 50 bucks lasts longer than you think. I'm still on my first $50 buyin

My son has 60 kazillion points on Yahoo Poker and he doesn't really know how to play. I just taught him to fold more than he plays. You think it would be different if he played for money? Sure!

Two major things change.
1. The people you're playing against start to care about throwing THEIR money away.
and
2. Your play changes. Guranteed. Sometimes at first, because you're nervous. Sometimes you'll smoothly transition and keep playing exactly the same and have good results. Then you'll take a couple losses, and your mind will start turning into a pretzel.

There's nothing wrong with playing for points if you enjoy doing it.

Q3 against 66, if you want analysis. If you checked on the BB then you can be in the hand. If you in in ANY other situation, you made a mistake preflop. How did the betting run? If you were on the BB, as stated earlier, then you were in early position unles the SB called, which is unlikely with 66, he would have raised. How many players were in the hand preflop? What did they play with B4? Etc. Etc. There are at least 8 variables, and as many as 12+ for any hand as it matures and transpires. Finally why go AI? If you're the only one with trips then you want to extract as many chips as possible from other players.

What were the chances someone else had a Q? They would have certainly had a better kicker. What were the suits, was there a flush draw? We don't have enough info, except q3, which is a bad hand to play. If you hit the Q you've got a bad kicker. It's a careful play anyway you go, unless you want to be very agressive with it preflop, and it that case it could be 7/4 just as easily. It's a pure bluff hand.

I hope this helps. If you look at playing with money as more of a hobby expense or "pizza money" proposition, then there you go. If you're scared to lose it, then stick with playing for points. But know that points poker is to money poker as Monopoly is to Real Estate Investing. It's fun, but honestly it's not the same for the 2 reasons stated above.

Originally Posted by aokrongly

But know that points poker is to money poker as Monopoly is to Real Estate Investing.

Wow, that is a great comparison!

I ditto AOK in every point. Point play helped me make a transition and gain a little confidence, but could have moved over to realmoney 75% sooner than I did, but I didn't want to spend household money. I have zero dollars invested in poker. I'm still playing on an $11 loan, which (for a while) I treated like it was my last dollar I'd ever see.

You can get free money at more than one poker site ( http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...pic.php?t=7923 ) and play on available penny tables. There are sites I heard of that have freeroll SNG's with penny and nickel prizes ( http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...pic.php?t=5984 ) that can be rolled into real games. Make the jump. You will see the difference and your game will really grow.

pacificpoker gives you $10 just for signing up a day or 2 afterwards. I used part of mine in a sng this morning.

I slighty disagree to the previous posts that playmoney game is a waste of time...

Since I am a newbie, regard this post as opinion and not advice.

The thing you can do at playmoney tables is experiment.

For instance:
to try the simple strategies suggested at this site, fold when you are supposed to and such...
Play a hand like 37 flush and hope for a flushdraw at the flop, try to count outs and odds, but tell youself outloud, I SHOULDVE FOLDED...
I also tried to play tight, the points you won/lost aside, to get a feeling about what playing tight was about...(although I am probably still to be considered loose and fishy )

I still consider myself to be a crappy pokerplayer but atleast I have some experience on how my own play should work, now when I try with real € I will probably find out how I should play on the betting circus, this is where real experience is.

I have only once played limit for real € but was amased by the crap that people was playing, it was not as diffrent from playmoney as I expected.

Before I played with real money, and even for a short time after playing with real money, I used to think play money really did give you a good feel for how to play winning poker.

Unfortunately it couldn't be a more dangerous misconception. Even playing at .01/.02 tables, there is a significant difference. The main difference is that at the .01/.02 tables, you still have some players who really do have a good handle on the game, and they will rock you if you still play like you are playing at a play money table. I know, i know, how much can losing a $2 buy in "rock you?" lol

Rilla's right. Get a real money account, play at whatever level you can afford with your bankroll. (probably want to start at the lowest possible level). Build, build, build, and move up from there.

Regarding your original post. There's no way to know. If he pushes in on you, you are not losing anything by folding, only a possibly missed opportunity to take down a big pot. Unfortunately you do have to consider the other Q, in which case he's almost certainly got you out kicked.

on play money someone goes all in every freakin hand

Originally Posted by giantdogs92

on play money someone goes all in every freakin hand

sounds like good practice for my homegame...

- sed

Originally Posted by giantdogs92

on play money someone goes all in every freakin hand

Yeah, it's usually me!

Play money is worthless for learning anything but the raw mechanics of the game. Any nuance is lost.

Kudos on the Monopoly analogy, Aok!