Join Nathan 'BlackRain79' Williams as he shares the top 9 strategies he would implement if starting his poker journey anew. Learn from his decade of professional experience and start dominating the tables.
Nathan 'BlackRain79' Williams: Nathan 'BlackRain79' Williams is a seasoned poker professional with over a decade of experience in the game. He is known for his expertise in small and mid-stakes poker games and has created some of the highest winnings in online poker history at these stakes. Nathan is also a three-time best-selling author of poker strategy books and has developed numerous training courses for poker players. He has coached hundreds of students and offers valuable strategies through his Elite Poker University. As a proponent of exploitative play over Game Theory Optimal (GTO) strategies at lower stakes, Nathan tailors his advice to help players understand various player types and how to adjust their play accordingly. With a background that began with just $60 in micro stakes, Nathan's journey to becoming a successful full-time poker professional demonstrates his deep understanding of the game and its intricacies. Through his channel, BlackRain79Poker, he shares his insights and strategies to help others succeed in poker while emphasizing the importance of enjoying the game and handling variance with a positive mindset.
Hand Selection: Prioritize playing the right hands such as pocket pairs, strong aces, and suited connectors, and fold the rest, especially in small stakes games.
Aggression with Position: Always raise when entering the pot first to demonstrate strength, and adjust your bet sizing based on your table position.
Positional Awareness: Maximize profits by playing more hands from late positions like the cutoff and the button, where you have the advantage of acting last post-flop.
Continuation Betting: Maintain aggression post-flop with continuation bets, as opponents will often miss the flop, allowing you to win with bets of around 50% of the pot.
Turn Play: Apply pressure with double-barrels on scare cards on the turn, betting around 75% of the pot to get opponents to fold better hands.
Avoiding Hero Calls: Fold against tight players (nits) when they show aggression, as they are less likely to be bluffing and more likely to have strong hands.
Exploitative Bet Sizing: Adjust your bet sizing based on the type of opponent you are facing, betting larger for value against loose players and smaller when bluffing.
Playing Draws Aggressively: Bet or raise with your draws to give yourself more ways to win the pot, instead of just calling and hoping to hit.
Having Fun: Keep a light-hearted approach to the game, accept variance as part of poker, and remember to enjoy the process.
Play the Right Hands: Emphasizes the importance of selecting appropriate starting hands for different positions to maintain a mathematical advantage in the game, particularly in small stakes games.
Raise First In: Advises always raising when you're the first person to enter the pot to demonstrate strength and gain a statistical advantage over opponents who limp in.
Understand Position: Stresses the significance of position at the poker table, highlighting the advantage of acting last in the hand and the profitability of playing from the cutoff and button positions.
Apply Pressure on the Flop: Recommends continuing aggressive play post-flop through continuation betting, leveraging the fact that opponents often miss the flop.
Double-Barrel on the Turn: Suggests applying pressure on specific turn cards, known as 'scare cards', to encourage opponents to fold, particularly when those cards are perceived as strengthening the aggressor's hand.
Avoid Hero Calls Against Tight Players: Warns against calling large bets from very tight players (nits), as these players are typically not bluffing and will have strong hands when they raise.
Exploitative Bet Sizing: Argues against a one-size-fits-all betting strategy and advocates for adjusting bet sizing based on the specific types of players at the table, particularly in low stakes games.
Bet or Raise Draws: Encourages betting or raising with draws instead of just calling, to create more opportunities to win the hand, either by hitting the draw or causing opponents to fold.
Have Fun and Embrace Variance: Reminds players to enjoy the game and accept the inherent variance in poker, emphasizing a relaxed approach to the ups and downs experienced over time.
This article is a summary of the video If I Started Poker Again, I'd Do These 9 Things by BlackRain79Poker published on May 29, 2023 at 15:29:49.
Q: What is the importance of hand selection in poker? A: Hand selection is crucial because playing the right hands in the right positions gives you a mathematical advantage from the start of the hand, leading to better profits.
Q: Why should I raise when entering the pot first? A: Raising first in the pot shows strength and gives you control over the hand. It is a proven statistical advantage that leads to more ways to win later on.
Q: How does understanding position at the table affect my poker profits? A: Your position is vitally important because acting last on the flop, turn, and river gives you a massive advantage as you can see what your opponents do first and react accordingly, leading to greater profits especially from the cutoff and button positions.
Q: When should I make a continuation bet on the flop? A: You should continuation bet on the flop when your opponents are likely to have missed, which is about two out of three times. A bet of around 50% of the pot often takes it down without risking much.
Q: What strategy should I use when playing the turn? A: On the turn, it's effective to apply pressure by double-barreling on scare cards that may intimidate your opponent, causing them to fold better hands.
Q: How should I react to aggression from tight players? A: When facing aggression from very tight players, it's often best to fold unless you have a very strong hand, as these players typically raise with very strong hands only.
Q: What is exploitative bet sizing and why is it important? A: Exploitative bet sizing involves adjusting your bet sizes against different types of players to exploit their tendencies. It's more effective at lower stakes where player types vary widely, and a standardized GTO approach is less effective.
Q: How should I play draws aggressively? A: When you have a draw, consider betting or raising rather than just calling. This gives you multiple ways to win—either by hitting your draw or by forcing your opponent to fold.
Q: How can I deal with variance and the emotional swings in poker? A: Accept that variance is a natural part of poker. Focus on having fun, don’t take the game too seriously, and remember that the goal is to have more ups than downs over the long run.