improving

TT:

What I did when I was starting out several years ago, when I was playing 50-100NL I would constantly harass and speak to the 600NL-2000NL players untill they responded. I ended up adding them to my MSN and talking poker with them. If you want to learn either get into contact with the best players in your stakes, or players who play higher then you

What do checking back ranges look like in position?

Answer: I tend to heavily emphasize checking back hands that keep my opponents dominated hands in. For example, I probably won't bet with AQ on a Ts 4c 2d board if my opponent is going to check-fold AJ or QJ, because I can dominate those hands on the turn. When he has a hand like AJ or QJ, rather than having 6 ours (like 2 overcards usually have) he instead only has 3 outs, and additionally he'll have 2 "tained outs" where he improves to top pair but I have him outkicked.

I'd almost always bet with hands which have little showdown value and retain their equity well. So, it's rare for me to check back a gutshot or something, as those hands usually make the perfect bluffs.

Lastly, I want to bet with hands that are vulnerable to being outdrawn by hands in the opponent's check-folding range. So if I have 88 on a 9c 7c 4h board, even though I can't bet all three streets for value, I'm unlikely to check because then I give free cards to hands like QJ or AJ. So on a 9c 7c 4h board, I may want to check back AcQd, since this way if my opponent has something like KcQh he can turn a dominated pair or once in a while runner runner the 2nd nut flush vs my nut flush. But I'd bet 88 because I want his KQ to go away.