Is there a right/wrong way to play hold'em

I have been finding my self in some situations recently where i have been pissed off at the way people play. i love playing poker, and a lot af my friends have been getting interested in playing after watching me win. so weve played about 5 times, and they all have the hang of it. but theres this one guy, who is driving me insane. he acts like he is big shit and thinks he is an expert.

example.

he has 5d 9d
i have AKs

blinds are 10/20 and i raise 100,he calls

flop Ac 6s 8d

i bet 100 and he calls

turn is an Ah i bet another 100 and he calls, so im thinking he has something
river is a 7c and i check, then he checks

turn over cards and he has the straight with me having aces.

i was so pissed, not that i lost, but that he played that hand, hands like this have happened a couple of more times. and when i ask why he played a certainb handhe will say i had 2 diamonds. they were 2d 9d., and that was his answer.

now when i lose a hand like that i act like hellmuth, because to me he doesnt play right.

also i doesnt help that the next time we play he says something like" i beat josh with a 5 9 unsuited" ansd i wanna kill him

So is there right/wrong way to play i ask you?

From what I believe there isnt a right way or wrong way to play poker. Just cause he played those cards and caught a straight doesnt mean you played your cards wrong. Alot of the times newer players cant see what's on the board or spot the the same things others might be able to. You getting upset over it wont make a difference. Just live and learn. Atleast you didnt lose your stack over it. What if you went all in and he flipped over his straight? how angry would you be then? Just cause you might want to play premium cards only, other people dont have to. Just cause people say 72o is a horrible hand doesnt stop cards from flopping a 772 right?. And i'm sure if you played 72o and you beat out someone that had triple aces you wont be complaining much either

It's tough to say. Telling someone they play poker wrong is like telling someone their interpretation of an abstract piece of writing is wrong. Maybe that person isn't a very good poker player in the same way that the person reading the piece of writing is a bad reader (that is, niether understands the proper/effective procedure). I know that I would rarely play a hand like your opponent, but then again watching the World Poker Championships from 2004 and seeing players like Layne Flack and Toto Leonidas play all kinds of weird hands and make bets and call raises on outrageous draws and that's a good strategy for them (sometimes).

Poker is a game that has a lot of strategy, and there are a lot of variations on that strategy. There is a "smart" way to play poker that includes calculating pot odds, making calculated raises, value better, etc. Is that right? I don't know. You can be the judge. There are some players who define themselves as "feel players" and they rely on their instincts and reading ability to get them off a pot when they are beat (Josh Arieh comes to mind).

There was a thread a while back called "The Art of Poker" that talked about how poker is a personal thing and each player has his own style just like in painting, writing, creating music, etc. It is hard to say that there is one "right" way to play poker. What makes poker interesting is that you have so many options to play each hand. If there was one "right" way to play, then playing that way would ensure you victory every time.

[quote=jogolfshorts] There are some players who definse themselves as "feel players" and they rely on their instincts and reading ability to get them off a pot when they are beat.

like gus hansen, who has a sixth 'poker' sense. its ridiculous.

exaggeration:

gus: 2h 7s

opponent: Ah Ac

Opponent all-in.
Gus: mumble, mumble.... call!

Flop: As Kd 2h
Turn: 7c
River: 7h

the only way you can play poker wrong is to play cards like 2 4 or 3 5 or 2 3 and so on

I dont think that theres any persay "right" or "wrong" way to play. Yes there are guidlines and specific strageties on how to play better but this game is based on a combination of luck of the draw and skill of how to play the cards you have. You could be dealt bullets or another high pocket pair and the flop could come out 4 4 4 which leaves you in a tight spot if theres a few ppl still in the hand. Theres no etiqutte like there is in blackjack where you play a specific way so that everyone at the table has a chance to win. With poker you're all playing against eachother so what you decide to do with your cards and bets is ultimatly your decision...
I agree and feel the annoyance you are experienceing with this sort of thing but no matter what theres always gonna be players who just dont make sense with their cards and bets. My advice is to try to play with more advanced or experienced players...they're easier to read....new players are impossible to read and for that reason its alot harder to play them in some aspects.

Play money is chaser poker. You can't stop the kids/adults who couldn't care less and just say "Its play money, might as well see the cards"

Playing poker wrong is by making sucker bets (how familar are we with these? )
1.) Playing above your limit
2.) Playing at a game where you don't understand the game
3.) Playing with scared money
4.) Thinking "lets just see the cards" often
5.) Not knowing when to leave

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Theres the right way, the wrong way, and my way - my way is the best!

There are lots of different ways to play poker, some work for some people, others don't. What I would define as being "wrong" would be chasing when the odds are clearly not in your favor, but thats because I play in a very mathematical way. Some people like chasing their crazy draws because if they hit them they will pay off big, or just because they don't understand the math. I think given the fact that you can see the pros having success using many different strategies, guys like negreanu, farha, leonidas, and gus that play a lot of below average starting hands, vs guys like harrington that play very tight, you can't say there is a right or wrong way to play. I think the right way is whatever way you have the most success playing, which will vary based on a number of factors.

btw scotia, not that it matters, but in your example gus loses the hand with 7s over 2s vs aces over 2s, though Im pretty sure the hand would be disqualified for there being 2 2h in the deck.