I feel as though describing another week as “disappointing” would be thrusting this blog closer to monotony. Some might say it’s already there. That said, I have found it tough going (again) but still managed to scrape out a $642 win in 17 hours of play.
Maybe it’s a sign that I’m improving steadily as a player, that I can look back on a week as tough but yet still record a reasonable win. Looking at the big pots, this week I recorded a $306 loss: not earth-shattering by any means but it looks bad in context of the previous 11-12 weeks ($10,000 profit in total). I feel as though I played well pretty much all week, so I just have to accept it as part of the ups and downs of the game.
I flopped a few sets this week but never managed to win a big pot. Here are some of the losers:
44 from the big blind, flop AJ4: I checked the flop here as I was against an auto-bettor (who checked). He then called my turn bet of $70 with K7 (turn made him a pair of Kings to go with his flopped flush draw, which I would have expected him to bet). The flush came in on the river and for some reason I decided to bet into him and then pay off his raise, which meant that I lost the maximum. A check-call of a pot-sized bet would have saved me $200.
88 in 4-way pot, flop K98 (all diamonds): I checked 3rd to go on the flop and it was checked around. The turn was an offsuit 3 and I bet $100 into the $135 pot, called by the button who had $235 behind. An offsuit 6 fell on the river and I made a defensive bet of $150, hoping to save some money against a non-nut flush. Alas, the button raised me with the nuts and I paid off the $85 extra “just in case”.
44 from the big blind, raised by an unknown short-stack, flop J74: we both checked the flop and then he got all-in for $189 on the blank turn, his JJ leaving me drawing at one out.
33 from late position against the blinds (unraised pot): I raised the big blinds flop bet on an 832 board (with 2 spades) and he called. A third spade (the 6) hit the turn and I checked behind. Then another spade hit the river and the big blind tried to trap-check with A(spades)8 but I checked behind as I had a 3 spades for the flush also.
The one time I flopped a set against a big stack, with QQ in a re-raised pot, I came out firing on the QJx flop and bet again on a blank turn, forcing the solid re-raiser to fold. I guess he either didn’t have an overpair (or didn’t fancy it was ahead, maybe).
The biggest loss of the week occurred when I called a raise from the small blind with AK, playing 3-handed. The small blind called too and the flop came down K85, with a flush draw. I checked and called the $105 flop bet. The board paired the 8 and it looked like a good card to ‘represent’. The raiser might think that I was merely representing this card, and would therefore be more likely to get his money in with a weaker K than mine. Alas, I got a sinking feeling after he quickly re-raised my check-raise all-in. He showed 55 for an almost unbeatable full house.
It wasn’t all gloom and doom, however. There were some hands I played really well, extracting maximum value, but to go into details sounds too much like bragging.
I suppose the positive to come out of this review is the fact that I have spotted so many errors I have made during the week. These errors highlight additional opportunities to profit from better play. This is something I need to keep striving for in the weeks and months to come.
If I get to the point where I can’t spot my own mistakes either the game is too tough, I’ve become too complacent or I’m playing perfect poker (the least likely of the three). In the mean time, I am happy being able to win despite some fairly silly mistakes.
Monday, 29 October 2007
Monday, 22 October 2007
Action, mistakes and loose play
This week has seen a tremendous amount of action at the tables. I've played about 1500 hands in about 15 hours and won just over $2500. This hasn't happened, though, without putting a lot of money into play. I'm thankful to the poker gods for providing me with enough bankroll padding to be able to play at these stakes without feeling outside my comfort zone.
It hasn't all been plain-sailing though and I had a bad hour or so on Wednesday evening where I was in danger of getting seriously annoyed with myself.
Monday brought a nice win ($1100), with a couple of hiccups along the way, but Tuesday I only broke even despite a couple of risky plays that paid off.
On Wednesday I made a couple of moves that under the right circumstances were OK, but with the table image that I had cultivated (very loose aggressive) were nothing more than chip-spewing. I lost a lot of money in $100s and $200s trying to buy pots with nothing and I picked the wrong time to take a stand when playing heads-up against somebody who I have now re-assessed as "tough" from my original classification of "borderline maniac".
I was down over $2000 for the day at one point, but changed tables and immediately flopped the nut straight in a raised pot (big blind v small blind) with QJ. The raiser had TP+SD and we got all-in on the turn, my hand holding up despite the board pairing on the turn.
Next I re-raise squeezed from the BB with AQs and pushed all-in when re-re-raised. It turns out the 4-bettor had QQ but I considered that unless he had AA I had at least 30% equity and decided to go for it, as there was the possibility he was re-squeezing.
After winning this hand it was obvious that I was viewed as the table donkey, although there was another guy who was in more pots than me and was quite passive. He called a big bet of mine with A4 on a board of 5677(rainbow) and when I checked behind on the river with KJ he won a decent pot. This can't have made me look good either, so I decided I had better make the most of this loose image. I tightened up and only raised in super-solid situations for the next 20 minutes or so: just enough to look as if I hadn't gone into my shell with my big stack.
I had lost a few smallish pots to the guy on my right who now had around $2k after pushing me around a bit when I found the perfect spot to push him back. He raised from the SB and I re-raised him to $120 with QQ. The flop came Q53 and he checked and called my follow-up bet of $190. The 4 on the turn appeared to change nothing and he checked and called again - this time a bet of $370. When the river came an Ace, I wondered if he could have anything good enough to call another big bet. I decided he might just look me up with a relatively weak hand, when considering my previous play, so decided to bet enough to put him all-in. He happily called his last $1200 with AQ (top two-pairs) and I raked in the biggest pot in the history of this blog ($3900).
After a disastrous start to the day, I was relieved to get back to a manageable loss (about $400).
The rest of the week was less eventful, in comparison and I finished it very well despite the occasional hiccup. I was much more controlled in my decision-making and managed to find some very favourable situations where I got somewhere near maximum value for my hand.
The action has been good lately as long as you are prepared to look for good tables, avoiding the tight regulars. One of the advantages of playing one table at a time is that I have time to assess how things are going and can look for a better table if necessary. There still seems to be enough loose money making its way to $5-$10 to keep the multi-tabling regulars in business but I'm happy that my method suits my game.
Maybe I could win more per hour playing a tighter game on 3-4 tables. The win-rate would almost certainly drop dramatically and with the reduced win-rate comes increased variance, putting more pressure on the bankroll. I'm happy playing 1 table: it feels more like a game than a job and the enjoyment factor has definitely got to be a major consideration in determining any future plans in this game.
Managing the swings is one of the keys to success, and I'm comfortable with the bankroll now standing at around $24,000. Having said that, I know I have been lucky in this escapade so far. I hope that continues but I am realistic enough to know that I need to hope I still keep playing winning poker when my luck changes for the worse.
It hasn't all been plain-sailing though and I had a bad hour or so on Wednesday evening where I was in danger of getting seriously annoyed with myself.
Monday brought a nice win ($1100), with a couple of hiccups along the way, but Tuesday I only broke even despite a couple of risky plays that paid off.
On Wednesday I made a couple of moves that under the right circumstances were OK, but with the table image that I had cultivated (very loose aggressive) were nothing more than chip-spewing. I lost a lot of money in $100s and $200s trying to buy pots with nothing and I picked the wrong time to take a stand when playing heads-up against somebody who I have now re-assessed as "tough" from my original classification of "borderline maniac".
I was down over $2000 for the day at one point, but changed tables and immediately flopped the nut straight in a raised pot (big blind v small blind) with QJ. The raiser had TP+SD and we got all-in on the turn, my hand holding up despite the board pairing on the turn.
Next I re-raise squeezed from the BB with AQs and pushed all-in when re-re-raised. It turns out the 4-bettor had QQ but I considered that unless he had AA I had at least 30% equity and decided to go for it, as there was the possibility he was re-squeezing.
After winning this hand it was obvious that I was viewed as the table donkey, although there was another guy who was in more pots than me and was quite passive. He called a big bet of mine with A4 on a board of 5677(rainbow) and when I checked behind on the river with KJ he won a decent pot. This can't have made me look good either, so I decided I had better make the most of this loose image. I tightened up and only raised in super-solid situations for the next 20 minutes or so: just enough to look as if I hadn't gone into my shell with my big stack.
I had lost a few smallish pots to the guy on my right who now had around $2k after pushing me around a bit when I found the perfect spot to push him back. He raised from the SB and I re-raised him to $120 with QQ. The flop came Q53 and he checked and called my follow-up bet of $190. The 4 on the turn appeared to change nothing and he checked and called again - this time a bet of $370. When the river came an Ace, I wondered if he could have anything good enough to call another big bet. I decided he might just look me up with a relatively weak hand, when considering my previous play, so decided to bet enough to put him all-in. He happily called his last $1200 with AQ (top two-pairs) and I raked in the biggest pot in the history of this blog ($3900).
After a disastrous start to the day, I was relieved to get back to a manageable loss (about $400).
The rest of the week was less eventful, in comparison and I finished it very well despite the occasional hiccup. I was much more controlled in my decision-making and managed to find some very favourable situations where I got somewhere near maximum value for my hand.
The action has been good lately as long as you are prepared to look for good tables, avoiding the tight regulars. One of the advantages of playing one table at a time is that I have time to assess how things are going and can look for a better table if necessary. There still seems to be enough loose money making its way to $5-$10 to keep the multi-tabling regulars in business but I'm happy that my method suits my game.
Maybe I could win more per hour playing a tighter game on 3-4 tables. The win-rate would almost certainly drop dramatically and with the reduced win-rate comes increased variance, putting more pressure on the bankroll. I'm happy playing 1 table: it feels more like a game than a job and the enjoyment factor has definitely got to be a major consideration in determining any future plans in this game.
Managing the swings is one of the keys to success, and I'm comfortable with the bankroll now standing at around $24,000. Having said that, I know I have been lucky in this escapade so far. I hope that continues but I am realistic enough to know that I need to hope I still keep playing winning poker when my luck changes for the worse.
Monday, 15 October 2007
Playing against 'hot' players
This week the theme of loose and aggressive play has continued at the $5-$10 full-ring tables. I can think of at least 3 times when the worst player in the game has had the biggest stack of chips. This is a situation that gets me drooling, and I generally go out of my way to get involved with them. Things didnt go according to plan, however, and the results for the week were no better than 'decent': a $599 win in just under 11.5hrs play.
All three of these players played too many hands, around 60% when not in the blinds, but whereas the first two where at least sometimes aggressive, the third just called even when he was really strong. He won a small fortune but really should have won even more.
These players weren't hot. They just appeared hot, as they played so many hands that they were showing down unlikely winners more often than is usual. Obviously the main reason for this was that they were playing many more hands than is optimal, and so there were also many losing hands that we never got to see.
Numpty #1
This guy was sat down with just over $3000 when I joined the table. He ended up losing $1143 in the hour that I played with him, despite winning $427 from me. He never got much higher than $3k and it was instantly obvious that the sharks were circling him.
He lost $560 drawing to a pair+straight-flush-draw when he hit trips on the river against a full-house. Then he got stubborn with A7 and lost another $460 v AQ on a A95,3,A board.
The only decent pot he won was with A2 when he flopped AT2 and made small bets to the river and was called down by 77, with your truly coming along for the value with K6 (the NFD).
Generally he played too many pots and lost 10 pots after putting in between $70-$200.
Numpty #2
Later the same day; this guy was even worse. When I sat down he had about $1100 but he soon whittled that down to $500 or so before going on a big run up to about $2600. I got involved with him a few times but managed to not lose much to him, until I then won a big one, doubling through my $1300 against his then $1600.
I raised to $50 with KK, which is more than I usually raise but he was routinely calling $50 before the flop so it made sense to get as much in before the flop with the best hand. He called from the SB with J9 and we saw the J99 flop heads-up. He checked and I bet $90, which he just called. The turn was a Q and despite the possibility that he had a 9, I decided to bet again, $190, as QJ was definitely in his range of possible holdings. When he called again I was starting to get a bit worried that he had a 9 after all. The river was a King, and he delighted me by leading out with a bet of $330, which I raised a further $660 all-in. Obviously he called and a big pot came my way.
When I left the table about 20 minutes later he had managed to get back up to about $700.
Numpty #3
This fella did run pretty hot and was very lucky cards-wise, but he didn't maximise his good luck. I just reviewed this guys session and he was actually loose because he got hit by the deck. Every marginal hand he had held up. Every draw he had hit.
Of his $2200 win, over $1800 of it came from yours truly. I lost 15 pots to him. Here are some of the details, starting with the biggest:
(1) He raises to $35 from EP with 65(hearts) and I call from the BB after the button calls. The flop is 972(with 2 hearts) and he bets out $50, called by the button and I call too. The turn is an offsuit 9 and he bets out again for $100, the button folds and I raise to $290, which he calls. I know I have him beat at this point, but because he generally calls when anyone takes the lead its tough to know what he has. The river is the 4 of hearts and I bet a partly-defensive $370 into the $840 pot, which he just calls.
(2) I raise to $30 with KQ and there are 3 callers including our nemesis. I bet only $60 on the flop and that succeeds on getting it heads-up. The turn bring a 10 and he calls my $150 bet, before calling my $220 bet on the blank river with trip 10s. He scoops the pot and comments "Ever heard of checking son?"
(3) I re-raise a button steal to $110 with J9-suited. He calls cold from the BB and the button folds. I check the K-high flop but bet $220 on the turn which he calls with JJ. I give up on the river and he checks behind.
(4) I raise to $30 with T9 and get 2 callers, including the nemesis on the SB with 73(hearts). The flop come QJ8 with two hearts and he calls my $50 bet. The flush gets there on the turn and he min-check-raises my $50 bet, which I call. I have the 10 of hearts. He then bets out $100 on the river and I call again.
(5) I limp on the button with 96(spades) and we see a Kd8s5s flop 4-handed. All check to me and I attempt to steal for $30. Nemesis makes it $60 and I call. I could raise here but I really dont see him folding anything at all. He then bets $100 into the $160 pot and again I consider raising but just call (same reasoning), before folding to his river value bet ($100 - K5 for the flopped 2-pairs).
Looking back I dont think I did too much wrong. It just happens that way sometimes. Value-bets look good when they are called by lesser hands but you can look a bit foolish when your opponent has you beat all along.
There is so much scope for error in this game. I have made lots of errors this week and still come out ahead. This week's win is really insignificant, though, when compared with the amount of money I have put across the line. A better player than me could have won $3-4,000 with the cards I've had, I guess. My quest should be to try to maximise every time. I feel as though I've left a lot of money on the tables this week.
I need to take a bit of a stop back this week, take my time a bit more and think through the possiblities a bit longer. I have maybe drifted into auto-pilot a little and that is dangerous. I must try to re-focus and see if I can get my win-rate back up to that of August and September.
All three of these players played too many hands, around 60% when not in the blinds, but whereas the first two where at least sometimes aggressive, the third just called even when he was really strong. He won a small fortune but really should have won even more.
These players weren't hot. They just appeared hot, as they played so many hands that they were showing down unlikely winners more often than is usual. Obviously the main reason for this was that they were playing many more hands than is optimal, and so there were also many losing hands that we never got to see.
Numpty #1
This guy was sat down with just over $3000 when I joined the table. He ended up losing $1143 in the hour that I played with him, despite winning $427 from me. He never got much higher than $3k and it was instantly obvious that the sharks were circling him.
He lost $560 drawing to a pair+straight-flush-draw when he hit trips on the river against a full-house. Then he got stubborn with A7 and lost another $460 v AQ on a A95,3,A board.
The only decent pot he won was with A2 when he flopped AT2 and made small bets to the river and was called down by 77, with your truly coming along for the value with K6 (the NFD).
Generally he played too many pots and lost 10 pots after putting in between $70-$200.
Numpty #2
Later the same day; this guy was even worse. When I sat down he had about $1100 but he soon whittled that down to $500 or so before going on a big run up to about $2600. I got involved with him a few times but managed to not lose much to him, until I then won a big one, doubling through my $1300 against his then $1600.
I raised to $50 with KK, which is more than I usually raise but he was routinely calling $50 before the flop so it made sense to get as much in before the flop with the best hand. He called from the SB with J9 and we saw the J99 flop heads-up. He checked and I bet $90, which he just called. The turn was a Q and despite the possibility that he had a 9, I decided to bet again, $190, as QJ was definitely in his range of possible holdings. When he called again I was starting to get a bit worried that he had a 9 after all. The river was a King, and he delighted me by leading out with a bet of $330, which I raised a further $660 all-in. Obviously he called and a big pot came my way.
When I left the table about 20 minutes later he had managed to get back up to about $700.
Numpty #3
This fella did run pretty hot and was very lucky cards-wise, but he didn't maximise his good luck. I just reviewed this guys session and he was actually loose because he got hit by the deck. Every marginal hand he had held up. Every draw he had hit.
Of his $2200 win, over $1800 of it came from yours truly. I lost 15 pots to him. Here are some of the details, starting with the biggest:
(1) He raises to $35 from EP with 65(hearts) and I call from the BB after the button calls. The flop is 972(with 2 hearts) and he bets out $50, called by the button and I call too. The turn is an offsuit 9 and he bets out again for $100, the button folds and I raise to $290, which he calls. I know I have him beat at this point, but because he generally calls when anyone takes the lead its tough to know what he has. The river is the 4 of hearts and I bet a partly-defensive $370 into the $840 pot, which he just calls.
(2) I raise to $30 with KQ and there are 3 callers including our nemesis. I bet only $60 on the flop and that succeeds on getting it heads-up. The turn bring a 10 and he calls my $150 bet, before calling my $220 bet on the blank river with trip 10s. He scoops the pot and comments "Ever heard of checking son?"
(3) I re-raise a button steal to $110 with J9-suited. He calls cold from the BB and the button folds. I check the K-high flop but bet $220 on the turn which he calls with JJ. I give up on the river and he checks behind.
(4) I raise to $30 with T9 and get 2 callers, including the nemesis on the SB with 73(hearts). The flop come QJ8 with two hearts and he calls my $50 bet. The flush gets there on the turn and he min-check-raises my $50 bet, which I call. I have the 10 of hearts. He then bets out $100 on the river and I call again.
(5) I limp on the button with 96(spades) and we see a Kd8s5s flop 4-handed. All check to me and I attempt to steal for $30. Nemesis makes it $60 and I call. I could raise here but I really dont see him folding anything at all. He then bets $100 into the $160 pot and again I consider raising but just call (same reasoning), before folding to his river value bet ($100 - K5 for the flopped 2-pairs).
Looking back I dont think I did too much wrong. It just happens that way sometimes. Value-bets look good when they are called by lesser hands but you can look a bit foolish when your opponent has you beat all along.
There is so much scope for error in this game. I have made lots of errors this week and still come out ahead. This week's win is really insignificant, though, when compared with the amount of money I have put across the line. A better player than me could have won $3-4,000 with the cards I've had, I guess. My quest should be to try to maximise every time. I feel as though I've left a lot of money on the tables this week.
I need to take a bit of a stop back this week, take my time a bit more and think through the possiblities a bit longer. I have maybe drifted into auto-pilot a little and that is dangerous. I must try to re-focus and see if I can get my win-rate back up to that of August and September.
Thursday, 11 October 2007
Tight is right
Ive just finished another disappointing session. Only an hour long but managed to get involved un-necessarily with a total donk. I managed to win one pot from him, but lost several others. I suspect that he had me beat in the one that I won too.
Just lately there have been some spectacularly bad players popping up. They have been of the fairly aggressive type, in that they have been raising pre-flop and leading the post-flop betting, although their bet amounts have typically been smaller than 'standard.' I have tried to target these players and have managed to lose money in dribs and drabs, which is actually very frustrating.
I need to back off a little. The end result of this getting involved is probably only very slightly +EV and the impact on variance is certainly very high. This sounds like a bankroll-breaker if ever I have seen. Also, it makes it more likely that I will veer into tilt: something I have managed to largely avoid for a very long time now.
From my next session I am going to get back to a tight and aggressive game: vert tight in early positions, a bit looser round the back and play a solid game post-flop. If I make any 'moves' I need to make them against the tight regulars, not the crazies.
I just need to hope that when I do hit a monster it is against one of these nutcases. Chances are it will be, as they play more pots than everybody else. What I need to avoid is leaking away $100 here, $180 there trying to push these monkeys around. All of this comes off the bottom line.
I can use the time after I have folded to improve my reading of the other players. This is something that is always beneficial in the long run.
Now then, how about repeating after me :
TIGHT IS RIGHT
TIGHT IS RIGHT
TIGHT IS RIGHT
TIGHT IS RIGHT
TIGHT IS RIGHT
Just lately there have been some spectacularly bad players popping up. They have been of the fairly aggressive type, in that they have been raising pre-flop and leading the post-flop betting, although their bet amounts have typically been smaller than 'standard.' I have tried to target these players and have managed to lose money in dribs and drabs, which is actually very frustrating.
I need to back off a little. The end result of this getting involved is probably only very slightly +EV and the impact on variance is certainly very high. This sounds like a bankroll-breaker if ever I have seen. Also, it makes it more likely that I will veer into tilt: something I have managed to largely avoid for a very long time now.
From my next session I am going to get back to a tight and aggressive game: vert tight in early positions, a bit looser round the back and play a solid game post-flop. If I make any 'moves' I need to make them against the tight regulars, not the crazies.
I just need to hope that when I do hit a monster it is against one of these nutcases. Chances are it will be, as they play more pots than everybody else. What I need to avoid is leaking away $100 here, $180 there trying to push these monkeys around. All of this comes off the bottom line.
I can use the time after I have folded to improve my reading of the other players. This is something that is always beneficial in the long run.
Now then, how about repeating after me :
TIGHT IS RIGHT
TIGHT IS RIGHT
TIGHT IS RIGHT
TIGHT IS RIGHT
TIGHT IS RIGHT
Monday, 8 October 2007
Great games, managed to break even, doh!
A second consecutive week of disappointment. There was loads of action this week; loads of crazy play; lots of big pots; lots of bluffing.
I played about 13 hours this week, as the games were so good, but I managed to lose money. Only a $59 loss, but still gut-wrenching after some of the big pots I won. Overall, in the big pots, I got my money in really well (approx 18% edge) but this was offset by lots of small and medium losses. Maybe I splashed around too much in the smaller pots, so that by the time I played a big pot they decided I was a loose gambler and decided to give too much action.
I played quite a bit short-handed this week and this is where my worst play came. I tried to win too many pots, but I think ultimately I failed because I didnt fire the final barrel often enough. I wasnt quite aggressive enough: maybe because subconsciously I wanted to avoid the worst of the variance.
I really should stick to full-ring for the time being.
On Sunday night I had the worst session of the week. This basically wiped out any profit I had made so far in the week: pretty much the same as I did the week before.
My last few hands of the week summed up my bad play. I had been playing heads-up against a tight-aggressive player, when I failed to raise him off A10 on an A4789 board. I raised his turn bet with no-pair/no-draw and he called a big bet on the river too. I think if I had seen his cards I wold have probably still made the same move.
Soon after that the table became 4 or 5 handed and I called a raise from him with the button and 63 of diamonds. The flop came A67 and I called his flop bet, before the killer 6 came on the turn and we got all-in. He had the nut full-house, and I thought it best to leave and call it a night there.
These two loose plays symptomised how bad my play had become. These are not mistakes that I normally make. I should have recognised that I was off my game and left immediately. Maybe this is something I can learn from.
Lets hope the rest of the month goes OK
I played about 13 hours this week, as the games were so good, but I managed to lose money. Only a $59 loss, but still gut-wrenching after some of the big pots I won. Overall, in the big pots, I got my money in really well (approx 18% edge) but this was offset by lots of small and medium losses. Maybe I splashed around too much in the smaller pots, so that by the time I played a big pot they decided I was a loose gambler and decided to give too much action.
I played quite a bit short-handed this week and this is where my worst play came. I tried to win too many pots, but I think ultimately I failed because I didnt fire the final barrel often enough. I wasnt quite aggressive enough: maybe because subconsciously I wanted to avoid the worst of the variance.
I really should stick to full-ring for the time being.
On Sunday night I had the worst session of the week. This basically wiped out any profit I had made so far in the week: pretty much the same as I did the week before.
My last few hands of the week summed up my bad play. I had been playing heads-up against a tight-aggressive player, when I failed to raise him off A10 on an A4789 board. I raised his turn bet with no-pair/no-draw and he called a big bet on the river too. I think if I had seen his cards I wold have probably still made the same move.
Soon after that the table became 4 or 5 handed and I called a raise from him with the button and 63 of diamonds. The flop came A67 and I called his flop bet, before the killer 6 came on the turn and we got all-in. He had the nut full-house, and I thought it best to leave and call it a night there.
These two loose plays symptomised how bad my play had become. These are not mistakes that I normally make. I should have recognised that I was off my game and left immediately. Maybe this is something I can learn from.
Lets hope the rest of the month goes OK
Thursday, 4 October 2007
Learning No-Limit Hold ‘Em from scratch
Somebody posted a question on 2+2 today that really got me thinking.
"There is so much to learn for a beginner, in what order of aspects of the game would the more experienced players say it makes sense to focus on. For example, first is obviously what beats what, then perhaps betting, then pot odds, then position and so on... Of course all aspects of the game have to be considered while at the table (or as much as ur knowledge will allow)There is just so much to learn it would be good to have some kind of logical progression of what to focus on away from the table, depending on what you have already studied and got to some level of grips with.."
This is something that I have thought about before and it’s a really complex subject. I suspect that with enough time, I would like to start by teaching a student how to formulate a strategy for a much simpler game than poker. Then, as they master the fundamentals of strategy formulation, introduce more complexity in the game itself until it eventually becomes No-Limit Hold ‘Em we know it.
Game 1
Consider this very simple ‘poker’ game, contested by 10 players. The game plays exactly like NLHE, except
(1) they receive only one card each
(2) there are no community cards
(3) there is only one betting round
(4) high card wins
In this game, I have no doubt that a great poker player would manage to formulate a strategy that would generate profit. Discussing strategy with the poker novice we could introduce concepts such as
(a) position
(b) pot odds
(c) fold equity
(d) hand-reading
(e) bluffing
(f) stack-sizes
It should become clear quite quickly that a player can play more hands in late position than in early position. Also, it can be explained how raising can be more profitable than calling. We can also introduce risk/reward into the equation.
It wouldn’t take a game theory expert very long to calculate a very profitable strategy in this very simple game. However, not everybody in the game will have the ability or the inclination to work out an optimal strategy. This is where player-reading and hand reading comes into play.
Obviously there would be a lot of guesswork in such a simple game. There isn’t much information to go on when making a betting decision.
Game 2
As game 1, but with the addition of a 3-card flop, after which there is a second (and final) round of betting. The best 3-card hand wins, but there are only trips, pairs and high cards.
This complicates matters greatly, as the element of ‘catch-up’ is now introduced to the game. New concepts can be introduced as follows:
(1) implied odds
(2) outs
(3) pre-flop equity
Also, previously discussed concepts can be expanded on. For example, position becomes more important, as the cost of giving away your hand pre-flop is much greater. Hand-reading is more complicated as there is more information on which to base our decision.
Games 3,4 and beyond
The game can be expanded to eventually reflect NLHE as currently played. If additional betting rounds are added, it becomes obvious that pre-flop equity is less important, implied odds and position more important. Also, the impact of differing stack sizes can be introduced into the equation.
If we add a second hole-card, and expand to include flushes and straights it opens up a whole host of possibilities for our exploration
Conclusion
Its difficult to say which concepts are more important. We need to understand as much as possible about the game we are playing and the circumstances in which we play it.
If we are playing with a short-stack, then maybe we can focus on pre-flop hand equity and position. Otherwise, we really do need to consider all of the other variables.
Once a beginning player has some understanding of fundamentals, they need to play in a game to get some understanding of the flow of the game. They must learn to feel comfortable actually playing the game so that they can think about what is happening and why. Its useful if someone can critique their play, referring back to the fundamentals, as there must be an ongoing process of learning.
Actually, the Theory Of Poker does a great job of explaining these fundamentals. However, sometimes the best way to learn is to have somebody point you towards finding the correct answers for yourself. This probably results in greater understanding.
"There is so much to learn for a beginner, in what order of aspects of the game would the more experienced players say it makes sense to focus on. For example, first is obviously what beats what, then perhaps betting, then pot odds, then position and so on... Of course all aspects of the game have to be considered while at the table (or as much as ur knowledge will allow)There is just so much to learn it would be good to have some kind of logical progression of what to focus on away from the table, depending on what you have already studied and got to some level of grips with.."
This is something that I have thought about before and it’s a really complex subject. I suspect that with enough time, I would like to start by teaching a student how to formulate a strategy for a much simpler game than poker. Then, as they master the fundamentals of strategy formulation, introduce more complexity in the game itself until it eventually becomes No-Limit Hold ‘Em we know it.
Game 1
Consider this very simple ‘poker’ game, contested by 10 players. The game plays exactly like NLHE, except
(1) they receive only one card each
(2) there are no community cards
(3) there is only one betting round
(4) high card wins
In this game, I have no doubt that a great poker player would manage to formulate a strategy that would generate profit. Discussing strategy with the poker novice we could introduce concepts such as
(a) position
(b) pot odds
(c) fold equity
(d) hand-reading
(e) bluffing
(f) stack-sizes
It should become clear quite quickly that a player can play more hands in late position than in early position. Also, it can be explained how raising can be more profitable than calling. We can also introduce risk/reward into the equation.
It wouldn’t take a game theory expert very long to calculate a very profitable strategy in this very simple game. However, not everybody in the game will have the ability or the inclination to work out an optimal strategy. This is where player-reading and hand reading comes into play.
Obviously there would be a lot of guesswork in such a simple game. There isn’t much information to go on when making a betting decision.
Game 2
As game 1, but with the addition of a 3-card flop, after which there is a second (and final) round of betting. The best 3-card hand wins, but there are only trips, pairs and high cards.
This complicates matters greatly, as the element of ‘catch-up’ is now introduced to the game. New concepts can be introduced as follows:
(1) implied odds
(2) outs
(3) pre-flop equity
Also, previously discussed concepts can be expanded on. For example, position becomes more important, as the cost of giving away your hand pre-flop is much greater. Hand-reading is more complicated as there is more information on which to base our decision.
Games 3,4 and beyond
The game can be expanded to eventually reflect NLHE as currently played. If additional betting rounds are added, it becomes obvious that pre-flop equity is less important, implied odds and position more important. Also, the impact of differing stack sizes can be introduced into the equation.
If we add a second hole-card, and expand to include flushes and straights it opens up a whole host of possibilities for our exploration
Conclusion
Its difficult to say which concepts are more important. We need to understand as much as possible about the game we are playing and the circumstances in which we play it.
If we are playing with a short-stack, then maybe we can focus on pre-flop hand equity and position. Otherwise, we really do need to consider all of the other variables.
Once a beginning player has some understanding of fundamentals, they need to play in a game to get some understanding of the flow of the game. They must learn to feel comfortable actually playing the game so that they can think about what is happening and why. Its useful if someone can critique their play, referring back to the fundamentals, as there must be an ongoing process of learning.
Actually, the Theory Of Poker does a great job of explaining these fundamentals. However, sometimes the best way to learn is to have somebody point you towards finding the correct answers for yourself. This probably results in greater understanding.
Monday, 1 October 2007
September progress report
Played 10 hours in the last week of the month and following a bad finish only managed to accumulate $194 earnings in the week. I lost all three of the big pots I played, costing me about another $450 in cash-flow, so the bankroll went down slightly during the week. Hardly a disaster but disappointing none-the-less.
Biggest pot of the week resulted in a $1240 loss.
A loose aggressive player (LAG), with a big stack, min-raised UTG and was called by a weak-tightie (WT). I called on the button with J8, and was pretty pleased to see the LAG bet out $20 on the QT9 flop. He was called by the WT and because this was an action board, including a possible flush-draw, and because the LAG could easily have QQQ, AA or KK in this spot I decided to raise to $140. They both called, which surprised me a little. I thought it was likely that at least one of them must have a flush-draw, so when they both checked the turn (an 8, counterfeiting part of my hand) I was confused as to how much to bet. To be honest, as the time ran down, I panicked a bit and decided to bet all-in for $1080, which the LAG quickly called. The river changed nothing and it was the worst case scenario as he turned over KJ for the bigger straight.
My all-in bet on the turn made no sense at all, as I was only likely to get called by (1) the same hand ie. a naked J, (2) the nuts KJ or (3) the same straight as me with a re-draw to a higher straight and/or flush.
I would have been quite happy to get all-in on the flop, turn or river if the board had blanked off, so the result would have been the same in these scenarios, but I should have managed to lose less as the hand actually did play out, so for this I am a bit annoyed at my play.
On a happier note, I was able to win many small- and medium-sized pots due to, I think, good solid play. This is something that I feel I have improved on during the last few weeks and my September results bear this out. Here is a brief summary:
Hours played: 31.8
Hands played: 2,583
Big pots played: 27
Big pot EV: +1,190 (8%)
Small pot profit: +3,869
Bonuses etc: +72
Total won: $5,131
Obviously, this is a great result on the back of a fantastic break-through month in August. I was able to improve my hourly rate and now feel really comfortable playing at this level.
During the month I think I have improved my control, and have done really well in recognising when to attack and when to back-off a little. For long periods I have felt as though I haven't done anything special at all. Looking back, I realise that what I have managed to do is play my 'A-game', or close to it, for a much higher proportion of total playing time. This is most likely the biggest contributing factor to my success this month.
Having said that, there have still been times when I have caught myself getting a bit agitated. I have been able to recognise these times and rein in the desire to get overly-involved. These situations generally occur when there are some really bad players at the table. It can be so frustrating sitting and watching them lose their money to someone else, whilst I constantly fold my rags, or see my low pocket pairs fail to connect with the flop. Its really important to not fritter away chips here, as this really reduces your earnings.
One noticeable number that pops out of my stats is the number of big pots played. In August this was 69/4879 (1.41%), compared with 27/2583 (only 1.04%) in September. This may or may not be significant. Possible causes include:
Wish me luck.
Biggest pot of the week resulted in a $1240 loss.
A loose aggressive player (LAG), with a big stack, min-raised UTG and was called by a weak-tightie (WT). I called on the button with J8, and was pretty pleased to see the LAG bet out $20 on the QT9 flop. He was called by the WT and because this was an action board, including a possible flush-draw, and because the LAG could easily have QQQ, AA or KK in this spot I decided to raise to $140. They both called, which surprised me a little. I thought it was likely that at least one of them must have a flush-draw, so when they both checked the turn (an 8, counterfeiting part of my hand) I was confused as to how much to bet. To be honest, as the time ran down, I panicked a bit and decided to bet all-in for $1080, which the LAG quickly called. The river changed nothing and it was the worst case scenario as he turned over KJ for the bigger straight.
My all-in bet on the turn made no sense at all, as I was only likely to get called by (1) the same hand ie. a naked J, (2) the nuts KJ or (3) the same straight as me with a re-draw to a higher straight and/or flush.
I would have been quite happy to get all-in on the flop, turn or river if the board had blanked off, so the result would have been the same in these scenarios, but I should have managed to lose less as the hand actually did play out, so for this I am a bit annoyed at my play.
On a happier note, I was able to win many small- and medium-sized pots due to, I think, good solid play. This is something that I feel I have improved on during the last few weeks and my September results bear this out. Here is a brief summary:
Hours played: 31.8
Hands played: 2,583
Big pots played: 27
Big pot EV: +1,190 (8%)
Small pot profit: +3,869
Bonuses etc: +72
Total won: $5,131
Obviously, this is a great result on the back of a fantastic break-through month in August. I was able to improve my hourly rate and now feel really comfortable playing at this level.
During the month I think I have improved my control, and have done really well in recognising when to attack and when to back-off a little. For long periods I have felt as though I haven't done anything special at all. Looking back, I realise that what I have managed to do is play my 'A-game', or close to it, for a much higher proportion of total playing time. This is most likely the biggest contributing factor to my success this month.
Having said that, there have still been times when I have caught myself getting a bit agitated. I have been able to recognise these times and rein in the desire to get overly-involved. These situations generally occur when there are some really bad players at the table. It can be so frustrating sitting and watching them lose their money to someone else, whilst I constantly fold my rags, or see my low pocket pairs fail to connect with the flop. Its really important to not fritter away chips here, as this really reduces your earnings.
One noticeable number that pops out of my stats is the number of big pots played. In August this was 69/4879 (1.41%), compared with 27/2583 (only 1.04%) in September. This may or may not be significant. Possible causes include:
- less big hands received in Sept compared to Aug
- general tightening up of opponents.
As my edge in these big pots was only 8% in Sept (compared with 13% in Aug) its likely to be a combination of both of these factors. Its definitely something I need to keep my eye on in the future, although if I continue to show such good results in the smaller pots, its going to be less of a concern.
It remains to be seen whether I can cope with a sustained period of bad cards/situations/beats. This is the true test of the poker player. This siituation hasn't come up yet, but it will do at some stage.Wish me luck.
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