Operation: Learning to Think - Eliminate The TAG-FISH in Me

Wow man, you've got a very nice camera. Takes great pictures!

Yeah it's not bad. None of these photo's have been altered in photoshop either Very Happy

. New York is such a great city though, it looks good through any camera.

Since I'm spending the next year travelling alot I guess I'll post more pics of my tavels here since I don't have any other blog online. I was recently in Ottawa and got a few good shots so I'll post them when I get around to it.

As for poker I've settled in at 50nl (I think). Still might dip down to 25nl a bit when I'm not feeling my A game, but besides that my focus is on fixing leaks and moving up. Reading what bbickes recently posted in his blog has motivated me to get this shit show rolling. I want to be at 100nl in septemeber, and I really don't see how it isn't going to be doable.

Okay well I'm done with 25nl now. There's no way I'm not +EV at 50nl so I've moved up. Here's the last 50kish hands played. Graph for show, stats for critique - let me know if you see any glaring leaks, and anything I should work on. Feedback is appreciated, thanks guys.

Update:

Making some life changes right now, might not play much poker this week. Hopefully I'll catch up in volume later to maintain Pstar. I'll mainly be doing reading by the looks of things.

I've started going to the gym 3-4 times a week with my brother. He's pretty into fitness etc so he's good to have as a mentor to keep me motivated. It's been forever since I've lifted weights (high school), I've always been really skinny (I'm like 5 ft 9 and just under 140) so I'll probably shoot to put on 10 pounds of muscle and keep up the cardio stuff with some running and swimming.

I won't be setting any big fitness goals as of now, I think the most important thing for me at this time is just to get into a good routine. I figure if I keep at that then I'll just progress into getting in better shape. If I expect to be successul at poker I need to balance other things in life better, and the most unbalanced part of my life is a fitness routine. Being physically fit clearly affects our edge, so I'll be making it more of a priority to hopefully enhance my performance at the tables.

I'll be hitting up the golf course on my days off for some more relaxed exercise as well.

Sick life. I'm pretty sure you live like 20min away from me too haha.

Meh, I don't know what the hell this is so I'm going to post it and run the math to show how -EV it was, and hopefully this analysis will train me not to do this again.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.50 BB (8 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

Hero (MP1) ($50)
MP2 ($55.85)
CO ($22.50)
Button ($50)
SB ($55.65)
BB ($59.95)
UTG ($50)
UTG+1 ($54.05)

Preflop: Hero is MP1 with A

, A

2 folds, Hero bets $2, 3 folds, SB calls $1.75, 1 fold

Flop: ($4.50) 3

, 9

, 8

(2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $3.50, SB raises to $11, Hero raises to $48 (All-In),

Villain is a 13/10 reg, pretty aggro. I have a note on him saying he 2 barrelled AK vs me on a board like 2546 or something.

I think his range for check raising is this:

equity win tie pots won pots tied
Hand 0: 40.743% 40.74% 00.00% 6857 0.00 { AcAh }
Hand 1: 59.257% 59.26% 00.00% 9973 0.00 { QQ, 99-88, 33, JdTd, 7d6d }

I included QQ in there just to put in 6 overpair combos in case he may decide to c/r with them. Without an overpair in there though it is interesting to note his range is crushing us with like 80% equity or something. If we just call and the turn bricks he still has us mega crushed. Clearly he isn't folding a better hand, and we certainly aren't shoving for value, thus, shoving is in fact a mistake. The correct play here would be to Bet/Fold.

Okay now time to do it right while playing.

I'm serious. Level?

Finally played a really solid session - at 25nl :/ - 3800 hands though so ship the volume I guess.

Yeah I don't think he has too many of those combo's in his range given that he called out of position preflop.

What is interesting though is even if we just add 98s to his range, our equity improves a decent amount:

quity win tie pots won pots tied
Hand 0: 61.551% 61.55% 00.00% 12187 0.00 { QQ, 99-88, 33, JdTd, 98s, 7d6d }
Hand 1: 38.449% 38.45% 00.00% 7613 0.00 { AcAh }

So I guess it really comes down to how wide he's calling preflop. Since I haven't seen him showdown any of these hands in such a scenerio (I'd have a note if he did) I'm not sure we can assume he has them or not :/

If we assume he never does this with QQ as the overpair combos, then our equity is 17%...so depending on how much air he has in his range, I suppose we could bet/call the flop and re-evaluate the turn since we'll have appropriate pot odds to call his flop c/r?

This type of analysis is good, but out of curiosity, do you think you can actually apply it playing 8 to 10 tables in the heat of battle?

We do the analysis now so we don't have to while we play.

Too fucking aggrivated to make a sensible post so I'm just going to say this
Hand 0: 61.551% 61.55% 00.00% 12187 0.00 { QQ, 99-88, 33, JdTd, 98s, 7d6d }
Why in the f can villain have 7d6d but now 7s6s? Thats just retarded to think that he can have diamonds but not spades. At least you added 98 now.

If your going to make his range look like this at least say you have a note on the villain that he only calls OOP w/ diamonds and 3bs spades/hearts/clubs LFDO JFC TILTS ME

yeah, well I can't really shove for value? he probably won't stack off with worse than a flip.

OKay if we assume his stackoff range is this:

equity win tie pots won pots tied
Hand 0: 47.235% 47.23% 00.00% 78561 0.00 { AA }
Hand 1: 52.765% 52.77% 00.00% 87759 0.00 { QQ, 99-88, 33, AdKd, AdQd, AdJd, AdTd, JTs, 98s, 76s }

We can get it in. Bet/call, my bad.

Thanks for getting me on the right track guys. I posted the hand late last night when I was done my session and put pretty much no logic into my thoughts whatsoever - as shown by how wack my ranges were - they look ridiculously results oriented.

Something I'll be working on for the future is making sure the hands I post aren't of such nature and that my analysis is more objective. A strategy I will employ for this is reviewing the hand after my session, then go to bed or whatever, and come back the next day with a fresh mind to review again - and then I'll post if necessary. I feel that this method will show for more objective, realistic results that are not influenced by how I feel.

'Life Update'
This week is kinda weird for me. As you may have read, I've started working out. So far I've gotten my legs/biceps/triceps/shoulders done and have chest/back/core left to do. Then I'll repeat this again next week. I've also been eating a bit healthier, drinking less sugar loaded junk, and drinking a ton more water and milk. I've also been sitting out back by the pool just chillin' and enjoying the sun (getting hot tan for the woman of course), and I've been getting up earlier for whatever reason, could be the exercise thing. NFL preseason game on Saturday, tee time on Monday. I guess you could say I'm getting a life, cool.

I'm taking my girl to Toronto next week, so I'm going to be looking to make a withdrawal from the roll (I have too much $ in there right now for where I'm at). Thing is, I don't have a job, so basically Poker is my job??? Weird. I want to get rolling at 50nl and play it more regularly, so I'll be working on that when I feel I'm at my best. I'll still be grinding out 25nl a bit though to build up some cash for irl because I'm making like $15-$20 an hour doing it and that's more than any job I'm capable of obtaining at this point.

I do think I'm starting to get a handle on 50nl, though I've been on a bit of life tilt the past few weeks so it hasn't really gone well, but I tihnk things are definately going to be looking better now. I think I'll be focusing much more on it when I'm back from my vacation.

One of my goals this month was to learn alot. I ditched the HU cash idea due to my own best interest, but I've been digging through 2+2 archives and watching DC videos regularly along with reviewing hands, browsing the forums, and reading books. I've got a pretty good balance of study and I'm taking in poker information from multiple sources. Can't forget you guys in IRC or here posting in my blog either, ty.

Sorry for wasting anyones time who actually just read that, gl in life.

-m2m

This break sounds like its going to do you some good. I have noticed that poker has a weird way of changing your thought process from day to day. Better players dont seem to have this issue as much but I know my head is much more clear after my 2 day from all things poker related. GL on your vacation!

lol @ me owning 25nl yet failing at 50nl. I'll probably grind 25nl for 30 hours before I go to Toronto next week and dab into 50nl some more this weekend.

Micro withdraws to be a pimp. I LIKE IT!

Just had a pretty sick session, was down 5 buyins at one point but that didn't bother me and I was able to grind it out to even Very Happy

. I'm loving this new mindset/vibe I'm in. Must be the gym or something, I dunno, but I'm definately feeling more confident in my game, regardless of how I'm running.

2k hands on the day, might grind some 6max later.

Boog690 - lol pretty much

Gym = good for the body, good for the brain!

Well I've been doing alot of study lately, and hardly any poker playing. Time to let my brain take things to the tables.

Gonna just lay it down and shoot for 16k hands in 3 days.

No pressure, just going to see how it goes. Will stop whenever I feel necessary. I like challenges, and I feel I need to earn myself my trip that I'm going on, so I will grind on. Won't be worried about failling since it won't be considered a fail to me if I don't do it, I won't push it if I can't get it done, but I think it'll be pretty easy. I'll be doing pretty detailed session reviews as well. This should be cake because even though I'll be working harder than usual at getting hands in and reviewing them, it's only for a short period of time.

I hope to gather at least 5 hands/day and do some combination counting etc with ranges on some paper that way I'm still getting something out of this. So I'll spend just a few days on some intense grinding and HH review, then I will take a couple days off to relax, weeeeeeeeeeeeee.

Hands played: 0/16,000

Session 1 starts tomorrow.

EARN THAT TRIP!

*Last edited by Micro2Macro on Tue, 18 Aug 2009, 5:27pm; edited 1 time in total*

Day 1/3 schedule [tentative]

8:00am: wake up/shower/breakfast etc.
9:00am: morning session
11:00am: gym with brother/lunch
2:00pm: afternoon session
5:00pm: session reviews/call gf etc/relax/dinner with family
7:00pm: evening session
10:00pm: relax/eat/do whatever
11:00pm: tentative session based on fatigue etc.
1:00am: sleep

I feel like this challenge is more a test of my discipline than anything else, espsecially since I just made a schedule and wtf this is not like me I don't make schedules. Life changes ftw. The only real exception to this schedule is if my gf wants to do something tomorrow, in which case, screw poker. There's other more important things in life.

played really bad this morning.

going to do a 6 table session for an hour or so then review afterwards.

Session 2 went much better. I've gotten 3000 hands complete before the evening, so I have a few hours to unwind until I'm back at it.

I think I underbet a little in this one spot where I was vbetting the river, and based on villains range, he would have probably called a larger river bet with the same frequency. So I missed a few bb's of value there, gotta be thinking more carefully in those spots. I think I'll keep an eye on bet sizing closely next session.

Might as well play 50nl now.

I'll move back down if I hit some really gross pit of a loss.

edit: I'm just going to study/review/play 50nl until I'm busto or ready for 100nl. If I can't eventually pull through at this stake I shouldn't even bother.

oops, I wasn't actually serious, but thank you for your concern dev. I did write this after a terrible 25nl session so I think you're right about the subtle tilt thing. I cut the volume I planned on this week to do other things.

Lucky for me I make enough $ in FPP's to keep me alive so busto is pretty unlikely Very Happy

Micro iz FPP pro?

So much -.- ITT.

Came 2nd (again) in a another 180 mtt. This is getting old now. Heads up vs a super run like god drooler (again) makes me want to end my life when I constantly get pwnd. OPR me - I don't think I have one first place finish. Time for an amazing vacation, see ya'll in a couple days, going to go enjoy getting hammered with some hot bitches.

haha, I just discovered a leak that has come back into my game lately and is costing me money. Funniest part about that is I am mildly drunk as I realize this.

Hey man I read your trip report, sick life. Good to see you back, please give me my run good so I can boost to 100nl :p

Shitty that you missed the Bonus but at the same time, there's going to be tons to collect later, and also it takes like 7500vpps to achieve which is quite a few hands at 25nl, and a good chunk at 50nl.

@ sexual question: nah not really, she's not related yet, though there may be moral conflictions in the mix lol. Hit that while you still can.

@ sexual question: I disagree with Micro. Wait until your brother marries his fiance, THEN have sex with her sister...that way it can be more exciting; Joe Dirt style.

Toronto trip report:

Well this is going to be short, since I forgot to bring my camera (huge fail) but oh well. Not too much to say, I just went up and met with some friends. Stayed in the sickest hotel ever though. 'The Pantages Hotel' - you can google it if bored/interested. I highly recommend it to anyone staying in Toronto. Spa services are included in the rates too.

When I arrived I went to check in and it turns out they ended up upgrading my little room to an 'Ambassador Suite' (so lucky because that really impessed the lady Very Happy

). I was only expecting a 350 sq foot studio but as it turns out this had a kitchen, living room with 2 couches, 2 TV's, a laundry area, and was a corner unit with 15th floor views of the city. Square footage was 630, so basically a 1 bedroom condo. The style was pretty cool, more of a modern vibe as opposed to classical type style that alot of hotels seem to have.
Hotel staff were very friendly and accomodating and the valet service was excellent.

So I ended up taking the gf out shopping for the day then we went out to dinner. Had a few drinks, then met up with some friends back at the hotel for more drinks before heading out to the bar district. I got maybe 4 hours of sleep and I had to drive 3 hours back home so I'm pretty exhausted. Saving the poker for tomorrow it looks like, finally running well in life, I'm going to relax for a bit now.

Red line = sustainable??? This is the first time I've ever put effort into table selection lol. Ran hot, and also fixed a couple leaks I've been struggling with a bit.

oh der is dis thing that u can do where you switch tables if you're not happy with the one you have

COOL EH!

noticing any particular difference between 50nl and 25nl? i'm about to move up too. also nice blog, seems like you're improving pretty rapidly, grats.

Thanks,

Differences would be a more aggressive game overall, table selection becomes more of an importance for your bottom line, you'll start encountering villains with high 3bet frequencies, positional awareness is more common, you'll see 100nl regs playing there from time to time..

Sometimes the tables are just awful too..though this usually isn't a problem during prime time but when I get around mid morning (est time) the tables seem meh.

I don't think the differences are huge, but they are enough to leave you with the expectation of a lower win rate. You'll start to run into more people who are playing poker seriously to pay the bills. You probably won't get paid off as easily, so it may take some time to adjust your game and find new profitable spots to bluff etc.

[ ] red line sustainable
[x] running hot at the quarter

I think I know why the red line started to downswong though. Has to do alot with my level of focus etc..been feeling a bit tired the past few sessions so I'm going to make sure I get to bed on time tonight and get a good sleep.

Honestly, I think sorting tables by stats like pot size is overrated. I mean yeah, to an extreme you don't want to be on tables with the smallest average pot. But the way the stat is calculated is only over a short term average - table selection really comes down to being in the right seat and having the best mix of opponents where you want them. The pot size average will fluctuate too much to be accurate, but it will be a good gerneral indication of how much action you may get.

I do sort by pot size myself, but I don't automatically go to the top of the list where the biggest pots are. I just sit down at a bunch of tables and then close the ones that are bad.

In choosing your seat you would like to have nits to your left who don't adjust to you stealing. The won't use position like they should so they won't give you trouble. TAG/LAG players are best to have on your right because they will do a better job of exploiting their positional advantage on you by 3betting aggressively, raising your cbets etc. If they're sitting across the table from you this is also good (might even be better than if they're on your right) as you likely won't tangle with them much at all. Fish on your right for isolating is also preferred.

I believe bigspenda73 discussed this is one of his articles, you should check those out.

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Operation: Learning to Think - Eliminate The TAG-FISH in Me

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