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Proper Session Review

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  1. #1

    Default Proper Session Review

    Ok so I've been working pretty hard lately on my game and having good results. I realized there is one area where I really lacking and that is in my session reviews. For the most part what I've been doing is maybe look at the big losers or maybe gloat over the monsters but I have no real process for reviewing my sessions and I think this is a leak. When I sit back and ask myself why this is I come up with "I don't really know how!"

    I'd really like to hear from others how they go about reviewing there sessions. Things such as what filters etc. How often do you do a review, how many hands do you review, and any other pertinent information on the topic. Also if you have any links to past threads, videos, etc. I'm confident if this is an issue for me it is for others as well.

    I posted about this in my op and sasquach had a great response and I really appreciate it buddy. I'd sure like to hear from others as well.
    "You start the game with a full pot o’ luck and an empty pot o’ experience...
    The object is to fill the pot of experience before you empty the pot of luck."

    Quote Originally Posted by XxStacksxX View Post
    Do you have testicles? If so, learn to bet like it
  2. #2
    I think you've identified a major leak for lots of players, even many regs. Reviewing my sessions on a regular basis is something that I struggle with often.

    One idea I've learned about through videos on a major training site is to do a pre session routine and post session routine for every session you play.

    In the pre session routine you set very specific goals/set your focus for the session you're about to play. For example, let's say you want to work on 3 betting in position. Now every time this situation comes up in play you pay extra close attention to what you're doing and eventually get better at it. The reason this is good is because if you focus on getting better at specific things then you increase your learning efficiency.

    In the post session routine you review hands from that session. In doing so, you identify spots you may have misplayed and this will give you ideas for your next pre session routine and the focus for the next session.

    I have not tried this out in detail yet but I think it could be very helpful.


    Another thing I've been thinking about recently is to start marking hands during a session instead of just reviewing the session in general after its done. I think this will be much better because you can analyze your play in more detail. For example, let's say I flat a CO open from a nit while I'm OTB. Let's say the flop is xxx and I expect him to bet it often but he checks to me. Therefore, I'm not quite sure what to do but I think his range is x, y, z and I decide to bet. Well, if I mark this hand then not only do I make sure I review it later, but I also remember my exact line of thinking during the hand and I can analyze whether or not I was correct.
  3. #3
    My goals during the session review are (1) to find mistakes in my play and (2) to practice putting my opponents on ranges.

    To accomplish goal 2, I use sessions from at least a few days ago (usually more like a week or two), so I'm less likely to remember the hand. Then, I use a report I created to get the hands where I lost or won more than 20 bb -- using a report lets me hide the win/loss value, so I don't know the result in advance. In the replayer, I keep the villain's hole cards hidden.

    I use PT3. My report is simple (I think the filter is on ptbb, if you want to alter it):
    Filter: amt_bb_won >= 10 OR amt_bb_won <= -10
    Report Stats: Date, Hand #
    Sorting: Date Ascending

    To focus on a single session, just double click the session in the "Sessions" tab, which will cause that session to be bolded. Now all of the other tabs will automatically be filtered for that single session, including any reports you run. Run the report and double-click the hand to bring up the replayer (well, the hand summary comes up -- avoid looking at the result while launching the replayer!).

    Now I try to assign a range to the villain on each street. I use Pokerstove to look at my equity, and I also try to figure out what their ranges will be after my action (if I bet, what will they continue with? etc).

    If I find a hand that looks interesting to me, I go into more detail: I break out my own range, my opponent's range, and I try to break each of our ranges down for each action we can take. For the different actions I can take, I calculate the EV to see which is best. Honestly, I do not do this enough -- I wish I did it for a hand a session, but I only end up doing it in spurts. In fact, I haven't done it in a couple of weeks, oops....

    To help avoid making the same mistakes in the future, I keep a log of all my mistakes I find (it's a simple excel spreadsheet for date, hand, street, and a description of my mistake with reasoning for why it was a mistake). Typing out an explanation for what I did wrong and the reasons it is a mistake is a great way to reinforce the right action.

    How often: I usually do one session review a day if I plan on playing that day. I find it best to do it right before a session, I feel like it prepares my mind for actual play.
  4. #4
    Would anybody be willing to make a video of a good session review? That I think would be really beneficial if one could be made showing filter setups etc and then how you go through a hand street by street etc. Hoping somebody will step up!
    "You start the game with a full pot o’ luck and an empty pot o’ experience...
    The object is to fill the pot of experience before you empty the pot of luck."

    Quote Originally Posted by XxStacksxX View Post
    Do you have testicles? If so, learn to bet like it
  5. #5
    kmind's Avatar
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    If someone can do this that would be great.

    As for your OP I def. struggle but I think focusing more on plays that happen a lot as opposed to your biggest pots would help more. I'm going to be studying a lot more in the future. I'll be using LeakBuster and other PokerAce software as well as CardRunnersEV and Flopzilla and PokerStove.

    I also sometimes watch training videos right before and focus on the new tools learned from watching them.
  6. #6
    Watching a good training video first is good for your mindset before a session.

    I also like taping myself, and then watching it later. See if your logic was right or wrong, and see what you could have done different etc..

    These are also very time consuming, but worth it when your struggling...
  7. #7
    How about these things? Some probably are over looked.

    Check C-bet % flop/turn
    Check fold to Cbets %
    Check call/fold/raise to 3bet %

    Check big pots, and that you don't call off money (should mainly be winners)
    Check redline angle
    Check Cold Calling stats, probably the most interesting thing
  8. #8
    I think there is a clear distinction between doing a session review and reviewing your play with HEM.

    The former only relates to a specific session and you usually don't need complicated filters to do it. You just look at hands from that session and determine if you played them correctly.

    The latter can include session reviews but it can also include other things (such as analysis via filters like smith talks about) Harley maybe this is more what you're looking for since you mention filters several times? I mean, you can't really analyze your turn cbet% from a single session because the sample is too small. I guess you could filter for all hands where you could have cbet the turn and look at those but maybe there aren't that many of these from a single session.
  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by kfaess View Post
    I think there is a clear distinction between doing a session review and reviewing your play with HEM.

    The former only relates to a specific session and you usually don't need complicated filters to do it. You just look at hands from that session and determine if you played them correctly.

    The latter can include session reviews but it can also include other things (such as analysis via filters like smith talks about) Harley maybe this is more what you're looking for since you mention filters several times? I mean, you can't really analyze your turn cbet% from a single session because the sample is too small. I guess you could filter for all hands where you could have cbet the turn and look at those but maybe there aren't that many of these from a single session.
    Excellent points you bring up kfaes for sure. They are clearly two distinctly different task each aimed at accomplishing similar yet different objectives.
    "You start the game with a full pot o’ luck and an empty pot o’ experience...
    The object is to fill the pot of experience before you empty the pot of luck."

    Quote Originally Posted by XxStacksxX View Post
    Do you have testicles? If so, learn to bet like it
  10. #10
    Proper session review is prob just going over the biggest winning and losing pots + hands that confused you and analysing them in terms of ranges/thought processes. Then with the latter hands, post them for better players to mull over.

    Anything else is probably confusing matters for yourself.

    For further reference I guess this will help: COTW: Session Review and Note Taking - Micro Stakes Full Ring Games - Micro Stakes Poker Strategy Forum
    Last edited by EasyPoker; 04-09-2011 at 08:14 PM.
    [20:19] <Zill4> god
    [20:19] <Zill4> u guys
    [20:19] <Zill4> so fking hopeless
    [20:19] <Zill4> and dumb
  11. #11
    1. Open pokerstove
    2. screw around for 30 minutes
    3. ????
    4. Profit

    Way back in the day when I played NL my favorite thing was to look at my GBucks in every spot, I'd try to figure out a way to maximize my Gbucks and that's how I got into doing silly stuff in the hopes of manipulating my opponent's range in ways it best served my equity.

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