A Quick Thought on Tilt and HUD

This may be better off in the tools of poker, but I'll let the wise spoon decide the appropriateness of this post here in the BC

The abridged evolution of my play as it relates to hud.

First, I did not know what hud was or even how VP/PFR relate. Then I used to to find the fish and exploit in whatever capacity I could. After awhile, I become addicted, nearly all my decisions became solely based on hud, this is when I started to play more tables. The problem with this I got away from actually thinking about people's play style and I overvalued small sample size, such as this manic who was 80/80 over 15 hands, over the next 1000 hands I learned that he was really a 13/11. As I learned about light 3-betting, I started to use hud to even a greater degree, but never really thinking about how long it takes 3b stats and fold to 3 bet stats to converge and I spewed. Towards the end, i was using hud as an excuse to do the more aggressive option, but I was not thinking. Plus, I was getting frustrated seeing how someone was stealing 50%+ and never getting challenged while, couldn't steal if my life depended. All very tilty type of thoughts.

So, i decided to grind 6 tables of 6 max (2nl) without a hud, just to see how it would go. And it went well. I felt calm (though could have been my month or so break from poker). So to the many poeple in the BC who have tilt issues, drop some tables and maybe try a session or two without your hud. It has forced me to think. Thinking I suspect is the most important in poker. And whenever I find a proxy for thinking it always causes problems. I know that in time, I will use HUD again but by then I will use it as a tool not as a way of life.

One thing not using hud forced me to do even more is take lots of notes. But my notes have become more about identifying the type of player. Such as if he is passive and he raises, i nearly atomically drop anything less than Top Two pair, if someone is aggersive and the flop is wet, I'll commit with just TPMK. I play the lowest limit, so I have no idea who well this will translate, but it made my time at 2nl far less stressful than I ever remember it being. The next step will test me to see if I can keep my cool and fold my way to profits.


!luck

I can agree with this, I used to base a lot of decisions with hud, and wasn't taking outside influence or previous experience into thought. After my trial expired, I had to learn the hard way without hud, and had to do a lot of note taking.

Now that I have a HUD again, I noticed that some times i don't even notice it, unless i'm in a difficult spot. For example I'm sitting there with tptk, rainbow board, but flush possible. Turn comes and all of a sudden he raises my bet. I check to see he's a 50/2/1 fish over 100 hands.... he obviously hit a set or straight because this guy never pushes back into me. Fish don't adapt and try to push you back.... they only push when they've got something... so it becomes an easy fold to me...

I'd also say "dropping some tables" could go a lot lower than six.

well if you are using your HUD as a crutch then yeah, def play some sessions without it.

but once you understand how to interpret stats really well over small samples combined with the flow of the game etc you are leaving money on the table without it.

Originally Posted by Micro2Macro

well if you are using your HUD as a crutch then yeah, def play some sessions without it.

but once you understand how to interpret stats really well over small samples combined with the flow of the game etc you are leaving money on the table without it.

This. A HUD is so invaluable as you move up, it just helps so much.You just need to learn how to use it efficiently and not zone out on getting reads. Here's a hint, while using a hud, take shitloads of notes!

^^ I've always found player notes to be the best tool one can utilize.

The better players (of any strategic game) judge the relative worth of all possible information sources. As a quickie (poker) overview:

1. HUD knowledge: situations like when to 3bet based on stealing stats are some of the most routinely statistical decisions. The HUD is extremely reliable here after about 125 hands (6m) or 200 hands (fr), and worth looking at with only half that many.

2. Player Notes: these provide general knowledge of what types of "play" the opponent is capable of, for example, it's hard with a HUD to know for sure if a player is capable of 3-barreling total air postflop. We use notes to record oddities that can add to our HUD knowledge base.

_____

Under the heading of player notes (since that's how we recall them), there are some specific types of poker knowledge or "reads" that are particularly helpful.

_____


3. Tilt: knowing players who will radically alter their play based on recent unhappy events gives context for when to "throw the HUD" out the window.

4. Timing Tells: most micro players have them to some degree, but you have to pay attention at the tables. As someone said above, cutting back to less than 6 tables is a great idea. If you're not picking up any timing tells on the regs, you're likely playing too many tables at once.

5. Players who adjust: If a player can attack weak players, his overall stats will look solid, yet you will find him upon occasion showing down after some very "fishy" lines. Is he a fish? Or is he an otherwise solid player who got out of line by attacking someone else and running into the nuts? Detecting this type of "bad play" requires thoughtful analysis of not only his HUD stats, but the HUD stats of the players he plays against. Does he change lines in obvious "attacks" on weaker players? If so, what attacks does he like best?


The HUD is not the problem. The problem is an inadequate use of ALL POSSIBLE sources of poker information.

Originally Posted by Robb

The HUD is not the problem. The problem is an inadequate use of ALL POSSIBLE sources of poker information.

Very wise words Mr Robb as usual.

FYI..If you do decide to turn off your HUD remember you still want it importing data so you build your database.

Great words of advice. And I agree. I sometimes just get overwhelmed and I have started using the hud more. Though, what I find to be most valuble is figuring out if players call their draws or re raise on the flop. Once I know that playing against them is easy.