operation grow as a poker player.

hey everyone, I'm starting an operation to hopefully help myself stay focused on some goals i have in poker. I'm trying not to set any money goals but instead focus on improving all aspects of my poker game and hopefully move up stakes and make some money in the process.

I have been a member of FTR for a few years now and have been fairly active in the SNG/MTT Forum, i have done fairly well in both SNGs and MTTs and am just now deciding to try a new adventure into cash games. i have put out a staking deal in the staking forum, which is a coaching for profits deal. which has garnered lots of attention but i haven't come up with a deal just yet, but hopefully soon. i'm going to start at 25nl which I'm over rolled for but i'm not very good so i want to move up properly(maybe after i win 30-50 BI's) . I finally got a HUD since i want to take this seriously. i still want to play some mtt's and SnG's because i don;t want to get rusty in those, but for the next bit my focus will be on cash.

I own a business an sometimes find it hard to find time to play, but I'm going to work harder at putting in some sessions, even if its a bit later at night.

some of my goals include
-get better at hand reading (in SnG's most of the edge comes from putting opponents on preflop hand ranges and ICM shoving ranges) but i want to work on reading board textures and more post flop hand reading)
- putting players on appropriate ranges(goes with ^)
- Bet sizing appropriately.
- eventually move up in stakes.
- getting better at the math and figuring out equitys during hands.

theres lots more and i will update as i think of more and with progress reports.

how do you post graphs, and such from HEM?

check the BC man, one of the threads up the top (i think PTW made it) explains how to post graphs. and gl on this

GL with this operation. To post a graph, check this link.

http://www.flopturnriver.com/pokerfo...ml#post2025738

thanks for the help!


k so first cash session was pretty much a disaster think i got unlucky in some spots running like second nuts into nuts, including a set into quads (although he had a higher set anyways on flop), but no excuses i played terrible and spewed hard, really need to make some major adjustments moving from sng/donkaments to cash, not great at playing deep stacked, and i think that's where alot of my spew comes from. and wow it is hard to make people fold, that's another adjustment i think in tournies FE is huge, in cash vbet vbet vbet!!! arrggghh a little tilted right now, at myself more then anything but i guess its all part of the process.



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and i know super low volume but i'm only 2 tabling until i feel a little more comfortable.

hopefully i can get this coaching thing going soon, i think with a little help i could really turn it around and it could be pretty profitable for both parties, going to reply to some responses tomorrow.

later

k starting session #2 gonna be a short one, I'll update as we go and am going to include my biggest winning hands and biggest losing hands.

EDIT: well went better then first go round, still terrible though!!!

my vpip/pfr is ok i think roughly 28/25 a bit too loose but i think still profitable, if i stop being so spewy, * players don't fold* i need to keep telling myself this.

I'm way to aggro post flop though and need to tone it down.

i have more thoughts on my game but have to take off hopefully i can review a bit later



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k here we go again quick session, plan is to play better, still 2 tabling so gonna be lul volume

Edit:
so went a bit better again, still concerned that showdown line is lower then non showdown, either to aggro or not getting to showdown enough with my good hands which probably has something to do with the lines i'm taking and bet sizing. starting to enjoy cash a bit, but kinda miss being able to shove ATC.

need to work on:
stopping and consciously trying to put opponents on ranges, i don't think I'm terrible at this but i seem to adjust there ranges in my head to justify being aggro in the hand, which is so bad. and lots of times i act so fast that i don't give myself time to give them accurate and REALISTIC ranges.

I was calling to much, and instead of just playing tighter and folding more, my solution was to 3bet more and then cbet, which is very bad too, worked out this session but is going to cause some major spewage if i don't address it.

anyways that being said i did tighten up a bit especially UTG and in blinds which i think will help



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although super low volume i did ok and graph is actually missing my last hand because i closed to fast but won a $8 pot so although i know i played pretty poor, i'm happy with the result.

gotta hour to spare so, short session. Only 2 tables still till i feel more confident .

Arghh I'm such a retarded fish

i called here when i was like %99 sure i was beat, player was a nit like 13/3, and he's never raising here with a straight, or jacks full.
at least i took some time to think about the hand unfortunately i didn't listen to myself, which is tilting
also obv against this guy calling oop here is probably very bad too.

Grabbed by Holdem Manager
NL Holdem $0.25(BB) Replayer
SB ($53.16)
Hero ($29.05)
UTG ($43.89)
UTG+1 ($10.25)
CO ($25)
BTN ($25)

Dealt to Hero Q K

fold, fold, fold, BTN raises to $1, fold, Hero calls $0.75

FLOP ($2.10) J A K

Hero checks, BTN bets $1.50, Hero calls $1.50

TURN ($5.10) J A K Q

Hero checks, BTN bets $2.75, Hero calls $2.75

RIVER ($10.60) J A K Q Q

Hero bets $7.77, BTN raises to $19.75 (AI), Hero calls $11.98

Hero shows Q K
(Pre 14%, Flop 36.9%, Turn 23.9%)

BTN shows A A
(Pre 86%, Flop 63.1%, Turn 76.1%)

BTN wins $48.10


well that was brutal, played ok felt i worked on some things, still rushing decision, which is hindering my hand reading. session was going good untill the hand above, and then lost a huge pot getting it all in with an openended straigh flush draw against a maniac, who had a set, binked a boat on the turn and that was er. well will try again tomorrow.



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C/C river > bet/fold river > bet/call river imo

absolutely agree 100% i felt pretty retarded after that hand.
YouTube - The Office - Retards - One of the best office scenes ever!!!

ouch just lost over 4 buyins in a short session, played good at first and then tilted a bit, which i don't usually do. i know I'm not playing great or anything but seriously i have not once ran + Allin EV for one session, i know that's not really representative of how you played because you can get it in good and still of played the hand bad, but as a generalization I'm running pretty bad right now, i got it in a couple times with my set/2pair vs a FD and never held. got it in bad once when a guy 3 bet me pre, i flat with my kings flop 734, and i figured better chance its an overpair then set since i doubt he 3 bets a 7,3 or 4. but of course he had a 3, and one other time got it in with a FD and gutshot and over, against kings and couldn't get there. I'm also not getting any value from any of my big hands which is tilting but could have to do with the lines I'm taking

tilted and stuck is trouble so I'm taking a break and will hopefully get back on later today

again i need to keep telling myself this until i figure it out: stop, slowdown think about what he could have(range) and why your betting!!!!!!!!!!!

all in all cash not going great I'm gonna keep pushing through, learn, post hands, and get this thing figured out.

also this was 4 tables which might of hurt me a bit



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looking at my positional stats, i think i can plug some leaks. way way to loose calling oop (blinds esp BB) what would a good VPIP/PFR be from SB/BB? i know mines to high. calling in BB is putting me in bad spots and i'm bleeding money.

With the KQ hand if he is 13/3 over a decent sample with a really low ATS% I'd just fold pre since it's not going to be profitable to play.

It's tough to say what an optimum blind VPIP/PFR since it depends on your opponents, as a rough guide I play very tight vs UTG/MP and open up slightly vs CO/ BTN. Generally choose hands that have good playability and remember that playing tighter from the blinds is generally right 100BB deep with no ante.

One other thing I wouldn't post a graph after each session or check how much you're up/down, growing as a player involves letting go of results.

GL with cash I'm sure you'll be crushing soon.

Originally Posted by HoopyDude

With the KQ hand if he is 13/3 over a decent sample with a really low ATS% I'd just fold pre since it's not going to be profitable to play.

yea folding pre is probably best i think i rather call with like 10 9s or PP since he's raising super tight and i have better chance stacking his over pairs, as KQ is going to flop the second best hand lots even when i hit like two pairs etc.

Originally Posted by HoopyDude

One other thing I wouldn't post a graph after each session or check how much you're up/down, growing as a player involves letting go of results.

GL with cash I'm sure you'll be crushing soon.

TY this is great advice, i will probably post my graph and stats every couple weeks. i thinks that will be enough that I'm not being result oriented, but enough that i (or others) can analyze my results to hopefully find leaks, thanks again

hey fulsky good to see you have a blog! Enjoyed reading it, looking forward to watching you move up the stakes

gl man

Thanks slevin appreciate it, been watching yours since the beginning, and your positive outlook is actually really inspiring GL with your stake/and goals as well.

well been pretty bust lately and haven't had much time to play put in a session today and did really well not sure exactly how much i was up, taking hoopys advice and getting out of the habit of looking a cashier and graph to often.


-on one table i had a maniac running like 90/80 and i found my vpip/pfr to be really passive (he was on my right), i wanted to be in lots of hands with this fish, because he was super aggro post flop, and he wasn't planning on folding much (if he has TP i'm probably getting his stack), I'm not sure if this is a good strategy or if i should just 3 bet wider. i didn't really want to 3 bet wide cause he's almost never folding to a 3 bet (obv 3 betting for value my big hands)

anyways hopefully i get some more time to play here soon.

Originally Posted by fulksy

-on one table i had a maniac running like 90/80 and i found my vpip/pfr to be really passive (he was on my right), i wanted to be in lots of hands with this fish, because he was super aggro post flop, and he wasn't planning on folding much (if he has TP i'm probably getting his stack), I'm not sure if this is a good strategy or if i should just 3 bet wider. i didn't really want to 3 bet wide cause he's almost never folding to a 3 bet (obv 3 betting for value my big hands)

The wanting to be in lots of hands with him is the correct attitude. Your calling range preflop can be MUCH wider. If he was actually opening 80% of hands I'd even be calling pretty much every Kxs, Axs, a lot of Qxs as your ability to outplay post flop is probably huge.

You are also right in part on not wanting to 3bet too wide because he's not folding to them. However you do want to expand you value 3bet range. This can include hands like pp as low as 88 or 99, KQo KJs ATs etc. Though I'd prefer to see him actually call a 3bet with junk before expanding it too big. Honestly, 3betting vs these guys doesn't need to be a huge part of your game as you should be focusing on playing many hands IP and being very straight forward from the flop on.

^^ the above is good advice. his range is incredibly weak, and he plans to be aggressive with it on many streets. thus we can flat a lot of hands to his raises because we rate to get paid off postflop with what we would normally consider "B range" kind of hands (ie top pair middle kicker kind of things) that we typically don't want to get the money in with against "normal" opponents.

as regards 3bet ranges, this depends heavily on things like:
- whether he 4bets much/what range
- how often/with what ranges he flats 3bets

if you find he's 4betting a lot of hands and rarely flatting, you should basically determine which hands you are happy to felt with preflop, and make that your 3bet range (so you plan to felt 100% of the time you 3b)

if you find he's flatting a lot of hands to a 3b, you can 3b wider than just your "willing to felt" range because he's rarely 4betting you, and he is flatting 3bets OOP a lot with a wide range.

both of the above ranges are "linear" ranges by the way, as opposed to "polarised". polarised 3b ranges work better against people who fold to 3b's a lot. and also against those who are more likely to be either 4betting or folding (rarely calling)

also it depends on if you have aggro players behind you who are goign to iso-squeeze a lot here, you may have to start 3betting to iso yourself if you are constantly getting pushed out of pots by other players left to act

TY you all for the great advice, i really appreciate it