phantom_lord tries to learn how to play poker again

Ok, I'm back playing poker after taking a long break due to college and other stuff, now back playing for the summer and it's not going very well at all. Embarrassingly I can't seem to even beat ssnl now

Admittedly I've never been the hardest worker at poker, but I really have no excuse now.

So I'm going to use this blog to keep a log of what I'm doing to hopefully kick my ass back into gear.

This is my awful stats from over the last couple of weeks:


Imageshack - statscz.jpg
Imageshack - stats2i.jpg

just looking at it, my wtsd is too high, 3bet too low, and I'm absurdly tight from the co. if anyone notices anything else let me know!

I haven't really done much other than play, haven't reviewed watched any videos or posted many hands. So that's all changing today.

• Gonna review the previous days session to some extent.
• Watch some videos
• PLAY LESS TABLES! 4 max from now on.
• No longer than 1 hour sessions.
• Quitting if anyway tilted, or down 3 buyins or more.
• Actually pay some damn attention to what I'm doing.
• I'd like to review at least one solid winner at my stakes every week too. figure out what he's doing good, what his mistakes are etc.

So, now to review last nights session.

the first image is very small

where you playing?

gl!

sorry, if you click on it it should zoom in. Ipoker atm.

Originally Posted by phantom_lord

• PLAY LESS TABLES! 4 max from now on.
• No longer than 1 hour sessions.

well so much for that. got stuck big early and ended up playing about 3k hands to get out of it. sigh.

On the plus side I set up a framework for going through regs hands, and bought some hands since i don't have many in my new database. only did two yesterday, and haven't played them yet, but i'm looking forward covering more and getting to use the info.

idk how the games are on ipoker, but chances are your btn 3b and pfr are not optimal. It can be more profitable to limp behind 2+ limpers with <77, Axs, sc's, and gap connectors than to isolate. Iso with hands that can make a decent top pair instead. Like iso with Q9o, but limp along with 79s against 2+ limpers.
In the same line it can be better to call with AJ, AQ, KQ and god knows what you're 3-betting from the button - you know, when you're just folding out hands that you crush, and you can't be comfortable if you get 4b.
Like you've noticed yourself - there is no reason why you should play like a bulldozer from the btn, and play the CO like mother Theresa.
If you're playing FR, your EP open is pretty damn wide. Filter for the bottom of your range and review those hands.

GLGL

Thanks for the reply.

Yeah I agree w/ what you say about iso-ing vs calling, I do tend to limp behind more with those hands, although, it does feel a little wrong! My high pfr is a lot to do with how much I steal though.

I keep my 3betting range pretty polarised, there's never really a situation where idk what i'm doing to a 4bet, I don't think 10% is too high otb though, most of the hands i use are like off suits aces and other stuff w/ blockers that I can't call with.

hohum, bad day yesterday, got coolerd a ton and stuff zzzzzzzzzzzzzz, pretty annoyingly it happened at the euro and sterling tables too, anyway, despite the fact that other than one big bluff all those hands were pretty standard it's clear that the games i have passed me by and i don't have an edge. ldo looking at my stats really. so I'm taking at least a week off of pure study.

I've bought 1m minded hands and I'm going through tons of regulars games in depth. also got stoxev so going to try and learn how to use that. there's a ton of spots where i'm playing guessing games which is ridic really. for once i want to have all the ground work done off table isn't of trying to work it all out while playing.

also want to have my 3/4/5 betting strategy mapped out.

At least I feel pretty motivated.

One thing I was thinking about is that maybe I'm playing too loose, I am playing a lot looser than before I took my break off poker.

Anyway, I was just looking at my sessions tab in hm, and noticed that all of my ten tightest sessions (21/16) or so, are green, in fact out of my 20 tightest only 3 are losing.

While once I go past 25/18 it's a sea of red.

Of course there could be other factors in play here, but it's probably something worth noting.

Sigh. This just feels so tough. I'm kinda running bad, but I don't feel I deserve any allowance for that, I don't feel like I'm playing particularly well, or that I have an edge at all. Which is just embarrassing and scary. I also notice a lot of guys playing 100nl that I used to play midstakes with. Makes me wonder if it's even worth trying anymore.

At the same time, there's a bunch of people making a ton of money at this game, so it is possible. I just suck, and don't even know how to turn that around.

just looking at my old operation thread, how come i can't do this anymore?

http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/4008/allhandsgr7.jpg

stay strong man, i know how frustrating and stressful it can be. i'd recommend playing 4 tables max until your confidence returns and be diligent about improving away from the tables.

good luck to you