AMA: TwiceT

Everytime someone asks TT about "standard PLO line/range", he can give this stamp. It has been very useful in PLO discussions so far:

Originally posted by Joshquan
If you were starting out in poker now with zero knowledge of game or skills would you still think it is worthwhile or profitable enough to commit to moving up the stakes given the tougher climate at all levels ?

Assuming my current knowledge? I mean .... we assume I have no idea about the game and no skills, but at the same time know exactly how (tough) the games are played these days? ♦

In that hypothetical scenario, I would probably not consider spending too much time on poker. However, given my competitive personality, I might still try it ♦ Anyway, the games are def tough these days, but you just have to be a bit better than your competition to make money. That is still possible ... not easy ofc, but possible.

Originally posted by mute20
How do you feel about how poker has changed since you started? What is the most important think you have learned, while playing poker.

More and more smart people play the game while the number of recreational players slowly decreased over the years. However, there is still room to outsmart the regulars

If you read through my posts I wrote on this site over the last years (my old blog, first engl BM post, AMA etc etc ... ) you will find the answer.
I can definitely say I agree with Sklansky and Schoonmaker, I think I even added a few things throughout my posts in the past.

Def worth checking out: http://www.twoplustwo.com/magazine/issue33/sklansky-schoonmaker-poker-good-for-you.php

Originally posted by Kyyberi
Everytime someone asks TT about "standard PLO line/range", he can give this stamp. It has been very useful in PLO discussions so far:

ty sir

r u wizard?

You might recognise this question lol. But:

You are in an average 25/50 game against a good aggressive winning player.

5k stacks.

He opens to 175 in the HJ. Hero raises to 625 on the button. Folded to HJ who calls.

Would you rather have KJo, 75s, 88, or A2s (in order)?

Can you explain why?

How much does it matter?

Originally posted by holmeboy
You might recognise this question lol. But:

You are in an average 25/50 game against a good aggressive winning player.

5k stacks.

He opens to 175 in the HJ. Hero raises to 625 on the button. Folded to HJ who calls.

Would you rather have KJo, 75s, 88, or A2s (in order)?

Can you explain why?

How much does it matter?

You walk into a bar. There's a gorgeous blond with bad breath, smelly feet and expensive tastes, a moderately good looking brunette with great personal hygiene, a loud, annoying laugh and a black belt in karate, and an ugly dwarf with a degree in astrophysics, no teeth and a flat head to rest your beer on. Which one do you try to chat up and why? How much does it matter?

Originally posted by jbpatzer

Originally posted by holmeboy
You might recognise this question lol. But:

You are in an average 25/50 game against a good aggressive winning player.

5k stacks.

He opens to 175 in the HJ. Hero raises to 625 on the button. Folded to HJ who calls.

Would you rather have KJo, 75s, 88, or A2s (in order)?

Can you explain why?

How much does it matter?

You walk into a bar. There's a gorgeous blond with bad breath, smelly feet and expensive tastes, a moderately good looking brunette with great personal hygiene, a loud, annoying laugh and a black belt in karate, and an ugly dwarf with a degree in astrophysics, no teeth and a flat head to rest your beer on. Which one do you try to chat up and why? How much does it matter?

NUTZ

Originally posted by jbpatzer
You walk into a bar. There's a gorgeous blond with bad breath, smelly feet and expensive tastes, a moderately good looking brunette with great personal hygiene, a loud, annoying laugh and a black belt in karate, and an ugly dwarf with a degree in astrophysics, no teeth and a flat head to rest your beer on. Which one do you try to chat up and why? How much does it matter?

♦ ♦

I'll multitable all three and decide in game according to metagame and dynamics which one to go for and will try to find out on early streets where to go for the homerun. As for stats Preflop, I would go for the brunette.

Originally posted by holmeboy
You might recognise this question lol. But:

You are in an average 25/50 game against a good aggressive winning player.

5k stacks.

He opens to 175 in the HJ. Hero raises to 625 on the button. Folded to HJ who calls.

Would you rather have KJo, 75s, 88, or A2s (in order)?

Can you explain why?

How much does it matter?

We need more info on the "good aggressive winning plr" in the CO. The info above is just not enough. Tell me more about him and especially tell me how Hero is perceived by villain. Without that information, my answer can only be a guessing game.

For going into the hand Postflop, 88 is my least preferred option as we lack semi-bluffing potential. We mostly hit 2nd or 3rd pair. But then again, the reasoning choosing 88 to 3b BU vs CO must be to plan to 5b shove over a 4b /in case he has a 4b bluffing range, thats very reasonable/. With that information behind, I assume CO is aggro vs us which makes 75s a worse option cuz this hand needs FE postflop. With my assumptions of you listing 88 here as well, I would say KJ > A2s > 88/75s.

It's a question Phil Galfond posted on 2+2 a few years back:

(Simple?) 3-bet Scenario

So don't have any more info... Found it interesting considering how it divided a lot of the high stakes players opinions. But most of them just said stuff like:

'KJ > A2s > 88/75s' without elaborating more. So was interested to hear your thoughts on it.

depends soooo much on :
- who is vilain, what's his overall gameplan (stats?)
- who is hero, what's his overall gameplan (stats?)
- how is hero perceived by villain?
- 3b ranges of hero (stats ... merged vs polarized, game-flow dependent?)
- 3b calling ranges of villain combined with his 4b range
- villain's WWSF % and WTS %

the more we know about those questions, the more exact my answer will be.

You walk into a bar. There's a gorgeous blond with bad breath, smelly feet and expensive tastes, a moderately good looking brunette with great personal hygiene, a loud, annoying laugh and a black belt in karate, and an ugly dwarf with a degree in astrophysics, no teeth and a flat head to rest your beer on. Which one do you try to chat up and why? How much does it matter?

It depends. How much did you drink already ^^

Just use the stamp I gave. Suits both questions.

I mean, sometimes those flat headed dwarfs are handy too.

good old strategy talk, I like ♦

btw, I'd vote for JB becoming a coach ... imagine all those multi-dimensional analogies between online poker and real life.

Hi TT! Have you read Easy game by balugawhale, Let there be range by Tri or Small stakes nlhe by Ed Miller? Would you recommend any of these books or are there any better books you could advice on? Currently playing nl50-100 if that matters.

Cheers

Easy Game > Let There be Range for lower stakes plrs. Both books are very good. I read both of them.

As for other books: good chance THE ONE AND ONLY book will be out early 2013 ♦ But for now, yep I would go with the 2 books mentioned

1. When you were playing husngs back in the days - have you been using sharkscope or topsharkpro (pokerprolabs) for tracking your opponents? Which would you recommend more?

2. Is transition from husng to hucg harder than transition from cg sh to hu cg?

3. What are the biggest differences between husng and hucg? Mentality and game skill wise ($30 husng comparing to NL50 cg...and up a level or two)?

RAISE
or
FOLD???

Originally posted by yaxkukmian
1. When you were playing husngs back in the days - have you been using sharkscope or topsharkpro (pokerprolabs) for tracking your opponents? Which would you recommend more?

2. Is transition from husng to hucg harder than transition from cg sh to hu cg?

3. What are the biggest differences between husng and hucg? Mentality and game skill wise ($30 husng comparing to NL50 cg...and up a level or two)?

1) Didn't rly use any online tracking site back then. I just played anybody and told good regs it wouldn't make much sense to join me but I would still sit the lobby if they did.

2) Mindset wise SNG is easer, simply because quitting is easier / autmoatic. If you are tilted or have mindset issues in CG, you might end up spewing too many stacks even though you should have quit already.

3) As long as CG player learns the endgame in SNG, he has an advantage because he is better at handreading. I would say for normal HU SNG cashgamers have an advantage. For super turbos that's probably not right. The deeper the play (mostly in CG) the more the postflop skill and hand reading ability comes into play. The shorter the stacks, the more push/fold game becomes important.