Yeah, that train of thinking is definitely a step in the right direction, do keep us updated on how you feel you're improving!
I'm sure lots of us have some learning to do, too!
Yeah, that train of thinking is definitely a step in the right direction, do keep us updated on how you feel you're improving!
I'm sure lots of us have some learning to do, too!
Playing not my a-game in todays session resulted in a down-up-down graph. First I go down 1 BI then up almost 3 BI and at the end down 2 BI. Focus and concentration is very important. I played a couple of stupid hands because I wasnt concentrated today. Chasing draws and valuebetting hands that I shouldnt valuebet........ ![]()
Tommorow I will study first and then I play, hope to get my focus back!!!
I was just looking on the forum and found THIS tread. Would be great if I could join something like this.......... ![]()
So if anyone here has interest in doing such a project with me............. ![]()
Just entered a new month. This month I really want to make some volume. I think I can play around 8-10 hours a week. For the moment I play 3 SH-tables but maybe Im gonna make this 4 this week. This month I also want to finish "Building a Bankroll".
4 tables is a good number to still keep improving your game if you're going for increased volume, good luck with the adding of the extra, but don't be afraid to remove it if it's not feeling right yet.
4 tables is a good number. one in each corner ![]()
now well, i'm not good enough to mentor but we could form a skype study group or something. you seem to have more of a commitment than me ![]()
and if someone's reading this and wants to take us as students, you can follow our progress in our blogs
i won't disappoint, i hope ♦
Would be a great idea.........but at the meanwhile I will study hard and play much as I can.
Today for the first time I took a shot.......more than a shot, 269 hands actually at NL10. I've deposited all the money I had reserved for poker on Stars. And decided that my bankroll was big enough to play NL10 (21 Buyins). In the session I played today I didn't mentioned any difference, only the blinds are a little aggresive.... ♠_biggrin: But we solved that to tighten up the OR and loosen the valuebet range. Got some sucks from big fishes (60/20). I play TPTK against them as the nuts and you will see the always have a set or 2 pair then.
One hand maybe more tommorow....
Maybe a bit too nitty. Villian was 42/8 over 12 hands. Should have bet the turn for value and fold on a raise if he could have a flush here.
Poker Stars, $0.05/$0.10 No Limit Hold'em Cash, 6 Players
Poker Tools Powered By Holdem Manager - The Ultimate Poker Software Suite.
UTG: $10 (100 bb)
MP: $6.48 (64.8 bb)
CO: $10.62 (106.2 bb)
BTN: $12.79 (127.9 bb)
Hero (SB): $10 (100 bb)
BB: $3.27 (32.7 bb)
Preflop: Hero is SB with A
Q![]()
UTG folds, MP raises to $0.30, 2 folds, Hero calls $0.25, BB calls $0.20
Flop: ($0.90) 9
Q
3
(3 players)
Hero bets $0.60, BB folds, MP raises to $1.20, Hero calls $0.60
Turn: ($3.30) 3
(2 players)
Hero checks, MP checks
River: ($3.30) T
(2 players)
Hero bets $1.90, MP calls $1.90
Still learning a lot!!! Playing NL10 needs more focus and that's a good thing for me. Sometimes when I was playing NL5 I overplayed my hands just because I lost focus. I often tought if I had showdown value the only thing I had to do was calling it down. I beat the fish.............not!!!! The fish was sometimes beating me.
NL10 is a different story. More money, more to win but also more to lose. To avoid this I need to play my A-game as much as possible. And my A-game is only getting better and better.
The fish is the same maybe worser. The only thing I have to do is playing my own game. And bet for value and value only!!!!
Some hands:
Villain 17/14 over 29 hands. Thinking he's just raising out of the BU to take the blinds. Looking how he reacts on my 3bet. Villain calls and I flop a flushdraw. Cbetting this as semibluff. Turn brings a monsterdraw so I stay aggressive and bet just above 1/2 pot. On the turn I hit the 2nd nutflush betting around 2/3 pot for value. Villain folds.
In this hand I kept being aggressive to build a pot and put villain under pressure. I got enough equity to do this imo. Good play??
Poker Stars, $0.05/$0.10 No Limit Hold'em Cash, 5 Players
BTN: $10 (100 bb)
SB: $2.79 (27.9 bb)
Hero (BB): $27.57 (275.7 bb)
MP: $5.85 (58.5 bb)
CO: $11.05 (110.5 bb)
Preflop: Hero is BB with T♦ K♣
2 folds, BTN raises to $0.30, SB folds, Hero raises to $0.90, BTN calls $0.60
Flop: ($1.85) Q♣ 6♣ 5♣ (2 players)
Hero bets $0.80, BTN calls $0.80
Turn: ($3.45) J♠ (2 players)
Hero bets $1.80, BTN calls $1.80
River: ($7.05) 7♣ (2 players)
Hero bets $4.80, BTN folds
I keep making stupid plays.....I need to get rid of these plays......
Poker Stars, $0.05/$0.10 No Limit Hold'em Cash, 5 Players
BTN: $6.13 (61.3 bb)
SB: $10.77 (107.7 bb)
Hero (BB): $10 (100 bb)
MP: $12.30 (123 bb)
CO: $10 (100 bb)
Preflop: Hero is BB with J♦ J♥
MP calls $0.10, CO folds, BTN raises to $0.30, SB folds, Hero raises to $0.90, MP folds, BTN raises to $1.50, Hero calls $0.60
Flop: ($3.15) T♣ 8♠ 3♠ (2 players)
Hero checks, BTN bets $3.01, Hero raises to $6.02, BTN calls $1.62 and is all-in
Turn: ($12.41) 9♥ (2 players, 1 is all-in)
River: ($12.41) 2♥ (2 players, 1 is all-in)
Bankroll is growing!!! ♠_love:
Today for the first time I remember, I played against a fish (vpip almost 90%) and took all his money in several hands. Just by playing the player and not the cards. I ended up with 40/34 or so but the other players where nits and didn't wanted the fishes money.
Hands I played against him, his 10cent betting was standard play for him:
#1
Poker Stars, $0.05/$0.10 No Limit Hold'em Cash, 6 Players
Poker Tools Powered By Holdem Manager - The Ultimate Poker Software Suite.
UTG: $11.34 (113.4 bb)
MP: $7.38 (73.8 bb)
Hero (CO): $10 (100 bb)
BTN: $10 (100 bb)
SB: $20.50 (205 bb)
BB: $10.82 (108.2 bb)
Preflop: Hero is CO with J
A![]()
UTG folds, MP calls $0.10, Hero raises to $0.40, 3 folds, MP calls $0.30
Flop: ($0.95) 4
9
2
(2 players)
MP bets $0.10, Hero calls $0.10
Turn: ($1.15) 7
(2 players)
MP bets $0.10, Hero calls $0.10
River: ($1.35) A
(2 players)
MP bets $0.30, Hero raises to $1.40, MP calls $1.10
Poker Stars, $0.05/$0.10 No Limit Hold'em Cash, 6 Players
Poker Tools Powered By Holdem Manager - The Ultimate Poker Software Suite.
#2
Poker Stars, $0.05/$0.10 No Limit Hold'em Cash, 6 Players
Poker Tools Powered By Holdem Manager - The Ultimate Poker Software Suite.
SB: $11.39 (113.9 bb)
BB: $6.49 (64.9 bb)
Hero (UTG): $10.69 (106.9 bb)
MP: $10 (100 bb)
CO: $20.60 (206 bb)
BTN: $10 (100 bb)
Preflop: Hero is UTG with 8
J![]()
3 folds, BTN raises to $0.25, SB folds, BB calls $0.15
Flop: ($0.55) 3
J
8
(2 players)
BB bets $0.10, BTN raises to $0.50, BB calls $0.40
Turn: ($1.55) K
(2 players)
BB bets $0.10, BTN raises to $1.40, BB folds
#3 (loosing hand villain plays 75s
)
Poker Stars, $0.05/$0.10 No Limit Hold'em Cash, 6 Players
Poker Tools Powered By Holdem Manager - The Ultimate Poker Software Suite.
BTN: $11.34 (113.4 bb)
SB: $5.64 (56.4 bb)
Hero (BB): $10.69 (106.9 bb)
UTG: $10 (100 bb)
MP: $20.60 (206 bb)
CO: $10.82 (108.2 bb)
Preflop: Hero is BB with A
J![]()
4 folds, SB completes, Hero raises to $0.40, SB calls $0.30
Flop: ($0.80) 4
9
K
(2 players)
SB bets $0.10, Hero raises to $0.60, SB calls $0.50
Turn: ($2) 6
(2 players)
SB bets $0.30, Hero calls $0.30
River: ($2.60) 7
(2 players)
SB bets $0.30, Hero calls $0.30
#4 (villain pushes 44.....)
Poker Stars, $0.05/$0.10 No Limit Hold'em Cash, 6 Players
Poker Tools Powered By Holdem Manager - The Ultimate Poker Software Suite.
MP: $11.49 (114.9 bb)
CO: $5.09 (50.9 bb)
Hero (BTN): $16.50 (165 bb)
SB: $10 (100 bb)
BB: $10 (100 bb)
UTG: $10.10 (101 bb)
Preflop: Hero is BTN with A
9![]()
2 folds, CO calls $0.10, Hero raises to $0.40, 2 folds, CO calls $0.30
Flop: ($0.95) 7
A
J
(2 players)
CO bets $0.10, Hero raises to $0.80, CO raises to $4.69 and is all-in, Hero calls $3.89
Turn: ($10.33) A
(2 players, 1 is all-in)
River: ($10.33) A
(2 players, 1 is all-in)
And I tagged him for sure. ♠_biggrin:
BR still growing 2BI today!!!
Originally posted by Tomaloc
hands 1 and 2 are the same
still it seems that AJ has been nice to you
Fixed it. ♦
Another thing about playing NL10 is that your SP are growing very fast. It should be no problem to become gold this month.
Great session, great personal improvement.
Happy you nailed that donating bastard ♦
Yesterday I played a lot of hands bad!!!! Bumping up and down…..overplaying my thin valuehands against some fishes. Result was 3bb down over almost 300 hands. But it was really unnecesarry!!! Overplaying bottompair thinking fish is opening everything. Or calling a river reraise thinking villain bluffs……fishes never bluff untill you have a read on them they do!!!! All this sort of play are costing me $$$ and that’s not good. If I got a cooler just take it and move on but bad play is much more tilting for me. Lucky the fish yesterday was so bad that I also was able to pick up a couple of big pots.
Some adjustments I did make is betting valuehands bigger. If I got value and it’s very likely to be ahead I bet big, almost potsize, to get the most value. If I get raised and I don’t have the nuts I just gonna fold or I must have specific reads that villain is very aggro. If I have hands that are not very strong but often will win I bet smaller.
Also adjusting my preflop openraise to standard 4xbb. First I did somewhere between 2,5 and 4bb depening on position but now all positions are 4bb again. Reason is that if I open I think I’m ahead. First concern is to build a pot as fast as possible. And valuebetting in a pot that’s 8bb or 5bb makes a lot of difference at the end.
And yes I will lose bigger pots if I don’t hit or get a cooler but I think if I play tight and straigthforward I will win more big pots than I lose.
To be continued……..
Following da blog
keep it rocking michel
btw, you don't play zoom anymore ? and is verneer's book really helpful ? I consider to buy it too .
No zoom anymore for me. Zoom had been a collection of coolers, bad beats and bad played hands for me. All this is causing tilt and if you tilt while playing Zoom you can lose a lot!!! But I was saved by the bell and quited on a moment I still could quit. After that I promised to myself and my bankroll that I don't play Zoom anymore!!!! Everybody his own game Zoom isnt mine anymore. ♦
About Verneers book I'm very clear: It is very good!!! I read it one time now and will reread it soon. Before I buyed it I was a chartplayer and now I'm evolving to a dynamic player that is hard to read. Still sometimes playing like a fish but I'm not the smallest fish anymore. I eat these small fishes and run for the big sharks untill I become one myself. And then beware..... ♠_biggrin: ♠_biggrin: ♠_biggrin:
Loving the attitude and confidence the book has helped you build.
And for sure, zoom is not for everyone! I personally love it, but I often only have 5-15 mins to sit for a session, which is where it truly outclasses any other game..
I see I didn't updated this blog for a long time. Didn't play much so there was nothing to say.
In the small sessions that I played I still have a feeling that I miss things. I'm reading Verneers book for the second time and very unscertain what to do......go back to FR and study by the book or stay with SH?
Maybe I should oblige myself to play a certain ammount of hands on one game. Yes that's what I'm gonna do!!! I will play FR and starting at NL5!!! Will reread "Building a Bankroll" again and again. Post session results. Stats and graphs when I build a sample. And last but not least lots of hands. I know I'm not a fish but I'm not a shark!!!
I also have another challenge not poker-related. I will post something later about this.
PS. Can you set Stars that I only can play one game??? ♦
Yesterday I didn’t play anything. I started reading building a bankroll from scratch off. I will write down some toughts here about every part I read. Think this is much better for my learning process than only reading the book or watching videos and hit the tables afterwards.
Chapter 1, introduction:
Every truly motivated person can be a long-term winner in poker!!! What does it take to become a winner? 7 fundamentals that a longterm winner must master (according to Verneer):
1. Accept Variance
2. Bankrollmanagement
3. Develop reads
4. Play solid
5. Stay on your A-game
6. Put in the hours
7. Remain a student
Why fullring? Fullring is a better starting place to methodically build a bankroll. I switched between FR and SH lots of times but now I’m only gonna play FR!! Only FR nothing else!!! My biggest leak is that I switch to much. If I could delete all other tables than I would do it. BRM is never a problem but gametype is………
Is this book for me?? I’m playing under NL100 so this is a big YES!!!!
Chapter 2, fundamental one Accept Variance:
Understanding and accepting variance is important for any winning pokerplayer.
You can’t be a longterm winner if every little swing makes you doubting. One of my leaks is that if I lose a couple of buyins I want to switch to another game to look if things go better there. This is history for me!!! I only play fullring from this moment. If I lose some BI than I lose. If I lose too much I move down in stakes not changing the game anymore.
Verneer also explains what kind of swings you can expect and that a high winrate lowers the possibility of a large downswing.
To look if I’m a losing player or just unlucky I gonna review my hands over samples of 10k. Picking the big pots out of it and categorize them under bad play, bad luck or bad beat. Same I do with the big winning pots just to see if I’m a bad player with lots of luck. Last one would make me a shorttime winner but a longtime loser. Stats and EV-line are two other things that are telling something about winning or losing. I will post these here on regular base that people hopefully look at them and spot leaks, etc.
Chapter 3, fundamental two Manage your Bankroll:
I think this is the easiest part of the seven fundamentals. In the time I play poker I never played outside my BRM. Actually I think I’m a bankroll nit playing too long on a stake without moving on. This is gonna change. At this moment my roll at Stars is around $100. I’ve a same amount of cash in my e-wallet on Neteller but this is only for emergencies.
My bankrollmanagement wil be as follow. I will start with 20bi on NL5 and move on to NL10 when I have $200 (20BI) and to NL25 when I’ve $500. At this moment I don’t know if I play NL16 on Stars maybe I mix this with NL10 atm. If I drop below 15BI I move down. Simple.
In his book Verneer talks about using smaller buyins when you move up to get confidence at the higher stake. But I think that I don’t do this maybe if I ever will move up to NL50 or higher I would but not now.
Ok this is it for now. Maybe I read fundamental three today but one thing is sure that I gonna make some volume today. Nah volume………500 hands or so. I make a fresh start with 4 tables fullring.
The other challenge that I’m gonna do has something to do with my fitness but as told I will come back on this later.
Reading chapter 4, fundamental three now.
First part takes a closer look to note taking. This is one thing I really never do. I don't know how to do. I've read this subject now and will not go to far in detail about this because I don't fully understand it yet. Must reread it several time I think.
Second part Verneer speaks about playertypes, how to indentify them and exploit them. This is one thing I gonna use right away. As you know in Stars you can give players a color. I start with the 2 categories, competent en fishy. The fist I give the color red and the second I mark green.
If I collect more information I wil move them to more specific categories like nit, LAG, TAG, ect. Colors follow. ![]()
Now I've really read enough for today. A couple of hours to work and then I gonna play. Hope I get some hands tonight where I can put the things I learned into practice.
GL Everybody!!
My last 6max hand for a while......
A very little session 40 hands and one spot I lose. Bad luck or bad play?? I think against this villain (58/8/0 12 hands) TPGK is good. He checks turn so I think I'm ahead on the river and bet for value. Villain calls with 66.......
Your thoughts please.
Hand converted with online PokerStrategy.com hand converter:
$0.02/$0.05 No-Limit Hold'em (6 handed)
Known players:
[tg]MP2$5.11:///////;MP3 (Hero)$5.55:///////;CO$2.93:///////;BU$8.48:///////;SB$5.60:///////;BB$7.89:///////;[/tg]
Preflop: Hero is MP3 with J:c, K:s.
MP2 folds, Hero raises to $0.15, CO folds, BU calls $0.15, 2 folds, BB folds.
Flop: ($0.37) J:h, 2:d, 6:h (2 players)
Hero bets $0.25, BU raises to $1.00, Hero calls $0.75.
Turn: ($2.37) 5:d (2 players)
Hero checks, BU checks.
River: ($2.37) T:d (2 players)
Hero bets $1.20, BU calls $1.20.
Final Pot: $4.77.
Results follow:
Hero shows a pair of jacks(J:c K:s).
BU shows three of a kind, sixes(6:d 6:c).
BU wins with three of a kind, sixes(6:d 6:c).