It is what it is…confessions from a Live semi pro

My winning Zoom strategy:

Preflop:

AA is the money. Get it in and hope villian has QQ+.
Everything els is trash. Dont put 50BB in with KK preflop.

Try to steal, resteal and bluff your opponents off and collect the dead money. That way you stay ahead of the blinds.

Postflop:

One pair is trash. Even an overpair. Dont get it in on the flop with just one pair. Dont try to get 3 streets of value with one pair.

The only hands worth playing are sets or better. Try to extract value for them. Dont slowplay anything less than the stone cold nuts.

What do you mean to not put 50bb preflop with KK?

i normally play 50bb stack.

I dont like getting it allin pre with KK on the zoom tables. I will do it but not against a reg raising from utg.

Report back on a very good weekend play:

Online been playing NL25 FR Zoom and doing ok'ish. Ev line going solidly up app $200 but bankroll only $50 up (17K hands).

Live:

Went on thursday night and friday night.

Hand 1:

After a slow start I pick up JJ in SB. There are 5 limpers in a straddled pot so I raise to 12 BB and get two callers. Pot is just over 40BB and I have about that left.
Flop 359 Rainbow.

I ship and both call !
BB has A9
UTG had 67s (straight draw)

I hold ......yeaaa!

Hand 2:

a Well known regular sits down and posts in CO. He plays very LAG. Specifically he will limp QQ+ in EP but otherwise he will raise: any pair, any broad way and in position any Axs and any SC. Because the tables are passive (relative to NL25/NL50 online) he respects a 3 bet and I have been 3betting him very light. Just last week on two occasions 3 bet him from BB with 66 and AJs respectively and he saw my cards. In fact he called with 99 vs my 66 and held up.

Button is a gambler. Earlier the evening I over limped with A2s in mp1 and he raised his button blind saying : "I dont need aces or kings to play". I folded that hand but with purpose.

It is folded to me and I look down to AA. I limp. MP2 and MP3 limps behind. CO the LAG reg makes it 7BB. Button insta calls calls AI. SB calls. BB calls. I reraise to 42 BB. LAG ships to 80BB (he remembered my 66 :]). Button folds. SB calls. BB tanks like forever and open folds 77.

LAG shows: 66
SB shows: AQo

I hold ...........yea....

I ended up with just over 300BB profit. I also picked up KK and JJ another time. KK took a short stack and JJ took it down preflop.

Friday:

I cant remember getting cards like friday. I had AA x4, and TT x 5, 66x1 and 22 x2. This in a total of less than 400 hands. The only other time I think I had better starting hands was the day I had KK in three consecutive hands.

I ended up more than 300BB profit again.

Biggest hand of the night:

I am SB the same LAG player as above sits down into the BB. Again a straddled pot and with 6 limpers.

I look down at 22 and complete. LAG calls the additional BB and the straddle checks.

Flop: 2h 5h 7s
I check. LAG bets out 7bb. Gets folded to button who calls. I raise up to 32BB. LAG ships to 80BB. Button tanks for a long time. I put him on TPTK or a FD or something along those lines.

By this time I have already made up my mind. LAG has either 75, 77 or 55. Preflop it looked like he was contemplating a raise but never did. I know that in BB he would have raised 77 100% of the time, 55 more than 50% of the time but not always and if it is 75s he may even raise. So I am ahead of his range and even better I have more than double his stack and, should button call, I would have the option to ship creating a side pot about equal to the main pot.

Finally Button calls. I ship. Button says a few well chosen words and calls:
Me: 22 (bottom set)
BB: 75o (top two)
BTN: 9h6h (FD + back door straight draw)

I hold up ..... yeaaaa!

I sign off with the following thought: If anyone would like any specific topic to be considered feel free to mention it. I was think of putting some thoughts down about Live Tells but not sure if anyone is interested / reading.

Wow, sick weekend! Makes up for a few other losing sessions no doubt?

I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say: We're super excited to hear about live tells and live play breakdowns like when you started the blog!

Of course, do tell! Great blog, man!

Also, do you recommend any specific book about this topic?

I stumble across this book Mike Caro - Book of Poker Tells and was wondering if you read it and if you could give an opinion about it, before i dive my self in.

I was think of putting some thoughts down about Live Tells but not sure if anyone is interested / reading.

Please do, am going to be starting some live play soon so would be very interested.

Originally posted by fruktpuff
I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say: We're super excited to hear about live tells and live play breakdowns like when you started the blog!

this

Ok lets talk tells:

THE FIRST RULE OF TELLS:

You cannot see if you do not observe.

It is simple, you can know what to look for but if you are not paying attention to the right things at the right time you will not see the tells that are there.

When the cards are being dealt DO NOT LOOK AT YOUR CARDS UNTILL IT IS YOUR TURN. Look at the players when they look at their cards. Especially the players behind you and more especially the players near the button. After a few hands you will know how each player looks at their cards and what they do after they put them down. Some things to watch for: (a) some players are shufflers. They will move shuffle their cards look at one then shuffle some more and then look at the next. These players tend to give away the value of their first card. If it is a deuce they not very interested and just looks at the second. If it is a ace then they give it a good shuffle in the hope of making the second card also a Ace. (b) most players will “slam-bang”.What I mean is they will lift their cards but as soon as they see AA will QUICKLY close the cards back on the felt. They so afraid someone may see it. (c) after the player has looked at his cards they will put them down and very often they will telegraph their intention. Simple things like putting the card protector on the cards could signify their intention to play. Conversely holding the cards ready to fold them could also signify their intention. Very often players will pick up a 1BB chip ready to call. Sometimes they will pick up more and get it ready to raise. NB When a player picks up raising chips but does so in a deliberate, not trying to hide anything, manner so as to signal his intention to raise then you can be sure of two things. One he has a hand he wants to raise. Two he has a hand that fears a reraise.!

OK look at the video below. At aprox 22min cody vs fox cody ships all in against him with AJo. Commentator says "solid read". 2 min later he picks up KK and this time Ant with A9s Insta folds.Look at how he looks at his cards and find the tell on the pro.

When the flop / turn or river is being dealt DO NOT LOOK AT THE CARDS BEING DEALT BUT AT THE PLAYERS. Often a player hitting a very big hand will have a reaction to the cards. Most often it will be this look of confusion as if he cannot understand how this flop could help anyone. If this confusion is followed by a bet then you can know he has a monster. Another tell is the player re-looking at their cards. This is especially when there are 3 cards to a flush or 3 cards to a straight. The golden rule here is that the player that has to check his cards normally does not have it. If he did he would know. Secondly the longer he looks at his cards the weaker his hand. He is trying to “make” the hand. It is the player that does not look or looks very QUICKLY and “slam-bang” that has the draw to the straight or flush. He looks at his cards and sees that As that he was hoping to see and now he QUICKLY puts it down before anyone els can see that he has it.

When players bet LOOK AT THEIR HANDS AND HOW THEY PUT THE CHIPS IN THE POT.

After they have made a move (check or bet) LOOK AT HOW THEY SIT OR HOW THEY CHANGE POSITION.

Ok I have to go now. I will edit this later and complete the last two capita. I have to go buy bread otherwise that will be all I’ll be eating for the rest of the week….

any updates?

Haven't been playing much last month. Translation only 1 (6-8 hour) live session per week and nothing online.

My local casino will be hosting a WPT event in October. I was shocked to see the rake.
15% on satilites
10% on the events
PLUS a compulsory gratiuty of minimum 3%.

On enquiring about the gratiuty was informed that all players that cash are required to pay this to the dealers. Also that after the last tournament some of the final table players were "persuaded" to give 10% of their prize money to the dealers.

I was also shocked to learn that the local organizer use to organize one of the biggerst annual local tournaments but that the international casino group stopped this after allegations against him.

As a family man who cannot leave home for a week to play poker in the hope of cashing this is probably my bests chance to compete. I don't really want to miss it. On the other hand the effective rake is so high that I cannot believe it is +ev (from my perspective it seems that the event has a payout of less than 75%). So what do I do?

Still undecided.

That's a pretty damn bad spot..

Ok getting back in the grind.

During my break I withdrew my whole bankroll from pokerstars and was left with about T$40 and 4000FPS. Playing here and there during September I build it up to $150 and T$20. I sold $50 to a local player and with my $100 I went back my normal NL25Zoom grind.

After 4 days I am crushing the game. Seems the break did me very good.

Now my roll back to $275.

As to the WPT event at my local Casino:
I will not play main event. I runs from Monday to Thursday. I cannot take off work. The lost revenue may exceed my buyin.
I am considering playing the weekend event (Friday to Sunday) provided my case which is setdown for Friday 12 October does not proceed.

Updating from the weekends action...

I played the weekend event.

Hand 5 of the tourney and my first btn I get QQ.
The board played out J722Q giving me the nut full house.
Villian has 22 for quads....bye bye thax for playing.

Went to play cash. 2nd hand get dealt JTs with MP raisers over 3 limpers to 6bb and there are 2 callers when it comes to me in sb. I flat and the limpers also flat. So we go to the flop 7 handed in a raised pot!

Flop KJ6 with 2 to my suite giving me middle pair and a flush draw.

Turn J
River T gives me fullhouse.

Villian has KJo for bigger fullhouse.

After losing with 2 fullhouses in 15 min I go home.

Next day I go to play cash.

3rd Hand and I have btn again. Mp open raise to 7bb and is called by CO. I look down at AA and 3 bet to 26BB. MP folds and CO calls. I bought in for 50BB + some lose chips and I have only 26BB left.
flop 6jQ CO checks I ship he calls
turn 6
River T
CO shows 66 for quads.

The worse weekend of poker of my life.

Hopefully that will be the variance taken out of the way now

Posting from eporors palace...

When the ladies event was advertised here I posted that MAX (Maxine) would do well. She only came third...she is sliping

WWWTTTTTTFFFF

IT REALLY SUCKS BEING ME RIGHT NOW.

In fact after a good start on FTP I am losing like I have never lost in my life.

I dont know wtf is going on.

This moring in 1K hands I went to SD 17 times won 2.

2x with straight.
Nut straight won.
Second nut straight in blind v blind lost to nut straight.

2x Sets.
Bottom set 5 on J65 rainbow 3way. I am IP against EP raiser and BB. I flat the cbet. BB flats. Turn Kd bringing 2 diamonds. BB and EP check I make PSB. BB calls EP folds. River Ad. BB ships (we playing 40BB). I call he shows TJs with runner runner flush.

KK CO open raise 2bb. SB calls. Flop 6TQ rainbow. SB check I bet 2/3 pot he calls. Turn K giving me top set. I bet 2/3 pot he call. River A. He ships for about 1/2 potsize I call he shows TJs for runner runner straight.

3x two pair:
ATs in SB 1 limper(20/13) in MP3. I open 5bb. He calls flop AT3rainbow. I cbet. He minraise. I flat. Turn 9c. Money goes in he has 33.

AKo on BTN. MP3 opens I 3bet he flats. Flop 933 rainbow. He checks I bet 2/3pot. He ships. I am getting 15:1 so I call. He show 99 for big full.

T8s on BTN. The blinds do not defend. I open for 2bb. SB 3bet to 6bb. I flat because we playing a bit deeper (80bb) and IMHO i have a playable hand IP. Flop TJ2 with 2 clubs. He cbets 2/3pot. I flat as a float. Turn 8 giving me 2pair.
He checks I ship he calls. He shows AQo with OESD. He rivers nut straight.

3x overpair:

AA got it in with KK and held up. Only 20BB because I lost the hand before.

KK in UTG+1. UTG open raise. I decide not to 3bet. SB comes along. Flop is 832 monotone club. SB and UTG checks. I bet 2/3pot. UTG flats. Turn blank. UTG check I bet he calls. River blanks. He ships about 1/2 psb I calls. He shows Q6s. He floped flush. I know every1 will say 3bet KK but against reg I am only seeing AA if he plays back.

QQ in BB. UTG +1 (45/20) opens 2.5bb. MP3 calls. I 3bet to 9bb. UTG +1 calls.
FLOP: 763 two diamond ( I have back door flush draw). I have just more than psb left and I ship. he calls. Turn 6. River A. He show AJo. He hit his 3 outer.

5x one pair all lost.

Final conclusion. I lost every showdown where I did not have the Nuts when the money went in. Even when I am ahead villian sucked out.

I know some hands may have been played differently ... but I really dont know. Yesterday the session went the same. In fact to all that complain about my KK move. Yesterday I have KK once and I was againt utg+1 raiser. I 3 bet he 4bet I made crying call just to see AA. Net result. When I 3bet they show AA when I cold call they flop a flush.

I WOULD REALLY LIKE ONE OF THE COACHES TO DO A SESSION REVIEW FOR ME. AFTER MORE THAN 8 YEARS OF POKER IT HAS NEVER BEEN THIS BAD.

ps. it is FTP 25NL rush or PS 25NL ZOOM

They got their mothers singing voices

Originally posted by mineriva
KK in UTG+1. UTG open raise. I decide not to 3bet. SB comes along. Flop is 832 monotone club. SB and UTG checks. I bet 2/3pot. UTG flats. Turn blank. UTG check I bet he calls. River blanks. He ships about 1/2 psb I calls. He shows Q6s. He floped flush. I know every1 will say 3bet KK but against reg I am only seeing AA if he plays back.

History of 3betting cliffnotes for lazy people:
- Everyone 3bets a merged value range.
- Everyone realizes that 4bets are really big in No Limit, and folding JJ preflop sucks.
- Everyone stops 3betting, unless they have KK+, AK.
- Everyone stops calling 3bets, because no one 3bets anything but QQ+, AK.
- Smart people started 3betting ATC because nits are hilarious.
- Nits got less nitty and started 4betting.
- Even smarter people invented polarization.
- Etc...

so, if everyone is at
- Everyone stops calling 3bets, because no one 3bets anything but QQ+, AK.

then the correct play is:
- Smart people started 3betting ATC because nits are hilarious.

where cutting out QQ+/AK out of 3bet range is fine as you can't 3bet for value vs people that always fold worse