HisImperialMajesty

Lesson 2:
Question 1: What do you think you could play differently than suggested in the BSS Starting Hands Chart and why?
Obviously there are problems with any chart. The ones that stand out to me in this instance are:
If there is a raise after you, only play AA and KK. This seems like it is too tight of play vs a 3 bet to defend your open raise.
Only calling raises with pocket pair seems predictable to me, variation is needed to mask your range (AQs for example)
Only 3 betting with QQ+ and AK seems a bit tight as well, but here maybe not.
Cutoff and Button have different ranges for betting (22 seems like a stretch from the cutoff)
AQs, AJs, ATs all seem more playable than AQo, AJo, ATo and thus need to be treated as such.
Isolation plays seem somewhere between raise vs callers and blind steals.
1 Caller vs multiple callers is important consideration (rather than lumping them together.
Those stood out to me, others like A9s vs A2s seemed less important, though still important.

Question 2: Do you have questions about your preflop play? Post your hand for evaluation.
I play house games larger than 0.10, my internet connection isn't very good for online poker at the moment. So i can't post hands in bronze, and i can't generate bronze hands to post.

Question 3: What is the equity of AKo against the top 5% range? 5% means 88+, AJs+, KQs, AKo.
46.32% Meaning, you have equity to call an all in bet no more than 6.3x the amount of dead money in the pot. (and whatever other analysis you'd want from that).

Hey HisImperialMajesty

Welcome to the beginners course. Answers look great so far. Bogdan will be around to check them in the coming days.

Regards,
Luke

Originally posted by HisImperialMajesty
Lesson 1:
Question 1: What is your motivation for playing poker?
To maximize my money making efficiency in ring games. My motivation for No Limit Texas Hold'em, however, is to give me the skills to win at home games, and to give me a break from Fixed Limit Omaha. Also, I care more about the theoretical skills than the application (this is how i learned chess, backgammon, and shogi, despite being told it would be ineffective, it synergizes with how i think most [in the style of tarrasch in chess terms].

Question 2: What are your weaknesses when playing poker?
I don't bluff enough, and when I do, they are too forced. I don't have the same problem with Semi-bluffs
I also feel like i don't respond optimally vs unusual plays (bets smaller than half the pot, bets significantly larger than the pot, and going straight all-in)
My play is too mechanical, eventually people will get a read on me. [note, any weakness you believe a fixed limit omaha player should look out for in no limit texas, would be useful for me to learn about]

Question 3: What does it mean to play tight aggressive?
Tight means playing when you have good odds of being the best hand. Aggressive means betting directly exploiting the advantage when you have one. It works because you play strong when you are, and you play weak when you are, and thus you limit losses and maximize gains. It is also a safe way to play, as only aggresive and semi-agressive play is profitable, and thus you'd want to play tight to increase the risk/reward factor on agression to take the risk out of your own play (while maintaining profit on passive fish)

Hi HisImperialMajesty,

Welcome to the course.

Congratulations, homework #1 is now complete.

I think that learning the theoretical part of the game is fine but you do need to application part of it to make the most of it. Practice and experience are key in our overall development.

Originally posted by HisImperialMajesty
Lesson 2:
Question 1: What do you think you could play differently than suggested in the BSS Starting Hands Chart and why?
Obviously there are problems with any chart. The ones that stand out to me in this instance are:
If there is a raise after you, only play AA and KK. This seems like it is too tight of play vs a 3 bet to defend your open raise.
Only calling raises with pocket pair seems predictable to me, variation is needed to mask your range (AQs for example)
Only 3 betting with QQ+ and AK seems a bit tight as well, but here maybe not.
Cutoff and Button have different ranges for betting (22 seems like a stretch from the cutoff)
AQs, AJs, ATs all seem more playable than AQo, AJo, ATo and thus need to be treated as such.
Isolation plays seem somewhere between raise vs callers and blind steals.
1 Caller vs multiple callers is important consideration (rather than lumping them together.
Those stood out to me, others like A9s vs A2s seemed less important, though still important.

Charts are important for any beginner player to prevent the player from spewing money left and right. Thus adjustment will naturally come as one improves his understanding of the game.

Variation is not as important as you may think, at least not at the beginning. It becomes more relevant later on.

The other adjustments you listed look good.

Question 2: Do you have questions about your preflop play? Post your hand for evaluation.
I play house games larger than 0.10, my internet connection isn't very good for online poker at the moment. So i can't post hands in bronze, and i can't generate bronze hands to post.

Question 3: What is the equity of AKo against the top 5% range? 5% means 88+, AJs+, KQs, AKo.
46.32% Meaning, you have equity to call an all in bet no more than 6.3x the amount of dead money in the pot. (and whatever other analysis you'd want from that).

Congrats, homework #2 is complete (you can post hands when your internet becomes better).

Best of luck,

Bogdan

Question 0: Download and install the Equilab.
Done... though were there people who did lesson 2 without equilab? and if so, do they really need equilab?

Question 1: You are holding KsQs. What is your preflop equity against an opponent who has 3d3c? How does the equity change on this flop: J53?
Preflop: 50.78% equity
Postflop: 26.46% equity

Question 2: What would you do in the following hand? (Remember that it is important to explain your reasons, simply posting "Fold" or "Call" isn't enough!)

No Limit hold'em $2 (9-handed)

Players and stacks:
UTG: $2.00
UTG+1: $2.08
MP1: $1.92
MP2: $1.00
MP3: $3.06
CO: (Hero) $2.08
BU: $2.00
SB: $2.00
BB: $1.24

Preflop: Hero is CO with AJ
5 folds, Hero raises to $0.08, BU calls $0.08, SB folds, BB calls $0.06.

Flop: ($0.25) 263 (3 players)
BB checks, Hero checks, BU checks.

Turn: ($0.25) 5 (3 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $0.22, BU raises to $0.44, BB folds, Hero...?

There is 0.91 to win from a 0.22 call to lose, or about 19.6% required equity in the worst case scenario (opponent has set, thus discounting one of our flush outs). And we have something like 19.4%, thus we need minimal implied odds (of $0.03 on the river to call profitably (a bit more than minimal after rake if it is taken into account). If you also expect the opponent may have a straight, your equity increases to above 20%, thus I think calling here is the answer.

Question 3: Do you have questions about your postflop play? Post your hand for evaluation.
NL10 House Game ATo

Question 1: Post a hand for evaluation in which you have the initiative postflop.
I have two hands from a casual house game played at 0.01/0.02, would these work? (I don't have all the details, like exactly how much each player had (though i nkow in general), or what the exact suits were, but i do remember the layout of the suits and the cards and plays themselves).

Question 2: Evaluate one of the hands submitted by other members.
I will do this after i do the other hand evaluation homework to make sure my evaluation doesn't feel totally faulty.

Question 3: You are on the flop with KQ. The board cards are J, 9, 8, and your opponent holds 77. What is your equity in this spot?
41.41%

Originally posted by HisImperialMajesty
Question 1: Post a hand for evaluation in which you have the initiative postflop.
I have two hands from a casual house game played at 0.01/0.02, would these work? (I don't have all the details, like exactly how much each player had (though i nkow in general), or what the exact suits were, but i do remember the layout of the suits and the cards and plays themselves).

Question 2: Evaluate one of the hands submitted by other members.
I will do this after i do the other hand evaluation homework to make sure my evaluation doesn't feel totally faulty.

Question 3: You are on the flop with KQ. The board cards are J, 9, 8, and your opponent holds 77. What is your equity in this spot?
41.41%

Hi,

Congrats, homework #3 and #4 are now complete.

Re: casual house hands

Feel free to post these hands. Post as much information as you have (and even if you don't remember everything make something up that's close to what the reality might be).

Best regards,

Bogdan