chocular77

Homework 1:

Question 1: What is your motivation for playing poker?
In the last ten years i was very active in some esports, someone could say almost obsessed. And what i liked the most in such games was if it was "hard to master".
When i discoverd poker i saw the potential for skill in it and that it's nearly impossible to master. When i saw the liveplayers in my local town and understood the game a little bit better i already saw a lot of mistakes and that i could do better than this.
So i started to put my motivation, time, control, patience and willingness to learn to the game and want to see how far i can get. In everything i do my real goal is to be the best, which of is very hard in poker.

Question 2: What are your weaknesses when playing poker?
Live: When i play against the worst players i get to tight and when they get aggressive i sometimes underestimate them.
Online: When i got a lot of loosing sessions (through mistakes & sometimes bad luck) i start to doubt myself and this affects my mental state in real life.

Question 3: What does it mean to play tight-aggressive?
Aggressive: It's the best way to win because you can either get your opponent to fold or win the showdown with your cards. Where as passive play can only win on the showdown.

I always think it's funny when a live donk just bets 80% of the time without even knowing what he is doing but he wins! (his oppenents are also not good). But his playstyle is exploited very easily.
This is why aggressiveness is nothing without control, you have to pick the good spots.
Tight: Preflop you have to choose the hands you play carefully (need patients) for every situation. Because if you start playing every thrashhand you will loose in the long run.

Welcome Chocular77,

welcome to our beginners course. As I can see you already prepared your homework, very nice! It will be evaluated asap.

Was it difficult for you?

Thanks for the quick answer!

On Question 1&3 i had to make it short because i could write a lot more.
But Question 2 was hard because i don't know all my leaks yet (could be better on blind defense, riverplay, ...) so i wrote what bothers me the most.

Hello chocular77,

I am pretty sure you also tilt too much but do you do against it anything? For example:
Easiest wait to fight against tilt is to set up stop-loss technique. Which means if you for example have lost more than 3BIs for a session then you just stop the session for some time. The BI amount is set up from your own wanting. Some may put it higher, some lower. And after the stop you can easily just spend some time with evaluating your play.

About the mental state after tilting and loosing in poker it happens to everyone and everyone will be somehow affected by it. Some may take it easier, for some it may have even more effects. But overall we have to find our own way how to fight against it. Some may even try to talk about their bad-beats and stuff with friends/students with you can talk right now. Which will definitely help, as you see you did a correct play then why should you be worried about? Just continue playing and in long run you will earn profit.

Welcome to the Course and Best of luck! First points earned.

Thanks for the tipps against tilt, i will definitely use them.

I looked at the first lesson Podcast and i didn't know that there was a limit of students. I got no password and i can't reach most of the Sections in "NL Beginners Course Forums". I only can reach the Locker room over the direct link of the Course Overview and i can get to the Hand evaluation forums.

Do i have to wait for the next School? Or can i get the pw for the sections? I would really like to follow the content of this school.

Homework 2:

Question 1: What do you think you could play differently than how it is in the BSS Starting Hands Chart, and why?

Steal blinds with a wider range if the blinds are tight. Its dead money.
Isolate limpers which are easy to outplay on the flop.
Don't use categories for hands (Middle Aces) but rather play each hand individually. Example: raise AQs UTG1 but not ATs.
Raise more with Middle Pairs, if the table is realy tight even small pairs in early position

Question 2: Post a hand for evaluation where you have a question regarding your pre-flop play.

FR25 - Call 3B

Question 3: What is the equity of AKo against the top 5% range? 5% means: 88+, AJs+, KQs, AKo?

Equity Win Tie
46.32% 37.92% 8.41% AKo
53.68% 45.27% 8.41% 88+, AJs+, KQs, AKo

Good job! Homework #2 Done!

I looked at the first lesson Podcast and i didn't know that there was a limit of students. I got no password and i can't reach most of the Sections in "NL Beginners Course Forums". I only can reach the Locker room over the direct link of the Course Overview and i can get to the Hand evaluation forums.

It's actually from the old Course, so just ignore it. Now there is no students limit and the forums structure is a bit different as you may have seen. No passwords for any sections, the old one is going to be deleted soon as well.

Totally agree with you about the stealing ranges. They can be very easily be balanced with even wider range. Depending on the opponent you can as well put a wider stealing range. Against some shorties you can even steal with smaller raise. But don't overdo the stealing situations. Sometimes you might just put yourself into too many difficult spots if opening with marginal hands.

Isolating can be very profitable actually since people on lower stakes take the fast and easy line by just Fit/Folding too much. With that you will earn in long run a lot profit. Which means you can isolate with even wider range, sometimes even with the all range which you could limp.

Playing PPs can be in long run actually be very profitable, we could even say that you earn the most money with them. You can always try out either you play them profitable or not by check the programs either you are doing great on early position with PPs or not and base according to that.

Hopefully you enjoy the School so far. Some more points earned.

This was the best week so far, the coachingsession was great. In the last 2-3 hands you showed us it is really hard to know if you get the equity or not. (with stats we would get a clear answer)
I started to play around with the equilab too while i review my sessions and it helps a lot.

Homework 3

Question 1: You are holding KQ. What is your preflop equity against an opponent who has 33? How does the equity change on the following flop: J53?

PF:
Equity Win Tie
MP2 50.78% 50.40% 0.38% KsQs
MP3 49.22% 48.84% 0.38% 3d3c

F:
Equity Win Tie
MP2 26.46% 26.46% 0.00% KsQs
MP3 73.54% 73.54% 0.00% 3d3c

Question 2: What would you do in the following hand?
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...?

At first i got to check the outs: the remaining 9 spades would give me the Nutflush, except for the 6c and 3c if my opponent got a set which should be unlikely because he didn't bet the drawheavy flop against 2 Opponents. But its still possible so i just count 8 out of 9. Every 4 gives me a straight but against A7 or 77 i would got the lower straight. So i only take them as 1 out extra because i already counted the 4c to my flushouts. Overcards: I still can hit three A and three J for top pair. But if i hit the A, AQ and AK would beat me, the J is a little bit saver but not against two pair or a set. So i would only count 1 out for all the overcards, for the case that i get TPTK and it's stays the best hand. So i got about 10 outs so i need about 3,6-1 in potodds. But i already get 4,1-1 expressed odds so even with 9 outs i could call so i don't even need additional implied odds. Clear call.

Question, is a raise reasonable: Not really because it would only built the pot and maybe not hit the River and then we're OOP so we can't really buy the pot because Villain already raised on T and it would be an obvious bluff in generell. I never use such a line on T.


Question 3: Post a hand for evaluation where you have a question regarding your post-flop play.

I posted some of my Hands in the Evaluationforum. Here are some of the newest Hands which you have already evaluated (thx for that btw.)
FR25 - Calling down on dangerous board
FR25 - minR on T
FR25 - Blind defense

Good job! Homework #3 Done!

This was the best week so far, the coachingsession was great. In the last 2-3 hands you showed us it is really hard to know if you get the equity or not. (with stats we would get a clear answer)
I started to play around with the equilab too while i review my sessions and it helps a lot.

I am really pleased to get such a great feedback. Hopefully I will be able to hold even better coachings. Although I would be also really glad if you would post the feedback into: http://www.pokerstrategy.com/forum/thread.php?threadid=146167
Since it really helps me to find the feedback better there. Plus I am not the only one who is looking for the feedbacks. Sergey, Sven, etc headadmins like to read them as well and get an overview how I am doing or what should I change or what should they change. Would be really nice if you had any kind of feedback and write it there. Thanks again!

About Question #3:
There are few situations on turn:
a) If we take just odds for the FD and we take into account that all our odds are clean. There which means:
Total Pot = $0,91 ; We have to Call = $0,22 -> According to that it means we are getting ~4,16:1 odds. For flushdraw we would need 4:1. Which tells us that we are getting perfect odds.
b) If we consider the opponent having sets here:
Which means we have to discount outs, for example 6 and also 3. Which means we have 7 clean outs. Which means that we need 6:1 odds. That tells us that we need ~$0,41 on river to make it profitable. If we expect the opponent being loose enough and being able to pay us no-matter what then we can do the Call here properly.
c) We might even have overcards as outs or even 4 as a out:
Although this kind of situation ain't that likely. I'd rather discount that one and either pick a) or b). Most likely towards Call.

You are doing great progress! Some more points earned.

Homework 4:

Question 1: Post a hand for evaluation where you have the initiative post-flop.
directly from the Forum:
FR25 - Calling down TP against unknown
FR25 - 3B pot


Question 2: Evaluate one of the hands submitted by other members.
Flopped top set - 3bet pot.


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?
Equity Win Tie
MP2 41.41% 41.41% 0.00% KsQd
MP3 58.59% 58.59% 0.00% 7h7c

Here we can see that just highcards are almost worth nothing on such F because even against 22 we would have this equity.

Good job! Homework #4 Done!

This weeks homework was a bit easier. But the idea of that is to help you go through last weeks stuff if you didn't go through everything. Or either way maybe even read some more articles, watch some videos and of course attend in the coaching. What will also help for your game is the evaluation part of other members hands and of course posting your own hands.

Hopefully this wasn't too easy homework for you. Some more points earned.

Question 1: Post a hand for evaluation where you have based your decisions on the stats of your opponents.

Fr25 - 3B Ak
FR25 - QQ PF equity

Question 2: Evaluate one of the hands submitted by other members.

NL2 - FR - AA - induced AI
NL6 FR ATo 24.09

Question 3: Consider the following situation:

$10 NL Hold'em (7 handed)

Stacks & Stats:
UTG ($10)
MP ($8)
MP2 ($9)
CO ($10)
Hero($10)
SB ($10) (17/13/2.6/24/1212) [VPIP/PFR/AF/WTS/Hands]
BB ($10) (27/9/2.0/29/333) [VPIP/PFR/AF/WTS/Hands]

Preflop: Hero is BU with 6Diamond , 7Diamond
4 folds, Hero raises to $0.40, SB calls $0.40, BB calls $0.40

Flop: ($1.20) 3Diamond , 3Heart , TDiamond (3 players)
SB checks, BB checks, Hero checks

Turn: ($1.20) JDiamond (3 players)
SB bets $1.00, BB calls $1.00, Hero...

What action would you take, and why?

I would raise to ~4,5 to protect my hand against a higher flushdraw. I would also cbet the flop.

Question 4: Consider the following situation:

$10 NL Hold'em (8 handed)

Stacks & Stats
UTG ($8)
MP ($10)
MP2 ($9)
MP3 ($6)
Hero ($10)
BU ($10) (25/21/3.8/26/1250) [VPIP/PFR/AF/WTS/Hands]
SB ($10)
BB ($10)

Preflop: Hero is CO with JHeart , JSpade
4 folds, Hero raises to $0.40, BU 3-bets to $1.30, 2 folds, Hero calls $1.30

Flop: ($2.75) 6Heart , 9Spade , TClub (2 players)
Hero...

What action would you take, and why?

Since VPIP/PFR is rather high i also think that his 3B range should be pretty high when i raise from CO. Depending on his AF i think he will most likely cbet so i c/r on F and revaluate T if he calls. If he 3B on F i would fold without any notes on him.

Good Job! Homework #5 Done!

About Task #3
It's a very close decision: does protection or pot control weigh heavier here? Do you want to protect against hands like 3x or A:dx and K:dx? Or do you want to control the pot size and try to induce a bluff on the river in case there is no T, no J and no additional ?

Raise/fold is out of question - with the given pot size and the good made hand you have, it can't even be considered.

In case you decide to go broke, you can't really be blamed either. It's not a sign of weakness that the rather tight small blind decides to bet into two people here, though. I would say a call is to be slightly favored, while the many outs against you are annoying. The big blind who calls rather loosely speaks in favor of a raise/broke again. Both options are finally considered equal, which shows - all things considered - how close and full of variance these spots really are.

About Task #4
You've called pre-flop and then hit a good board. You basically have two choices now: either you assume that your opponent will go broke loosely or puts you on a bluff often and you thus check/raise - or you play check/call in the spirit of way ahead / way behind. The problem with the latter is that there are a lot of cards you don't want to see in the later course of the hand. All in all, it depends on your balancing as both lines make sense under certain circumstances.

A check/fold would be really pointless, of course. It's hard to say whether you should donk-bet here; donk/fold can be discarded as that would turn your hand into a pure bluff and your opponent would interpret this as weakness and start raising you out of flops with hands like AK/AQ/air. So, if you want to donk-bet, it has to be a donk/3-bet.

Good luck on tables and with the School. Some more points earned.

Question 1

Freeplay:
FR25 - keep in weaker hands
Slowplay:
FR25 - check good hand on T
I will try to find better slowplay examples when i'm at home since the hand above was played like this because i have a long history against the villain.

Question 2

NL25 FR flopping a set with 88
This Thread is also about slowplay


Question 3:
Consider the following situation:
$25 NL Hold'em (10 handed)

Stacks & Stats
UTG ($25)
UTG+1 ($25) rock
UTG+2 ($25)
MP1 ($25)
MP2 ($25) LAG
MP3 ($25) maniac
CO ($25)
Hero BU ($25)
SB ($25)
BB ($25) calling station

Preflop: Hero is BU with Q , J
5 folds, MP3 raises $1.00, CO calls $1.00, Hero calls $1.00, 1 fold, BB calls $1.00

Flop: ($4.10) 3 , J , A (4 players)
BB checks, MP3 checks, CO checks, Hero checks

Turn: ($4.10) Q (4 players)
BB bets $2.05, 2 folds, Hero...?

What action would you take, and why?

I would call the bet and revaluate on the river.
A bet from a station is a sign for a strong hand and in this example we got a 4way pot so he must hold a very strong hand. KT, AQ, AJ, QQ could all be possible which have us beat. Folding seems to weak though.

I have a question about openraise sizing because i think it's a fundamental leak from me.

My Raisesizes on NL25 so far:
UTG1-3:
3,5 standard + only 3 with very strong hands which is really exploitable if an opponent really watches.
Why i didn't changed it? For me it looks like every time i bet 4xBB with a strong hand everybody folds and if i do it with a "weaker" hand like middle pair i get a lot of calls.
But i think i'm the victim of the outcome of single situations. I should focus on the longterm.
In addition nearly nobody raises 4xBB in EP on Everest since it seems that everybody uses the "raise pot" which is 0.9$ on NL25. And again i think 1$ instead of 0,9$ just pushes a switch in the opponents mind like: "0,9 is nothing, but 1$ is a big raise he must have something". Just because there is no zero bevor the decimal point.

MP1-MP3: 3x BB (0,75)

CO/BU: 0,7-0,75
Again i make a mistake which is very exploitable. I raise 0,7 with weak-middle hands and 0,75 with strong hands since i have the fear of making the price to little (e.g: I don't want a call when i got TT and Overcards hit the Board). And i know this doesn't make sense since i should always raise smaller so my steals are disguised.

What should be an optimal openraiseplan?
Just raise 4x UTG1-3, 3x MP1-MP3 and 2-2,5 on CO/BU?
2 on BU if a SS is in the Blinds?
--> Raisesize depends on position and don't ever change it because of my cards but rather because of my Opponents (SS, very loose players who could call bigger raises from BU?)

In this month i will switch from FR25 to SH25. I just wanted to correct this mistakes bevor i leave the FR games and start to focus on SH.
But then again what is a good raiseplan on SH games?

In addition i just wanted to say thanks to the beginnerscourse + hand evaluation. Since i joined my winrate jumped from 2Bigblinds/100 over 25K hands in beginning of summer (where i switched to FR25) to 13BB/100 over 30K hands. Just wanted to thanks you and hasenbraten for changing my way of learning. (I will also leave a comment without numbers on the feedback thread)



PS: I was in Hospital for 1 Week so i didn't have access to my Database so just "grade" my Homework 6.

Good Job! Homework #6 Done!

About Question #3:
Two lines can quickly be discarded here: fold and raise/fold; your hand is simply too strong for those alternatives.

It's hard to assess whether you should put in a raise here. When a rather passive player decides to bet into three players while being out of position, it does look strong. It's more likely an indication of a made hand than that of a draw.

A raise naturally protects, but you run the risk of isolating yourself against very strong range. Which weaker hands could your opponent possibly continue playing here?

The deciding factor finally comes in the size of the pot. This tiny pot simply isn't worth putting yourself into a tough spot where you could potentially end up risking your entire stack. A raise would be overplayed here and pot control takes the precedent over protection.

Best of Luck on tables and with the Course. Some more points earned.

Why i didn't changed it? For me it looks like every time i bet 4xBB with a strong hand everybody folds and if i do it with a "weaker" hand like middle pair i get a lot of calls.

Don't be result oriented. It's just a stupid feeling, almost the same as you will recognize loosing hands a lot more than winning hands and will remember how much you lost and stuff.

About the raise size well, 3,5BB is totally fine and I don't even mind. Why not? I also use a smaller raise on higher limits, especially on LP.

Just raise 4x UTG1-3, 3x MP1-MP3 and 2-2,5 on CO/BU?
2 on BU if a SS is in the Blinds?

Well, if you think it's working for you then why not. Although on LP I would still advice to keep it 3x unless you really have some aggressive opponents on the blinds or shorties.

In this month i will switch from FR25 to SH25. I just wanted to correct this mistakes bevor i leave the FR games and start to focus on SH.
But then again what is a good raiseplan on SH games?

Well, practically the same. I would rather use the plan for SH actually rather than FR. FR would be still 4xBB from UTG and later on 3x or depending on the stacks.

In addition i just wanted to say thanks to the beginnerscourse + hand evaluation. Since i joined my winrate jumped from 2Bigblinds/100 over 25K hands in beginning of summer (where i switched to FR25) to 13BB/100 over 30K hands. Just wanted to thanks you and hasenbraten for changing my way of learning. (I will also leave a comment without numbers on the feedback thread)

Thanks. Good to hear about your progress. You might want to post a graph as well?

PS: I was in Hospital for 1 Week so i didn't have access to my Database so just "grade" my Homework 6.

Oh, don't worry about that. Anything serious happened, you are fine now?

Thanks for the tipps on openraising, i will stick to my plan for FR and SH now.

Originally posted by veriz
Oh, don't worry about that. Anything serious happened, you are fine now?

No, i got arranged Operation on my knee and it just took me longer than expected to regenerate. Still walking on crutches, but in a week all should be back to normal.

Originally posted by veriz

Thanks. Good to hear about your progress. You might want to post a graph as well?

Here is my current graph for FR25. The first 23k Hands i tried to clear a bonus + had to get used to the new limit. In this time my allin $ EV was also extrem different from my actual results. My $USD EV was $131 but my actual winnings were -$28 (Thats a 636 BB difference over 23k hands).

I knew it was a downswing in my Allin plays, but there was no reason to get frustrated by that. I tried to play my best game and learn more to be successfull in FR25.

After the first 23k hands i started the Beginners Course and my Allin-EV also balanced itself out.