[Closed] Smileyphil's DON'ing the mantle.

Hello!

I see you've been switching strategy alot :P.

As for DoNs... I can give you some advice :).

1. Read te article about DoNs and STICK TO THE HAND RANGES!
2. observe the tables to see if it's loose or tight. tight = steal more, loose = just wait till everyone busts themself, let them gamble.
3. Don't push unless it's neccessary! (you're short stack and everyone is tight)
4. play regulars not turbos, if it's too little action just open more tables. less variance and way easier to get ITM -> bigger ROI :).

good luck with your blog!

Yes I do switch strategy quite a bit. I've been playing poker for a year or two now and learning all I can.

Since coming to Pokerstrategy I played BSS for around a month and made a tidy profit but felt that I was 'lucking' out. A lot of my play was strong but I wanted to see if I could find something a little more secure to try.

Short stack strategy seemed the natural option. A fixed set of rules that you follow and (in theory) make a profit. However after trying this for a few weeks (quite a lot of hands) I had no noticeable profit and wasn't really enjoying playing. Learnt to fold though!

After moving the majority of my roll to Poker Heaven (semi-bonus-whoring) I came across their DON's that seem fairly weak and have decided to see if this is a good consistant profit making tool.

Across all of this time I have played MTT with a reasonable degree of success and this is where my main enjoyment lies however I can't make 'steady' decent income out of it and as a student that is what I hope to achieve. The odd boost is nice but I would prefer something more stable to feed me!

I will of course read the articles thoroughly. I like to play and learn so that I can address problems as they arise. I am so far struggling in the push and fold stage most. Sometimes I just don't want to push because I think I can limp into the money and realistically pushing is better ICM.

First session of DON's:
Played: 6, ITM: 3
Not a bad start one I lost I went out on a freeplayed set of 2's. He caught a bigger full house by the river. Pretty sick. Also gotta remember that its always best to avoid coinflips unless I am really stuck got 'lucky' with 77 vs AK in another DON that I could've avoided. Generally well played but I think I tilted one of them off after I lost a small pot to a short stack I pushed a bit loose and a big stack took me out in 6th.

Ok my first question: Say I have a strong hand early on (AK, QQ+) and I raise. If someone reraises and puts me all in. Should I generally call and hope I'm ahead?

I just had this situation:
Blinds 25/50 hero in MP2ish. No reads really as of yet.

Folds round to me. Hero raises to 200. Folds to SB. SB reraises all in (1500ish). Hero??

So what do I do here? I figure if I call and double up I've probably made the money. I figured I was ahead of his range if he's pretty aggressive. However it is likely to be a coinflip and would I be better off avoiding the situation and looking for another spot?

In other news just had my aces cracked by an inside straight draw.
Hero has A :diamond:A late position. Blinds 15/30.
I bet preflop to 150, two callers. (Few limpers around who folded)
Flop is K 7 3 :club:. Pot: 500ish.
I bet out around 300, one caller.
Turn is T :heart:.

Now my read on this guy is that he is very aggressive. I figure I'm going to go all in whatever but I want to give him the chance to bluff. So I check and as predicted he moves in. I snap call and he shows Q 9 :spade:.

The river of course is a J completing the inside straight and I am first one to lose. Nh sir.

AT cracks my QQ in epicly stupid call.

Blinds are at 100/200. I have about 2500 chips. He has just more. Around 8 people left but I'm in a good spot so far. (Start with 1500)

Hero has Q :heart:Q :diamond:. Hero is UTG.
Hero raises to 600. One caller.
Flop is 7 :club:4 :club:4 :spade:.
Heroes goes all in (about 2000).

He thought for a long time and then called.
Caller shows A :spade:T :diamond:.

River is an Ace.

I'm not tilted or anything but how mental is that. He makes a truly rediculous call when he is still pretty strong for the money. And somehow manages to river me out of there.

Originally posted by Smileyphil
Ok my first question: Say I have a strong hand early on (AK, QQ+) and I raise. If someone reraises and puts me all in. Should I generally call and hope I'm ahead?

Ya, do it, i think you win often enough to make it +$EV :).

Originally posted by Smileyphil
Ok my first question: Say I have a strong hand early on (AK, QQ+) and I raise. If someone reraises and puts me all in. Should I generally call and hope I'm ahead?

I play DoNs now and I would say avoid those in early stages. You want avoid coin-flips as long as possible. Throw away AK definitely, TT-JJ too, I'd call QQ and KK and wait, if higher card came on flop. If not, I'd push, else check fold. If it is for all your chips, I'd fall KK too early. You probably don't want to find yourself standing against Axs.

Sometimes I try to push those if A came on flop too. Weak aces and smaller pairs will fold, but definitely fold them to re-raise. Wait for the better spots for you.

With higher blinds it is different.

I lost too many times AK to pairs, or pairs to Ax earlier, all-in preflop. That is not worth it if it cast you the whole tournament and you still have enough chips to play comfortably.

Originally posted by Primzi
1. Read te article about DoNs and STICK TO THE HAND RANGES!
!

Can't seem to find those. Care to post a link please?? Thank you!!

http://www.pokerstrategy.com/strategy/sng/1458/

thanks!!

EDIT: Seems i have to be silver to read the complete article. Have to wait some weeks