Love & Hate Poker

Hello Pokerstrategy, last 5 days were awesome, I barely left the office and if I didn't have to attend social situations like christmas eve and family visits I woouln't. All the fish are playing during this time, results reflect that:

I probably won't get much done till tomorrow, so I will make end of the year post or something. If I am lazy even for that then will post picture with pf2025 or something

Originally posted by acesfull
Great blog! I'm amazed by your progress, starting at NL5 only half a year ago (I noticed that you are coming back after a break, but still it's very fast progress). Now you are playing the toughest cash games online, Stars Zoom 200 that is, isn't that pretty much the toughest player pool there is?

Hello acesfull! Thank you for kind words. To give you analogy, it is like powerlifter taking summer off and then going back to the gym starting his routine with empty bar and 1kg dumbbells... Yes I moved up "fast", at the same time it is nothing to be proud of as I used to play high stakes prior to my break
About zoom200 I honestly do not know. There is lots of really good players. Like, really really good. But at the same time, there is lots of zombies that just click buttons. Don't get me wrong, nl200 zombie is tougher than nl5 one, but it still the same, you find leaks, you exploit them, they never adjust, end of story.
I also believe there are tougher games, like nl1k has better regs, nl2k even better and so on. Or maybe not, we will see

GL at the tables

Hello Pokerstrategy!

Had decent year, to keep it brief, here are my nl200 zoom results:

I set myself this years goal and achieved it, nothing really happened and played like 4 orbits until fish busted, but still counts:

Next year I will:

- try to maximize, meaning I will mix games and stakes and will go for highest ev possible
- I want to get to nl1k games and actually stay there, if I am good enough then higher of course
- improve my real life. There are still few countries I want to visit, so do that, life is too short
- help others improve their games, I believe I have something to share when it comes to poker, so I will work on giving back in a way, still not sure how

Good luck in 2025 guys, keep crushing

Hey man, when i see your results and volume you just have super high motivation. Do you want to share why you took a break before and how you found it back? Best of luck in 2025 🥂🫡😎

Originally posted by Fredjen
Hey man, when i see your results and volume you just have super high motivation. Do you want to share why you took a break before and how you found it back? Best of luck in 2025 🥂🫡😎

Thanks brother, wish you all the best in your next chapter as well, of course

In regards to your question - well, covid came. Nobody really knew what was gonna happen, except that part we couldn't travel, so because of that I just decided to get masters degree in my field (well, the other field, not poker ), so I applied for uni and finished my studies. And when I was on it I participated in research project while studying, so that left me with little time left really, so poker went on a side. I did not consider quitting completely, just took break really.

About the motivation part, I mean I think motivation comes and goes, there are better days and there are worse days. But one thing I have learned about myself, maybe you are the same way, I don't know. But I noticed in my life - those days that I did not perform at my best (in everything, studying, fitness, poker, work, whatever I do really, you name it), looking back - those are sad days in my book.
Contrary on days that I outcompete myself and put in all the work and even more, when the day is over and I am sitting there completely exhausted knowing I gave it my all, those days feel the best man. While living those days sucks, reward in the end is worth it. I know, for myself, I was superhero in my story on those days. And that is the best feeling out there, at least for me. So more days like that I have, the happier I feel in its own weird self-torturing way, if it makes sense I want to be superhero of my own story. Every. Single. Day.

Edit: or I am just fucking addict I really don't know, what can I say

So I remember, when I was new in poker, I was completely consumed by the game. I showed up almost every day and was playing all my free time. Then, when I was new in poker for like year or two, I realized one thing. I still loved playing, I mean I was winning so all good, but I wasn't really playing. I was just clicking buttons, based on some blueprint I got from training site or friends or whatever and then I "knew" few spots from videos or coachings, where I saw other guy, presumably better than me, doing some other shit than just following blueprint strategy. And it was working! I was moving up, everything perfect.

What I was doing was working sure, but honestly I wasn't really feeling like a player. Main reason was, I didn't know how to do stuff. When better player showed up, he completely ran me over. When other reg was doing some fancy shit, well, I was just sitting there living my illusion that "he must be losing long term" and I am all good. But I wasn't, I wanted to become real player. I wanted to know how to "do shit", meaning, when I see random play, then firstly, realize I saw random play and secondly, I wanted to know what exactly does it say about the player and how exactly I can use that information to beat him. Not to click buttons and be this ABC shit reg like everyone else, I wanted to become real player.

Since then, I spent all my study time exploring, trying to figure how to play beyond some stupid charts and I set myself a goal that I will become player who knows how to "do shit". It was hard in the beginning and it was even harder later on, but now, over a decade later, I have learned two things:

1. You will never "get there". Knowing what to do is not a thing that you learn and it remains truth across the time. It is the thing that you learn and improve every day. And I fell in love with the process. I love figuring out how to beat opponent, how to maximally exploit him, how to push him into spots where he has no clue... I just love the process man. And realizing that process is actually goal was one of biggest discoveries for me. Being good is not a thing, it is a process, or rather end goal, that we never achieve, but try to come closer every day.

2. Most people don't even fucking try to get there. Most people are just clicking buttons and somehow it works, because all the other regs are just clicking buttons, so all the stupid mistakes people make (and fail to even attempt to fix) just negate against each other, so in the end it is all zeros roughly speaking. They are playing in their minds, but reality is - they are being played. I find it funny, I call those "players" zombies. And there are zombies at all the limits! Most regs are zombies really. Like, nl200 zombie has less leaks obviously than its nl10 counterpart, but is still just clicking buttons and has no idea how to play or what to do beyond "this is range Cbet in solver so I do it". In other words - they are being played. You can do almost anything to those guys and only adjustment they are capable of is either leaving table or start folding on early streets vs you, so they willingly just give away money, lol.

Now in the solvers era, I think there are way more zombies than before. And they even believe they are good lol. So here is a question - are you a player, or are you being played?

Other than rant I played some nl500, not bad for a shot (well I played like 50 hands on 31st Dec so technically I am not new in these waters xD). I mean regs really don't know who I am and fish are fish so... Always when going for new limit there is this magic going on for firts couple thousand hands that people just give away money:

GL at the tables guys

Atm I'm being played but i'm working on it!
Agree poker is a moving target but I feel you need to know the base real well before adjusting (and knowing why) because it's a thin line to get to fancy play I assume.

Originally posted by Fredjen
you need to know the base real well before adjusting (and knowing why) because it's a thin line to get to fancy play I assume.

Well yes, but what exactly is the "baseline"? You mean what solver is doing vs another solver? Studying exactly same shit as everybody is studying and therefore having exactly same results as everybody else? I mean nothing wrong with that, but this logic is assuming that your opponents know what to do themselves and they play without leaks, which simply does not reflect reality.

I understand that you need to know theory, otherwise how can you spot a leak, that makes sense right?
Let me offer another (and far more simple) approach - assume that everybody sucks. Really. That way, you are just looking for mistakes that you believe are mistakes, rather than looking for correct play first. Again, you don't know if your opponent is leaking in given scenario, but if you arrive into the spot from theory perspective - you don't know that either So It's far more productive assuming opponent is just bad. And if you are wrong, then you correct your play and move on. Next time you will do better.

All my poker life, I wasn't afraid to make mistakes. In fact, I approached game from challenging claims that something is a mistake - I was experimenting super hard with weird lines, sizings, timings... I almost wanted to force a mistake in a way. Then I went over my database and saw what was working, what wasn't and improved... And while other shit regs were laughing at me and spamming emojis at the tables, I was moving up and collecting all the $$$.

Mistake is only a mistake if:
1. your opponent spots you are making a mistake
2. knows how to punish the mistake
3. punishes the mistake and remain consistent in a way that, once you counter his adjustment, he knows how to calibrate back again...

Otherwise you are just taking his money. I find this better than trying to figure what is "correct" baseline AND assuming he knows it too AND plays that good across all the streets. Very unlikely...

GL at the tables

Last 3 days I tried, but failed misserably:

Lesson is: never try

There is this reg that I perceive as good, we battle every day and he has better end of it for now - always on my left, always. I enjoy this battle as it seems like he is coming prepared also and force me to really think. Cannot wait the day I have position on him back, so we can measure our pipis while I have an advantage, did not happen single time at any table, but I feel like in these games, when good game is running I almost have to take it?

Long time no hands, so one I find interesting and worth sharing, so you guys can learn some... Ain't my play super GTO?

GG Poker - $5 NL (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

BTN: 102.8 BB (VPIP: 0.00, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: -, Hands: 1)
Hero (SB): 104.6 BB
BB: 153.2 BB (VPIP: 28.57, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 8)
UTG: 102.6 BB (VPIP: 33.33, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 6)
MP: 100 BB (VPIP: 0.00, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: -, Hands: 2)
CO: 105.8 BB (VPIP: 20.00, PFR: 20.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 10)

Hero posts SB 0.4 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.4 BB) Hero has T:heart: T:diamond:

fold, fold, CO raises to 2.4 BB, fold, Hero raises to 10 BB, fold, CO calls 7.6 BB

Flop: (21 BB, 2 players) 2:diamond: 7:spade: 3:club:
Hero bets 5.2 BB, CO calls 5.2 BB

Turn: (31.4 BB, 2 players) 8:diamond:
Hero checks, CO bets 15.7 BB, Hero raises to 89.4 BB and is all-in, fold

GL at the tables

maybe tank turn for long and then checkraise to 44bb to get called by 98 ? ♦ no clue

Decent weekend, I managed to fix my sleep schedule and grind. Nothing else really. Results wise I had solid weekend,
I played some GG:

and also some Stars:

I want to incorporate IPoker also and one local casino, once I get my residency card (all local online casinos tend to be good so I am curious...). This might be about last time I am posting results for obvious reasons.
Also, I would like to play some live poker, but more seriously than till now (right now I tend to visit casino when I go for holidays and it happens to be somewhere they have casino, I take it as fun activity, not even thinking about bringing $$$ home...).

How to improve, todays lesson: This doesn't make any sense

Ever heard this? Or guilty of saying such thing yourself? I had a session with student and I realized that this is the shit I hear way too often. Villain did something unexpected and hero is like "his play makes no sense" and then they explain to me why it makes no sense...

This approach does not serve anyone. I myself too face plays that makes little to no sense. TO ME! You see, goal is not to play perfect poker. Goal is to understand what is villain doing wrong, figuring out how to punish his mistake and then punish his mistake. Over and over. Every single time you face play that "makes no sense", realize that play does not make sense to you!

So your job is to make sense of it. Try to understand villains play. In such situations, I always ask myself following: "What needs to be true, or what villain needs to believe is true, in order for this play to make sense?" That way, you will learn to read people. You will learn how people think. You will learn how to beat them in poker (and with same logic applied to relationships, life business... its all the same really).
So next time you find yourself saying "this does not make any sense", understand the fact that it only does not make sense to you. And once you learn to find logic in stuff that is not logical to you, you will progress. Very, very fast.

GL at the tables

God damn Monday!!! Fastest 2k of this year for me...

Happy rest of the day to all of you, I am only in for studying today... I got absolutely destroyed and need to figure if just unlucky or other guys owned me this bad (I flipped graph to make it looks nice at least, ...just in case you guys missed that xD).

GL at the tables

Originally posted by N3bojsa
So in other words, on the flop I want to create situation, where he gets to the turn with more weak hands that he is used to and then capitalize on the fact that he will not do a good job of giving up as much as he should and will overbluff the turn severely.

WOW, you can do that to reg on NL500??

Originally posted by VPIPOver9000
WOW, you can do that to reg on NL500??

What exactly do you mean?

I mean, it's a pretty simple plan.

I know its obvious when you lay it out like that to us, so it's easy to be smart now but its simple really. It shouldn't be that hard to spot that and adjust if you are good enough to play NL500, that is what I am trying to say.

Not that I would know, its just my guess

Hey dude

Ur doing well?

Your Blog gave me a smile every time…

Hi, everything ok?
Your blog gave me additional power to work on yourself