Royal Flush : Chapter One - From Plankton to a Fish

Week 3 :
My first positive results $ but most importantly playing wise.

A♠: I get better and better at deciding if I "want" to play a big or small pot with this hand/board vs this opponent. It does not mean I'm getting it right, but I like where it's going so far.

2♠: I'm getting more comfortable with my bizzare red line ! Thanks Stackoffski

3♠: first time that I have managed to chuckle on second and third cooler. Building that muscle!

4♠: I've got a few hands that I felt the entitlement that bulling them will get me the pot. Nahhhhh

Things to do :
A♣: Finalise top losing hands (40/80 done)
2♣: Shadow the best winners so far and study their lines

Hey bro, how you doing?

Originally posted by nutural
I get better and better at deciding if I "want" to play a big or small pot with this hand/board vs this opponent. It does not mean I'm getting it right, but I like where it's going so far.

Yes! Take the initiative!

I'm getting more comfortable with my bizzare red line ! Thanks Stackoffski

Aah the mystery... do you feel like you go for thin value at the river a lot? I think I do, and then they fold a lot, and I win without showdown ... when if I would have checked that hand instead of betting thin, I would have won with showdown. That might be it ... or a combination of factors ... ahh the mystery ...

first time that I have managed to chuckle on second and third cooler. Building that muscle!

Very good! Keep it up! ♠_thumbsup:♠_thumbsup:

I've got a few hands that I felt the entitlement that bulling them will get me the pot. Nahhhhh

That's a red line-booster if it works ♠_tongue:

Originally posted by Stackoffski

I've got a few hands that I felt the entitlement that bulling them will get me the pot. Nahhhhh

That's a red line-booster if it works ♠_tongue:

yes AND a blue line blunder

Overall it's going really great. To be honest I think I'm on some kind of a heater so I'm having this mindset of "enjoy it while it lasts" kind of thing.

I've decided to be more active on Hand Discussion forum on posting and a bit on commenting.

Hey Nutural, best of luck on your cash game journey of getting to NL10 and reaching your first bankroll goal of $500
Stay consistent, keep looking to improve and I'm sure you're gonna get there

BTW I love your personal rendition of Royal Flush. I've chuckled numerous times reading your blog!

Also!! Your blog stood out so much to me because my first blog was called From Plankton to Poseidon !!
It was the first ever blog. (dream bigger being my 2nd) I started it in 2016 when I first began my cash game journey at NL2. But then I got lazy and stopped updating...:ayfkm:

So seeing the title to your blog and that you are embarking on the same path is pretty awesome. I wish you all the best of luck ♠_grin:♠_grin:

Originally posted by SiKWiThIt
Also!! Your blog stood out so much to me because my first blog was called From Plankton to Poseidon !!
It was the first ever blog. (dream bigger being my 2nd) I started it in 2016 when I first began my cash game journey at NL2. But then I got lazy and stopped updating...:ayfkm:

So seeing the title to your blog and that you are embarking on the same path is pretty awesome. I wish you all the best of luck ♠_grin:♠_grin:

Wow! that's super cool ! I hope I have your path and blog quality after having your "name" also.

Originally posted by SiKWiThIt
Hey Nutural, best of luck on your cash game journey of getting to NL10 and reaching your first bankroll goal of $500
Stay consistent, keep looking to improve and I'm sure you're gonna get there

BTW I love your personal rendition of Royal Flush. I've chuckled numerous times reading your blog!

It's amazing how cool it is to read comments like that. Really appreciate it man. It's the first blog attempt so every comment like this boosts my eagerness to continue !

Week 4 : Thank you Lady Variance. It's nice to make your acquaintance !

It's actually a big week this one. I have achieved one of my longterm (secret) goals.
I wanted to (at some point in time) turn every stake level I have played into an overall profitable sample. Even by 1bb

And kab0000mmm

In alltime 40k hands I have a whoppinggggg 0.48bb/100 winrate.
To be honest I'm kind of proud as I have started playing again in August after a long time and the starting point was 21.2k hands with -10.24 bb/100 so "we've come a long way".

A♠: Super comfortable on the field currently. Winning has allowed me to build the "tilt resistance" muscle. I hope it makes sense.

2♠: It's super exciting to get a full stack just based on a previous note you have on villain. (it can backfire also though).

3♠: I'm getting very wowed on how many levels can be in this "simple" game.
How true was that : "Poker takes five minutes to learn but a lifetime to master." - Mike Sexton

4♠: Really getting excited on the process , the learning, the aha moments. The $ amounts are silly, but the consistency, the work ethic, the mind game stays and compounds. Big Thumps up VorpalF2F, LahtiPelican, Pokamon, and fellow " Red-Line Addict" Stackoffski ♠_drink: ♠_drink: ♠_drink:

5♠: Analysed (looked carefully is actually based on the analysis I see some of you guys are making in the Hand Discussion forums) 32 of my top all-time losing hands. Conservatively I could have saved 64% of those loses. Wow x Wow

6♠: very proud that I seem to build the discipline to play when I'm in the right mood, and to do hand analysis, or watch a video, or read a hand analysis when I'm feeling tired, or agitated on something else etc etc.

No pre-game routine yet

No hands uploaded in discussion forum

p.s. I really like seeing that people in the forum are into mindfulness and productivity hacks. It's such and interesting journey that works on so many levels.

Wow super-cool you got yourself out of the minus numbers and are in the positive now

Starting down a bit might have given you some extra will-power as you really had something to beat. And you did it!
And with pretty constant winnings since you got back. Don't feel too much pressure to stay above the 0-line though now, because that would kind of be like you have a 1 buyin bankroll. Just know that you can come back if it gets down -fish forbid.

thank you man!

I see what you say regarding the 1 BI Bankroll but actually this was not a very "conscious" follow up of the target. meaning it only came out when I was changing the dates for the weekly update of the Bankroll Challenge and wanted to have a peak at how I was doing overall for the last try (since August) and overall overall (lifetime).

But your point is true, and I have been guilty in the past letting the green line affect my play. Either when you are far ahead or far behind. Call it in a session in a day, in a week. Isolating your play is a muscle and I'm getting better but still long way to go.

Week 5 : Enjoying the quality, not really the quantity.

So I'm continuing to be happy with the way I play. I have controlled my "entitlement" versus the 65/50 fish and come to terms that there will be times that they do have it. So my risks (bluffs) now are more intentional and come from an awareness point of view and from "does this story stand".

What I want to do going forward is work much more on ranges (both mine and villains ) and also put some more volume - probably measured in time and sessions but that would translate of course in hands also.

I know that it would be a good idea to take stabs on NL5 but I want to do my study first and then take a stab. I don't expect any vast difference in population tendencies just a small adjustment in % of whales, and an increase in 3betting, cbetting and slightly more balance between value and bluff-betting on river.

time will tell.

Also I have decided to stop full scale analysis of my biggest losers because I have beaten this horde to death. Don't bully so much, go for value, 3bets on turn from passive players are nuts and 4betting is scaring noone.
So next step is to identify a situation that happens often enough that is affecting the winrate and deserves focus time.

So looking forward to your comments and suggestions. Please feel free to butcher it. I won't be passive aggressively defending any of it

For my level I think I like / don't like :
- ♠_thumbsup: my VPIP/PFR/3Bet figures and ration
- do my AA / KK lose value because I'm value 3betting them when the population is massively folding to 3 bets? I was thinking of calling a few times if villain is a huge AF 4-5 or infinate but that is just in idea, i have not analysed or implemented yet
- ♠_thumbsup: my flop CBet (75%)
- my Turn CBet - i think it's on the low side (41%)
- ♠_thumbsup: my overall Raise Flop Cbet (11%)
- my high Raise Flop Cbet in some positions (20%)
- am I folding too much vs Preflop 3bets ? (74%) ?

We are getting somewhere

Woowee that's a nice winrate!

I know that it would be a good idea to take stabs on NL5 but I want to do my study first and then take a stab. I don't expect any vast difference in population tendencies just a small adjustment in % of whales, and an increase in 3betting, cbetting and slightly more balance between value and bluff-betting on river.

time will tell

Since you play at Stars too (right?):

small adjustment in % of whales: Yes, a little bit
an increase in 3betting: Yes, a little bit
cbetting: I can't tell
slightly more balance between value and bluff-betting on river.: No not even, mostly valuebets still. Maybe true for a handfull of players.

To be honest, the biggest difference by far is getting used to the different bet amounts if you do not use the bbs option.
There really isn't that much difference if you'd ask me. Probably the difference between 10nl and 5nl is much bigger!

I don't know your bankroll, but if you are rolled for nl5, the best thing to get a real feel for the differences is to go and take a look yourself. You don't have to stay there ♠_biggrin:
But of course, first 'prepare yourself'.

I know nothing about the stats, maybe somebody else does?

sharply increasing redline in micros usually means a total inability to "fold when you're beat", rather than relentless aggression low folds to c-bet across the board seems to validate that hypothesis.
you have some signs of overaggression, but i like it.

the stat you want with regards to fold to 3-bet is actually NOT "Fold to PF 3bet", it's "Fold to PF 3bet After Raise".
8% is a quite low 3-bet number, especially if the population is "massively folding to 3 bets" which makes you even want to call AA (don't do that, by the way). it doesn't seem to be true, given that 3Bet PF Success number.

Originally posted by Tomaloc
sharply increasing redline in micros usually means a total inability to "fold when you're beat", rather than relentless aggression low folds to c-bet across the board seems to validate that hypothesis.
you have some signs of overaggression, but i like it.

the stat you want with regards to fold to 3-bet is actually NOT "Fold to PF 3bet", it's "Fold to PF 3bet After Raise".
8% is a quite low 3-bet number, especially if the population is "massively folding to 3 bets" which makes you even want to call AA (don't do that, by the way). it doesn't seem to be true, given that 3Bet PF Success number.

thanks Tomaloc for taking the time. and yes especially the first half of this "huge" 20k sample I think that inability to fold was very much present. I think on the second part I have exchanged a bit of my pride with some winrate.

p.s.1 I find it funny that on the selection of stats it's called "Fold to PF 3Bet After Raise", but then on the table it's "2Bet PF & Fold". I had to check twice to make sure I didn't mess it up.

8% is more of an instinct result. I think now that I have "analysed" my biggest losses, it's things like that that I want to focus on. So for example what are the scenarios that I can add +1%, or 2% gradually. What figure would you aim for in the end?

Regarding AA I think I knew it's a bad idea to call, that's why I have not done it at all, but still it hurts to wait for 10-20 hands, have AA/KK and get 1.5bb I come from a SnG "background" where you are forced to make moves when you are card dead, so this is a big adjustment I'm making now, that especially in zoom every hand is in a vacuum.

p.s.2 anything else you see it's fishy, just shoot

Originally posted by Tomaloc
the stat you want with regards to fold to 3-bet is actually NOT "Fold to PF 3bet", it's "Fold to PF 3bet After Raise".
8% is a quite low 3-bet number, especially if the population is "massively folding to 3 bets" which makes you even want to call AA (don't do that, by the way). it doesn't seem to be true, given that 3Bet PF Success number.

In the case of the "Fold to PF 3bet After Raise" stat, are we using that to analyse our own play, or are we using it in-game when evaluating opponents' tendencies?

I checked my DB for the year and my 2BF + fold ranges from 49-51% throughout my different stakes. I don't really know where they should be at haha but at least they're similar =D

Originally posted by SiKWiThIt
I checked my DB for the year and my 2BF + fold ranges from 49-51% throughout my different stakes. I don't really know where they should be at haha but at least they're similar =D

for me then it's a good sign ♦ cheers

Week 6 : Life is funny

Week 5's title was : " Week 5 : Enjoying the quality, not really the quantity. "

Week 6 has been awesome in quantity and horrible quality. I know I was a bit hit by variance but mainly I think I played badly.
A bit of internet issues also were annoying and triggering (losing AA and QQ because of disconnections) but I think I got "success fatigue".

I have never consistently (for my volume that is) won NL2z. So the target was 5ish bb/100 winrate after 3.000 hands per month. Last 4 weeks I played 12.000 hands with double the winrate. So clearly I had no idea what I was aiming for when I started. Which was not a bad thing as I have never managed to be profitable in 10-20k sample.

So what is "success fatigue". I'm playing in big blinds and not in absolute figures, so I was very focused and didn't care that this is peanut money. It was big blinds and it worked for me. But now, I seem to have overcome of this trick and """since I'm winning the stakes """ I will call this whale down. Boom boom boom 3 BI's in 18 hands down - Royal Flush here I am! Also I have stopped capturing down my sessions 1-2 sentence summary """ since I'm winning the stakes """ .

Lastly since it is my first blog I based it a lot on the Bankroll Challenge, but I feel that weekly increments with MY (low) volume is not a good enough sample for iterations.
And it does not flow smoothly. Seems like homework or something you have to do.

So what I will do is :
- Decide for new, ambitious but realistic targets to be a bit excited it and not "overachieving". Stay in NL2z, stab NL5z, set a time target, set a higher winrate, set an A-B-C Game ranking target. Don't know. Will figure it out soon.
- Report the Bankroll Challenge separately on it's respective thread
- Report results here 1-2 a month where sample is a bit bigger
- Make this more a room for thoughts, hands, reflections. So increase frequency, reduce entry barrier.
- and hopefully make it a bit more fun to read

Keep it up ... you only lost a few buyins at $2nl! ♠_drink:
I had to move to GGPoker, can't play at Stars no more. Also playing at $2nl.

Originally posted by Stackoffski
Keep it up ... you only lost a few buyins at $2nl! ♠_drink:
I had to move to GGPoker, can't play at Stars no more. Also playing at $2nl.

Of course! This financial result has 0 effect on someone's life. But I think that is also starting to play it's role - the exact opposite from "scared money ".

Originally posted by nutural
Of course! This financial result has 0 effect on someone's life. But I think that is also starting to play it's role - the exact opposite from "scared money ".

Ah haha yes I see. To me is not really money (maybe also because it is just $2), but they are more like 'points'. Points that will become money one day when I can cash out. And I always want more points, and I hate to lose them ... at the same time I understand that at short term I have no influence on exactly what happens. Hard to explain. At 1 side I care and at the other side I don't care about results ... I care enough to try to play well, but if that doesn't work out, so be it ..

You play 1 table at a time I think? I am not saying you should play more, but sometimes boredom can be a cause to be on loose money, start getting involved in too many spots of which many might not be profitable. I don't know ... could be.
I play 1-2 tables only myself as well.