Improvement Road Blocks

[intheflatfield]

I used to think of myself as a good poker player until I discovered this site and PSO. Needless to say my eyes were opened. I have since read TOP and SSH and am currently working on HEFAP. Right now I am in the process of evaluating my play for leaks.

I thought it might be helpful to hear what the most difficult concept to correctly apply, and or which bad habbits were the hardes to shake.

Please advise..

[ajmargarine]

Bad habit #1. Open limping pre-flop with cheese. (crap starting hands)

[intheflatfield]

Mine so far, is not folding to a re-reaise post flop just because I already have money in the pot.

or

Cold calling pf raises

[TheWorstPlayer]

Over-estimating fold equity.

[dtbog]

[ QUOTE ]
Over-estimating fold equity.

[/ QUOTE ]

Amen.

Also, over-estimating implied odds. It's very easy to say 'my opponent likes his hand so I have implied odds to call almost any bet'.

[amoeba]

empty aggression just because you think its the right thing to do.

[intheflatfield]

[ QUOTE ]
Over-estimating fold equity.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thats a good point. I understand the concept, but I am having difficulty applying it in practice (in a timely manner) Could you explain further?

[amoeba]

you think you are good and or give opponent too much credit, therefore you bluff thinking he'll fold but he calls you.

[ajmargarine]

[ QUOTE ]
empty aggression just because you think its the right thing to do.

[/ QUOTE ]

....and along a similar line: not folding in the face of aggression when a fold is called for; because, you think villians will read your action as weak and try to push you around in future hands.

[intheflatfield]

[ QUOTE ]
and along a similar line: not folding in the face of aggression when a fold is called for; because, you think villians will read your action as weak and try to push you around in future hands.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think that also goes hand in hand with the knee jerk re-raise or over call, instead of looking at the board and make a reasoned decision based on the reality of the situation.

[amoeba]

yes, I'll add:

concerning too much about metagame.

[intheflatfield]

Are you referring to Macro thinking vs. Micro (situational) or am I misunderstaning?

[TheWorstPlayer]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Over-estimating fold equity.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thats a good point. I understand the concept, but I am having difficulty applying it in practice (in a timely manner) Could you explain further?

[/ QUOTE ]
Sure. Easiest way is via an example. Let's say that you call a preflop raise from a very tight player with 87s. You know that he has a premium pair. Flop gives you a flush draw. Preflop raiser bets the pot (10BB) and he has 50BB left behind. You cover. Is raising all-in +EV?

Well, let's call folding 0 EV. So if you raise all-in for 50BB more and you lose, you are at -60BB. If you raise all-in and you win, you are at +70BB. You will win 1/3 of the time. So if he calls, you get 1/3*70-2/3*60=-$16.67.

But when he folds, you win 20BB 100% of the time. So we can solve for X in the equation:
-16.67(1-X) + 20X = 0 to find the percentage of the time that he has to fold for pushing to be break even. That gives us X = 45%. So if he folds 45% of the time, then our play is neutral EV. If he folds more than that, it is +EV to semi-bluff all-in. If he folds less than 45% of the time, is it -EV to semi-bluff all-in. A common mistake is to estimate the fold equity here too highly. If you always think that he will fold here more than half the time, then you will always push in. And you will almost always be wrong. I'd say actual fold equity here at NL25 is around 3%. At NL100 it is probably 7%.

I hope I did the math right. If not, someone feel free to correct me. I was never good at arithmetic.

[amoeba]

I mean, doing something purely to build a table image.

as people at low limits typically don't pay attention.

[intheflatfield]

That was very helpful

Thanks

[fimbulwinter]

[ QUOTE ]
I used to think of myself as a good poker player until I discovered this site and PSO. Needless to say my eyes were opened. I have since read TOP and SSH and am currently working on HEFAP. Right now I am in the process of evaluating my play for leaks.

I thought it might be helpful to hear what the most difficult concept to correctly apply, and or which bad habbits were the hardes to shake.

Please advise..

[/ QUOTE ]

good post. what's PSO?

for me it was learning how to play draws properly, namely in learning what stack sizes, opponent types, pot types, board types, etc. were best for playing draws aggressively vs passively. the amount of thinking that goes into what to do when i flop a draw is probably the most thought i put into the game on the flop.

fim

[intheflatfield]

[ QUOTE ]
I mean, doing something purely to build a table image. as people at low limits typically don't pay attention.


[/ QUOTE ]

That is so true, I still occasionally have to remind myself that sometimes being recognized as a good player is not as important as winning.

Everyone wants their poker ego stroked, but like your said this is counterproductive especially at the 25NL level.

[NYCNative]

My biggest problem right now is that I have trouble making big laydowns.

[intheflatfield]

[ QUOTE ]
good post. what's PSO?


[/ QUOTE ]

PSO stands for Poker School Online. Even though it's not real money, most people are there to improve their games and they often play tighter than a lot of cash games. Plus they have a lot of resources and good teachers (Al Spath, Rolf Slotboom, Jennifer Harman, etc)

The forums don't come close to 2+2 though.

For me it is playing "hope poker". Instead of folding because of what I think my opponent has I will (too often) call because of what I hope he has - and he has what I think he has far more often

[intheflatfield]

[ QUOTE ]
My biggest problem right now is that I have trouble making big laydowns.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ahh yes, the crying call. But as TOP points out, a lot of times it is correct to call down even if you are fairly certain you're beat. Drawing that line is still troublesome for me at times.

[fimbulwinter]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
good post. what's PSO?


[/ QUOTE ]

PSO stands for Poker School Online. Even though it's not real money, most people are there to improve their games and they often play tighter than a lot of cash games. Plus they have a lot of resources and good teachers (Al Spath, Rolf Slotboom, Jennifer Harman, etc)

The forums don't come close to 2+2 though.

[/ QUOTE ]

oh, cool. I hear harman is the best poker teacher in the world.

i'd like to revise my answer a bit, because what i said was right for my game 6 months ago, but not at the very beginning. as a beginner, the thing that i had wrong the most was my "scare" system. i was scared to make a big bet or raise and lost a lot of money betting half and 2/3 pot when i should have been overbetting or potting it. Ciaffone said once something like "I really felt scared doing anything but making a big bet here." I wish i understood that better earlier.

fim