What I have learned this last month

[William]

Poker is one of those games you never can say you have completely mastered. There will always be something new to learn, something to reflect over and most of all, something to correct/adjust in your game.

I know my game improves every month (thank god for that) and that is because I narrow the fields where I think I make mistakes. Some mistakes are more expensive than others, but some others we do more often, sometimes even when we know better.

As I don't play so many SNGs any more, the changes I make in my game are more ring game focused, but everything is worth a though.

-Whenever I get dealt a big pair, mostly AA or KK, I respect a post-flop raise/reraise and try not to loose all my stack on that hand. Early those 2 hands where all-in hands, no matter what. Despite the many bad beats, they are still high profitable hands in the long run, but to avoid the big losses the times they don't hold is a great improvement.

- I won't get involved with AQ/AJ in a raised pot. These 2 hands are already borderline/position hands, but whenever I play them in a raised pot and I hit Ace, it is incredible how often the raiser holds AK. I have decided these are 2-outer hands and, facing a raise, to be avoided like the plague in the future.

- I will use more often the notes features the sites offer. Not that much to remember the bad players, they often improve or disappear, but to remember the tricky moves of the more experienced players.

- I will start slowplaying AA and KK more often preflop. Too many times a raise UTG scares everybody away and I end up winning the blinds. I know it can be a dangerous strategy, but poker players are getting more and more agressive, and unraised pots are rare, so I think it is well worth the risk. Also because when other players are already involved in a hand, they are more willing to call a raise.

In fact, most of the improvements to my game this last month are ways to lose less in situations I know are dangerous. Profits can be made by saving some chips when you lose a pot just as well as by increasing the size of the pot the times you win the hand.

Have you improved your game this last month?

William /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[Pitcher]

Hi William,

I am working on some more fundamental issues that I have already mentioned in earlier posts. My work is paying off. My two issues are reacting correctly to opponents' raises' (including respecting post flop raises when I have AA or KK...) and trying to extract more chips with premium hands.

Specific actions that I have taken include this:

1. Don't touch the mouse until you are ready to make a decision about the hand.
2. Read the notes on my monitor all the time about not "reacting" to other players' raises and aggression.
3. Trying to identify patterns in specific players' play when they hit / miss a flop. I have resolved to spend 1 hour per day minimum (up from maybe 1/2 that, sporadically) observing likely opponents' play.
4. Stop "hammering" pots all the time with premium hands.
5. Slowplay AA and KK more often (just like your resolution)

So, I try to keep adjusting and learning. One thing I also try to do is look for some "out of the box" plays that will allow for more strategic play either during (or perhaps after) a hand.

That said, I have some questions for you about your comments on AQ-AJ.

[ QUOTE ]
I won't get involved with AQ/AJ in a raised pot. These 2 hands are already borderline/position hands, but whenever I play them in a raised pot and I hit Ace, it is incredible how often the raiser holds AK. I have decided these are 2-outer hands and, facing a raise, to be avoided like the plague in the future.


[/ QUOTE ]

How do you handle these hands in mid game (6 or fewer players) and at the bubble? So many players are pushing or betting big with any A or K10, KJ, KQ? AQ is a 3:1 favorite against A lesser kicker. How can you give that up? I am sure you meant this for earlier in the tournament, but wanted to get further information.

Pitcher

[William]

[ QUOTE ]
How do you handle these hands in mid game (6 or fewer players) and at the bubble? So many players are pushing or betting big with any A or K10, KJ, KQ? AQ is a 3:1 favorite against A lesser kicker. How can you give that up? I am sure you meant this for earlier in the tournament, but wanted to get further information

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, in fact I meant this in ring games, but it applies to full tables at tournaments as well (or in the beginning, as you said). It is obvious that the bigger the blinds get and the fewer we are at the table when playing tourneys, the higher the value of those cards.

William /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[t_perkin]

Well I have some overlaps with both of you:

Most of these I have commented on here before this month but I like the idea of this post.

limp reraising AA and KK in EP:
As you have already stated, EP 3BB raises get a lot of respect and it is time to start making a bit more money out of these hands. I will (almost) always reraise if given the opportunity which seems to be more and more often.

Extract more money with made hands:
As pitcher has said, I find that I am hammering pots too hard with hands which stand very little chance of being beat. I need to make more money out of these premium hands.

I think concentrating on both of the above have come with me having the "experience" to fold when I do know I am beat, even with a big hand and not get emotional about it.
__________________________________________
And now some things for the month to come:
__________________________________________

I am going to stop playing Multitable tournaments with more than 250 entrants. They just irritate me and they are nowhere near as profitable as SnGs and ring, at least for me.

I am going to keep playing a bit more O8. I need to get some books and watch some good players tho...

Lastly I am going to try and play more of my poker later in the evening or earlier in the morning. I tend to play a lot around late afternoon GMT weekdays which transfers to early afternoon EDT. The games ($30+3 party) are getting a *lot* tougher in that period. I guess there are just a lot of players grinding out a living there now. I played in a dozen or so last week which were as tight aggressive if not more so than the 2+2 US SnG.
I am trying to bankroll build a bit at the moment so I think this is not a bad thing to do (although I have not really *learnt* much from doing it!).


Then I am planning to have a pop at $50+5s at the end of the month. And I will be back in England!! WOOOHHOOOO

Tim

p.s:

Oh yeah: I am going to make sure that Euro team trounces the US!

[heyrocker]

Wow, this thread is a really great idea.

- It is amazing how many of us have learned in the last month that we shouldn't be hammering made hands. I've had the same idea as everyone else has. Occasionally you will get some idiot calling your all in, but it definitely seems more profitable over all to build those chips up as you can.

- A kind of subtopic of that, for me, is to just not be so eager to push all your chips in general. Take the time to think and have a little patience. I'm very good at this in live games but in online play I tend to reach first and ask questions later. The beeping timer doesn't help matters.

- Trust yourself. I have had a huge problem with getting reads on players but not acting on them because I did not trust my read. Then later you discover it could have been a hand you could have won, or pushed them off, or not called and saved yourself some money, etc. I can learn as much from my misreads as I can from my correct reads, and at some point you just have to have enough confidence in yourself to take action. If you're wrong, or it doesn't work out, analyze why and go at it next time.

- When things are tough, just take a deep breath and keep playing. April was one of "those" months for me, and I really shouldn't even complain because I didn't lose, it was just a wash. However I have definitely learned to take the bad beats in stride and just move on to the next game. It helps so much mentally to make this step.

Going forward:
- Delve deeper into the materials available to me. Specifically, catching up on all the books I never read. My poker education basically comes from TOP, TPFAP and HPFAP (and a lot of play obviously.) There are so many other great books and resources out there, and I'm going to start getting into them.

[eastbay]

[ QUOTE ]
Wow, this thread is a really great idea.

- It is amazing how many of us have learned in the last month that we shouldn't be hammering made hands. I've had the same idea as everyone else has. Occasionally you will get some idiot calling your all in, but it definitely seems more profitable over all to build those chips up as you can.


[/ QUOTE ]

Up next month: "Slowplaying is for suckers. Don't give your opponents cheap shots at drawing out on you. Take more pots down now."

eastbay

[t_perkin]

[ QUOTE ]

Up next month: "Slowplaying is for suckers. Don't give your opponents cheap shots at drawing out on you. Take more pots down now."


[/ QUOTE ]

yes I thoguht the same thing /images/graemlins/smile.gif maybe my "what to do next" should just read "play better poker"

Tim

[Pitcher]

Hi Eastbay,

Yea, take a few bad beats and it will be back to hammering away! LMAO /images/graemlins/smile.gif /images/graemlins/smile.gif /images/graemlins/smile.gif

Pitcher

[klagett]

I have vowed myself that I will learn to beat the 10/1 pp game during the day just as well as I do during the evening hours. For some reason it seems like a whole different breed of players has anybody else experienced lower rates during the day as opposed to evening sessions?

[mjohnson406]

I haven't been playing long, but the daytime games are much more difficult than the games around 9pm - 1am EST.

PokerTracker seems to confirm this. A majority of the times I don't finish in the money have occured with the sun shining.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that all fish are vampires.

[fat_nutz]

He thinks he's better than all of us, and that we should gather around to savor his pearls of poker wisdom! /images/graemlins/shocked.gif

What an a**hole!

[unfrgvn]

[ QUOTE ]
I haven't been playing long, but the daytime games are much more difficult than the games around 9pm - 1am EST.


[/ QUOTE ]

I find it interesting that two people posted this, while I seem to play well during the daytime (40% money, 30-40% roi) and poorly during the evening or weekends. My evening/weekend sample is a lot smaller than my daytime sample. Perhaps it is a matchup issue? (Like in sports, sometimes an inferior team(me) can beat a superior team(daytime players) consistantly but can't beat another inferior team(evening players)). Think I should put another conditional clause in that last sentence? /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[t_perkin]

If you don´t like what he has to say then please just ignore it.

He is a better poker player than I am, and so I am pleased to learn what I can from him.

If you disagree with something he says (as people sometimes do) then explain what and why and I, and I am sure many others would like to here it.

Tim

[DrPhysic]

You probably express it better than I, but here's my two cents worth:

William is a friend of mine, solely because of a relationship developed on this site. He is generous to a fault, both with his money in supporting tournaments (notice the challenges on KotZ6 and the NAvsEuro tournament), and with his knowledge.

It is not required of professional poker players that they share the hard earned knowledge that has gotten them where they are with a bunch of amateurs that would like to learn how to take away their income. William does so regularly on these forums, including "what he has learned this month".

Is William a completely arrogant a**hole? Depends on your point of veiw. When any one of us has supported himself solely by playing poker for 10 or 12 years, I think we might come across as a bit overbearing to the newbies that are asking the same questions we have answered over and again for the last several years.

When I can walk in his shoes, I may find reason to criticize. Until then, I will appreciate William's willingness to share.

Doc (A**hole in training)

[daveymck]

William seems to alsmost have a split personality he seems to save all his being an arsehole type posts for the Zoo, out in the serious forums he normally seems to post sensible stuff.

People get so upset on web forums, if you dont like then dont read or be constructive dont just throw abuse that is being an arsehole.

[DrPhysic]

Am I not trying to learn exactly the ability to one instant be a loud obnoxious overbearing bully and the next instant be so meek and mild that you overlook my full house?

The ability to change persona like a chameleon is part of it, is it not?

But I agree, if you don't understand what he is doing, or don't like what he says, don't read it.

Doc

[Pitcher]

Hi Fatz,

I gotta tell ya, I second what the Doc says. He has been a big help. From my point of view, his advice is spot on. I don't play against him (really only twice) but others that I respect do, and they say he is as good as advertised. This forum is very helpful in general. I went from a small loser (I was a pretty decend limit ring game player at B@Ms', small winner) to a fairly big winner. I might note that my monthly expectation is rising rapidly and my poker income is close to surpassing income from my consulting (consult for fairly big dollars for large companies implementing electronic mail systems) business. There is no doubt, I can play for a decent living...and it is due to advice from players like William and others. Please show them the respect they deserve. If you do, and you follow their suggestions, your game will improve.

Pitcher

[fat_nutz]

The question isn't whether Willy is an accomplished player, he clearly is since he makes $3000 in six hours of poker play.
The question is whether his arrogant attitude and asinine comments are appropriate for this forum.

[Wad]

Uh oh, it's the forum police again!

Run away! Run away!

[benfranklin]

[ QUOTE ]
The question isn't whether Willy is an accomplished player, he clearly is since he makes $3000 in six hours of poker play.
The question is whether his arrogant attitude and asinine comments are appropriate for this forum.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yo, fuzz_nutz:

You are the only one I've seen around here lately being rude and arrogant, and not just to William. William and others are long time contributors to this forum, and have gone to great lengths to share their experience with newer players. Some occasionally exhibit a little edgy humor. Lighten up, you might learn something.

[DrPhysic]

Look newbie:
As you are on this board for a while you will find that there are forums that are serious about poker (this one, Multi table tournament forum, mid-high stakes forum, WPT, perhaps some others) and there are some that are by design or tradition given to bad attitudes, general inflammatory remarks, and simple ignorance. You would fit right in on NV&G or Zoo (that's Internet forum to the uninitiate). Or maybe Beginners forum would be appropriate for you.

Which is a polite way of saying: "Go Away!"

It is not William's "arrogant attitude and asinine comments" that are inappropriate to this forum.

Doc

[Pitcher]

Fatz,

Read some more posts and look at some of the answers. This might change your perspective. The major purpose of this forum is to improve your poker game. If you make some friends along the way that is a big bonus. I think you need to look at this issue from this perspective. Assuming that William is "arrogant and asinine" (which I don't think is the case...) and his posts can help your game. just leave it at that...read the posts, make some more money and enjoy. If you want to have friends, that is an important bonus. Life is pretty empty without them. I only know William through this forum, but his attitude is friendly in my mind and therefore it is possible to build a relationship with that person. Ignoring these types of opportunities makes for an empty life. So, I will suggest again that you look at what he says and does in a kinder light. Who knows, it might improve your lot in life.

Pithcer

BTW - William you will appreciate my take on most players' inability to improve....this is pretty arrogant....

"I could tell everyone on the table exactly how I play in various situations and 99% of the time, it wouldn't make any difference" /images/graemlins/smile.gif /images/graemlins/cool.gif /images/graemlins/smile.gif /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[fat_nutz]

This tea-bagging contest you are all having to see who can fit the most of willy's willy into their mouth must be flattering him terribly. I bet he's rubbing vasoline all over himself right now, planning his next condescending post about how much money he makes from the 99.99999% fish out there.

(BTW, do you all realize he is implicitly calling you fish? does that not bother you?)

[Pitcher]

Alright Fatx,

I am done with you. This is not about William, it is about you. Grow a sense of humor, learn to play better poker, make some friends, and have a happy life. Its simple. If you can't do that, I won't bother responding to your posts or further responding to your bad attitude. Life is too short for this kind of stuff. From what I can see you are a fish at life .... no insult to real fish intended.

Pither - Out

[ThaSaltCracka]

I got this
Fat Nutz you are a bitch, to chatise a very good player like William shows how incrdibly stupid you are. He has given me much good advice, as has a couple others on here. There is no room for the outright disrespect you are showing to him and everyone else on this board. You should really stick your "fat nutz" in your mouth and shut the [censored] up.

[fat_nutz]

screw you guys, I'm goin' home

[ThaSaltCracka]

William,
I have been away from the 1T board for a while partly because I haven't been playing for a while, but I am going to get back soon(hopefully we can play a SnG on stars sometime, cheap one too /images/graemlins/grin.gif), I just want to to point out the stuff out of your post I like and don't like.
Like: [ QUOTE ]
-Whenever I get dealt a big pair, mostly AA or KK, I respect a post-flop raise/reraise and try not to loose all my stack on that hand. Early those 2 hands where all-in hands, no matter what. Despite the many bad beats, they are still high profitable hands in the long run, but to avoid the big losses the times they don't hold is a great improvement.

[/ QUOTE ]
This is a basic concept, but one that a lot of players forget, myself included. You have to know when to let go solid hands like AA and KK after the flop, you will indeed save yourself a lot of money.

[ QUOTE ]
- I won't get involved with AQ/AJ in a raised pot. These 2 hands are already borderline/position hands, but whenever I play them in a raised pot and I hit Ace, it is incredible how often the raiser holds AK. I have decided these are 2-outer hands and, facing a raise, to be avoided like the plague in the future.

[/ QUOTE ]
Raised is the key word here. I know I would probably still play this hand in a raised pot, but I really shouldn't. I too have been knocked out my fair share of time when I held AQ or AJ and my opponent had AK, it really sucks. These are hands you have to warry with.


[ QUOTE ]
- I will use more often the notes features the sites offer. Not that much to remember the bad players, they often improve or disappear, but to remember the tricky moves of the more experienced players.


[/ QUOTE ]
I think this only has value to higher limit players, low level ring games or SnG's I don't think this has much value.

[ QUOTE ]
- I will start slowplaying AA and KK more often preflop. Too many times a raise UTG scares everybody away and I end up winning the blinds. I know it can be a dangerous strategy, but poker players are getting more and more agressive, and unraised pots are rare, so I think it is well worth the risk. Also because when other players are already involved in a hand, they are more willing to call a raise.


[/ QUOTE ]
I don't like slow playing these hands as I am sure those that have seen my rants know, but I think if you know you are playing against an aggresive player this is a good strategy, against LAG players I think this is still a terrible idea. You yourself said, an unraised pot is rare, so why not raise with these hands?

[ QUOTE ]
Have you improved your game this last month?


[/ QUOTE ]
well lets see, I have played 2 SnG's in April. Took second in one, nothing in the other, so I think this sample is large enough to say that yes, yes I have improved.

[ThaSaltCracka]

go [censored] yourself

[CrisBrown]

Hi William,

Excellent post, and something all of us should do. I had a TERRIBLE month of April, and in about every way with the sole exception of finally finishing a novel that was five months late. It was as if a light switch flicked off, and every time I got in a pot I was dead. Oh well. So what did I learn?

/images/graemlins/spade.gif Call less. While obviously there are times to call, I realized I'd become way too loose-passive, playing call-and-hope, trying to hit hands. Now, when I see that I'm getting a little sloppy, I take calling out of my game: either bet/raise, or fold.

/images/graemlins/spade.gif Bluff less. This is similar to William's advice about respecting other players' raises/reraises, but it also applies when someone calls a bluff bet. It's fine for Mike Sexton to quote Stu Ungar talk about "firing a second shell," but most of the time I've found it's throwing good money after bad.

/images/graemlins/spade.gif Play AA, KK, and Ace-Face as "small pot" hands. Most of the time, if I go to the felt on these after the flop, I'm behind. I need to be content to take a small pot unless I have an improved hand (two pair or better).

/images/graemlins/spade.gif Apply the "double-or-half" rule. If I double my buy-in, take a break and change tables, thus banking the profit. If I lose half my buy-in, take a break. Several times this month I had more than doubled my buy-in, only to hang around and end up frittering it away.

/images/graemlins/spade.gif Drop when I'm down. When things are running sour, as they always can at times, drop down in stakes. If it's going to be a cold wave, it may as well be a cheap one.

/images/graemlins/spade.gif Notes. Again, echoing William's thoughts, I now bring up the PokerTracker "Game Time" screen whenever I sit down, and update it whenever someone enters/leaves. This gives excellent information if I've ever played someone, and if I haven't I know to look a little closer and try to get a read on that player.

/images/graemlins/spade.gif Play situations and not just cards. Again, this kinda echoes things William was saying. A good hand may be crap because of a bad situation, and a trash hand may be gold in the right situation. This includes position, stack sizes, prior action, players' styles, who's hot (it doesn't predict the cards, but it's a clue to how they might play a hand), etc.

/images/graemlins/spade.gif Avoid community pots. In some cases, a hand may justify sticking around in a 4+ player pot, but in general I need to avoid these. These kinds of pots basically take bluffing out of the equation, and even an attractive hand like two pair (not top two) may be dead to a "ridiculous" holding. (E.g.: 98s on a J-9-8 flop ... if someone raises me, no matter how unlikely it seems, he probably DOES have QT.)

/images/graemlins/spade.gif Ego doesn't add value. It doesn't matter that my opponent is an absolute idiot. His A7o still beats my KK on an A-Q-8 flop.

/images/graemlins/spade.gif Enjoy the game! If I'm having a miserable time, quit. There's no law that says I have to spend X hrs/day at a poker table.

These are just my personal observations, based on my own experience. Your mileage may vary.

Cris

[ThaSaltCracka]

[Pitcher]

Hi Chris,

Great post. I have a question about PokerTracker and I am not sure I like one of your points.

First the question. I really don't understand the Game Time feature in Poker Tracker and I have been wanting to ask for help on it. Can you point me in the right direction on this? Thanks in advance for any pointers or references.

I am not sure the following is a good idea.

[ QUOTE ]
Apply the "double-or-half" rule. If I double my buy-in, take a break and change tables, thus banking the profit. If I lose half my buy-in, take a break. Several times this month I had more than doubled my buy-in, only to hang around and end up frittering it away

[/ QUOTE ]

I believe the decision to get up should be made based largely on the quality of the game. You may win more money after doubling up. You know, it is one long session...blah blah blah blah blah.

Again, great post

Pitcher

[William]

Hi Cris, Salt

Nice to see you both around again.
Thank you as well to everybody for your support/kind words. It's nice to see that we are more than just some names writing about poker /images/graemlins/smile.gif

Cris, that was one long list. But it is true that there are many things to reflect about in poker.
I too have had a bad week at the NL ring games at Stars.
Suddenly a lot of new players have appeared.
They used to be 4 or 5 3/6 games at night, now sometimes there are over 10. It has becomed impossible to take a pot without showing the best hand, the new platers play any 2 cards, and you are hunted down to the river by 2/3 players everytime. I have seen/experienced bad beats that just don't belong in such high limit games.
I guess these new players with their style go broke at some point. It won't be to me, because I hate games with too many fishes in it. I like to know what is going on, and that has been impossible this last week.

I have however one thing to add to your list that I am convinced will help you a lot (even if I am quite sure you won't listen to me in this one).
In fact I have already mentioned once at the tables, you talk to much and you comment what your hand was the times you didn't win the pot. I know that this is your style and that you sit at a poker table as if it was a cocktail party. It is also much nicer if one can chat while playing, but at tables where you can win (or lose) thousands of $ in one session, you must be carefull, because no matter how nice they seem to be, the one and only thing these players are interested in is your money and if the way to get information out of you is to keep the conversation going, that's how it's going to be, everytime.

By now, everybody has a million notes on you, and that is not helping you to win. It explains perhaps to some point the bad month you have experienced. If you enjoy the chat so much, by all means chat, but do youself a favor, chat about something else than what your hand was. Don't believe either that you are just sharing information with the others. Chances are that if they are telling you what they had, it is just a lie. Whenever you read "I had AQ but had to let them go" you can be cerain that is just a lie with the purpose of finding out what YOU had.
Trust me on this one.

Anyway, I am glad to hear that despite last month, you are well ahead /images/graemlins/smile.gif

I have mostly been playing at Party for the last week. I have tried some limit games, up to 5/10 and I must say that it is incredible how many bad players there are.
I normally suck at limit, but sometimes it's just impossible to lose. I have also been playing quite a lot of SNGs. I have enjoyed the fast one-table kind they have at Party. Perhaps it is because every 3/4 months I get tired of what I have mainly been playing (in this case NL ring games) and need to try something else, so the limit games have been fun (it is always when you win) and the SNGs, at the 50/100 level, I haven't tried the 200 yet, are incredibly soft. I have played 18 of them (6x50 and 12x100). 3 times I was busted early with AA or KK, once I finished in the bubble because I made a very stupid mistake, once I finished 3rd, 2 times 2nd and 11 times first. I like the Stars structure, with 2 tables and 15 minutes levels, but it is true that the games are much softer at Party.

BTW, congrats on your new book /images/graemlins/smile.gif

Take care of yourself and the same to everybody else,

William

[CrisBrown]

Hi William,

[ QUOTE ]
In fact I have already mentioned once at the tables, you talk to much and you comment what your hand was the times you didn't win the pot.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for the kind words, and the support. And yeah, what the hell happened to the $2/4 and $3/6 tables? It has become like the $55 SNGs: the worst possible combination of total fish and real sharks. I know what you mean about wanting to know what's happening, and not having to show down the best hand in EVERY pot.

Regarding your comments above ... *laughs* ... about the one thing you can take to the bank is that I did NOT have the hand I claimed to have had. I (almost) never tell the truth when people ask me what cards I had. Instead, I'll pick two cards that seem to make sense in terms of how I played the hand, and the image I want to project.

E.g.: You and I were in a pot one time, at $2/4 I believe, and I limped in UTG. You raised it to $16, as I recall, and I called your raise. The flop was K-Q-Q. I checked, you bet $25, and I made it $75. After a long thought, you laid it down and asked if I had KQ. I of course agreed that I did, and you said you'd had AA. We then had a brief discussion about implied odds hands and etc.

I didn't have KQ. I had KK. *smiles*

Cris

[William]

I didn't have KQ. I had KK. *smiles*

I remember the hand *sigh* but I never asked what you had (I never do), you were the one who started telling me that you had KQ.

And as long as we are being honest with eachother, I didn't have AA, I had JJ /images/graemlins/grin.gif

William

PS. I had AA the next day, when you pulled the same trick on me, raised me all-in with 77 on a rags flop and donated all your stack /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[CrisBrown]

Hiya Pitcher,

[ QUOTE ]
First the question. I really don't understand the Game Time feature in Poker Tracker and I have been wanting to ask for help on it. Can you point me in the right direction on this? Thanks in advance for any pointers or references.

[/ QUOTE ]

It's really quite simple. When you sit down at a table, open the Game Time (or Tourney Time, if you're in a SNG) screen, and type in the name of each opponent. If that opponent is already in your database -- that is, if you've ever played together before -- PokerTracker will put up the following statistics: %VIP, %PFR, $BB/100 hands, and hands in database. If the info is in green font, the player is a net winner; if red, he's a net loser.

For example:

<font color="green"> BigTeeth (9%/6%/55/237) </font>

BigTeeth plays only 9% of pots and raises 6%, meaning 2/3 of the time he enters a pot, it's with a raise. In the 237 hands that I have data for, he's won 55xBB/100. This tells me BigTeeth is very tight and very aggressive. If he gets into a pot, I'm folding anything but a real monster. Why wrestle with a shark, when I can play with....

<font color="red"> GuppyChow (43%/5%/(35)/350) </font>

GuppyChow plays 43% of his hands, and only raises 5% of the time (about 1 in 8 hands he plays). He's lost 35xBB/100 in the 350 hands that I have in my database. He's a loose-passive player. I'm not going to worry about him raising behind me (he rarely does), although if he does raise I'm going to be very cautious. He'll pay me off when I have a hand, but there's probably not much point in bluffing him unless more detailed stats say he tightens up post-flop.

You can get a slightly more detailed summary on each player in the field beneath the table image, and of course you can double-click on any player in the list to bring up complete stats if you're more curious. I usually wait to play until I reach the BB (both when sit down and when I return from a break) and this waiting period is a good time to look over the more detailed information.

Also, if you're going to use this, make sure you have PokerTracker set to auto-request hand histories, and you may want to import them as soon as they come in (rather than after the session) so you have up-to-date stats on your opponents. This is especially helpful if you have four or more "wild cards" (not in your database), as it can be taxing to try to get reads on all of them. After the first download, though, you'll at least have data on the hands they've played since you sat down, and you may find that data differs from your perceptions.

[ QUOTE ]
I believe the decision to get up should be made based largely on the quality of the game. You may win more money after doubling up. You know, it is one long session ... blah blah blah blah blah.

[/ QUOTE ]

It sounds like you don't really believe this either.... /images/graemlins/grin.gif

Yes, it's one, long poker session. On the other hand, we all know that random events tend to cluster into streaks. When you've run up a bunch of big pots in a fairly short time, after sitting there folding hand after hand, it is easy to think: "Gee, this is a juicy table." Maybe it is, and maybe it isn't. Oftentimes, all that's happened is that it was finally "your turn." You caught three or four big hands, big flops, or ideal situations. That doesn't mean it's going to stay "your turn," any more than folding hand after hand meant the table sucked.

Yes ... SOMETIMES ... a table is demonstrably juicy, and yes, in that situation you should keep playing because you will keep making money. Yes ... SOMETIMES ... a table is demonstrably tough, and yes, in that case you should get up and find another table.

But most of the time, our judgment of these things is very clouded by recent events. You've run off three or four big pots and suddenly the table FEELS juicy, even though it's the same, very average table it was when you were folding all of those crap hands. And just as best hands come in streaks, so do second-best hands ... the ones that can bleed away your winnings in a real hurry. Worse, because you were just on a rush, you're feeling confident and maybe you stick with a missed draw or second-best hand just one betting round too long ... and ka-BOOM ... there went 25% of your stack (and 50% of your winnings). Then you "have to get it back," so you sit there and grind away, trying to manufacture hands that just aren't there, frittering away a little more here, a little more there ... and suddenly that winning session has turned into a loser.

So why not take your bows and get up when you've doubled your buy-in? There are other tables to play, and probably others every bit as good, or you can take a half-hour break and return to this one with a fresh buy-in and your profits saved.

Sklansky's "stay as long as the table is good" advice made a lot of sense when you might have had six tables (total) to choose from within two hours driving distance, and only two of them in any given cardroom. Yes, in that situation, if you're beating a table, you hang around because the time you would lose driving to another cardroom (basement, etc.) would be dead time in your "workday."

But in an online environment where there are always plenty of tables around, and where most are about the same as any other, there's no sin -- nor any theoretical error -- in banking your winnings when you get them.

Cris

[CrisBrown]

Hi William,

[ QUOTE ]
PS. I had AA the next day, when you pulled the same trick on me, raised me all-in with 77 on a rags flop and donated all your stack /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Yup, you got lucky on that hand.

What??? Your AA vs. my 77, all-in at the flop, and I'm saying you got lucky? Well, yeah, you did....

You had: A /images/graemlins/spade.gif A /images/graemlins/club.gif
I had: 7 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif 7 /images/graemlins/heart.gif

Flop: 6 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif 8 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif 9 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif

TwoDimes says:

[On a board of 6d 8d 9d]
As Ac 390 39.39
7d 7h 588 59.39

In short, I was a 3:2 favorite when the money went in. Now, what was it you were saying about respecting raises/reraises when you have AA??? /images/graemlins/grin.gif /images/graemlins/grin.gif /images/graemlins/grin.gif

Cris

[William]

In short, I was a 3:2 favorite when the money went in. Now, what was it you were saying about respecting raises/reraises when you have AA???


LOL, here, the key word is RESPECTING

AA against 77? I don't think I will be respecting your raises for some time /images/graemlins/grin.gif

Table image my dear, table image... /images/graemlins/grin.gif

William

PS. I don't remember the Str8 flush draw flop either. I think you are still writting fiction /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[CrisBrown]

Hi William,

[ QUOTE ]
PS. I don't remember the Str8 flush draw flop either. I think you are still writting fiction. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

What ... you think I pushed in on an obvious big pair with 77 because I thought you'd fold? Heck no. I'm blonde, my dear, but I'm not THAT blonde.

Table 'Eriphyla' Seat #6 is the button
Seat 1: LaJune ($374 in chips)
Seat 2: hawk17 ($300.70 in chips)
Seat 3: MobyDick ($267.70 in chips)
Seat 4: Fighter ($528.60 in chips)
Seat 5: TheBusDriver ($390 in chips)
Seat 6: 123shank ($477 in chips)
Seat 7: Mitchell396 ($387.40 in chips)
Seat 8: carl76 ($108 in chips)
Seat 9: CrisBrown ($353.05 in chips)
Mitchell396: posts small blind $2
carl76: posts big blind $4
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to CrisBrown [7d 7s]
CrisBrown: calls $4
LaJune: calls $4
hawk17: folds
MobyDick: raises $12 to $16
Fighter: calls $16
TheBusDriver: folds
123shank: folds
Mitchell396: folds
carl76: folds
CrisBrown: calls $12
LaJune: folds
*** FLOP *** [6d 5d 9d]
CrisBrown: checks
MobyDick: bets $80
Fighter: folds
CrisBrown: raises $80 to $160
MobyDick: raises $91.70 to $251.70 and is all-in
CrisBrown: calls $91.70
*** TURN *** [6d 5d 9d] [4c]
*** RIVER *** [6d 5d 9d 4c] [9h]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
CrisBrown: shows [7d 7s] (two pair, Nines and Sevens)
MobyDick: shows [Ah As] (two pair, Aces and Nines)
MobyDick collected $558.40 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $561.40 | Rake $3
Board [6d 5d 9d 4c 9h]

So I misremembered the OE (although it was OE after the Turn), but at the flop two-dimes still says:

As Ah 468 47.27
7d 7h 516 52.12

So you were still an underdog. /images/graemlins/grin.gif /images/graemlins/grin.gif /images/graemlins/grin.gif

Cris

[William]

So you were still an underdog

LOL, but I just gained 7% right.?

What does Twodimes say about AA against 77?

Nuff said /images/graemlins/grin.gif

William /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Pitcher]

Hi Cris,

Great reply. Thanks for the info on Game Time. Doh! Sounds easy enough to me.

As for one long session, I do not particularly agree with your point. Frequently you are just on a great table and leaving up or down just makes no sense. That said, I see your point, especially given how often the tables change.

Pitcher

[AleoMagus]

SaltCracka is our forum linguist. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

We all make long diplomatic posts and he translates them so flame war insinuators can understand.

/images/graemlins/grin.gif /images/graemlins/grin.gif /images/graemlins/grin.gif
Brad S

[ThaSaltCracka]

haha thats why I am here