rahaa80
1 points
I'm wondering weather I'd be wasting my time running solves on ranges I pull out of my head. Should I instead go and buy solved proflop ranges for the rakestructure I'm playing in? It's a big investment for a microstakes player, but then I don't want to be running solves with faulty inputs and feeling good about myself playing strategies based on irrelevant outputs?
Feb. 14, 2021 | 2:44 p.m.
The rake consideration is real all right. Over the 50k hands I've played so far I've payed 100usd rake. That's a crispy 50 buy ins. I'm planning on moving up if I'm breaking even at a given stake for a significant sample since at these stakes bankroll isn't a huge deal in terms of real world money. Biggest thing I've done for my mental game so far is to not play long sessions. I've not played over 1k hands in one sitting since the infamous two 10k hands all-nighters and the results speak for themselves.
Feb. 14, 2021 | 2:38 p.m.
Yeah. I havn't really studied flatting ranges yet, but looking into how much I'm over defending by calling will be interesting once I do!
Feb. 13, 2021 | 7:25 p.m.
MONTH 1: starting out and losing money
This is the month I started poker again, got robbed by the millionair with bad hair and terrible taste in clothing paying 100usd to hear him brag about getting slowrolled while playing Dneg, completed Peter Clarkes beginner stuff and fell in love with the game.
I only started tracking my time recently, so the stats here represent only the past weeks not the whole month. Since 22.1 I've studied for 64 hours. Over the whole month I've played 46k hands at a solid winrate of -3.25bb/100. I'm actually surprised how good that is. Especially considering the two 10k sessons of not sleaping and playing badly. Discounting those sessions I'm actually brake even on the dot.
My studies have focused on Peter Clarke stuff, namely taking notes on the grinders manual and his course at rio. I've dabbled in other stuff too, most notably smartpokerstudy:s stuff about database analysis and flopzilla work. I feel like I have learned a ton. I think about poker completely differently now than I did just a month ago. I doubt that next month would be a losing one.
In terms of networking I've got a guy on reddit to analyse a video of me playing and started talking to u/wetwist who's doing what I'm doing, just a couple months ahead.
I've also found that the games at ipoker are a lot softer than at stars and that zoom sucks. The rake and the nittines makes zoom very unpleasant to play.
Goals for next month:
Play 500+ hands every single day.
Study 100hours
Dedicate four weeks of study to the first four chapters in the grinders manual respectively. This study shall be done trough revising notes, applying them to hands I've played in analysis, playing focus sessions and more.
Here's a graph of the month
Feb. 13, 2021 | 7:24 p.m.
Hello fellow run it once'ers, I'm rahaa80 and this is my poker journal.
Background: I played poker in highschool winning a lot in home games, losing it all online. I never studied seriously, but I watched some videos and had a poker tracker. I mostly just looked at my graphs and patted myself on the back or cried depending on the day. Fast forward to 2021, when my university course moves into online teaching, which I have no patience for and I decide to give poker a second chance with my new and improved scientific and serious mindset. I have invested into poker an initial sum of around 500usd, depositting 200 on stars, buying some relevant software and tuitional material. I treat this investment the same if I had just bought a new videogame or started another hobby, with no plans to invest more if this goes sideways.
Goals: I want to be beating nl25 for 5bb/100 before the fall semester starts. At this point I will decide wether I want to keep playing for beer money (I'm thinking I could be making 1k/month playing 2-3h a day) or take poker seriously and join a cfp stable.
The plan: I will spend the first month of poker playin g500 hands of nl2 every day and reading Pete Clarkes manual as well as watching his course here on rio. From that point on I will focus on each chapter of the book for one week, doing further research, analysis on my own playing and possibly solver work on the topic. I will aim to study 4+ hours a day and play 500-1k hands a day. I won't be focusing on short term results. Instead I will internalize the mantra: short term results do not matter, once you've studied 1000 hours you will be beating the game. I plan to be done with my 1000hours before the fall semester starts.
I've already been playing for a month, so next I will be posting a report on my first month of poker.
Wish me luck!
Feb. 13, 2021 | 7:19 p.m.
iPoker - €0.04 NL (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4: http://www.pokertracker.com
CO: 239.5 BB
Hero (BTN): 125 BB
SB: 56.5 BB
BB: 84.75 BB
UTG: 107.5 BB
MP: 73.5 BB
SB posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB
Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has Ah Jd
UTG raises to 4 BB, fold, fold, Hero calls 4 BB, fold, fold
Flop : (9.5 BB, 2 players) Ks 5s 9h
UTG checks, Hero bets 6.25 BB, UTG calls 6.25 BB
Turn : (22 BB, 2 players) 8h
UTG checks, Hero bets 14.5 BB, UTG calls 14.5 BB
River : (51 BB, 2 players) 7c
UTG checks, Hero bets 68 BB, fold
Hero mucks Ah Jd (High Card, Ace)
(Pre 0%, Flop 0%, Turn 0%)
Hero wins 46.75 BB
So here trying to buy the pot on the flop is obviously terrible since he has almost exclusevly high broadways and I don't have AK, KK, KQs or any other king really. Not going to try and justify that.
However, when the turn brings a second flushdraw to the board and a straight draw, I decide to turn this hand into a bluff. My plan is to bet turn and oerbet any draw completing river. I'm thinking he has mostly Kx QQ, JJ etc here and not many straightdraws or even flushdraws. He's pfr is 10% btw so a total nit. Unfortunately I'm blocking both AK and KJ. I didn't think about this at the time.
Feb. 9, 2021 | 8:23 p.m.
is he checking AQ on the turn tough?
Feb. 9, 2021 | 10:17 a.m.
PokerStars - $0.05 NL FAST (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4: http://www.pokertracker.com
Hero (BTN): 122.6 BB
SB: 249.4 BB
BB: 190.6 BB
UTG: 123.2 BB
MP: 192.4 BB
CO: 87.4 BB
SB posts SB 0.4 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB
Pre Flop: (pot: 1.4 BB) Hero has Qc Kh
fold, fold, fold, Hero raises to 2.4 BB, SB calls 2 BB, fold
Flop : (5.8 BB, 2 players) Kc Ac 2d
SB checks, Hero checks
Turn : (5.8 BB, 2 players) 7h
SB checks, Hero bets 1.8 BB, SB calls 1.8 BB
River : (9.4 BB, 2 players) Kd
SB bets 9 BB, Hero raises to 41 BB, SB calls 32 BB
Hero shows Qc Kh (Three of a Kind, Kings)
(Pre 74%, Flop 82%, Turn 86%)
SB shows Th Ks (Three of a Kind, Kings)
(Pre 26%, Flop 18%, Turn 14%)
Hero wins 87.6 BB
The first mistake imo is not betting otf. I feel like I have the range advantage here and that I should be range betting for folds and protection. Second thing, on the turn my sizing should be bigger. Now I'm just giving villian good odds for his draws and this small sizing isn't going to keep him from folding air so I might as well bet bigger. Now on the river I'm pretty much sure he has a king here. He won't check a set of deuces twice, he won't check a set of sevens after flop going x/x. He can't have an AK, he would have 3bet it pre. Now if I'd gone with more reasonable sizing on the turn or bet the flop (also am I betting the turn if I had range bet the flop?), I wouldn't have the problem of how am I going to get money in. Now I'm deciding between a big raise (used here) or a shove. In hindsight I don't see him having many combos that he would fold to a shove that would call this sizing, so as played I'm thinking I should have shoved.
Feb. 8, 2021 | 11:32 p.m.
Very constructive and useful advice thanks a lot mate
Jan. 29, 2021 | 10:14 p.m.
Thanks. I didn't even consider the fact that SB should 3bet linearly. Very good reminder!
Jan. 29, 2021 | 11:04 a.m.
Thanks I agree completely. Just had to hear someone say it.
Jan. 28, 2021 | 2:38 p.m.
Agreed. That sizing should've been the last alarm bell I need to make the fold.
Jan. 28, 2021 | 2:18 p.m.
Can you ellaborate on why you'd think he should be raising AQ on flop and do you think he should be raising other Qx too?
Jan. 28, 2021 | 2:17 p.m.
This is a stupid question but I am going to ask it just to have that mental clarity on the felt in these spots.
PokerStars - $0.02 NL FAST (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4: http://www.pokertracker.com
BTN: 100 BB
Hero (SB): 101 BB
BB: 157 BB
UTG: 106 BB
MP: 100 BB
CO: 220.5 BB
Hero posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB
Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has Ah 3h
fold, MP raises to 2.5 BB, fold, fold, Hero raises to 9 BB, fold, MP raises to 21 BB, Hero calls 12 BB
Flop : (43 BB, 2 players) 9d Qs Tc
Hero checks, MP bets 11 BB, fold
MP wins 41.5 BB
As the only reason I'm 3betting this otherwise foldable hand is for fold equity, I should give up to a 4bet right?
Jan. 28, 2021 | 1:57 p.m.
PokerStars - $0.02 NL FAST (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4: http://www.pokertracker.com
BTN: 194.5 BB
Hero (SB): 116.5 BB
BB: 191.5 BB
UTG: 194 BB
MP: 316 BB
CO: 119 BB
Hero posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB
Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has Qd Kh
fold, fold, fold, BTN calls 1 BB, Hero raises to 4 BB, BB calls 3 BB, BTN calls 3 BB
Flop : (12 BB, 3 players) 4d Ad Th
Hero bets 7.5 BB, fold, BTN calls 7.5 BB
Turn : (27 BB, 2 players) 5s
Hero checks, BTN checks
River : (27 BB, 2 players) 4h
Hero checks, BTN checks
Hero shows Qd Kh (One Pair, Fours)
(Pre 62%, Flop 52%, Turn 18%)
BTN shows 8d 5d (Two Pair, Fives and Fours)
(Pre 38%, Flop 48%, Turn 82%)
BTN wins 26 BB
I cbet blop because I think he's not limp calling any aces whatsoever. I think He'll be calling some odd Tx or flushdraws. The turn does not help that range at all, so I'm thinking I might have been good for a second barrel? same thing on the river if I check the turn.
Jan. 28, 2021 | 1:47 p.m.
PokerStars - $0.02 NL FAST (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4: http://www.pokertracker.com
BTN: 100 BB
SB: 131.5 BB
BB: 321.5 BB
UTG: 252.5 BB
MP: 102 BB
Hero (CO): 109 BB
SB posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB
Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has Kc Ks
fold, fold, Hero raises to 2.5 BB, BTN calls 2.5 BB, fold, fold
Flop : (6.5 BB, 2 players) 2s Qs 6c
Hero bets 4.5 BB, BTN raises to 13.5 BB, Hero calls 9 BB
Turn : (33.5 BB, 2 players) Qd
Hero checks, BTN bets 18 BB, Hero calls 18 BB
River : (69.5 BB, 2 players) Tc
Hero checks, BTN bets 66 BB and is all-in, Hero calls 66 BB
BTN shows Ac Qh (Three of a Kind, Queens)
(Pre 29%, Flop 19%, Turn 95%)
Hero shows Kc Ks (Two Pair, Kings and Queens)
(Pre 71%, Flop 81%, Turn 5%)
BTN wins 194.5 BB
Preflop seems standard. On the flop I cbet for value. When villian raises I'm thinking he won't have a queen exept QQ or AQ and I think he would have raised QQ and at least AQ suited pre. He should be calling Qx since it's ahead of my cbet range but not my call range. All that I can see him having is either A flushdraw with Axs or something like JTs, or he has a set. I'm thinking I have to call here since his range is very much overbluffing. I'm planning to give up if the flush hits and bluff catch in any other situation. On the turn I decide I'd let him bet so I don't get raised. Looking back I dont think getting raised would've been that bad. Anyway, villian bets and I continue with my plan. I ran his range vs my hand in flopzilla. If he wouldn't bet Qx on the flop I'm way ahead, but I'm starting to feel a doubt there. If he has Qx I have around 25% equity which is enough to make this call according to the pot odds. I make the call with the intention to bluffcatch his missed flushdraws on the river. I do so. So my question here I guess is, should I have put those queens in his range?
Jan. 28, 2021 | 1:38 p.m.
Thanks to everyone on their insights! I guess I'm too eager to apply everything I learn. It makes perfect sense to not have a 4bet bluff range against this population or at least have it be very narrow.
Jan. 28, 2021 | 1:28 p.m.
Does anyone have a book out that talks about the solvers from a data science perpective? Like how they actually process data etc. I'd also be interested in books that are not specifically about poker solvers but other similar aplications.
Jan. 24, 2021 | 9:19 p.m.
Thank you! In review I was very surprised I bet the flop.
Jan. 22, 2021 | 6:29 p.m.
Thank you! I'm new to thinking blockers so this is a helpful reminder.
Jan. 22, 2021 | 6:24 p.m.
Thank you! I'm new to thinking blockers so this is a helpful reminder.
Jan. 22, 2021 | 6:24 p.m.
PokerStars - $0.02 NL FAST (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4: http://www.pokertracker.com
BTN: 105.5 BB
Hero (SB): 249 BB
BB: 108 BB
UTG: 100 BB
MP: 105.5 BB
CO: 86.5 BB
Hero posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB
Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has 6s 5s
UTG raises to 3 BB, fold, CO calls 3 BB, fold, Hero calls 2.5 BB, BB calls 2 BB
Flop : (12 BB, 4 players) Jh Ts 8s
Hero bets 7.5 BB, BB calls 7.5 BB, UTG calls 7.5 BB, fold
Turn : (34.5 BB, 3 players) Qs
Hero bets 22 BB, BB calls 22 BB, UTG calls 22 BB
River : (100.5 BB, 3 players) Jd
Hero checks, BB checks, UTG checks
Hero shows 6s 5s (Flush, Queen High)
(Pre 19%, Flop 29%, Turn 86%)
BB mucks 9s 9h (Straight, Queen High)
(Pre 17%, Flop 26%, Turn 2%)
UTG mucks As Ah (Two Pair, Aces and Jacks)
(Pre 64%, Flop 45%, Turn 12%)
Hero wins 97 BB
Preflop seems obvious with the pot odds even tough I do not like our position postflop. On the flop I'm not sure if I should bet. betting and especially betting this big in a 3way can scare away a lot of hands I want to get value against if I hit. I decide to bet anyway. I'm wondering weather a check call would've been better? As played we're giving villian a change to raise with his sets and JT. Flopzilla gives our hand 38% equity against a range I would assume either of them continues with. This is lowe than I hoped for. On the turn I make my flush and proceed with my plan to get value out of two pairs sets straights even strong jacks and AQ that floated with a ace of spades. I think they will only fold one pairs and sometimes JT. Here flopzilla gives us 75%equity which to me seems like gold. The river gives the J of dimonds which in game seemed like an action killer. I think betting would make non jack two pairs, overpairs, all nines etc fold. Of course all missed Ac would fold as well. this would crush our range. I decide to check. I cant remember if I was going for a c/f or c/c at the time but now I think I should have chek folded.
Jan. 22, 2021 | 5:44 p.m.
PokerStars - $0.02 NL FAST (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4: http://www.pokertracker.com
BTN: 98.5 BB
SB: 598.5 BB
BB: 107 BB
UTG: 109 BB
MP: 110.5 BB
Hero (CO): 266 BB
SB posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB
Pre Flop: (pot: 1.5 BB) Hero has Th 9h
fold, fold, Hero raises to 3 BB, fold, SB raises to 9 BB, fold, Hero raises to 21 BB, fold
Hero wins 19 BB
I'm thinking that in nl2 people generally overfold to 4bets by a huge margin so we have to have a 4bet bluff range. We cant have hands like A8s in it because we will mostly be dominated. With these high(ish) suited connector hands we have easier time postflop since we can fold one pairs easily, bet all kinds of draws, hit good straights and two pairs with out it being obvious to villian. Only thing I'm conserned is weather we run into a higher flush too often when we do hit. I think it'd be a better 4bet against bb since sb's calling range is going to be stronger, but I still think he'll overfold alot.
So am I wrong in saying that we should have a 4bet bluff range in NL2 and that this hand should be in it?
Jan. 22, 2021 | 5:19 p.m.
So you think he'd raise sets here on the flop?
I agree but the question really isn't weather to buy ranges to use them. I won' tbe doing that since I think my game benefits more from working on ranges on my own. The question is, should I buy ranges spesifically for solver work. I just have a hard time justifying spending hundreds of hours looking at solutions that have nothing to do with what the equilibrium actually looks like because my assumptions are not equlibrium.
Feb. 14, 2021 | 5:29 p.m.