I started my coaching with Rapid Evolution today, having our first sweat with another to follow tomorrow. I managed to accrue around 2 buy in’s (sadly whisked away in later sessions) over the hour, which wasn’t so bad. Even during the sweat I did feel a little off though, I timed out way more then I normally do on non turbo tables, and I guess it felt like there was something missing. My final session of the day despite running like crap, didn’t have the same lingering feelings, so I think I can put it down to feeling a bit rusty after a week out of my usual grind, and feeling unaccustomed to 25nl, having been so long since I played bellow 50nl. The day didn’t end well, I finished around 2 buy in’s down. At first I was annoyed and frustrated, but I’m not going to let it affect me. I have another session with RE tomorrow to look forward to and I start my coaching with my other coach from Team Moshman on the 14th.
Myself, I’ve been doing pretty terrible since before the start of this year, and my biggest concern is in recovering the discipline and motivation to continue playing, as I think as leaky as it may be my current game should be enough to “win” at 50nl, and clearly its barely been doing that at best over these past 6 months or so. So for me personally a key component of my upcoming coaching will be regaining some confidence and for the coaching to support me in avoiding my own tilt and bad habits that have helped me fall into my present situation. Coaches can of course help you in all the standard way’s, by improving your techniques and general ability, as well as encouraging you to see things in a different light, and inspire you to aim higher.
Just as there are more then one approaches you can use with a coach to improve your game, there are also several coaching options to choose from.Coaching sites are really popular atm, most of the people in the community I know have a subscription to at least one of them, and this is a great cost effective method of coaching, many sites also include listings of coaches either the people who run the site, or coaches they have recruited, my own coach Rapid Evolution is listed on the popular coaching site Deuces Cracked.
I’ve had a few coaches myself, and a coach doesn’t even have to be someone who teaches for a living, it can be anyone, a friend who plays a little higher, someone in the community, a sweat partner, anyone can help. A few friends of mine have made some beneficial suggestions to me recently, concerning big out of game changes which could help me turn things aorund at a quicker pace. Things that I’ve been ignoring or putting off for some time, such as site change, as my main site has been getting worse and worse lately, especially after the recent changes. There are loads and loads of sites available to me, being that I live outside the US, and nearlly all will have attractive deposit bonuses, rake back or kick back incentives going for them. My main game is still by far online texas holdem, though that is another piont that coaches have brought up in the past. A good friend of mine is a big omaha fan, though I’m only just getting into it myself. I will definitely be paying more attention to the online poker tournament circuit when I break out of my BE run.
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Really sorry for not posting anything worthwhile, or talking about strat or anything descent in ages. I’ve been stressed, lazy and busy all round into one lol.
Primarily I only have one goal, that is to crush at 50nl, I don’t yet know what crushing 50nl in terms of wr will mean for me, but I’ve had 2 or 3 months of reasonably solid volume now where my red line has been negative and my WR has been far lower then it has been in the past. So in short, I plan to kick the shit out of this little rut I have found myself in
Objectives
Play 10k hands of 50nl 6-8 tabling without a HUD and really really focus on maximizing my EV, both red line and blue line, but there will be a bias towards red line.
Re-setup my HEM HUD, changing it to a very minimal setup to help me get used to seeing it and using it on my tables.
Continue to play 50nl this time using the HUD.
Build up my FPP’s and use at least half to grind tournaments at the end of the month or start of next.
Watch a least 4 coaching video’s per week, and post hands on 2p2.
So it has been a swingy month for me lol. I was playing both 50nl fr and 50nl 6m at the start of the month and forgot how to play both anywhere close to correctly. That was the first 11k hands or so. The next few bumps in the road, was moments of good play trashed by horrific spew as I tried to get my game back. All the way up to the last week my win rate has been ridiculously pathetic this entire month, even when I was pulling myself up out of BE, which was really getting to me.
Finally I sort of just said “fuck it”, and tried to un-do any changes I feel I might have made to my game at the start of the month, that may have put me in this position, as I was beating 25nl for 5pt in the first 30k hands, so beating it for ~3pt this month is rather crap.
More recently still I have made a few adjustments, which I believe are improvements, though these are pulling my game back closer to what it was previously, just more refined and better well thought out. I’m hoping September will allow me to cement my game back together and instill some more confidence back in me. Once I’m happy with things I’ll then work on setting up HEM, using a HUD for the first time, 12 tabling and eventually moving back up to 50nl fr.
I normally like to show off my money won at showdown and non showdown graph, but not this month, my red line has been a sore issue for me, so you’ll have to make do with the regular money won graph.
There are some positives from this month though, I have gotten more used to playing short handed, I am now a lot more comfortable playing HU then I was, though there is still a ton more room of improvement to be made. I exceeded my VPP goal and made Platinum Star, and I also completed the full reload bonus, and also sold 12, 500 FPP’s for a decently sized instant cash bonus, so money won and bonuses coupled together put this month has my best ever, in terms of fpp’s, money won, and volume, so that’s good.
Also new this month, is my copy of “Professional Poker” by Mark Blade, which I have been reading extensively over down time. I’m deep into the bankroll and win rate discussion chapters at the moment, though lots of this information as really been discussed extensively on 2p2, it dispels lots of myths on the subject. It also highlights the sort of return you can have in poker at various stakes / win rates and talks about the future of playing professionally. I’m only around 1/3 in so far, but I would recommend it to anyone who is seriously into playing poker full or part time.
Hero calls, I’ve ended up thinking about them so much recently that I thought I’ll write a few words about them. This must be a popular point of discussion as a quick Google for “poker hero call” returns numerous listings on it; how do you feel about them, do you love them, hate them? I actually find the whole dynamic quite interesting.
So for the uninitiated, what exactly is a hero call. A hero call is an unconventional call, one that you would hardly ever make, usually in a key situation, where the preceding action and the situation dictates that you are behind and should fold. Instead of folding however, you feel your are ahead of villains range and make the call, effectively beating only a bluff.
There is definitely a tilt factor involved with hero calls, perhaps equally so for the bluffer. Some may berate their own play after they call down on a rough board and end up embarrassed against the top of villains range, others may get tilted when there bluff shove gets called by 3rd pair, etc.
When it comes to making a hero call, I personally am a lot less affected if I make a “hero call” and it turns out to be wrong. In that case I am usually happy to accept that I followed my thought process through and made what I believe to be a correct call. I do much more often find myself dwelling on the hero calls that I do not make, part of it is the curiosity of wondering what villain had, or what villain would take that line with.
Bellow is a media clip from Poker Listings I found interesting, where they asked various pro’s what they preferred, a hero call or a big bluff. I’ve never really given it any thought before; I love both, though I bluff a lot more than I attempt a hero call. Perhaps that means bluffing is easier, I would suspect it is and perhaps more profitable too.
Pulling off a hero call feels amazing though, I bluff a lot, so pulling off a big bluff feels routine to me, and is a lot more ” just part of the game” for me then it might be for others, but I might go for a hero call once or twice a week out of 10-15k hands, so getting one right gives me a rush
Here’s a couple of examples of my own hero calls from some of my recent sessions:
EDIT: Here’s a more recent one from the 28th August 2009, villain tried to replicate a monster line from a previous hand that I paid him off on, but his line didn’t add up.
I’ve just hit kind of a milestone, I’ve crossed the 100k hands marker for the first time. Thanks to being off uni for summer it hasn’t taken as long as it otherwise would have done.
I am also now only around 5k hands bellow my 45k hand target I set myself for 25nl. As soon as I hit that target, assuming my bankroll is also on target then I’ll be moving up to 50nl, can’t wait
In other news, I am trying to setup a new venture, to support a few micro stakes coaches called Grind Core Coaching. Its just a place holder at the moment, but I should have some content up soon.
Well as I mentioned in my last post, April 2009 has been a really good month for me, comfortably my best ever. Its been a really good confidence boost and i feel I am settling into my own approach to the game nicely.
This months results.
Here’s my graph covering my cash games over the month. I won’t bother flashing my tournament graph as I only played a handful of them.
I played my first Million Dollar Men (MDM) MTT on Poker Stars last night after qualifying through one of the 100 FPP, 18 player satellites. These satellites are actually pretty good, 18 players start of, 4th to 6th get there stake back, and 1 to 3rd get entry. The field was a little over 11 thousand, and I made it to around 1300, for a $15 net profit. I was pleased to make the 2nd money levlel, but I was also really disappointed, I had my eye fixed on a 46th or higher finish, which is where the money started to accumulate nicely.
I think I played OK, but it certainly wasn’t a good performance from me, most of my money came from two timely appearances by aces. I wasn’t really focussed, and approaching the 2nd bubble, I was feeling the urge to hang on, and elected not to push over the top with AQs, its was probably the right play facing an unknowns early position open, but wanting to hit the next bubble was certainly a big part of my thought process, and I regret that.
I’ve been thinking a lot about tournaments recently, my good friend, has now eared close to double my entire bankroll in as little as two nights, although he completely ignores any semblance of bankroll management, and as much as I am really happy with how I am doing in my own area at the moment, I must admit to feeling a little jealous, having see him consistently take home huge portions of my entire roll in tournaments and double or nothing sit ‘n go’s.
It is very much me though, I felt it in my own tournament last night. I have worked hard since I started my cash grind again to remain focused at the tables, and have even begun to close my messenger and e-mail apps to help me stay in the zone, with tournaments though, I’m failing to pay much attention at all recently, often I’ll be seen playing my hands, cards face up and all, then I’ll hop back to another web site or distract myself with checking my e-mails and such.
I’m keen to get some play in tonight if I have the opportunity, my last cash session didn’t go too well, i called two streets to pay off villains set, where I should have just folded my TP, it was obvious as soon as the hand was over, but then it was too late. I was annoyed with myself all night, and still am, though I did make up for it in other areas, by folding AQ pre twice, not something I would normally do so readily, villain would usually get a call from me at least, but I saved some money here.
I’ve been enjoying the benefits of online poker for a little over a year now and it truly is a great thing for the game. Not only do I have the option of playing in the comfort of my own home, in any condition I seem fit, I have a whole host of games that I probably wouldn’t have even heard of if it wasn’t for online poker, and it is even more likely that such games will not be available to me in a card room anyway.
My current situation also forces me to play micro poker, so I wouldn’t be able to afford to play in a casino anyway, it just makes me really thankful for the opportunities online poker has presented me with.
I really love the idea that you can enjoy all the action and excitement of online poker without having to leave the comfort of your home. Come to this exhilarating new online casino, and with all the games available to keep your interest you wont be disappointed.
The biggest problem I have at the moment is getting time on the computer, as now I have to fight for access with my friends who seem to spend more time at the tables then I do lol.
Well, back to the Two Hundred Grand Guranteed, I was ill, so let me friend sit in my stead, he did well, but fell just short of the money. He’s been working hard at his tournament game, so hopefully he’ll do well in this Sunday’s Turbo Take Down.
As for me, well I’ve been steadily grinding 2nl again, and I’m feeling much better about my play, and have so far maintained a win rate I can be pleased with, although it is still very early days. I find myself playing less automously and thinking things through more, I’ve slipped up occassionally, but generally seem to be playing far better now that I’ve dropped down to 2 tables. I would still like to 4 table eventually, but before I even contomplate it, I’d like to be sure I’m beating the game for a win rate I am happy with, rather then just rush into logging volume. I will also probably stick to 2 tabling until my the issue with my eyes is resolved.
I’m enjoying having PT3, though I haven’t done much with it yet. I check over my stats after most sessions or at the end of the day, but I haven’t done any analysis with it yet.
My goals for the moment are to grind 2nl for another 20 buy-in’s, by that time I should be settled into my new game and should have a large enough sample so that I can move up with posative expectation. I will also probably do a few more satalites, especially the 70 FPP entry’s to the Two Hundred Grand, and I’ll probably withdraw from maybe 50% of any entries to save the tournaemnt $’s for bigger tournaments.
I’ve also got a 5c/10c home game on Saturday, which will hopefully go on for 10 hours plus, despite the expected limited attendance. So far I’ve done really well in our cash sessions, but all of my friends have been studying the game, one of which is probably playing onlne, on my PC more then me at the moment, so It certainly won’t be an easy session.
Welcome to Lucky Straights. A blog about my journey on the road to becoming a professional poker player.
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by Mark Blade, which I have been reading extensively over down time. I’m deep into the bankroll and win rate discussion chapters at the moment, though lots of this information as really been discussed extensively on 2p2, it dispels lots of myths on the subject. It also highlights the sort of return you can have in poker at various stakes / win rates and talks about the future of playing professionally. I’m only around 1/3 in so far, but I would recommend it to anyone who is seriously into playing poker full or part time.
