[Study blog] Towards a more advanced poker strategy

[Study update: First impressions from my poker courses]

I had a look at the RIO Tournament Mastery course, and also started watching the Pokernerve Bounty Hunter course. What's common in both is, they utilize GTO play. I don't understand why they are trying to play GTO. I want to learn exploitative poker, not GTO.

Also, they are basically showing how to use solvers, like Holdem Resources Calculator and PIO Solver, which, also, I don't own. I don't understand why I should look at the solver GTO solution!?!

All in all, I am pissed with these videos. They are exactly what I didn't want to get!! I am hoping that at least the Hand History reviews they contain will be useful for me.

[Session results: A total loss]

In this session, I wagered $42.38, and played 19 games, ranging from $0.01 to $11. I had a net loss of $40.47.

All in all, a very bad session. I played very spewily, and didn't do well in a single tour!

- I played the $11 Bounty builder like a donk. I had my KK busted by QQ in a QJT flop all-in, where opponent obviously had me beat but I still called.
- In the SCOOP Afterparty 03 I got crippled calling an all-in in a multiway with QQ vs AJ and AK, when 2 Jacks came on the board, and finally lost with AQ vs 33 in a preflop all-in.
- In the Sunday Storm $0.11+R I lost as the final table bubble boy, one before getting the ticket, 6th out of 143! That was my last hope at winning something good, and so annoying!!

isn't charlie carol all about exploitative play? And maybe doug polk? Might be worth taking a look at their youtube vids.

Hey amatola 😀 You are right, both play exploitatively. I will have a look, and also whether I can get any of their courses. Thanks for pointing that out.

[Session results: A bit of study, and a small loss]

- Study notes:

Before the gaming session, I studied for 1 hour the RIO Knockout Mastery, and specifically the Hand History review from the early stages of a Mid stakes tournament win by OneH1tWonder. There's a lot of new points for me which I am going to try in my game.

- Session notes:

In this session, I wagered $11.61, and played 3 games, ranging from $0.55 to $7.50. I had a net loss of $8.15.

In the $5.50 SCOOP Afterparty 09-L, I got wrecked early on by a preflop all in where I was holding AQs vs A4s, when opponent hit a 4 on the flop. I got busted by the same player when I went all in from SB with 66 vs AJo, where opponent hit a flop straight. I rebought for 50xBB. I ended up running low on chips and called an all in KJo vs TT, where opponent made a set.

I played the $7.50 Bounty builder. I got a big stack early on. I made a call in an all-in from a tiny stack along with an all-in from a mid stack with A9s vs AQo and almost got crippled. However, I managed to survive and bust a lot of players from there on, and make some cash. I lost in a stupid way, when an opponent check-raised a QQT flop and I went all-in with ATo. I thought that he wouldn't raise trips there. It was his misplay that made me go all-in, to find out he had AQo and bust out.

Live to fight another day.

[Session results]

In this session, I wagered $21.78, and played 8 games, ranging from $2.20 to $5.50. I had a net loss of $7.35.

All in all, a usual session.

[Session results: A final table]

In this session, I wagered $51.70, and played 15 games, ranging from $0.55 to $11. I had a net loss of $9.75.

I managed to final table the $0.55. I was first for a while while down to the last few tables, but I got a huge cooler when opponent made a full house vs my trips, and I almost busted out. Hopefully I survived and busted out in 8th position.

[Session results]

Wow, it has been a while since I last played. Lots have happened since. This session I wagered $21.36 and played 10 games between $0.33 and $7.50. I actually won a ticket to the Bounty builder $7.50 from a $1.10 satellite. I am coming back with a small bang. I finished 9th in the Bounty builder $7.50, cashing $118.95. Last hand I played like a fool, when I went all-in on the flop with 99 against a pair of Aces. I am so happy I won that I delete this from my mind! I'm happy I still got it! All in all, a great day.

[Session results: A deep run]

This session I wagered $21.94, and played 9 games, ranging from $0.33 to $3.30. I had a net win of $56.65. I cashed most of that by making a deep run in the $5.50 Micro Bounty builder HR, where I finished 57th out of 6038 players. In the last hand I had QsTs, and went all in on the turn on a 4-flush and 4-straight board, but none of them hit, while villain was holding AA. All in all, a good run today.

[News update: A Royal flush]

Alright! I made a Royal flush. It has been so long since I last made one that I don't even remember it!

[News: New poker courses]

I finally got some good poker courses in my hands. I now have:

1.PokerNerve Bounty hunter
2.RIO Knockout Tournament Mastery
3.RYE Tournament Masterclass
4.Upswing - Winning Poker Tournaments - Nick Petrangelo
5.PADS on poker
6.Crush Micro stakes online poker
7.A-game poker Masterclass - Elliot Roe
8.Advanced cash game strategy with Kanu7

I am in the middle of working out which ones to study.

[News: New poker course]

I just got my hands on the Blackrain79 Elite Poker University course. I am in the process of checking it out along with the other courses I got recently.

[News: Christmas time study]

Christmas time is here! Now I have a lot of free time in my hands. A fantastic opportunity to study!

I now have 11 Poker courses. Having many courses makes me feel like I have so much to study that I won't have the time to. I need to be picky with the ones I will study.

I am studying the plays from Upswing Winning Poker Tournaments with Nick Petrangelo. I watched the $10,000 SCOOP Review. Now on to the $5,000 SCOOP Review. I am having trouble following the course. Nick talks very fast and in complicated ways. Not more than other coaches, but it is just as difficult to follow. It is a guy mumbling stuff very quickly without any further help.

I also started studying Blackrain79's Elite Poker University. It is vastly different from the Upswing course - seems much simpler so far.

[News: New HUD bought]

I finally gave in and bought the DriveHUD hud. I installed it and played a couple of games with it. I am still learning how it works.

I have been away for a while now, although I didn't completely stop playing. I had a big downswing, which ruins my confidence. I am fed up of getting my arse kicked! I have the poker courses but I don't watch them. Also, they are difficult.

I went over to another site for poker, Novibet poker, hoping to find soft games. I only played 3-4 tours and didn't win anything.

NEWSFLASH: I am officially a cash game player!!! I found out I can do well in cash games, so I will keep playing them. This way I am not "chained to my chair" any more, as happens when playing tournaments. I play Zoom games. I started playing at $0.01/$0.02 level. I noticed I am playing only 14% of hands

I also play Sit'n'gos, where I am doing well, often getting 1st place.

Hi y'all! So, I have decided to play Cash games. I've decided I will skip the lowest cash games NL2 level, and only make 8 buyins of that level before I move to NL5. That way I will avoid all the hustles of those levels and move up faster.

I am playing 2 tables at a time. I am using Hand2Note 3 to keep track of my play. Bring it on!

Here is a recent hand where I had my Aces cracked by a 65s. How did I do?

https://upswingpoker.com/hand/?hand=FCVQbS46

Upswing Poker

Upswing Hand Replayer

[Thoughts]

Yesterday I set a goal to move up from NL2 to NL5 of I made 8xNL2 buyins ($16). I hit my target, but because I was tired I decided to move up stakes in the next session. Unfortunately, I kept playing and soon lost half of the money I made on NL2!!! That shouldn't count because I have achieved my goal. I don't know what to do! Should I play in the NL5 or go for NL2 again?

[Thoughts]

Questions I am thinking about now:

1. What hands to call a 3bet with. What is a good percentage? It can be anything from 2.6%-10%. Which is best?

2. What hands should I 3-bet with? Should I 3-bet light? It can be anything from 1.6% to 6.6% or more.

3. Playing from the CO and BTN - How loose to play there? I think I overfold.

4. If I am OOP do I bet the flop first, or do I check?

5. How much should I bet my nutted hands on the river? Should I go all in?

6. In Cash games, Pokerstars shows I am playing 16% of hands. I expected it to be at 21% ideally, which is how TAGs and Sharks play. Why is it so low?

7. How do I play the blinds?

Always be strict with your BRM rules, otherwise why have them? They there to protect you when you eventually do play at bigger buyins, if you get in the habit of ignoring them now, you will carry on doing so.

[Thoughts: Stay aggressive]

Play good poker. Good poker is aggressive poker.

My new mantra is "Stay aggressive". Losing my aggression so as to take down pots is one of the worse things that can happen to me. That happens if I only play ABC poker, so I shouldn't do that.

Staying aggressive means, for one, always make continuation bets where necessary and steal enough pots. It also means to make enough 3bets, so as to avoid getting outdrawn by weak hands.

Equally important is sometimes to bluff the river. I hardly do that.

To do these things, I must not be playing too many tables (or at least I am not used to doing that), because when I do I check a lot and miss the times when I should bet to steal or protect my hand.

[News update: I am a cash player!]

Today I moved up stakes to NL5 and then to NL10. I was doing well on the NL5, which made me dream of winning constantly on those stakes. I had the best run ever in NL5. It was the first time I felt such big confidence in myself, and I was dreaming of a big future where I can make income from poker. I was winning about $60, but I eventually lost it on the NL10. Then, I decided to cut my losses and move back down to NL5 again.

My experience at NL5 was fantastic! I felt like a raging bull who constantly attacks and wins. However, my experience of NL10 was painful: I got outdrawn many times by better hands, and it felt like I couldn't run over other players with raises.

Grind

[News: My Hand2Note 3 is broken]

It is not showing the correct graph for my cash games. Also, when I choose to replay a and, it picks a different one than the one displayed. I am very frustrated.

[Thoughts: 3betting on NL5]

I have a sense that on NL5 people overfold to 3bets. However, I am not sure about how I should use that to my advantage. Do I gain anything from 3betting light?