Good answers.

I'm still not sure... =X or atleast, can't commit right now. My partner/good friend says he doesn't want our business starting to infringe on poker right now, but I don't think thats very fair to him so we'll see.. either way, I'll atleast be visiting for a week. Pretty sure I'm due for like a +4 bracelet upswing..

Jman what was your first thought after this hand?

Full Tilt Poker Game #4656729783: Table Rosebank (heads up) - $300/$600 - No Limit Hold'em - 19:06:06 ET - 2007/12/28
Seat 1: OMGClayAiken ($60,600)
Seat 2: Phil Ivey ($60,298.50)
Phil Ivey posts the small blind of $300
OMGClayAiken posts the big blind of $600
The button is in seat #2
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Phil Ivey raises to $1,800
OMGClayAiken has 15 seconds left to act
OMGClayAiken raises to $6,200
Phil Ivey calls $4,400
*** FLOP *** [5h Jd 8s]
OMGClayAiken has 15 seconds left to act
OMGClayAiken bets $8,200
Phil Ivey has 15 seconds left to act
Phil Ivey raises to $22,200
OMGClayAiken has 15 seconds left to act
OMGClayAiken has requested TIME
OMGClayAiken raises to $54,400, and is all in
Phil Ivey calls $31,898.50, and is all in
OMGClayAiken shows [Ah As]
Phil Ivey shows [Jh Ad]
Uncalled bet of $301.50 returned to OMGClayAiken
*** TURN *** [5h Jd 8s] [Js]
*** RIVER *** [5h Jd 8s Js] [4c]
OMGClayAiken shows two pair, Aces and Jacks
Phil Ivey shows three of a kind, Jacks
Phil Ivey wins the pot ($120,596.50) with three of a kind, Jacks
OMGClayAiken adds $12,000
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $120,597 | Rake $0.50
Board: [5h Jd 8s Js 4c]
Seat 1: OMGClayAiken (big blind) showed [Ah As] and lost with two pair, Aces and Jacks
Seat 2: Phil Ivey (small blind) showed [Jh Ad] and won ($120,596.50) with three of a kind, Jacks

'at least now i can payback raptor for all the stupid beats he sends me'

What is the single most important thing for small stakes HU (or HU in general) that needs to be done to be a winning HU player in your opinion?

did you have parts of his action?

Betsize and timing tells are learned with practice.

The best general tip I can give on the subject is, there is always a reason everyone bets the size that they do or at the speed that they do. Often it's because they want you to do something, either consciously or subconsciously. Try to figure out what they want you to do. Then, don't do it.

I think that playing HU is very helpful for learning hand reading and good practice for being put in tougher spots.

If you're not a HU regular, consider it practice when you play, not work. Maybe that will help a bit with the stress of losing sometimes HU.

I can relate to the annoyance of losing, no matter the stakes, though I can usually leave it at the table. I don't really know what to suggest. Maybe you should take some time and study variance. I've been shown some numbers, I forget where, that shocked me. Stuff like how long a losing streak can go on with reasonable probability. It might make you come to terms with the fact that you're often going to lose to someone worse than you.

I think having a different playing style can only be helpful. It's important you learn other playing styles. I actually had cero_z coach me for a short while. I just realized I forgot to mention him when I listed previous coaches. It was really cool to hear his ideas, not just because he's smart, but because his game is completely different from mine.

As far as personality, it probably doesn't matter either way. I think the main thing is that you get along, that you both are likeable and friendly. It's important that you believe your coach has a genuine interest in you getting better (and also important that he actually does).

I would find the best coach you can. I wouldn't worry much about fit.

Not at all. In general, I hate organized religion.

Besides the fact that most beliefs held by major religions don't make logical sense to me, I think religion causes too much (really stupid) conflict.

We already are divided by race, nationality, sex and socioeconomic status. We don't need another thing that makes us all different. Especially one with the built in premise that everyone who is different is wrong.

Mmmm. I think I had a set that hand. I almost never bet-fold on a board like that. That should make it a good spot to bluff, but it isn't because there are too many hands that have enough outs to make a player like movingsand just shove in. So many pairs also have gutters or oesd's and their two pair outs.
I've never heard of the book. That sounds pretty reasonable. Maybe I do think that way and don't realize it. I'll try to notice next time I play.

I think that the practice of weighing the pros and cons of two different options (or more) away from the table might make you able to do it at the table in shorthand. You kind've have a mini checklist in your head 'will he call worse hands here? no. Fold better? Maybe. If I check can he bluff a lot? Yeah. OK check.'

Hey J- I was wondering on your opinion of people who play poker instead of doing a job in which it seems that they have a lot of natural talent (for the sake of argument I will not include natural talent in poker). I only ask you this question, because it seems that you enjoy thinking and answering questions uniquely and sometimes with an unexpected perspective, which would probably translate really well in journalism, and explaining ideas to people who may need explanation to.

Great thread, bags of thank yous. No questions in this one, but a bit of rambling.

I have also come across the feeling of jealosy when my friends win more than me. Mostly I´m happy for them, but still in flashes a thought comes to my mind: "I wish he had´t won more than me". I sure don´t like the fact I am capable of thinking like that, but I am happy I admit those feelings.

I got my hands on a book "Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets is a book written by Nassim Nicholas Taleb" (which is imo a great read) and in it the author talked about comparative happiness; if you make 70k/year and your friends 60k, you will be happier than if you make 100k and your friends 120k. A generalisation of course and assuming you (passive obv) measure yourself by your income. And even if you don´t (like prolly few do), it is not uncommon to feel jealous when a member of your peergroup succeeds at something better than you. For me reading that stuff helped me accept those really selfish thoughts. And after I have been considering them a bit I feel they are becoming weaker and fewer, which is nice.

Man I can´t express myself clearly in english. But I was really happy that a stand-up guy like yourself adressed this issue and admitted the selfish feelings.

Also in the book was talk about negative impulses to brain being 3 or 4 times more powerful than positive ones. Since I´m prone to tilting I wasn´t that surprised.

Do you know who I am?

Jay,
As you've been told this well is awesome, and you are the mortal.... 3rd nut of the universe (not like the 3rd nut that a friend in high school had (but as cool) but like the 3rd poker nut of the universe).

I dont know if it is a common occurance, but I tend to mind hump poker to such a degree that it actually may make the game more difficult than it really should be.

1) Do you think poker is a difficult game.
2) What statment could you make about the game which would make it simpler for the thinking yet struggling player.
3) What effect does your passive(ish) style have on your W$WSF

peace out

I don't really have any questions (well, I'm sure I do but I can't really think of any right now), but reading through your well, which you have done exceptionally well, has given me tons of motivation and inspiration to continue playing and building my way up, slowly. Thanks Phil It's awesome that you're of so humble nature.

-Sni

Why do the Redskins run so good and the Vikings run so bad?

Blocking

blocking bets usually do the trick.

jman ballin comments about religion

late to respond to this but might the difference here be that Jman is a hu specialist and you are more theory oriented?

phil,

even though you didnt answer any of my questions
i want to echo everyone and say that your ability to articulate complex ideas is amazing and your writing in general is really top quality.

i def think you have a great future outside the world of poker and thanks for putting so much time, energy, and thought into this well.

sticky FTW.

Hey dudes.

I'm setting up for a NYE Party tonight, and then I'll have friends in town for the next week or so. I won't have much time to play or update this thread. I'm not finished yet though.

Happy New Year.

LOL Happy New Year indeed - this is going to be one deep ****ing well.

Thanks & thanks again

f

As far as I know, one of the main rules in improv is to never contradict your partner. Don't say "no", in other words. In poker that would mean never folding, and that would be pretty easily exploitable. So...try a different skit.

Jman, great thread. Whom would you like to do a well after you?

Jman, great read.
It's so seldom to hear someone write in such a lucid, coherent and comprehensive way about poker.

that's all.

Another guy saying thanks for a great thread. One quick question - you describe the shots you have taken as relatively aggressive as compared to your bankroll. Can you elaborate more using # of bi's? I feel that I have a pretty aggressive strategy at times, by taking anything over 20BIs for a given limit to take a shot at the next highest limit with and if it sticks - it sticks. Is this along the lines of how you have done it?