what would be interesting to me is how to train yourself to get to the next step of thinking. right now im grinding 10NL to move up. but i can see from your posts that you think on the next lvl when narrowing ranges and how to bet.

any advice on how someone new would start to train themselves on getting to that next lvl of thinking?

glad to see you're keeping this thread up. I've been playing a lot more at PS lately instead of FT, so maybe I'll see you around on the tables

Great thread, thanks!

idd, ty for your input

Pls remove that avatar. Even a Barca fan should be ashamed of that game.

Should've sent a PM to the guy... Dont write such off topic posts..

wow 28/23 just seems so insane to me, obviously you are way better and more experienced but man I have no idea how people do it, although I know it can be really profitable. So you like raise 40% from the button? I always feel like Im really attempting to steal with a really wide range and then when I look at my stats it say I raise from the button like 20%.

Dont know if its already been said but I think that you should do a video, it will show all hands instead of just the couple of big/interesting ones that you post, I really want to see how you lay some hands that aren't worthy of posting. Dont have to commentate like a training vid, just recording without any sound and posting the vid would be great.

jackwilcox button play is so good. He raises from the button - someone feels he is trying to steal the blinds and re-raises to steal back. After that jackwilcox re-resteals His button and CO play is very very good. Awesome play
(it's really hard to call a raise out of position when you raised $0.75 to $2.75 and someone raises to $6.5 lolz)

most people usually have some rationality behind their decisions. in the heat of the moment at least, they think they have a 'good' reason for doing most things.

most regs think on the level of trying to work out what i have got based on my actions. e.g. he 3bet and now he is betting an A high flop, and ace is well within his range, but maybe theres a couple of bluffs.

so i try and think on the level of "what will villain put me on if i take this action instead of a different one". of course sometimes its not profitable to take deceptive lines because you can let free cards roll off etc, but yea...

most people are really polarized with 3betting and only 3bet for value with TT+ and AK. thats 3.2% of hands. if i have an ace, that drops to 2.6% of hands because of card removal.

so if someone has like 9% 3bet from the blinds (which isnt uncommon thats where most people 3bet from) and i have an ace, they can only be 3betting for value about 30% of the time or so.

a 4bet bluff needs like 66% fold equity (im not doing the maths here its simple to work out just look at what u win compared to what u risk) or something like that so can be easily profitable.

obviously i dont 4bet every time, it just comes down to game dynamics - sometimes i literally know i am going to be 3bet if i open this button so i can plan to 4bet bluff

yea i play like 50% vpip on the button. blind stealing is free money if u have nits in the blinds. also, there should be fish on your table whereever u are. the idea is to avoid the regs to an extent and just try to play with the fish. if i have anything remotely playable im getting in a pot with him.

as u move up the stakes u will start to see how important blind stealing is and how important getting into pots with fish (most 2/4 tables have 1 fish, and the tables usually break after the fish goes busto and everyone sits out)

so you really need to focus on the most profitable situations to be in, which is essentially playing a raised pot in position.


also i will do a vid, and will probs commentate a little on it just because. i dont do anything fancy though im just good at solid play

solid idea. Would love to read your observation on each one of the levels and the "re"-adjustments you made on each one of them.

fish who think "my pair/ 2pair must be good" basically they are pretty passive. if they continually check to me i am betting top pair on all streets for close to pot. if they show any aggression then i need a hand, if i have the nuts/ effective nuts then i am essentially making ridiculous overbets to stack them. basically playing transparent because it doesnt matter to a fish.

vs people who think "i wonder what he has based on his actions", im going to mis represent my hand sometimes based on what i think he has. its not something you can do all the time though because that would quickly become apparent if you played every hand the opposite of how strong it is.

people who try to put you on a range i guess are the best example of this. is hard to make an example off the top of my head but something like this:



say cut off opens and i call on the button with 88.
flop comes T83. villain cbets..
now, villain knows that the only strong hand i can have are... 88/ T8 suited/ 33 because TT+ i would 3bet pre flop versus cut off open (in fact i probably 3bet 33 too)
so therefore my value range is really narrow, and most of what im raising with here contains like a bunch of QJ/ J9/ complete air type hands. so hes never folding top pair or an overpair.

if i call instead, the turn comes like a 9, he bets again and i raise, he can probably get away from most overpairs and basically all his top pair hands because my value range has suddenly got a lot stronger.

so idea is that you try and work out what your actions will look like to the opposing player and what he will put you on when you make a specific play (regs are always trying to work out what u have based on your actions)

thanks for the reply. always interesting to read

You can raise pretty effing wide on the button, it's true. Even a terrible player like me wins money doing this. When do you think you'll be moving up, Jack?