I decided to do another 5NL video, for a couple of reasons:

1. Some people play 5NL, are trying to improve their games and will probably benefit from watching a video from the level they're playing.

2. I need more practice making videos and spending the 50 minutes saying salient things without protracted silence.

3. What the hell, it was fun.

The video is right here, in this very link, in this very sentence.

A warning to impressionable young nanostakers that wish to watch this: I did NOT play consistently well here. So if you absolutely insist on watching it, as your homework assignment, identify at least 3 spots where I claimed I was making the right play and talked to you about why it was the right play, but in fact the play was wrong. Bonus points for explaining why it was wrong. (50NL regs, don't spoil the answers for them!)

I almost didn't upload this video because I reviewed the session and realized I'd done a few dumb things (there's one hand in particular I butchered even while explaining on the video why my play was great--you'll know it when you see it, trust me), but it also includes quite a few interesting spots that maybe you'll pick up something from, so what the hell, it's only my dignity. So caveat emptor and all that, baby.

Wish I could watch this right now... This is a cool idea btw... videos with homework assignments for us uNL lovers. MOAR!

Maybe I should do a 2NL one

Yeah why not? I am teaching a friend of mine to play at 0.01/0.02. We skype, while I observe his table and play my tables. There are quite a lot of people at that level, and I am sure they would love some videos of a solid game. Just a complete solid game with no fancy moves or anything. Fat Value +EV game.

But you could probably get the same point across in like 34 bytes of text, save a lot of bandwidth, and a few trees

1. Who needs trees anyways?
2. Bandwidth is there to be used, unless you are in some odd place where they charge you by the megabyte.

Soooo... make the video I would make it myself, but I dont think I qualify to be making good posts yet.

Besides, its a lot more fun to watch a guy click fold for half an hour to get the point accross as opposed to: Play tight, steal blinds. Because to that they would just go... "OK" and shove with A10o against UTG raiser the very next hand.

I don't either, but what the hell. Making videos and then posting them for public ridicule is a kind of fun way of holding myself accountable for my play.

I promise to watch your video when I get home. How long is it btw? (Time wise) I think those videos should not be any longer than movie episodes.

Neither am I. Quantity >>> quality

Thanks for the video Zeth! I loved the last one.

I've just started watching till where you fold 55 UTG pre.

I've been limping my small pairs UTG because raises are more uncommon and we are deep stacked.

Should I be folding like 66 and lower UTG, UTG+1 from now on?

Also on the monotone board (hearts) when you had top pair K's, I think, and you fold to a bet. Wouldn't you be ahead most of the time unless another another heart comes? I mean, don't people like to bluff mono's?

I don't know what I'm talking about as I'm only an 2NL player and not up with the big boys of 5NL yet lol.

really good video, only thing I would say is that the volume varies quite a bit so it got pretty loud sometimes

Yeah, when he starts yelling at the fish.

there is one part where you suddenly increase the volume of your voice to say "screwed in the ass", but I'd just turned my volume up previously because I couldn't hear properly what you were saying before, so it came out very loud. I'm sort of hoping no one else heard that.

I love the disdain towards other players, like "lets see what this asshol e does", etc.

You shouldn't take that as offensive. I tend to refer to everybody as '*******'; it's kind of my de facto label for randoms. :P

I love to bluff monotone flops, but most of the randoms down at 5NL don't. That was a really loose/passive guy who limped preflop, then called a raise and reraise behind them. Then flop comes K94 and he bets $0.25 into a $1.50 pot, gets raised and minreraises. These actions are very consistent with a very big hand, most likely a made flush. Two pair/set are possible, but less likely because those hands are more often afraid of the flush and will raise big. So I don't think top pair/top kicker is any good right now, and even if it is I could very easy get outdrawn if he has a single heart in his hand. Bad spot to try to make money. (This hand was at around 39:00 on table #1 if anyone else wants to look at it.)


It's up to you, but you should take a look at your stats when you play from early position with 55- and decide for yourself. It's just hard to make money from early position even when you do make your set.