I found this video on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVzwbfTatR0

There are a couple other Live-at-the-Bike $20/$40 games that have videos like these.

I was thinking that if such a video or even hand-by-hand blog of a typical low-stakes LHE table existed, I would both enjoy and benefit from watching it. I'm sure there are still leaks in my game I'm totally unaware of, so I think it would be helpful for me to watch videos, compare the decision I would make to both the decision the player made and any commentator reactions to the decisions.

Anyone know of any other videos or blogs beside the three I found on YouTube?

The information and steps one needs to take to beat any game up to (whatever level you can live off in your part of the world) is out there already.

I don't think you're going to find any ground breaking limit holdem information, because the ground has been broken and the structure is built.

This is the link I meant to post in the OP:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLPmUBLbUfk&t=118s

1. While that might be true, I think I might enjoy watching videos like these and seeing to what extent I agree with the commentators. Even if it weren't particularly instructional it would be entertaining.
2. What advice would you give someone who wants to try to determine whether or not there are leaks in his game he's not aware of, and/or wants to take his game to the next level and isn't sure how to proceed?

1) do your thing. whether it's fun watching others make vids, or if you wanna start making your own vids. It's cool with me.

2) we all have leaks, it's just the severity of those leaks varies by player that really affects winrate. For live limit holdem improvement in particular? Idk I haven't played live consistently in a long time.

Spend time thinking about hands.

1. Write down hands that confused you, even a little. If you're not questioning yourself enough, write down any hand where you're at the bottom or the top of your range and question why you've chosen to draw the line just above or just below that hand.

2. Don't be scared to struggle on your own. You will remember the result 1,000,000x better if you've sunk time into it. If Villain put you in a tough spot, figure out how he/she did it and how to do it to others. Vary the hand a little to see if there's a confusing spot related to a non-confusing spot.

3. Post it if you need to. But don't skip from 1 to 3.

4. Supplement your experience with others'. Struggle with other peoples' posted hands, watch videos from other games, even outside of your stakes. Go through past posts. Understand what some of the differences are.

5. Expand your own experience. Take a shot at a higher stake. Table change to the toughest table and seat change to the worst seat.

I don't know why you call 20/40 low stakes. Anyway.
Maybe somebody will find it useful.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...w_HMTpz9_okD4T

Another vote for past posts. Identify a good poster and comb through their history, both here and in the archives. Understand what questions they asked and answers they gave. Here's one to start: jesse8888

gr26 that's a nice link. Thanks!

Yeah I think calling 20/40 "low" stakes is kind of a stretch. It's for sure a legitimate mid-stakes game and plays bigger than a 2/5 NL.

Also, the opponents are usually different. Like, if you're playing 20/40, you probably have a little bit of poker ability (you've learned 99 is the nuts on JJ4-5-8 most of the time against a passive line, you've learned fold absolute trash when you're never good, you've learned AK is a premium starting hand, etc). In other words, a lot more level 2 play (thinking about what the opponent has), while low stakes is full of pure level 1 play ("what do I have?").

Really, with limit hold em, you should start w/ a good, rock solid strategy (and FL is great in that it can be learned via pure repetition, like "fold 22 from MP"). Then figure out how your opponents make mistakes and take advantage of it. If you're playing games where pots are massively multiway, run multiway equity sims and understand how certain hands are doing in certain spots. If you're in more aggressive games, figure out lines that work well for your value bets and your bluffs (ex: the flop bet - 3 bet in position HU is hard to balance as the pricing we give our opposition basically eliminates the chance of us having weak bluffs outside of being spewy. This isn't to say we should never b3b a flop HU IP, but should use it with discretion).

What does it say about me as a human being that when I saw his name I wanted to ask him if he lived on the second floor?

I haven’t clicked the link so this is purely just a guess. It says that you’re old enough to remember the Susan Vega song Luka.

I just clicked the link and am completely confused.

In the upper left it says "LukaSteel"

I'm seeing a lot of straddles (at least I HOPE they're straddles - the video wasn't clear on whether they were straddles or UTG raises, but players were putting 2 bets in pre from UTG with hands like 52o and Q5s. I also saw raises with QTs and QQ which are at least reasonable.)

Do "serious" players ever straddle at a full table? I don't see how it's ever profitable to straddle almost completely regardless of the table conditions.

Thoughts on adjusting your preflop play when there's a live straddle? I typically go into 3-bet or fold mode unless there are several cold-calls in front of me in which case I might coldcall with a standard late-position cold-calling range. The earlier my position the tighter my 3-betting range will be.

I'm not sure I'd EVER cold-call first in. Like if I was UTG+1 with 66, there's too much chance of one of the other 8 villains (including the straddler) actually having a big hand. Maybe from HJ I 3! it, but I'm not happy coldcalling it.

Just occurred to me that I haven't reviewed the Pre-flop checkup spots thread to see if reacting to a straddle is discussed there.

I know that somewhere in the pre flop post thread there is discussion about straddle play.

You should 3 bet 100% first in. In early position I would 3 bet anything I would open with. I may widen this range quite a bit depending on how tight players are to my left and how bad the straddler and blinds play. If first in from LP I wll 3 bet super wide. The types of hands included in this range again will be determined by how the blinds and straddler play post.

I like this.

Since everyone loses in the blinds, a straddle just adds to the ev earned by the free positions. I would think that the button benefits the most, and utg the least, which is congruent with mongidig's suggestions.

I'm 99% sure that every player in this video either doesn't know how to play preflop or knows how to play preflop but isn't taking the game seriously. Over half the hands are straddled. The straddles are getting cold-called in 3 to 5 places including the blinds, often by trash hands like A7o, K8o, 42s, 62s.
Even when the hands aren't total trash like 33, 97s, ATo, KJo et al, as discussed in the previous post I just can't see how coldcalling any of these first in or even second in when you're not on the button is ever correct. I saw a straddler wake up with QQ UTG, get 3 colcdcallers, a 3-bet from the button, a cold-call of 2 from the BB and then he just called the 3-bet. I can't imagine that's ever correct almost regardless of the table conditions.

I've heard multiple players say that you can get away with being too loose preflop if you can play well postflop. So far the postflop play doesn't seem nearly as atrocious as the preflop play but I've seen a few what appear to me as clear mistakes (I'll post a few later). And even if that's true, coldcalling a straddle from UTG+2 with 42s has GOT to be taking it too far.

So my question for this post is, is there any chance at all that these people are better preflop than I'm giving them credit for and they've come up with new reasons to play those trash hands that are somehow profitable? I'm 99% sure the answer is HELL NO but I'm open to being told I"m wrong.

dal, if you're looking to study and improve, have you considered watching videos from the poker training websites? several of them have lots of videos from proven, long-term winning players.

watching video of a live game (where many of the players are bad, some perhaps are playing in a deliberately goofy way, and the announcers aren't providing strong limit holdem analysis) doesn't seem very helpful to me. it could definitely be entertaining though.

and no, being way too loose preflop can't be made up for by playing well postflop. you might want to more carefully curate your information sources / inspirations!

also, slightly off topic, but if i recall correctly you are on a limited bankroll or some sort of self-imposed constraint as far as the games or stakes you can play, right? that's perhaps a more important thing to focus on!

I agree!

I watched a little of these youtube vids. I don't think the announcers even play limit. There is basically no strong analysis happening and you could easily be lead into thinking certain bad players are playing correctly. I would turn the sound down and pause it when the flop comes out. Then I would practice thinking your way through the hand based on what the players have. What would you do? Practice counting combos, hand reading, should you peel or not etc.

Training video's are great. Do they still make limit video's? If you are watching older Vid's make sure they apply to the games you are playing or will be playing in. Many of the trainers play at the nose bleed levels so even if they are giving great advise it may not translate to your games. No matter what, they are a great way to learn how to navigate through a hand.

I would also recommend doing session reviews. I like doing it the next morning. Try too think through hands you won and lost. Try to solidify your reads on players. Post hands that you have worked through but aren't sure how you should proceed. Crunch some numbers and make sure you are making correct mathematical plays. Think about how you would respond in certain future situations against certain players. If they open from the HJ, what should you 3 bet with?

You *do* remember correctly, and I *am* focusing on it. Without going into unnecessary detail, for all practical purposes my bankroll for 4/8 is about 450BB right now. I'm sure that's plenty. My daily stoploss is 25BB which, although has served me adequately so far, may go up within the next few months.

Thank you mongidig! Even though you and I don't interact directly much I've always enjoyed your contributions to the forum.

1. Any particular training sites for LHE that you'd recommend that would relevant to soft 9-handed low-stakes tables? Don't get me wrong, I'm not against learning how to play in tougher games, but BvB and heads-up postflop encounters in small pots are rarer than a woman who means it when she says she's fine.

2. It's VERY entertaining, I'm enjoying it.

3. People like you, Breich, DougL, callypgian, jdr0317, nyrugby, Bob148, and countless others (PLEASE don't have hurt feelings if you've helped me a ton and I didn't name you!!!!) have been my inspiration for so long that one blonde with glasses who does funny accents isn't going to change that!

Here, let me actually post a hand:

This was the first hand of the night.
Folds around to HJ who raises, BTN ("hero") coldcalls J8s (I'd have folded it), SB coldcalls, BB calls.

8sb, flop K78tt none of hero's suit. Flop gets checked around. I think I'd have bet the flop on the button when nobody showed any stength. If anyone checkraised I'd call and make a mental note of it.

4BB, turn K putting two flush draws on the board.
sb bets, BB and HJ fold. I don't know how we can fold here - if anyone had a K they'd have bet or checkraised that ragged flop, so most likely we have the best hand, but the problem is, over half the deck puts us to a difficult decision on the river - two flushes could come in, overcards, straightening cards etc.

With that said, there's a prevailing mentality of, "Don't fold one pair heads up in LHE". To show down our hand we're putting in 2 bets to win 6, so we only have to be good 1 time in 4 to break even - as strange as SB's donk looks, I think we're good more than 1 time in 4 here. I'll see you at showdown.

Thoughts?

I'd fold pre flop. I'd probably 3 bet JTs

As played, I would bet the flop.

As played, I would call the turn. The SB could have a King, but he could have a lot of other hands given the action. The hero can't fold here given he has underrept his hand.

I think your call down math is off.

Pot size: 4BB before turn, SB likely to bet turn and river = 6BB
We will likely have to call a turn and a river bet, so 2BB to win 6BB
lose 3 times = lose 6BB, win 1 time = win 6BB

Where am I going wrong?