Just cbet the flop with KK. You're still going to have 67s I assume, and 88, so we retain a decent advantage on this board.

River is a clear fold as villain's range is flushes and bluff catchers that are pretty clear call/folds, nobody is going to try rep a full house here by turning something into a bluff when you're showing lots of strength and are completely uncapped.

I haven't played the past couple days as I haven't slept well. Some thoughts on this:

- I've considered playing while sleep deprived to force myself to think logically find the most +EV decision in a given situation despite certain factors being -EV in getting into this situation. I think this applies to a lot of things in life. I'm sure every poker player has had final tables on little sleep.

- The reason I haven't played is because I think the +EVness of putting myself through tough decisions while sleep deprived is outweighed by the -EVness of potential poor play.

Despite the lack of sleep I've continuously been thinking of poker theory. I'm almost just thinking of taking several months away from the tables to actually study and digest poker theoretically at an optimal level, and then come back and play.

However, the obvious counter argument to that is that it does not make sense to study poker and not play, as playing will help my understanding of conceptually sound play actually materialize within my play.

Yeah it's super tough to integrate any learnings if you're not playing regularly. Like if you just study 8 hours a day for a week, you're going to have a tough time with all the moving parts when you play again. If you do a little bit of study every day and then play lots, you can better integrate the single learning point you had because you can more easily keep on top of how that change affects other correlated things.

Solid session tonight. A couple interesting hands I might review tomorrow. I think I made a solid play once tonight by folding pre.

Fishy player opens 3bb in CO with 83bb stack, folds to me with 99 in SB. I only have like 18 hands on this guy, so I doon't know his fold to 3bet stat, but I know that 99 is a low freq 3bet sbvsCO. There is a reg behind so calling isn't an option. I decided to fold and not 3bet, only because I felt that my postflop skills in 3bet pots OOP do not give me enough of an advantage vs this player to make playing 99 OOP in a 3bet pot worth it. I think understanding my limitations, and recognizing where I have and have not studied the game tree is helping me.

On the other hand, I made an error in another spot pre vs unknown. BU opens, I 3bet in BB with TT, he 4bts to like 26bb. I check solved ranges and it is 50/50 split jam/call. I decided to jam. I think jamming was a mistake. I think the most +EV play in this pool is actually folding, because I doubt that his 4bet bluff ranges have enough combos to justify either calling or jamming OOP against an unknown. I realized this immediately after the hand (he had an overpair), but it didn't really bother me as I feel like I learned something stacking off there.

99 is a high/full frequency 3bet vs CO there, esp vs a weaker player. If you're feeling uncomfortable OOP in 3bps, I'd recommend spending a week's worth of study only focussing on looking at solves sb/bb vs mp/co/bu and look at how each of these spots differ slightly to one another.

It's a super nasty spot vs unknown; I think the play is to default to player pool tendencies here. I think BTN v BU in most pools is definitely on the underbluffed side of things wrt 4bets. 26bb is probably too big for us to call and yeah if we don't expect bluffs I think you're right that folding vs most is perfectly reasonable.

glgl

Yeah, you're right, I was looking at the wrong ranges.

Odd spot. I'm not comfortable at all in OOP spots vs callers. I decided to X/R here, as I feel this is a solid combo to do it with, especially with Ac. Probably low freq overall, maybe 20%ish with Ac. 3bet is super weird, and should probably have been an exploitative call. Turn seems like easy fold, as some straights got there. Looks a lot like I ran into one of his sets like 55 or 99. Thoughts?

PokerStars - $0.10 Ante $0.01 NL FAST (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

BTN: 136.3 BB
SB: 48.9 BB
BB: 100 BB
UTG: 149.7 BB
Hero (MP): 107.3 BB
CO: 116.7 BB

6 players post ante of 0.1 BB, SB posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 2.1 BB) Hero has A A

fold, Hero raises to 2.8 BB, fold, BTN calls 2.8 BB, fold, fold

Flop: (7.7 BB, 2 players) J 5 9
Hero checks, BTN bets 3.7 BB, Hero raises to 13.5 BB, BTN raises to 35 BB, Hero calls 21.5 BB

Turn: (77.7 BB, 2 players) K
Hero checks, BTN bets 74.2 BB, fold

BTN wins 74.2 BB

Nasty one. Vs a nit I think you can muck this combo on the flop blocking his draws and AJ overplays.

The fact that I have the Ac is one of the main reasons I called flop. Do you like the X/R?

Think x/c flop is better, x/r would be better w no club

Think I'd rather be more polarised here to something like sets and two pair+draws. Can't be too bad though!

Interesting hand. Villain is 26/23 over 66 hands. Flop and turn seem standard to me, though I think having some x's here is okay. River is odd. I just don't see many regs donk bluffing at this stake. I think this is a K, as I don't think his 56 or sets flat turn.

PokerStars - $0.10 Ante $0.01 NL FAST (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

BTN: 100 BB
SB: 168.5 BB
BB: 100 BB
Hero (UTG): 122.6 BB
MP: 319.6 BB
CO: 43.4 BB

6 players post ante of 0.1 BB, SB posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 2.1 BB) Hero has A A

Hero raises to 2.8 BB, fold, fold, fold, fold, BB calls 1.8 BB

Flop: (6.7 BB, 2 players) 7 K 4
BB checks, Hero bets 2.1 BB, BB calls 2.1 BB

Turn: (10.9 BB, 2 players) 3
BB checks, Hero bets 7.8 BB, BB calls 7.8 BB

River: (26.5 BB, 2 players) K
BB bets 15.5 BB, fold

BB wins 25.3 BB

I guess we have to fold some value OTR and this hand just moved down in our range? Also loldonk

I'm inclined to think developing a donking range on rivers when you fear villain checking behind alot is okayish, but I could be wrong.

I just don't think 10z villains do this with air enough. I think a solver calls this often here, but I think exploitatively it is okay.

Had a rough session last night, just really couldn't get anything going my way and definitely made a few terrible plays.

Bubbled the home game the last two nights, which sucks. By the time it gets to the bubble stacks are usually short enough that my massive edge on that field when deep stacked is noticeably diminished. I definitely feel I have a lot more entitlement against this field than in regular games.

Regardless, September is a new month and hopefully my play and results are a bit better.

Currently my study is focused on the three bet pot section of the Kanu7 course. After I get through this I will go through the SBvsBB section. I'm also planning on buying play optimal poker books 1 and 2 and reading through those. My ideas and planning on studying GTO have changed in the past couple weeks. Before I was planning and thinking of GTO in an attempt to try and memorize spots. Now, I want to try and understand the principles and factors that a solver takes into consideration when making decisions, so that when facing a tough spot I can try and use that understanding to make the most theoretically sound decision.

I'm continuing to work through the mental game course, and finding that I'm playing significantly better and tilting much less. But regardless I am still making mental errors, though I feel that these are mainly poor logic and decision-making processes, rather than outright tilting and emotional decision-making. I feel more detached from the results of my play than I ever have, and instead of getting angry over variance I am instead much more frequently frustrated by poor decision-making on my part.

I think I may be one of the few PG&C threads in here where the person doesn't actually set dates and targets for their poker goals. I found in the past that I have overwhelmed myself by forcing myself to study poker. Poker is weird for me in that I can't just play it for fun, but if I'm going to play at all, I have to take it somewhat seriously and study and improve. I could contrast this against video games where when I played in the past I had no desire to improve or get better and I could just waste on the time without putting serious thought into it.

While I am undoubtedly taking the game seriously and working to improve, I'm trying to put less pressure on myself and realized that poker is just a hobby and that if I don't feel like playing this or studying one day, that it is okay and I'm allowed to relax. So mainly for this reason I don't set hard and fast goals about hourly commitments weekly and specific targets. However I do feel like by Christmas I would like to be confident enough in my game and understanding of poker that I can start thinking about shotting 25z.

Obligatory August 2020 graph. Frustrating start running bad, but even more frustrating that the rest of the month was just breakeven. Evident I'm not clearly beating this stake, but I'm getting better.

Rough start to the month, atleast results wise. Variance was not on my side, but luckily only down one BI, felt like I played solid overall. But, they really just had it in every big spot tonight. A couple late hand bluff catches against fish that I didn't love, but eh.

I don't usually like posting my bad beats, but I'm going to hear to make sure my bluff catches weren't too spewy. The theme of today was reverse implied odds.

H1: Decided he can have 68o and all the sets so I just flat river. Top of my range, don't see anyone folding here.

PokerStars - $0.10 Ante $0.01 NL FAST (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

BTN: 191.6 BB
SB: 106.6 BB
Hero (BB): 101.2 BB
UTG: 102.8 BB
MP: 113.4 BB
CO: 226.6 BB

6 players post ante of 0.1 BB, SB posts SB 0.5 BB, Hero posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 2.1 BB) Hero has Q 9

fold, fold, fold, fold, SB raises to 4 BB, Hero calls 3 BB

Flop: (8.6 BB, 2 players) 5 9 3
SB bets 4.5 BB, Hero calls 4.5 BB

Turn: (17.6 BB, 2 players) 7
SB bets 13.4 BB, Hero calls 13.4 BB

River: (44.4 BB, 2 players) 9
SB bets 33.9 BB, Hero calls 33.9 BB

SB shows 6 8 (Straight, Nine High)
(Pre 35%, Flop 20%, Turn 100%)
Hero mucks Q 9 (Three of a Kind, Nines)
(Pre 65%, Flop 80%, Turn 0%)
SB wins 107.2 BB


H2: Villain was looking like a whale over a small sample, with a high AF. I think this is my best straight to call here with Qh.

PokerStars - $0.10 Ante $0.01 NL FAST (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

BTN: 69.2 BB
SB: 93.9 BB
BB: 34.6 BB
UTG: 367.6 BB
Hero (MP): 108.6 BB
CO: 129.5 BB

6 players post ante of 0.1 BB, SB posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 2.1 BB) Hero has Q K

fold, Hero raises to 2.8 BB, fold, fold, SB calls 2.3 BB, fold

Flop: (7.2 BB, 2 players) 2 9 T
SB checks, Hero checks

Turn: (7.2 BB, 2 players) J
SB checks, Hero bets 5.2 BB, SB raises to 12 BB, Hero calls 6.8 BB

River: (31.2 BB, 2 players) 7
SB bets 30 BB, Hero calls 30 BB

SB shows 5 K (Flush, King High)
(Pre 30%, Flop 43%, Turn 100%)
Hero mucks Q K (Straight, King High)
(Pre 70%, Flop 57%, Turn 0%)
SB wins 87.1 BB

H3:

Can't fold this, surprised he flats the nuts LOL.

PokerStars - $0.10 Ante $0.01 NL FAST (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

BTN: 83.3 BB
SB: 93 BB
BB: 101.5 BB
UTG: 100 BB
MP: 100 BB
Hero (CO): 119.6 BB

6 players post ante of 0.1 BB, SB posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 2.1 BB) Hero has A Q

fold, fold, Hero raises to 2.8 BB, BTN raises to 10.5 BB, fold, fold, Hero calls 7.7 BB

Flop: (23.1 BB, 2 players) 2 9 7
Hero checks, BTN bets 11 BB, Hero calls 11 BB

Turn: (45.1 BB, 2 players) A
Hero checks, BTN checks

River: (45.1 BB, 2 players) 2
Hero bets 21.6 BB, BTN calls 21.6 BB

Hero shows A Q (Flush, Ace High)
(Pre 28%, Flop 7%, Turn 0%)
BTN shows K K (Flush, Ace High)
(Pre 72%, Flop 93%, Turn 100%)
BTN wins 84.3 BB


H4: Stupid river convinced me he should have very few 9x and 4x.

PokerStars - $0.10 Ante $0.01 NL FAST (6 max) - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

BTN: 73.2 BB
SB: 103 BB
BB: 91.7 BB
Hero (UTG): 100 BB
MP: 73.4 BB
CO: 194.7 BB

6 players post ante of 0.1 BB, SB posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 2.1 BB) Hero has A A

Hero raises to 2.8 BB, MP calls 2.8 BB, fold, fold, fold, fold

Flop: (7.7 BB, 2 players) 5 8 7
Hero checks, MP bets 3.7 BB, Hero calls 3.7 BB

Turn: (15.1 BB, 2 players) 6
Hero checks, MP bets 7.2 BB, Hero calls 7.2 BB

River: (29.5 BB, 2 players) A
Hero checks, MP bets 17 BB, Hero calls 17 BB

MP shows K 9 (Straight, Nine High)
(Pre 13%, Flop 19%, Turn 97%)
Hero mucks A A (Three of a Kind, Aces)
(Pre 87%, Flop 81%, Turn 3%)
MP wins 60.6 BB

Played another short session and felt more of the same thing as the last month, just feels like I am not making any value hands. I'm not skilled enough (yet) to just simply be profitable with only my redline, and the last month or so just feels like I'm never almost making nothing better than top pair, like almost ever in any reasonable spot.

I've never experienced this before and it feels weird just seemingly only ever holding the bluff combos OTR and never the value combos. Hopefully it subsides at some point. At every other stake, even when losing due to poor play, it has never just felt like I can't make a hand.

Regardless, onward.

Those 4 hands there are pretty gross, 10z is such a brutal environment.
Only thing I would say is for H2 is, a) Does my opponent bet worse? b) would my opponent ever bluff here?

Since he is SB I would expect a lot of his flatting to be suited cards so it's difficult to envisage any bluffs.

I think you can potentially get away with folding river, as highly exploitative as it is.

When lots of money goes in at 10z it’s usually nutted but I can’t fault you for calling with near nuts. Of course there’s always random spew as well.

Don’t forget, if you’re not crushing a stake you can expect 100k+ hand stretches of breakeven or worse. Or 40 BI downswings. It’ll be rare, but just goes to show how deep variance goes.


I have literally felt the same thing WRT having all my bluff combos and never having value combos in certain spots. I would first make sure that you really are playing your value combos the same way as your bluff combos. Also do you use an RNG? There are some spots where ranges get so narrow it’s impractical to pure bluff a combo and remain balanced (if that’s what you are going for). There is also the question of whether you’re bluffing with the right combos.

GL op

I don't think you need to call AQo OOP to a 3bet. You can 4bet bluff it sometimes if you think villain has a 3bet bluffing range.

KQ is a fold. Peoples sizing tells you what they have in these games.

I agree that the KQ hand is a fold if V bets turn and bombs the river. As played though I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it.

I think calling a 3-bet with AQo COvsBTN is fine, unless they’re a huge NIT. You could definitely consider 4-betting but I’m rarely folding given table positions.

AQo is not a pure call and is a mix of call and 4bet in theory. Personally I will mix call/fold/4bet depending on V.

I agree I think I can fold H2. Probably H4 also, but it happened shortly after H2 so I may have been a bit tilted. Though I don't know if I was tilted, because I think I'm def folding if I don't river a set.

A painful day off the tables.

Got diagnosed with carpal tunnel, in addition to already having tendonitis in my wrists. Fun.

I already have voice dictation, ergonomic keyboard and mouse.

I think I'm going to add decision hotkeys in starscaption. If anyone has any insights on what works for them with stars caption or helper, please share.

Or if there is some way to use voice.

If you figure out a way for me to play online poker without moving a finger, please let me know!