I've decided to create a blog here to pen down my thoughts as I try to climb as high as possible in this game. When I reach nl100z I'd possibly look to join a CFP.

I will be exclusively playing zoom on pokerstars, about 2k hands a day most days as I have a day job too.

I really like working with solvers as you can get definitive answers to how a range should be constructed. I have PIO (original version not 2.0) on my laptop, it's not ideal as I can barely run BvB spots as the tree is too big but since most spots are 3bp e.g. SBvBU it does the job for now. I also make use of the free features of GTO Wizard.

Graph of last month NL5z:



As you can see it's pretty flat though over this sample it's roughly 2bb winrate in EV terms. Redline sucks.



I've never had coaching before but last month I payed for one session from Confucius96 which identified my river agg as being a bit low so I'm working on that to improve my redline. Also actively trying to maintain a 10% 3b stat as opposed to my default 8%.





Would appreciate your thoughts on my stats!

Current bankroll is $166. Don't want to deposit.
Thinking of staying in nl5z for this month and then move up to nl10z in July.

Got some rungood today. Couple of interesting hands:

1. I think I have all the boats in my range and some AQs so thought a river shove might be thin. The guy is a nit aswell so might even fold out AK. Given he's a nit I should maybe just jam pre.



2. Trying to improve redline...



3. This 5x raise IP made me doubt he had a set so just sigh jammed.



4. vs a 46/43/47 villain over 300 hands lol he is a very special one

Had a short 1k hand session today. Some interesting spots on the river, whether to value bet/raise thin or not.

1.


2.


3. I have all the bigger sets and the A4s and flushes so not sure. Pool probably never trapping with a flush here even though GTO should.



This is why why redline sucks I guess. 22 should be easy shove. Learnt something!

gl!

ty!

Another hand from yesterday forgot to include. Again, regarding thin value bets. I block flushes and straights so went for it.

I think it's a fold preflop if we don't have information that the opponent has 3bet 15%+ SB vs BU.
Why don't raise on the flop?
Ap - yes, we can bet. I don't think Villain will check with a flush on the river.

Nice blog. GL!

Thanks for your comment! GTOwizard ranges says calling pre is fine. No reads of villain.
Raising flop is done half the time by PIO with my hand here, I preferred calling as I had the spade.

A couple of hands from this morning (UK bank holiday so no work today):

1. Exploit fold vs pool even though my K blocks straight? Think I would stack off with ATs though not sure




2. Villain is 39/29/24 over 30 hands. So 97s in his range. Not sure what his bluffs are on the river.



3. Went for a bluff with the flush blocker but still won lol

Just finished 2k hands for the evening. Some interesting ones:

1. I have never studied deepstack, apart from the basics. Certainly haven't seen preflop solutions. Obvious flatting IP is very attractive but the only reason I shoved was because villain had 4b OOP 2/2 times and I'd expect a 3x sizing with premiums.


2. River do I jam, x/c or x/f. Villain has reggy stats over 600 hands.



3. vs a fish



4. vs a different fish



5. I know monotone should be played passively, also mw so no idea what to do here.

1. In theory we should shove in 150bb stacks with AKs BB vs SB spot. I think it's okay against an aggressive opponent.

2. I would X/C OTR. We don't have enough equity for jam.


3-4. Ok vs fish

5. I think you play well this hand. Just take a showdown.

Cheers slyless for your comments!

Some more hands from today. Not a good session.

1. Bluff catching because I didn't think a 7 would use such a small turn size.



Looks like AQ is a mix but other Qx are better calls because villain can bluff Ax broadway straight draws e.g. AJ



2. Going for value/protection vs sets/twopair. Didn't think flush draw would reraise this small.



3. vs fish what do I do on turn :/



4. vs bad reg 1.5k hand sample his 3b from BB is 3% so decided to flat pre. On the turn I can't see any bluffs apart from AK, I didn't think his range would have 76s or A2s. Should have taken my time and folded as he might even be making a tricky play with AA/KK here. FWIW I would have folded smaller overpairs to this, I just thought my QQ was under repped but I guess all my overpairs are bluff catchers now so all the same maybe.



One thing I noticed is sometimes I put too much emphasis on sizing assumptions. Should perhaps be less rigid on these.

Another losing session today, here's a couple of interesting hands:

1. vs the 46/43/47 villain over 300 hands I've mentioned before. His 3bets and squeezes are always big so not much of a tell there. My Th blocker is too good I think.



2. Blockers

YTD of NL5z:



Winning at 4bb so why am I staying at this level? Well, I want to improve cheaply on some areas first as my nl10z results are not good. For example I'm now making river bluffs and call downs which I would never have done before.

YTD of NL10z:



Losing at -4bb.

Subd, GLGL!

Why zoom? You can get higher winrates at regular tables, and even if you end up playing less volume, >wr and tableselection means less severe downswings overall and you can move up faster.

Pretty sure most CFPs don´t care if it´s zoom or regular, the usual quantitative requirements from what I´ve seen are volume and stakes played, and for example at BrPC the # of hands/month at reg tables is 35k,so it´s reasonable imho.

But if you really like zoom, then obv play the format you like the most, keep working and results should come, even if at a slower and more variance-heavy way.

Cheers

Thanks for the suggestions FazendeiroBH, however I want to stick to zoom for now as I can get a lot of volume in easily without having to table select.

Today was a terrible session, coolers and bad beats especially in 4bet pots.

A couple of interesting hands:

1. Towards the end of the session, shouldn't have called as I have the As but villains fold to 3b IP was 3/3 over 240 hands so didn't think 55 or 66 was in his range too often.



2. vs a reg with 4% 3b. WP to him I guess.



3. Not sure if I can fold river vs a block.



BR at $115 now, hopefully catch a heater soon as I don't want to drop down or deposit.

Only noteworthy hand of the day:

1. vs likely fish

I think there is room to cbet flop a bit more, and turn a lot more

Rake is capped at 4bb at NL50 while NL5 is capped at 20bb. Don't know if 22 is a call or fold in theory given a NL5 structure, but it's for sure a lot less good to try to hit a set and play for stacks when rake essentially is uncapped an 100bb.


GL, I'm giving this a follow. I'm also building my BR up from NL2/5 with what I have left on stars, so might see you at the tables

Yeah I've been working on turn and river agg recently. Hopefully once the months over I can see some better stats.

Good point about the rake, perhaps I ought to be folding low pocket pairs then.

GL to you too!

Today's session was breakeven even though running hot in terms of board distribution. 3 hands today all of which are KK.

1. Nasty river, not sure if a T is betting here. Can't be a bluff for that size.



2. Terrible turn for my hand.



3. Gave villain a range here in equilab below, villain has to be strong given my large cb size.

I think on the last hand we have a call with kings.
Villain's range won't include all queens in a calling range. We'll have a little more equity.
But in general, folding is not a big mistake, given that opponents at the macros don't raise enough bluffs.

I don't know if a call is good here. Being OOP I prefer jam or fold. Unless you plan on donk jamming non spade or broadway turns?

About to put in a session now but for some reason can't join the tables. WTF pokerstars getting worse by the day...

Another losing session today, can't get out of this downswing. Hands:

1. My line does not look like an A so thought villain was bluffing. I had the T so called.



2. Exploit fold. Villain was 24/6/3 over 1k hands.

Going through a ridiculous downswing, about 30 BI from peak. Probably have to redeposit soon unless I catch a heater

AT hand I would not call the river raise. AT is literally the worst hand you should be value betting there and generally unless the villain is a huge whale, when players raise a bet on the river when they don't rep much it's usually for value.




Hand 2: The fold with 77 is just terrible. If he's 24/6 you can rule out a squeeze with 99/TT and KJ (Would you fold TT here??) . I honestly think KK and AA would be more likely to check back than QQ and both overpairs are likely to shove over your bet given the spr. Hands that would also make sense for him to check back flop and jam over your bet would be the two combos of AQs that didn't flop a flush draw and AKss. If he has the QQ then so be it, but you crush every other hand he can play this way and there's even potential combos in his jamming range that are drawing dead against your hand.

Cheers for your comments!

Hand 1, yeah you're right they just always have it.

Hand 2, I should make it clear that the 26/4 villain = MP who flatted pre so he can have 99/TT/QQ/KJs as we both check flop to the BU aggressor. I would stack off 99 here but 77 is bottom set so meh.