Flip a quarter.

I run bad in flips though jk decided to sit this one out with potential for hail damage (playing it a little too safe) and wanted to get into some flop zilla for the first time while I was still thirsty on learning. Made a wide cold call range for the live games and rated about 20+ Flops. Rated them red/yellow/green based on a 2/3 c bet getting through at least 40% of the time. Just gotta bunch the Flops together in an easier to remember format and one key takeaway is villains don't flop flush draws as much as everyone fears

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Spent about 4 hours last night in flop zilla and I feel like I will be spending lots of time with it. I never knew what a GTO player was until I got back on these forums last night and I'm pretty sure my interest in stats (if I could redo college I would probably become an actuary) will drive me to put together crude game trees through flop zilla. For example what's my opponents continuation rate on a flop vs my 2bet and 3bet pre. What's my opponents continuation rate when he's the raiser and I'm the caller? And then extending this to turn/River plays as I figure out the flop better and learn more concepts...

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And I know it's not good to play like a robot at the table but I've been vibing it out and playing almost 100% exploitative for 9 years so I think I will remember how to do this while I strengthen my gto

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About to play live for the first time in a couple weeks - Horseshoe Council Bluffs (in town for wife's work conference). According to Bravo they already have 2 tables going with 4 on a wait list, 1-3 NLH.
BR at $1,350 and we're buying in for $300. Wish me luck!

Due to time constraints, had a short session at 2 hours. Lost about $130. The hands were flying by it seemed like compared to Jumer's back home. Seemed like I was getting a lot more solid starting hands than normal but could just be because of the higher amount of hands.

In general I think I played solid but I definitely ramped up to a higher aggression gear than I have been playing in the past. The table seemed like my usual loose-passive 1-2 game at home with a decent amount of limping preflop. The more I played this passive game back home, the more I got sucked into playing passively preflop instead of the raise/fold only preflop strategy that I know is more proper and less spewy if people can fold preflop to your raises. So today I said enough is enough and started opening and 3 betting more frequently at this game today. I think another factor that helped open me up is the blinds were 1-3 instead of 1-2 so there was more dead money in the middle to steal.

So you get the idea, after about 30-45 minutes the table had labeled me TAG, they could possibly label me LAG with the frequency I was getting double broadway or better hands and raising with them. My preflop raise was not huge and I was folding from EP with these hands, but I challenged myself to look for good steal spots when I had decent hands. The only hands I showed at showdown were AK and AQ so while they knew I was betting frequently they also were not going out of their comfort zone to play back at me.

Here are the interesting spots from the session, I would appreciate any feedback:

Almost everyone sat at $300+ stacks, with a couple short stacks ~100-150.
1-3 blinds

Hand 1:
Open in MP with 88 to $9
CO and BTN call

Flop: K 6 3 (Pot $30)
I bet $15, CO calls

Turn: 6
Check Check

River: 2 (BOARD K 6 3 6 2) (Pot still $30)
I check, CO bets $20, I fold

Analysis: I think while this is a good board to C bet HU, in retrospect I might hesitate to bet it in the future. I definitely would not bet it with a hand like AT. My logic for leading into 2 players seemed OK at the moment, I felt like the players were tight enough to fold PP JJ-99 half the time and when I am ahead I'm protecting my hand. Interested to see what flopzilla says for their range, I feel like this is a breakeven flop lead in the long run.

Hand 2
I'm dealt KQ in BB
MP raises to $12 and I'm the only caller

Flop: K J 10 (Pot $25)
I check, MP bets $15, I raise to $45, he folds

I think this is the right play in the long run, but let me know your thoughts. I am taking down the pot against some/most A high hands but I'm also put in a tough spot if I'm 3 bet. Though when he 3 bets I feel like it is an easy decision on this street vs. him getting 3 streets of value against a passive call call call line.

Hand 3
I open raise in MP with AQ to $15
CO and BTN call

Flop: A K 2 (Pot $48)
I bet $25, CO calls, BTN folds

Turn: K (Pot $98)
Check Check

River: 2 (BOARD: A K 2 K 2)
Check Check

I am thinking the only way I get value from worse hands is if I check on turn/river. Admittedly it would be a tough call if he bombed the river since I think any King would take that line. Luckily he took it easy since he also had showdown value - he shows AJ and I take the pot.

Hand 4
I'm dealt A 8 in SB
UTG, UTG+1, and I limp, BB checks

Flop: A 9 5 (Pot $12)
Checks to UTG+1 (last to act) who bets $10. I call. BB calls.

Thought process: I don't want to blow smaller flush draws off the hand at this stage, and if I raise I am probably only getting called by better hands. Plus the players at this table seemed to know the check/raise with a draw move so I thought it could seem too transparent. I think it's an interesting spot with a couple options. If I lead my flush draw would be more disguised.

Turn: 7 (Pot $42)
Checks again to UTG+1 who bets $35. I call $35. BB folds (hoping she would have the small flush draw and I would get implied odds, or close to direct odds for the flush draw if she called on this street)

River: J (Pot $112) (BOARD: A 9 5 7 J)
At this point I have showdown value and could induce a bluff from a missed draw. Check check. Villain shows 57 for 2 pair.

Hand 5
SB stack: $136
Me: $250
BTN covers

I'm dealt 33 in CO. BTN straddles $6. SB and I call and BTN checks.

Flop: Q24 rainbow (Pot $21)
SB checks, I bet $15, BTN folds, SB calls

Turn: 5 (second spade) (Pot $51)
SB checks, I bet $25, SB raises to $55 (she had $60 behind at this point), I fold.

After re-checking this pot, I am getting direct odds to hit an ace, 3, or 6 for what should be the best hand. Should have slowed down and counted my outs vs the total amount in the pot. Additionally, if she was as strong as she tried to make it seem, I probably will get her stack on the river on an A or 6. Either way should be a call and need to work on always calculating pot odds vs outs. In the moment, I just looked up and saw she had a small amount behind and folded.

I put her on a strong queen (and is anxious about the straights coming in) or set in this spot. I would not put AQ past her, she has been very passive pre flop and I don't think I had seen her raise once pre.

Hand 6
I'm dealt A K in CO
Our main villain has $156, all others are close or cover my stack size of $300
MP raises to $12, villain calls, LP calls, I raise to $55, everyone but villain folds. (I have been successfully squeezing a few times already at this table)

Flop: 9 4 2 (Pot $137) (Villain stack: $101)
Villain is new to the table, but seems to be the same loose-passive type that will call a prefop raise with ranges that sometimes include 2 broadways/mid PP

Villain checks, I shove...

Analysis: I think my preflop play is best considering how active I was (weaker hands can call me) and the sizing is right to get 0-2 callers max. If I just flat we are going 4-6 way to the flop and I definitely don't want this. If I make it something like $35 this won't stop all of those with money in already from calling.

On the flop I am jamming or checking, not betting half pot since I will be pot committed due to villain's small stack and he will have more incentive to chase with overcards. I am putting 77+/AT+/KQ in his range. If this is his range, I am ahead of most of it on the flop and my logic for jamming is to deny him his outs when he's behind. If I check and he leads turn on a non A/K turn I would have a tough decision. I realize he is only calling with better, but I wonder if in addition to hands I'm ahead of if I am gaining any fold equity at all and folding out mid PP's (a good player would not get cold feet but I wouldn't put it past some 1-3 players at this table). With my action I think any thinking player would put me on an overpair. Someone paying attention to the amount of hands I played aggressively could put AK/AQ in my range also but I was not pumping it so high so quickly other than this hand.

Villain reluctantly calls. He flips over Q9o and the board bricks out. In the long run I am loving his call with this hand on both streets but hated it at the moment.

Hand 7
I am dealt A 10 in BB
UTG (covers) and 4 other players limp. I raise to $23. SB calls (started hand with $75). UTG calls.

Flop: 7 7 2 (Pot $78)
SB reaches for his remaining $50 and changes his mind/checks. I check, UTG checks.

Turn: K (Pot $78)
SB quick checks. I bet $40. Both fold.

Analysis: It is easy for me to rep strong Kx hands, and when SB checks twice he is either slow playing a monster or is willing to fold. I am discounting any PP's for UTG since he did not bet on flop. Best he can have in this spot imo is AK - I am putting his range at this point in the hand at AT+/KT+/QJs (though in general I seem to narrow ranges and give villain's too much credit live), so I'm thinking SB will fold 80% of the time and UTG will fold 2/3 of the time.

Hand 8 (The most interesting boring hand)
I'm dealt A J in the CO
BTN straddles $6. He covers.
Folds to me, I raise to $15. BTN calls.

Flop: 2 7 4 (Pot $34)
I bet $17 and BTN calls.

Turn: 5
I check, BTN bets $25 and I fold hoping he had a PP. I am hopeful he has a PP when I fold but would not put floating (with how much he's seen me C bet) past him. Could also see him semi-bluffing flush/straight draws on the turn. Thoughts? I will probably post a couple of these in the LLSNL forums to see what others think too.

While I think that there is some merit to betting to protect a vulnerable hand, I don't think this is a great candidate. Our hand has little chance to improve or pickup equity, and there are no draws for our opponents to continue with.

Because we're OOP if we're called we basically have to go into c/f mode. I think given the passive table you've described I would check with the intention to folding to aggression here.

I think I just call the flop here. If we're 3-bet we have to fold and are likely denying ourselves a lot of equity. I think by raising we're massively over-repping our hand. What's your plan if he flats the 3-bet? Are you leading dry turns?

I like all streets except for the river. I think this is a perfect spot to bet/fold. Villain's most likely holding is a weaker A w/ some slow played K mixed in. I think it is unlikely that Villain will turn weaker A into bluff raises, therefore we can bet/fold to safely get value from his A while folding to his trips.

Bet/folding rivers for value is something I've been concentrating hard on in my game.

I think you played this hand fine. Might want to mix in a flop lead as you mentioned.

This one is interesting. I think the flop bet is ok, and the turn is close between a bet or a check. If you think the SB is calling the flop bet with underpairs to the QQ then I like betting as a bluff with equity. If you think she's only calling flop with a Q then I prefer a check.

You've correctly identified that this should be a call once she raises so small. You're not quite getting direct odds, but if you can assume that her last $60 is going in then we're gucci.

I think this is pretty standard given stack sizes. Checking back the flop turns our hand pretty face up, and I'd rather deny our opponent equity and also get him to fold some low pp that are beating us.

Hand 7: Nothing really to say. The fake bet by the SB is classic strong means weak tell.

Oh man, what did we do here? Raise more preflop, we're playing 1-3-6 w/ the straddle on and you only made it 15. That's 2.5x and way less than your standard open at these stakes. Raise more to build a pot and let your opponents make bigger mistakes.

Bet the turn. While the turn is probably a better card for his range than ours, he definitely can find folds with bad pairs here. We can fold to a nice size raise, but our hand is well disguised if we're called.


Overall, awesome detailed notes on your session. Do you use a note tool on your phone while you play?

Really appreciate the detailed feedback, and yes I just use a standard note app. This was the first time I was really trying to right down every interesting hand I played, and had a good enough memory to right down additional notes that night. In general if I wait more than 5 minutes after the hand my memory is horrendous. To make note taking faster I'm going to investigate if I can maybe setup a note template on my phone, say a Google sheet doc where I fill in the cards, stacks, positions, etc. Also want to take more detailed notes right after a hand like what I was thinking, my reasoning, if I was on tilt, etc.

I have seen a poker notebook on Amazon, but would rather explore the phone note route first since I think we would be giving information to others that we are paying attention (ie they might show less hands or might try to mix up their plays against us instead of doin the same thing all night)

Wow I said right twice instead of write haha

Try making a voice memo. If there's a hand I want to really analyze I just get up once I've folded a hand and step away from the table for a second. You can talk way faster than you can write and you can play it back on the drive home or whatever. Also really good to just talk out loud about the session in general once you've left the game. I like it. Some don't but worth a try.

Not a bad idea thanks I will try that

Haven't played poker since Apr 21 - been very busy with work and prioritizing some life stuff (diet/exercise/wife's health) over the extra time I had in March for poker. Was in Dallas for a week for training and thought what better place to play Texas hold 'em after hours? No poker rooms in Dallas? WTF?

Anyways, hoping I can at least get some hands in online to stay warm and so I can support my studying with my own HH. I have been working through SplitSuit's "live workbook" with Flopzilla so I can get a better grasp of ranges, but I don't want to spend too much time off the tables without getting in some hands between all the theory cramming.

One thing I haven't really thought of that I heard on a podcast is to start a "think tank" with a group of up to about 15-20 players, where you meet weekly for 30-60 minutes and talk HH, theory, strategy, etc. Would anyone reading be interested? I dunno if I would want to start one or just join one. My best nights would be Mon-Wed, and I think that would suit most live players anyways since the weekends are the best time to play live (and life happens on the weekends).

One interesting hand from a quick 20 minute session:

Playing full ring 10/25c on ignition.
This hand has 7 players. Most players including myself and villain in this hand sitting around $25. No reads on anyone.

We're dealt A T in the HJ and open to $0.65. SB calls and everyone else folds. If I was in the CO/BTN/SB I probably make it 0.75 and in general stick to the raise size depending on position when playing online.

Flop ($1.45) J 8 9
SB checks.
I know this flop nails his range, but in this spot I am looking to fold out pp's 66 and below, possibly get double/triple barrel through on bricks, and maybe disguise my range if I hit.
I bet $1.00 and SB calls.

Turn ($3.45) 7 giving us our straight.
SB now decides to lead for $1.38
No merit in raising right now with position, as I believe villain will only call with a straight (and QT beats us)
I call.

River ($6.21) A
SB checks. Hero?
I thought it was very strange he lead turn and now decides to check. At this point I know at worst I'm chopping so the decision becomes what's the right size? I think we can put a decent amount of 2 pair or sets in his range, and some strange stab bluffs on the turn if he had something like KQ and thought the turn would scare me off with his donk bet. I don't think he has KJ or QJ in this spot as it seems like a bad turn for him to donk bet for value. I think in this spot we bet small (<1/2 pot) or large (around pot size) depending if we think our opponent is willing to consider pot odds or if he is more likely to be stubborn with something like a set. Thoughts? Will post results tomorrow.

Been a while since an update, here we go:

Played a few live 1-2 sessions, had my highest score but also my biggest loss.
Live BR had reached $1,800, now we're at $1,150.

Overall this past month I have put in half of my time studying with Flopzilla and a hand reading workbook by 'splitsuit'. I've been taking better notes at the table (and keeping a running log on regs) and reviewing hands after sessions.

I recently decided to put in time online at ACR and downloaded a trial version of HEM2. My general plan is to play online poker if I have time during weeknights, and play live 1-2 weekends since I would be missing out on some $ by grinding micros instead of taking the same edge at 1-2. Basically, the main reason I've decided to start putting in some time online is so I can collect data on myself (and much more than I would live) with HEM2, get more repetition/practice, and identify my leaks quicker. Also, if I'm trying to plug a leak or experiment I can do so at very cheap stakes. Lastly, one of my long term goals is to win live tournaments. With the low stakes and vast volume/speed of online tournaments, this is easily the best place to practice and develop my game. I used to play all the time in stars/full tilt when I was 18-21 but never used a HUD or studied my game, so I am looking forward to the benefits of the data and the reflection.

Even though my tourney game is rusty, I took a crack at a $5.50 MTT this past week. I posted an interesting spot in the MTT forum, where I am having a difficult time trying to determine the EV between checking or betting on the turn. I'm hoping to get some nerdy theory feedback, otherwise I am leaning towards the EV was very close either way. Stacks are deep and it is early on, so I think the decision would be the same tourney or cash which is a nice bonus since I am mainly focused on cash these days. Take a look and let me know what you think if you'd like:
http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/23.../#post52458894

Long time, no update-

I had an awesome July and a great start to August. Profited 6 of 7 sessions, and of those 6 set 2 'largest stack at a poker table' records (current record ~1.2k at 300 max buy in table). Also slotted 2 sessions in my top 5 most profitable sessions. Made nearly 1.5k for July + my 2 August sessions. BR sitting at $2.6k after I had been waving up and down over a BR of $1.5k since my journey started back up in March, so it felt really good to break the $2k marker.

Currently, as far as play goes, I am now buying in for the max at my local $1/$2 games. I have 2 choices in town for poker, and I keep going back and forth as to which game is better. Let's play a game of would you rather:

Casino A:
15 minute drive from home
Max buy-in $400
At a typical table I will see the table split in 3 equal player types: respectable regs, nitty regs, loose passive. Maybe 1/3 of my sessions here a true fish will find his way to the table. It is extremely rare to see a limped pot & straddles are very common (+allowed from the button up to $10). Every player normally has $200+, and there are always a couple with $500+ stacks.
The way I beat this game is mostly nut peddling preflop, since even a hefty 3bet from my tight image will get called 3+ ways routinely. If I manage to get HU with my 3bet with AK my tight image is normally good enough to cbet bluff my opponent off the flop but a half pot bet at this point is putting in a chunk of change. Overall I think this casino offers the most upside for winnnings with more variance. I also view the frequent straddling as a nice way to transition into playing $2/5 regularly, since I never straddle myself. One additional bonus is since the $2/5 game here only goes on Saturdays, I have played with a decent amount of the 2/5 players so I can keep notes on them and already have 'scouted' before I move up.

Casino B:
30 minute drive from home
$300 max buy in
At a typical table half of the players are tight passive, with a couple boring TAGs mixed in. There is almost always 1 or 2 true fish at the table, and normally a few bad loose passive players. Overall, these players time and time again make the players from Casino A look like an episode of 'poker after dark'. Nobody 3bets without QQ+, bluffs are almost never shown, and limped pots are common. One of the only major downsides is that the terrible players play pretty short stacked. We are talking they will sit there for an hour with $20 if they lose a pot with their starting $100. An average stack is probably $150 here and people don't normally reload for much more than $100.

The way I beat this game is opening with ranges a little looser than usual (with plans to barrel vs fit/fold players) and punishing limpers. My strategy bounces from taking stabs vs passive players and going for max value vs. the fish. My 2 recent 'high scores' as far as stack size ~1.2k have occurred during my last 2 sessions here, and it just seems like a high school home game with plastic chips. Any time I make a play that is SLIGHTLY deceptive or non-ABC it will work. The variance here seems as if it is half of Casino A's, but with the smaller stacks my winrate could be half of a good night at Casino A. One last downside in regards to my goals is I don't think this casino gets a $2/5 game, so I cannot scout players like I could at Casino A.

So right now I am truly undecided. I feel like Casino A is better for my goals (moving up, improving my game) but Casino B is also a safer place to play while I am still technically playing above my means if you subscribe to the 5% BRM cash game rule.

My plans for this month is to try to play live at least once a week, and try to practice hand reading / analyze my hands 3 nights a week (30-60min). As far as study goes, I would really love to be a part of or start my own skype study group for hand history and theory. I have a pretty clear self-study plan for hand reading (repetition repetition repetition) so I am looking forward to developing that skill. I want to start hand writing notes and really treat the game like a college curriculum. One interesting tidbit I have found online comes from a RedChipPoker article that has a little scratch sheet for recording every live hand you play (except for easy preflop folds). I think it will be a good tool for post session hand analysis and practicing hand reading vs actual live opponents (applying logic from opponent notes I have taken).

Short term goal (weekly): 1 live session, 3 short study sessions
Mid term goal (by end of year): Put in time necessary to reach BR goal for $2/5 shot taking
Long term goals: Consistently beat $2/5 and $5/10 (highest local stakes). Master cash game concepts. Study tournament concepts and apply them at the local level (MSPT/HPT).
Bucket list: Win a major tournament. Comfortably play mid stakes and supplement life's aspirations (wife wants to run an orchard as her retirement, travel, early retirement, etc.)

Hey everyone,

It's been a while since my last post in August. I've been playing live at a pretty low clip for the past half year (!) but my live bankroll went just above $3k. I feel like as far as live goes if I can get above $3.5k I will start shot taking at 2-5, especially since I have been a bit more disciplined with study and sharpening my skills through online play.

Last month I decided to invest in my game by depositing on ACR, buying PT4, and buying "The Grinder's Manual" by Peter Clarke. I had stumbled upon his 10-part YouTube PokerSchool Online series and the way he taught theory just really stuck with the way I learn. I had never tried 6max for the 10 years I've played poker, but it inspired me to try. I didn't realize how dead the full ring games were until I saw how many more people and how lively the 6max tables were. I also had come to the slow conclusion that online cash games weren't beatable any more, but even after just paying attention more to spots and applying some basic solid theories on pre-flop ranges and flop play, I got off to a great start. It's a small sample size, but over 900 hands at 10NL and 1,500 hands at 25NL I have a total profit of $125 so far.

I think at this point I have come full circle with regards to posting on forums and engaging the community more. I appreciate you guys who follow this thread and respect your input. Part of my goals in 2018 will involve posting at least 1 HH a week here. If anyone has gone on Peter Clarke's private forum, let me know as well as I was contemplating joining (there's a ~$40 fee if I remember so I am not sold yet as the contacts I made here in a short time I respect).

I became much more structured with my study/play plan in 2018. I am focused on playing 6max online cash when I don't have time to go to the casino (which is rare these days), reviewing hands, and stepping through a structured and ordered "poker syllabus" on a weekly basis. I set up a google sheets outline with table of contents where I can keep everything organized and orderly and track my goals.

In short - returning to the forums. Returning to online poker with intentions of climbing the 6max ladder. Focused study revolving around 1 topic per week. Getting in live cash when I can, with goal to move up to 2/5 soon.

Here is a short hand history. My intention for calling the 4bet pre is for set mine value only assuming villain is almost always gii on the flop.

Villain stats:
333 hands
VP 22/ PFR 16 / 3B 11
He has 4bet 0 times out of 4 opportunities.
He has folded to 3bets 2 out of 4 opportunities.
From notes I know he has a polarized 3bet strategy at least when he's in the blinds vs. a steal. Not enough info to know if he also has 4bet bluffs in his range.

I wouldn't mind criticism on all 3 decision points for hero.



Winning Poker Network (Yatahay) - $0.25 NL (6 max) - Holdem - 5 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

UTG: 149.16 BB (VPIP: 26.97, PFR: 22.47, 3Bet Preflop: 14.06, Hands: 181)
CO: 100.56 BB (VPIP: 22.39, PFR: 15.95, 3Bet Preflop: 11.36, Hands: 333)
BTN: 68.2 BB (VPIP: 21.36, PFR: 16.50, 3Bet Preflop: 2.94, Hands: 107)
SB: 119.04 BB (VPIP: 26.05, PFR: 22.69, 3Bet Preflop: 8.33, Hands: 123)
Hero (BB): 282.68 BB

SB posts SB 0.4 BB, Hero posts BB 1 BB

Pre Flop: (pot: 1.4 BB) Hero has T T

fold, CO raises to 3 BB, fold, fold, Hero raises to 13 BB, CO raises to 28 BB, Hero calls 15 BB

Flop: (56.4 BB, 2 players) 3 2 3
Hero checks, CO bets 72.56 BB and is all-in, fold

CO wins 53.6 BB

0.88 BB was deducted from the pot for the jackpot.

Update in Short:
I've read and taken notes on all but the last couple chapters of "The Grinder's Manual". Definitely a big fan of the book and Clark's style of writing/teaching. I've made and printed out notes in a binder, been doing notes by notebook, and keeping a weekly planner to schedule out study/play time. Trying to take it as seriously as a college course and it has been helpful to keep things down on paper. I keep a google doc so I am able to read/take notes on my laptop while on flights for business trips. Excited to keep progressing in the game.

Got to spend 3.5 weeks in Vegas (part vacation, part work). Did EDC with the wife, worked with the local branch (we put in the elevators and escalators for T-Mobile Arena and the upcoming Raiders Stadium), and went to my first WSOP. I actually freerolled into the $365 online bracelet event (top 3 of only 70 entrants). I wasn't planning on playing any WSOP tournaments due to the price point and my lack of tournament practice but it was fun to check that off my bucket list. Didn't cash but it was a good experience and I'm hoping to be able to play next year. Made just a little money from cash games between Golden Nugget and the Rio (1/2 and 1/3).

Back home and back to the grind - I am hoping to get to the local 1/2 game at least twice a month and playing some sort of online cash games twice a week, splitting study and play time. Current focus is sharpening up my C betting. Also looking to bump it up to 50NL, I think it will help push me to study my next subject in more detail: developing balanced 3 Bet and 4 Bet ranges.

I posted up my most recent interesting hand for review here/