live updates are the nuts, keep em coming

idk why but I lost it here lmao. almost fell out of my seat laughing

Getting massively nitrolled used to be quite tilting but before long you'll just shrug it off.

Do you think you'll be playing more live poker going forward?

Ok will try to. I don't play much live and I tend to ramble on too much with my live updates. Didn't think many people would read a fat essay hahaha.

Once again it might be easier for me to update in video format but I really cannot stand live poker vlogs so I would be kind of selling myself out if I did one. If I can come up with a unique way of doing it, different to the standard ones on youtube, I will try to do it.

I am guessing you have had been put it in some stupidly high variance spots because someone decides to go crazy preflop?

Yeah I have started to realise that nitrolling happens a lot more often live than it does online. Speaking of nitrolling I forgot to add one more hand where I was nitrolled and potential angle? [I'll post the hand/story below]

Yes I am strangely starting to enjoy playing live poker. Once you work out little tricks to make pot counting and stack size counting easier I am starting to get comfortable playing my game in a live setting. I also like having a chat with people on the table. Also the EPL is usually on around midnight grind time in Aus so there is something to watch whilst grinding. Probably going to go play a tourney on Wed night and then play cash afterwards.


Anyway, one more hand from Saturday night.

So today I was talking to my friend about my session on Saturday night. Forgot to add this one as I am a live noob and I think I got taken advantage of.

Hero 88 UTG+1 open to $35
Straddle Defends

Flop A63hr - 72$

I bet 25
He X/R to 100
I call

This player is the type of player to assume small size is weak and BS. Against 1/3 villain is meant to XR quite high freq but I think he is doing it for the wrong reasons. He also didn't even really think about the raise and just did it really quickly with a $100 chip.

Turn - 4h

Villain quickly checks the turn
Hero bets $95
Villain tanks for ages and calls

So here I am not sure I like my turn bet. Villain's check raise is usually going to be polar in this spot, particularly if they XR thinking small size is weak.
I decide to bet because he may have XR with a 6 or a 3 and the turn 4 gives quite a bit of equity vs 6x and 3x as they mainly have a 5 in their hand. My turn bet functioned as equity denial vs those hands and any other BS like KQ QJ JT etc etc. It also prevents villain from polar bet on river if I check back turn a (88 as a bluff catching candidate on river sucks). I also probably need to turn some underpairs into bluffs to balance for my extraordinarily strong Ax range from UTG+1. Now 88 is probably too strong to turn into a bluff?

River - 9x - Final board - A63h4h9 - $260 ish

Villain Checks
I check

Now this is where the hand gets really interesting. Villain, before he makes an action, puts on a massive speech how he's severely misplayed his hand. He keeps looking at the board and me whilst saying all this BS. He then goes "alright... I check"

So for me I never really go into live reads or anything because I just trust that my intuition and logic of the hand is way more important than speech play and tells and stuff like that. I do notice this stuff and am aware of these nuances but I always default to my strat. Most of my plays are already preplanned I.e. I already knew I was checking every river but an 8 and OB jamming on an 8. No point turning my hand into a bluff as this guy is probably never folding an A and I beat his ****ty 6x 3x and 4x holdings.

Anyway after I check he then says, you are good. I am like what? He says you are good, and I QUOTE, "I have nothing".

So obviously I am pretty happy and table 88. He then looks really surprised and says "wait what?" and he then reaches for his cards in front of him and says I have an A. Now my initial thought was that he was getting out of line with like 9x with a heart because that is the only thing that makes sense for you to go and reach for your cards that beat 88. He then turns over a8o and im like wtf... I wasn't sure how to feel because I was genuinely really surprised he showed an ace after saying "I have nothing". At the time I wasn't really upset, I just thought it was a nitroll. He then tried to justify why he said he had nothing "you were UTG I thought you just always have a stronger Ax" which kind of makes sense.

However after talking to my friend today, I realised it was more likely an angle shoot. Since he needs to show his cards first, he assumes that I am going to muck my hand when he shows an Ace so he made me table my hand. Now I don't really care that he sees my cards because:

1. I am generally pretty balanced
2. He doesn't seem like the type of player who could advantage with some extra info.

BUT I realised how naive I was to all the possible angle shoots that I may have experienced throughout the course of all my live poker sessions.

This is the second time in my life playing live poker someone has straight up lied to me in a hand. The first time was in London when I got it in on the flop of QQK where I asked the guy who went all in (I have already called at this point) if he had a Q. He said no and I tabled QJ on the flop and he doesn't show till the river where he turns over KQ. I was surprsied he showed KQ as it was a SRP - I opened from CO and he flatted from BB and lead open jammed like 250-300 pounds into a 20 pound pot. This guy was a bit of a scumbag and pretty drunk but everyone roasted him for lying once the all in had already been called. I got pretty pissed off with this one because he has literally no incentive to lie once I have already called. He gains no extra information. He does benefit from tilting me I guess....

Anyway, I guess it was a lesson learned to always wait till the person opens their hand. I generally just show out of turn if I have the nuts because I think it just wastes time and I don't want to slow down the game because of ego or hide information. There is nothing more tilting when two players take like 5 minutes to show their hands because they don't want to show their bluff or they want to see opponent's hand even though they have the nuts "Because they can use the information later....."

Let me know if this is a common angle shoot that I need to be careful of in the future?

Yeah similarly to getting used to nitrolls you'll get used to getting absolutely destroyed by the guy blind jamming, 3b'ing atc to 70bb pre flop etc. I lost 1500bb in about two hours to a guy doing this sorta stuff and the table was shocked I was still laughing and relaxed etc.

Wrt that HH, it's probably in the grey area where some % its an angle, some % it's someone who genuinely believes their hand is never good. I'm unsure here but the guy sounds like a rofl'er so probably just shrug it off although I would lean towards angle.

Etiquette wise you're probably best just showing when they show hesitation, it's annoying af when people take forever because it's technically not their turn. Any slight EV you might give away (debatebly) is probably reclaimed by keeping the friendly image.

yea this is super common. another variation is that after they bet river and get called, they just say you got it but refuse to show first or muck. usually vs reg I insist they show first but vs fish I might give them the pass because I dont wanna piss them off lol

this. I always just show vs fish unless I'm really really really curious, like it has to be a crazy hand for me to demand they show. But vs a reg I just wait, and if they don't show I tell them, "sorry, gotta see this one".

tilts the **** out of me when they still just sit there and hope I'll get impatient and show. There should be a timer to muck or show when it's your turn, and if you don't do either in 5 seconds your hand is dead

stick with live skuzz the pool has been beyond terrible

What times have you been playing?

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

You still playing online, also same 200z pool or a new site? Good luck and hopefully we will get some new YT content soon.

I made the transition from online to live too and had a lot of the same questions that you do. In my room there are a LOT of guys who are just scumbags who seemingly for whatever reason get off on being a dick and try not to show their cards all the time....as well as sometimes I can tell they are just embarrassed to show their ****ty hands.

In any case I just always sit there and stare at them until they show their hands regardless of what I have. I used to say the same thing - that it doesn’t matter if I show my hands because I’m balanced and better than my opponents (plus I want to speed up the game) but the truth is that the less info you give the bettter. The other regs, regfish, and even fish can pick up on strat - sizings, bluff spots, etc....then slowly realize tendencies and even worse start trying to emulate what they see. Even if it happens at a snails pace it is still slightly -ev for the game long term, esp for you if you’re gonna be playing at the same place.

So I just sit there and if they start to yap or play around I just say “show or muck”. The biggest advantage to this is that some of them get pissed at me and then start to play even worse

When I play live I wear sunglasses and a hoody and stare people down preflop, as a tactic, then usually fold.

+1 This is just the things you come to see happen way to often playing live poker but you quickly pick up on these things and make sure you don't get taken advantage of by scumbags.

Wow you lost 1500bb in two hours?! Variance is real.... Yea but most of the time their blind jams are generally nothing so I can live with 1/10 getting shown the nuts.

Yeah like I didn't really care too much, I was just surprised he had an Ace. Also agree about the etiquette. Thats why I just table the best hand out of turn.

Yeah I have experienced this one many times.

Agreed about always showing vs fish. Its in everyone's best interest to keep the fish happy and lets be honest, the fish gains very little from seeing cards.

Yeah still on the grind. Think I am at ~35k hands for the month. So very low volume month in terms of online. Yeah been editing next video should be out today or tomorrow.

Yeah this makes sense maybe I need to be a bit more careful.

hahahah

Haha yeah, like 5/6 big all ins where he 3b jams 65o etc for 400bb at a time and gets there. Not fun stuff but it's still the exact game you want to be in.

Ummmmmmm what...?

Where exactly is this live game haha

New Update video out now



Side note:

Going to be playing a $330 30k GTD live tourney tonight. I've been told its really soft and good value so will take my chances. IF I bust I will play some 2/5/T (if the tables are running).

It was a mix of £1/£1 and £1/£2 in England so it's not quite as bad as it sounds fortunately.

Gl in the tourney, I imagine it'll put even the lol soft cash games to shame.

re TT set from last page, I think that you are way overthinking that hand (and your praise of his play), whales LOVE to turn strong-ish sd value into a bluff and do it all the time, especially top-pair type hand (since they are "supposed to win" with top pair), especially with AK (since they are "supposed to win" with AK). Personally Im still vbetting that river, but if I check Im probably sigh-calling it off.

One more thing, while snap-jam online from a whale is always the nuts, live this timing tells is a little different and actually more often point to weakness. I have no idea why that is (timing tells should work similiarly in online and live), but I've seen it confirmed many times.

Anyway, gotta say that as a former online pro turned live rec I really appreciate all the live updates, so keep them coming

Awesome YT vid as always and good luck on the MTT live grind.

Why do you x/r flop instead of just betting out yourself like 80-100?
I wouldn't feel great if it checks around, you want to build the pot now...
Did you have a tell that he was gonna bet or he had some tendencies to bet to much when checked to?

Also, I just start reading and nice reviews ! Keep it up ! GL in your tourney.

Still, 1500bb is 1500bb. Still a lot to be losing in a couple of hours.

My friend who used to play live poker a lot said the EXACT same thing about whales and would take the exact same line as you. With the bet on the river would you just bet small or jam?

I still think that for us to make an at least breakeven call vs a jam they would have to turn so many pairs into bluffs. That I will still happily lay it down on this river.

Thanks, I got a quick rant to make a bout the MTT last night.

I think either betting or XR seems fine. Yes the whale had a tendency to bet the flop IP a lot so I was very sure I could get a check raise in.

I also think betting the flop is good, however I would have to incorporate a turn overbet strategy which I think generates too many folds on turn (from my experience online). Perhaps I could bet flop 80% bet turn 80% and then just overbet jam river on every brick.

And Thanks!!

Last night's tournament Update:

Ok so can confirm what my friend was saying.. it was VERY SOFT. However there were so many unpleasant things that has severely discouraged me from playing it again.

1. STAR POKER (Sydney casino) are so incompetent its unbelievable. So I turned up 30 minutes after start time and registered to the tournament at the cage. I receive table 102 (which is not a real table) and ask the supervisor where it is. She then tells me to go see the supervisor at the end of the poker room. I walk over and there are like 20-30 people waiting around and one of the players waiting sarcastically comments "welcome to the line". I am super confused as to what is going on. I am then told there is a super long waiting list to get a seat.... The supervisor tells us that there is a waiting list because there are not enough dealers. Now this is just ridiculous.

I looked at the tournament info and I see only 102 players registered. Last night before I went I checked the average number of players.



Going off the last 3 weeks, surely they would expect close to 150 people entering the tournament so surely they would be prepared to have 15 tables (tables of 10) close to start.... So now everyone is just blinding out and essentially burning money. Supervisor says probably 30 minute wait time which is absolutely ridiculous because that is a whole blind level...

Anyway I am super tilted at this point, I am complaining to my friends about how **** management is here. I said to myself if I don't get a seat by the next blind level (20minutes would give me 50bb~) I am asking for a refund. During this wait time I hear (what I assume are recreational players) complaining amongst each other about how they are never playing poker here again (which is fair). So now I am thinking bigger picture about how management are driving players away from the live scene in Sydney....

Just before the end of the blind level I was going to ask for a refund, one of the supervisors (awesome lady for doing this) decides that she will step down from her position to deal a couple of blind levels until they sourced more dealers from other games. Thankfully my name made the list and I finally got a table.

2. Tournament players are a different breed

I have played quite a bit of live cash now to understand that some people are seriously unfriendly. However tournament players are next level.. (well last night's group anyway). So I had quite a few table changes and I was a bit of an idiot and ordered roast duck on rice and plum sauce which meant I had 3 take away compartment boxes. Unpacking and repacking my dinner was not very poker table friendly so I really needed a side table whilst I played. During one of the table changes, I tried to find a side table for my food before sitting down. Ive got 3 compartments of take away boxes in my hand, my chip rack, my table number and my phone and phone charger (clearly battling). I walk over to one of the tables next to me and asked the two players sitting next to the side table where there was ONE take away coffee cup. Before taking the table I thought I would be polite and ask them if I could use the table. The guy turns around and looks at me and gives me the coldest harshest most disgusted "NO I am using it". He stood up and sipped out of his coffee and sat back down. I was genuinely in shock, I was like wow.... I am now starting to panic as I want to sit down and play my hands but I cant find a side table to put all my **** on. Thankfully one guy on the opposite side of the table yells out and tells me I can use his (Legend).

Finally after a while I get put on a table full of old guys (recreational) who seem to be having fun having a chat whatever. Thought this was going to be a fun table. Anyway I have like 6 bb at this point (been super card dead the whole night, played one SRP with AQ and rest of the time just folding and waiting for reshove spots). Finally my best reshove spot of the night came 3 hours in.. I am in SB with 106dd and BTN jams 4bb (he has shown rag Ax in jamming range) I rejam for 6bb with 10d6d (not sure if this is correct) and then BB tanks for ages with 5bb and ends up calling.

BTN: KQo
Hero: Td6d
BB: KTo

I am pretty screwed here and the BTN starts going on about he is a favourite and "deserves" to win this hand..... Anyway I am pretty over this tournament at this point and pretty happy to head over and play 2/5/T cash. Board runs out 23457 and I win with my straight - triple up. BTN then loses his **** at me about calling off with Td6d.... I literally ignore everything he says because its pointless justifying things to people like this. Guy to my left taps me on the shoulder and said something along the lines of "you just knocked out Australia's top 40". WTF does that mean? top 40 tournament player, top 40 poker player like wtf? The 3 old guys to my right then talk quietly (well at least they thought they were) about why poker is such a great game because bad players (definitely referring to me) can still win a tournament (the ****ing irony).

Anyway for the next hour that I was on the table they would not STFU about my Td6d call and anytime I ever made a raise they would constantly go on about how I had T6s. I started to just open shove my stack ~15bb in late position with marginal holdings A9o AJs a5s etc etc because they would chat all this **** about how **** my range was but would never call it off lol. So I ended up building a decent size stack from steals. Eventually I ran QQ vs AJ for 15bb and the board ran out A42A5 (I legitimately think my image and the Td6d hand induced the rejam from the old guy to my right [YES i know rejamming AJo for 15bb is super standard, but these old guys are out here folding AKo and 22-66 to less than 10bb jams]).

Basically my night at tournament poker. I didn't bother playing cash because I had to drop my friend (grinded cash the whole night) home (it was about 11pm) and he had work the next day.

Overall not a great live tournament experience but the softness of the field definitely makes up for incompetent management and bad table chat.

LOL can confirm that old people hate Nash jamming lagtards.

Also the T6dd is a pretty clear fold imo. Calling off sucks, and a 5-6BB stack still has decent fold equity in a lot of these lineups. You have an entire orbit to pick up a hand to jam with rather than having to be an underdog for an all in confrontation.

they didnt follow up with the "the donk finally used up the luck huh" after knocking you out?

They probably did. I just got up and left.