Greetings,

My elevator pitch.

I used to be Fatboy54...time for a rebrand.

I'm a true rec, so you serious grinders won't be getting any worthwhile poker technical knowledge here...but...

I'm 62; I've lived bit more than most on here.

CV Cliffs

27 years military aviation (more Goose than Maverick, if you know what I mean)

16 years in commerce...IT, Finance, Property and now Compliance (Data Protection)

Still working, fantastic flexible well-paid job with awesome people.

So what I don't know about poker, I do know about life...and in spades (no pun intended).

I can give a lot of sound advice on many subjects particularly personal development. which I have been continuously involved in, for all age groups, for 40 years.

I also know a lot about the compliance and regulatory aspect of money, from a UK perspective, which will be roughly similar throughout the western world.

Plus I am quite funny, and ruthlessly honest.

GL to all you fellow poker addicts, at the felt and otherwise.

For provenance this is me...

and the poker bit...

I'm playing $3 & $5 9 man STTKO SNG on stars, which I beat OK. I also 5 table $1 & $3 of the same on my IPAD (hudless) when I am away from my PC and fancy some rec action.

I've been playing these close to 12 months and have cashed about a grand, which is about 1% of my income this year. I won't allow myself to move up however, because I have done squat studying for nearly 18 months (no time to do it).

I am considering a return to Zoom however (if I do I'll start at 10 nlz).

Obviously Stars RB sucks, but on the other hand, it has got really, really fishy at the stakes I play.

And now for some advice...

If I was a young person (in the UK, but meh, maybe elsewhere too) with cash to spare I would be investing in myself.

By that I mean I would be upgrading my skill sets...esp anything to do with the law & emerging technologies.

I would be avoiding property just now (at least until this brexit **** is over).

And if you have a roll in the Wild West of crypto (GG WP...probably) watch your six...regulation is coming to a wallet near you in the near future.

Onwards

So, followed up by notion to go back to cash...starting with 10 nlz on Stars.

Posting hands on here will be the only study I do, so any feedback gratefully received.

Hand 1

Both villains unknown.

PokerStars Zoom, Hold'em No Limit - $0.05/$0.10 - 6 players
Hand delivered by Pokeit

UTG: $13.49 (135 bb)
MP: $8.75 (88 bb)
CO (Hero): $13.52 (135 bb)
BU: $14.64 (146 bb)
SB: $14.49 (145 bb)
BB: $38.33 (383 bb)

Pre-Flop: ($0.15) Hero is CO with T 9
1 fold, MP raises to $0.30, Hero calls $0.30, 1 fold, SB calls $0.25, 1 fold

Flop: ($1) 7 Q 6 (3 players)
SB checks, MP checks, Hero checks

Turn: ($1) 8 (3 players)
SB bets $0.48, MP folds, Hero raises to $1.60, SB calls $1.12

River: ($4.20) 8 (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $2.01, SB folds

My question...on the turn, line check and bet size (with thinking)

Also bet size river?

Hand 2


Both villains unknown (again)

I literally didn't have a clue what to do on any street. Any thoughts?

PokerStars Zoom, Hold'em No Limit - $0.05/$0.10 - 6 players
Hand delivered by Pokeit

UTG (Hero): $10.00 (100 bb)
MP: $35.12 (351 bb)
CO: $19.86 (199 bb)
BU: $16.37 (164 bb)
SB: $11.85 (119 bb)
BB: $4.89 (49 bb)

Pre-Flop: ($0.15) Hero is UTG with 9 9
Hero raises to $0.35, MP 3-bets to $1, 1 fold, BTN calls $1, 2 players fold, Hero calls $0.65

Flop: ($3.15) Q A 3 (3 players)
Hero checks, MP checks, BTN checks

Turn: ($3.15) J (3 players)
Hero checks, MP checks, BTN checks

River: ($3.15) K (3 players)
Hero checks, MP checks, BTN checks

Total pot: $3.15 (Rake: $0.14)

Showdown:
MP mucks T T (a flush, Ace high)
(Equity - Pre-Flop: 56%, Flop: 6%, Turn: 0%, River: 0%)

UTG (Hero) shows 9 9 (a flush, Ace high - higher flush)
(Equity - Pre-Flop: 17%, Flop: 43%, Turn: 100%, River: 100%)

BU mucks 8 A (a flush, Ace high)
(Equity - Pre-Flop: 27%, Flop: 51%, Turn: 0%, River: 0%)

UTG (Hero) wins $3.01

Hand 3

Villain unknown (well, small database innit)

Preflop I have a sort of xplo mixed strat here...I'll 3bet if btn raises bigger.

PokerStars Zoom, Hold'em No Limit - $0.05/$0.10 - 6 players
Hand delivered by Pokeit

UTG: $9.85 (99 bb)
MP: $9.40 (94 bb)
CO: $10.65 (107 bb)
BU: $10.45 (105 bb)
SB: $10.00 (100 bb)
BB (Hero): $15.45 (155 bb)

Pre-Flop: ($0.15) Hero is BB with 6 7
3 players fold, BTN raises to $0.20, 1 fold, Hero calls $0.10

Flop: ($0.45) K T 7 (2 players)
Hero checks, BTN bets $0.22, Hero calls $0.22

Turn: ($0.89) 5 (2 players)
Hero checks, BTN bets $0.43,

Hero ??

Perfect spot to turn my SD into a bluff by x/r

Yes? No? (with thinking)

Hey, so that's you fatboy lol. Welcome back to the land of zoom; hope for good things ahead for you.

Hand 1: Not sure about the river, but I think you missed a great spot to bet the flop. Those 1 high card, 2 low card flops are golden bluff opportunities when they both check in a 3-way pot. Just pot it (or close to pot it) and take it down most of the time. At least seems to be the case for me.

Hand 2: I think you played it fine. I like checking the flop and turn also. But your hand goes way up in value on the river with that run-out, so I might bet half-pot and possibly get some value.

Hand 3: I'm not gonna pretend to know the correct play here. But I don't like calling with 3rd pair here, without backdoor draws. However, I would consider semi-bluff raising the flop (semi-bluff to 2pair/trips). If he doesn't have much, he'll fold. If he has top pair or something, you take control of the hand. And if you do hit the 2pair/trips, your hand is well-disguised and can probably get a lot more value from villain if the (obvious) flush draw misses.

^^

Appreciate your comments, cheers mate...

h1 meh, don't hate it, 3-way tho and two unknowns.
h2 OK, noted.
h3 Not fighting back here, but I think maybe you might get a little more than me from the following...

a. We're not really calling, we are floating (with some equity), villains range is wide, it's a semi wet flop so easy to miss and good to bluff at on scare cards. I think folding on the flop here is incredibly weak (esp to a half pot bet).

b. I think check raising the flop is meh...don't hate it...but raises on later streets are stronger and therefore get more immediate folds, esp at micros. I really hate calling it a semi-bluff though. A semi-bluff is with nut making hands, not hands with horrible reverse-implied odds. Its a bluff, is what it is.

cheers

h1: Actually, it's because it's 3way that it works so well. They both respect your bet much more because you're betting into both of them. Size it big, and they'll fold. For me, this seems to work quite well on these kinds of flops.

h3: I'm not fighting back here either, as I don't know the best play. I agree, folding is weak. But it helps avoid getting into more tricky spots later in the hand and making bigger mistakes. At these stakes, we can make up for that in other spots. Maybe that's my problem haha. But I think it'd be better to float with backdoor draws, for additional equity. But I understand what you're saying. If you think bluff-raising the turn works more, then maybe that's the better play. I haven't done that too much, so not sure. But I think you might be right. Honestly, I think you could play this in any way you want and it wouldn't be terrible.

Meh, call it a semi-semibluff then lol

Hi,

H1: Turn, I like the idea of putting more money into the pot right now, before a third spade comes, or whatever, so I´m also value raising right now. Sizing is ok, depends on villain but some might elect to continue with hands that you beat, draws, 98s, 55, spades draw, sets and maybe even some Qx but not sure if this is too much. River, I´m x back most of the time, since I think the point of value raising big ott is to shutdown on scary rivers, or action killers. Maybe 1/3x pot, but being raised there would put me in a tricky spot where I personally spew too much.

H2: Board favors the 3 bettor range, your fd is not that strong, pot still multiway. I´m also giving up there.

H3: I don´t think you would get many folds vs his opening and double barreling range there, board favors him, he seems a reg from the sizings also, and the point of turning your sdv into a bluff would be to fold better hands. Not really sure tho.

Cheers

GL sir. I will be following to see how you do. I always think of the forum as being younger people so I assumed me being 46 would make me one of the older guys on here... glad to see that isn't the case.

Sub'd

TY TY!

Good to have the comments...jae_cubed, you is mere yoof man.

One I thing I make habit of not doing is banging on about variation...it fkn blows, but it is what it is.

So this is just for poohs and laughs, and it is the only time you'll see this from me ITT. I thought PP might enjoy it.

Today's session, check out the all in EV line



I lost second straight to nut straight, AK v QQ twice, AA cracked by a two outer on the river and trip Ts to a two outer on the river (on every hand the money was already in)

Moral of the story...you don't like variation, play solitaire

good advcie, tyvm, i will take it to my heart, and alotugh i do not have muc hcash to spare, i will also advise to fellow youngpersons to invest in a reading comprehenshion course.

i did a tony buzanof course, very well worth it.

but very expensie, I paid about $800 for it, was a huge dent in my budget. lifetime investment though, was an enormouus risk at the time and i was very afraid that it was some kind of get rich scheme, but it turned out the exercises to extdend my line of sight and reading comprehension paid for themselves because now i can grasp the piosolver concepts very quickly and notice the xploitable areas of in my simulations.

^^

From the old fart...good to see you...I think??

Hey, look at this GTO endboss bumhunting and stacking fish

Mega busy few days coming up.

Just landed a big job at work, with a tight deadline, so going to have to put some overtime in today/tomorrow (I generally work Tuesdays & Wednesdays, but I'm uber flexible).

Also submitting my self assessment tax return tomorrow, which I'm stoked about as I have money saved and I'm hoping I've saved too much...if so a little bink for OMD yeay ...ofc it could easily go the other way

Reason I need to get all this delivered is I'm off on wee adventure (I call all my trips adventures, because at my age you have too )

Road trip down to Manchester to see the mighty reds play the hammers, two nights in a nice hotel...all of which a Christmas gift from my lovely missus.

Then straight off to for 4 days fishing with a buddy of mine. First serious fishing I've done for forty plus years!!!!

Hopefully, trip report and photos to follow late April.

So I want to be up to speed with all my work before I leave, to leave the mind free for fun.

Also, I'm going to take the opportunity to reread The Grinders Manual cover to cover...the take away from that is I think I is back to Zoom for the foreseeable future, so I'm gonna want to move up once more.

Probably won't post for few days, while I get my **** together.

Later.

PS...edit, will brag/whinge about my tax bink tomorrow tho

Well Smack my Arse and Call me Judy!!!

Massively over estimated my tax, big win for me. Too big to brag, coz unseemly innnit.

Bit embarrassed about my tax math tbh...I'm supposed to be good at this ****

Offline for a few days

GL at the tables youse guys.

Touche! Ok, I'll shut up about variance now hahaha.

This sounds like a good time sir... def. want to see pics of fish.

that class is impressive.
what subject is it?

So after a mere 2500 of 10 nlz I'm 4.5 buyins down and 7.8 buyins below all in EV (which is a ****e measurement but w/e).

Never, complain, never explain...instead I'll make a commitment.

I have 21 buyins left on stars...this is now 100% a training budget. I'm going to continue with Zoom until it's all gone. If/when this happens I'll reload and go back to STT, hopefully a better player. If it lasts for a few months I'll reassess the fun element and make a decision. Likewise, if I go on heater (lol, nothing seems less likely ).

While I'm burning through this I'm going to overcall with bluff catchers to regs...lets see how many really are GTO at 10nlz.

Which of course should mean plenty of interesting spots to post on here...which was not my plan a when I started this new pgc, but what the heck.

As we used to say in the military "no plan survives contact with the enemy".

Which in the poker world is a word beginning with "V" and ending in "ariation".

But first...fishing.

le degen itt

which is better, job or unemployment?
which is better, friends or enemies?

im not even going to bother following this blog anymore, i asked a serious question and got ignored, not to mention lack of daily updates.

Well, fishing was a busted flush...and not for want of trying either. We fished the crap out of that place!

The locals reckoned we were three or four weeks to early. Never mind, it was a good recce trip...I'll be back.

Quick session this morning b4 I hit the gym and start the recovery process

Hand 1

versus unknown

Flop??

Turn??


PokerStars Zoom, Hold'em No Limit - $0.05/$0.10 - 6 players
Hand delivered by Pokeit

UTG: $13.77 (138 bb)
MP: $17.74 (177 bb)
CO: $38.15 (382 bb)
BU (Hero): $10.00 (100 bb)
SB: $19.93 (199 bb)
BB: $32.51 (325 bb)

Pre-Flop: ($0.15) Hero is BTN with K K
1 fold, MP raises to $0.30, CO calls $0.30, Hero 3-bets to $1.35, 3 players fold, CO calls $1.05

Flop: ($3.15) 7 6 7 (2 players)
CO checks, Hero bets $1.70, CO calls $1.70

Turn: ($6.55) 6 (2 players)
CO checks,

Hero??


Hand 2

Versus unknown

Preflop. Population 3bets extremely wide here, so I 4bet bluff with high frequency versus unknowns (which is all this, a pure 4bet bluff, with A blocker)

Flop...never giving up (besides OMC )

Turn tho ??


PokerStars Zoom, Hold'em No Limit - $0.05/$0.10 - 6 players
Hand delivered by Pokeit

UTG: $15.34 (153 bb)
MP: $10.00 (100 bb)
CO: $18.00 (180 bb)
BU: $12.36 (124 bb)
SB (Hero): $10.71 (107 bb)
BB: $13.46 (135 bb)

Pre-Flop: ($0.15) Hero is SB with A 3
4 players fold, Hero raises to $0.30, BB 3-bets to $1, Hero 4-bets to $2.30, BB calls $1.30

Flop: ($4.60) 3 K 7 (2 players)
Hero bets $2.40, BB calls $2.40

Turn: ($9.40) J (2 players)

hero ??


Hand 3

versus unknown

River??


PokerStars Zoom, Hold'em No Limit - $0.05/$0.10 - 6 players
Hand delivered by Pokeit

UTG: $10.25 (103 bb)
MP: $10.99 (110 bb)
CO (Hero): $27.00 (270 bb)
BU: $10.00 (100 bb)
SB: $40.28 (403 bb)
BB: $7.39 (74 bb)

Pre-Flop: ($0.15) Hero is CO with K K
UTG raises to $0.25, 1 fold, Hero 3-bets to $0.80, 3 players fold, UTG calls $0.55

Flop: ($1.75) 9 6 Q (2 players)
UTG checks, Hero bets $0.84, UTG calls $0.84

Turn: ($3.43) A (2 players)
UTG checks, Hero checks

River: ($3.43) J (2 players)
UTG bets $2.53, CO (Hero) ?????


Hand 4

versus fish

Line check, best sizing?

PokerStars Zoom, Hold'em No Limit - $0.05/$0.10 - 6 players
Hand delivered by Pokeit

UTG (Hero): $20.80 (208 bb)
MP: $12.65 (127 bb)
CO: $10.00 (100 bb)
BU: $84.42 (844 bb)
SB: $14.33 (143 bb)
BB: $6.93 (69 bb)

Pre-Flop: ($0.15) Hero is UTG with A J
Hero raises to $0.35, 4 players fold, BB calls $0.25

Flop: ($0.75) T 9 J (2 players)
BB bets $0.20, Hero raises to $1.32, BB calls $1.12

Turn: ($3.39) 4 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $2, BB calls $2

River: ($7.39) 4 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $17.13 (all-in), BB calls $3.26 (all-in)

PS As you can probably see, I like to bet slightly bigger than the population all round. It's probably not optimal, but w/e.

H1: Flop is standard. Turn I think x might induce river bets from A high or worse pps. If he x again then bet river.

H2: Use suited Aces as 4 bet bluffs, like A5s or A4s. As played I think there is only one line here: turning it into a bluff and bet/jam river, trying to fold some pps in his range.

H3: Fold river.

H4: I think your line is fine. Only thing his donk bet indicates is that he has something on that board, but fish pays you even with middle/bottom pairs or worse.

^^ cheers bud, pretty much concur all (but I'll still be 4bet bluffing Ax versus wide ranges )

H1 he had 77, what you gonna do?
H2 with some equity we check down turn/river he had 75o lol (your plan is better, and I knew that at the time, poor choice #facepalm)
H3 I did fold river.
H4 MHIG (can't remember what he had)

damn that graph! 5 BIs under ev in one session, brutal!
wish you gl and see you at 10nl