From zero to hero.

[Tar.Aldarion]

So I started playing again yesterday, with 500 euro and 10NL on Devilfish Poker, after a year break or more.

I've never deposited in a poker site ever. So this money, as per usual, is me winning a freeroll and luck boxing a tournament from that money. I have done this a few times and gone up to 100/200NL and just used that money to pay for college.

I've usually skipped this level but I want to instill some discipline in me, when I'm playing for a while I'll make very bad indisciplined calls or shoves as 'it's only a tenner'. This is already costing me money and I hope this blog will keep me in check!

I won 5 BIs yesterday but only started recording hands 4BIs in, as I forgot to log hands to a file. So in an hour or so yesterday I won 5BIs in about 500 hands. Today I've lost 3BIs in over 2000 hands 4 tabling, leaving me at 516E + 8E rakeback. Frankly I played shite and should have lost more.




I can see my showdowns are diabolical, I've never used a HUD before really, so I've got Holdem manager and am setting it up. I have no idea what most of the stats mean yet, apart from VPIP, PFR, after these I am just lost and have no idea what mistakes are being shown through the stats, so that would be a good help, to get feedback on these over time.

Apparently I am a 24/18/45/4.4/2.4/78/58/2.4k hands. Whatever this is?


I was having a lot of trouble with the blinds today, maybe stealing too much, they were playing back at me a lot and it was getting a bit mad until things like this happened :|

No-Limit Hold'em, $0.10 BB (4 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

UTG (UTG) ($3.12)
Button (Button) ($10)
Hero (SB) ($8.82)
BB ($19.74)

Preflop: Hero is SB with 10, A
2 folds, Hero bets $0.25, BB raises $1.10, Hero raises $2.70, BB raises $18.54 (All-In), Hero calls $5.82 (All-In)

Flop: ($17.64) 9, 8, Q (2 players, 2 all-in)

Turn: ($17.64) 8 (2 players, 2 all-in)

River: ($17.64) 6 (2 players, 2 all-in)

Total pot: $17.64

Results:
Hero had 10, A (one pair, eights).
BB had A, A (two pair, Aces and eights).
Outcome: BB won $27.68


I think I was losing out not having the HUD set up, knowing who to do what against in the blinds. I tried to turn it on but the stats were all in the wrong place, blocking the whole board etc, and there were too many numbers in general I think, what with me not knowign what they were. I turned it off after one hand, couldnt even see my hands, so must try and fix that.


Another thing is data mining, I've never done that before, is it allowed on entraction? Anywhere? Is there software? Do i just open tables and auto import?

[shano_88]

Best of luck. My advise about the hud is to keep it very basic at the start.

Vpip/pfr/3bet/fold to 3bet/c bet/fold to c bet.

Something like that to start off.

[Tar.Aldarion]

Thanks, Just reading what the stats are atm! Have no idea what 'PFR/VPIP' shows. Mine is 76.6.

Have to learn what stats are 'normal'. Ie my 3bet% is only 4.4 and I wouldnt know how that compared to other players or winning players at this level. Same with aggression and others, mine is 2.37...what does that mean I must take a screenshot of all my stats and stick them up. Maybe after more hands, 10k would be a good sample?

[Emmet]

VPIP = voluntarily put money in the pot
How many times you raised pre, called a raise pre, completed a small blind. Basically any time you play a pot that's not the BB when its limped to you.

PFR = preflop raise. = How many times you raise pre and aren't calling.

Essentially, playing a TAG game will have you with a small difference between the two, as you're going to be opening pots up more than calling bets preflop.

[tipp86]

Just seen the hand above its so rare you will be in a race in that spot. Il just fold to the 3 bet a lot il play it sometimes but very villian dependent.

[Tar.Aldarion]

Yep, I should have folded, I kicked myself, I had a lot in there and was tired, silly mistakes. I should have known I was fecked when he shoved.

[Emmet]

turn auto topup on at your tables btw.

[Tar.Aldarion]

Thanks I did that at around 5am last night! Was driving me mad

[Tar.Aldarion]

How did I live without stats I will never know. What I need now are more stats, my sample range is far too low atm, for a lot of players. I need to figure out if there is data mining s/w for entraction.

I ran horribly in the session I had there, set over set, house over house etc but I still managed to end the 600 hands 1 BI up, after two hours. Not much but if this hand been yesterday I would have lost a lot more.

Another consequence of adding stats is I now analyze each hand much more than before, and take my time reading stats and thinking what should I do, I wasn't thinking enough. Might play more later but learning about holdem manager has been tiring.




My showdown results and non show down results have changed place dramatically. I think I was making some good folds and taking better hands to the river, only losing coolers, I was bluffing too much at this level so far and it was costing me.

I did make some mistakes and am reviewing hands but thanks stats!

[Tar.Aldarion]

Here is some terrible play, small blind really tight, MP a bit loose pre flop, aggressive and likes his suits
How would you play it?


No-Limit Hold'em, $0.10 BB (6 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

MP (MP) ($14.84)
CO (CO) ($2.71)
Button (Button) ($10.40)
small Blind (SB) ($10)
Hero (BB) ($10.30)
UTG (UTG) ($3.56)

Preflop: Hero is BB with A, 4
1 fold, MP calls $0.10, 2 folds, small Blind calls $0.05, Hero checks

Flop: ($0.30) A, 8, 2 (3 players)
small Blind checks, Hero checks, MP bets $0.15, small Blind calls $0.15, Hero calls $0.15

Turn: ($0.75) A (3 players)
small Blind checks, Hero checks, MP bets $0.37, small Blind raises $0.74, Hero calls $0.74, MP raises $2.59, 1 fold, Hero calls $2.22

River: ($7.41) 10 (2 players)
Hero checks, MP bets $5.55, Hero folds

Total pot: $7.41

[shano_88]

flop: fine obv
turn: I probably fold once the sb minraises but once you peel, Im def folding to the mp 3bet.

[Tar.Aldarion]

Yep very bad by me I think.

Played for an hour there and +.8 BI. Bit up and down, still making silly mistakes but a lot of that is gone.



Having trouble getting that non showdown winnings into the positive.



HAND A:


Is this ok? He is 28/22/16
Would we be looking to always snap call this? I don't have info on his 4 betting but most people would fold or shove and these people fall in love with their hands.


No-Limit Hold'em, $0.10 BB (5 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

UTG ($1.26)
Hero (MP) ($10.10)
A (Button) ($10.10)
SB ($7.44)
BB ($16.12)

Preflop: Hero is MP with K, A
1 fold, Hero bets $0.35, 1 fold, SB calls $0.30, BB raises $1.30, Hero raises $2.65, 1 fold, BB raises $14.72 (All-In), Hero calls $7.10 (All-In)

Flop: ($20.55) 4, A, 2 (2 players, 2 all-in)

Turn: ($20.55) K (2 players, 2 all-in)

River: ($20.55) 10 (2 players, 2 all-in)

Total pot: $20.55








HAND B:


How about this? He was 25/22/18


No-Limit Hold'em, $0.10 BB (5 handed) - Hold'em Manager Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

A (UTG) ($17.13)
B (MP) ($10.55)
Hero (Button) ($10.15)
C (SB) ($11.52)
D (BB) ($10)

Preflop: Hero is Button with Q, K
2 folds, Hero bets $0.35, 1 fold, BB raises $0.90, Hero calls $0.65

Flop: ($2.05) 2, J, 7 (2 players)
BB bets $1.20, Hero raises $3.42, 1 fold

Total pot: $4.45

Is there an easier way to convert hand histories rather than type the opponents position every time?

[RoadSweeper]

Hand 1

Dont 4bet unless you snap a shove.


Hand 2.

If i'm raising the flop, I make it smaller. You dont need to 3x in a 3bet pot.


Re: Non Showdown winnings.

Dont worry about it at micro stakes as players will just call you down way too light anyway. Concentrate on value betting and extracting value from players calling too much.

[Emmet]

Red line goes up when you get them to fold (doesn't happen too much at micros), or when you call them down very often and are good (also shouldn't happen too much at micros).

Extraction, value betting, and hand reading. That's the 3 things to get from the little cents school of poker.



Extraction and Value betting are the same thing. I should just go to bed

[Tar.Aldarion]

Hand 1

Dont 4bet unless you snap a shove.


Hand 2.

If i'm raising the flop, I make it smaller. You dont need to 3x in a 3bet pot.


Re: Non Showdown winnings.

Dont worry about it at micro stakes as players will just call you down way too light anyway. Concentrate on value betting and extracting value from players calling too much.

Would you 4 bet here without having some sort of shove range from villain? Which would need a massive amount of hands to get an accurate picture of? I very rarely 4 bet and was unsure if I should here, he was very aggressive so I thought I would be ahead. Only had about 45% as it turned out but I think I would do it again. Especially as I won >_>

When value betting I am still a bit unsure of my sizing atm, sticking in about 1/3 - 1/2 of the pot.

I seem to be quite good at calling what they have, just having too much of a tendency to try and durrr them off it.

Red line goes up when you get them to fold (doesn't happen too much at micros), or when you call them down very often and are good (also shouldn't happen too much at micros).

Extraction, value betting, and hand reading. That's the 3 things to get from the little cents school of poker.



Extraction and Value betting are the same thing. I should just go to bed

They certainly do not fold and I've lost a good few BIs the other day learning this. My red line was wayyyy positive for those hands but I was playing so much worse, probably better to have that in negative figures now and show down winnings in positive.

[RoadSweeper]

Would you 4 bet here without having some sort of shove range from villain? Which would need a massive amount of hands to get an accurate picture of? I very rarely 4 bet and was unsure if I should here, he was very aggressive so I thought I would be ahead. Only had about 45% as it turned out but I think I would do it again. Especially as I won >_>

When value betting I am still a bit unsure of my sizing atm, sticking in about 1/3 - 1/2 of the pot.

His stats make him look aggressive, but you can hover over the 3bet stat in holdem manager and see his squeeze % which will give you an indication of how often he is 3betting vs a raise and a caller.You would need a few thousand hands tot get an accurate indication of his exact squeeze % / range, but I would be happy getting QQ+ AK+ in vs anyone remotely aggressive here.


Value betting,


I would bet way more in general. Like 3/4 to 4/5 pot. You have to consider their calling range on the river and decide what size bet they will call with that range. As it is micros they probably have the mouse hovering over the call button and are ready t snap call any bet size provided no drool gets in their way.

[Tar.Aldarion]

I really must start looking at other stats like you said, without data mining though I have feck all stats on anybody and don't know how to do that on entraction. I am trying bigger value bets, theya re learning to fold. Still I definitely should be betting more a lot.




Today I ran a bit bad I suppose, won 1 BI, EV adjusted was 4 BIs. kk vs ak, aa vs kk, flush vs house etc. Also made one or two bad calls, 8 high flush vs ace high... and aggressive player 4 bet me all in and I called with AQs. He had AA. Next time he did this I had AK and he had 58o but I get the feeling he did that because he knew I should be scared, so i called. He probably has the goods more often than not and won't be doing taht too often!



At least I got all three in the positive for once, although was down for a lot of this. Think I syhould go to 20NL soon, I am +4.5 BI and +1 BI of rakeback. Rake is a killer here. Probably go to 20NL at +10 BIs. How soon that is, god knows.

[Tar.Aldarion]

Tonight nearly tilted me so bad! One guy sitting at all my tables gets 2 over sets and two overpairs (kk vs aa twice) in fairly quick succession and stacks me 4 times. He then leaves and somebody else sits down and I get 444 on an a 9 4 flop. He has aa. I then lost kk vs AK but that was fair enough, jsut how it was all hitting me in a row, 6 stackings.

Was a bit of a struggle to get back positive and win half a BI or whatever it was. It's bad when EV adjusted is giving me so much money these days, I want to be the luckboxer like usual

Was lucky to get it back up.

[Tar.Aldarion]

Boring day, won a BI in an hour, nothing too exciting happened, Should be 2-3 buyins up but god sucked out on and hand to fold any big pocket pair.




Probably can't play for a few days at least, as drinking and such. Will see.

[Tar.Aldarion]

Bad day today, 2.5k hands -3.3 BIs. Got 1BI of rakeback. Bleh
Was one BI under EV, still, didn't go great!

[Tar.Aldarion]

Not played much, up 100 euro since the start of the thread, took that out to spend and am starting at 500 again on two other sites

[Tar.Aldarion]

Hard fought win of 7 euro for an hour and a half :/
I'm double and triple barrelling/raising too much, just not giving up enough.

[Tar.Aldarion]

Won another 7e in half an hour of omaha, so +1.5 BI today.

Hlaf an hour 4 tabling omaha was like 30 or 40 hands lol.

[Tar.Aldarion]

Moved up levels today
Am playing 20NL. Played Paddypower for first time, apart from tourneys.

-1 dolla after 1200 hands, was a rage worthy day as I flopped sets 4 or 5 times and lost every one getting it in on the flop ahead, rage! Says I should be +5BIs instead of -.05 but whatever. What goes around comes around, hard no to tilt though :P At least rakeback will be better than 10NL and if anything the players are even worse. I still made some bad triple barrels today, but some good ones heh. I find it hard to settle at the start of a session, trying to win every hand.

Worst hand of the day was a flop of 7 4 3 and I have 44. A guy pushed the flop, full stack, on a complete bluff and I call. A guy behind calls with 1010. Turn was a heart breaking 10, especially after losing with a few sets already. Mostly I bluffed my way back to near even. I wouldn't have stopped but my gf is here to make pesto from scratch and I can't turn that down! At elast I'm nearly a third of the way there for my min rb requirements this month, after one session.

[Tar.Aldarion]

Anyway, since starting I have only played 10k hands as I was sorting out a lot of deals and sites etc. Just didn't want to play til I got them sorted. Atm I play at 55% and 60% rb and started one month ago at 30%.
Started with 500E, now have between 610-625ish and twice the rakeback percentage of last month, so it's going ok, seeing as I played less than 10k hands. Slowly does it


So that is +11/12BIs and I've now moved up levels. 10NL is boring, even though I play far too many hands for the craic.

I really want a bigger monitor, I can only 4 table on this one. 19 inches. I also want it to be very cheap

[Tar.Aldarion]

maybe i should play plo again, looking at my friends 1k rakeback for 24k hands. now that's rakeback mmm

[Tar.Aldarion]

lost 3.5 bIs today (70), over 2500 hands. Damn you flopped flush over flush 400 blinds deep, of course his was ace and mine king...rage. Have rakeback of 40 in my 2 sessions so far this month so still down 30 whups, but really don't want to be factoring that in. Must claw back that 70 and clear my bonus.


Playing ok, spew a bit and deck hurting me. Have to stop being a daniel negreanu and calling their hand, as I make a bad call.
I can never believe runner runner flushes either, and they hurtz me bad.


Started datamining, will really help as I'm just guessing atm.

[Tar.Aldarion]

Well I havent played for most of a month as I was waiting to get a bigger monitor, got a 23 inch lg 120hz 3d hd monitor which is sweet. Played first session for a little there and moved up to 6 tables. I think I'll stay at that amount, I enjoy it.