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Stevek Poker Thread established 5.20.2023

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We obviously have different styles,the newer generation of players seem to play a lot of what I consider borderline starting hands,I could see someone playing suited connectors say Q9 so I would bet to protect what is a fairly strong hand after the flop,probably fold if reraised(first hand)
Second hand I check to try and trap.
 
Agreed and that's what I did on both.

1) He checks too, turn is a 10, he raises $125 and we fold.

2) I raise to $155 and he says "I don't normally fold this but here to you I do" and shows me J7.

Both spots annoyed me because I didn't get paid on my sets but what can you do. Only thing I can think of is maybe a min raise in spot 2, I'd predict the same result though.
1) You should have called turn. You have tons of equity to draw to a boat, and he doesn't have to have the straight here. Yes he has a lot of straights, but he'll also have lots of two pairs, one pair bluffs. Even if you are confident he has the straight, you are still getting the right implied odds to call since he won't be able to fold to your river jam when board pairs.

2) They have you pegged as a super super tight player, and I think they are right. What is your bluff raising range here? From what I gather about your game you would 100% flat call here with the straight or flush draw, right? So when you raise, you have to have two pair or better.

And he was so confident about this that he showed you.

Nothing wrong with playing super tight in these types of games, but it's definitely going to prevent you from getting paid by decent players.
 
We obviously have different styles,the newer generation of players seem to play a lot of what I consider borderline starting hands,I could see someone playing suited connectors say Q9 so I would bet to protect what is a fairly strong hand after the flop,probably fold if reraised(first hand)
Second hand I check to try and trap.
Yeah leading out and then folding to a raise with middle set is wild to me haha but that's what makes poker great, no one way to play it.

Again, in second scenario Stevey was facing a bet of $55, he never had the chance to check. Do you mean you would just call and look to bet/raise turn?
 
Actually read the second hand wrong thought he was UTG after the flop
I mostly played limit poker and tournaments when I was playing lots 10 years ago or so.I did play the cash game and sit n gos at TGF during the pandemic.Did ok in the cash game,they quit playing sit NGOs with me there.
 
Yeah leading out and then folding to a raise with middle set is wild to me haha but that's what makes poker great, no one way to play it.

Again, in second scenario Stevey was facing a bet of $55, he never had the chance to check. Do you mean you would just call and look to bet/raise turn?

He had pocket 99 so had the lowest set and that’s a drawing board.I bet to see where I am at,I guess if it’s the right amount I would call the raise
 
Agreed that the game is nowhere as lucrative as it was during the boom.

Yeah I play mostly for fun, have played on and off for a living and averaged about $12/hr. Not going back to that.

I play tight aggressive, targeting bad players. If I recognize a donkey I sit down at their table.

Will he living four minutes from the casino in a week so I'll be playing more.

I disagree with Dave on calling the $125 raise on the first hand. This is the same guy that I had played with a few times and had me labeled as Uber tight, obviously he had the straight.

The free roll has started, thank you for reading and chiming in, and best of luck in all your endeavors, gents!
 
Dave, any thoughts on Blackrain79?

I'm thinking of buying his poker course, looks like pretty good stuff to up my game.
No thoughts on him specifically. The key is to find someone you like listening to, so if you like his free content and want more, go for it. I'm sure any course that gets you thinking about these more complex concepts will help you out a lot if you put the time in to understanding them!
 
Unfortunately not a good big update, on Sunday I played 9.25 hours and lost a disgusting $1,034 my worst session in years.

A combination of things....big starting hands losing, tilt, and trying some aggressive play which I'm not good at. There are these really aggro players I play with on a consistent basis always sitting with huge stacks and I tried some of there moves and got caught. I blame it in tilt, lack of knowledge about good aggro play, and fatigue from Saturday's 20 hour session. Still amateur hour shit and unacceptable.

Really debating Dave's recommended shortstacking site for numerous reasons. First off I'm rolled for shortstacking 1/3, but not full stacking. This is huge. Second off my old school tight style is so predictable and since I can only play at Rivers without spending Uber money, many know me and don't pay me on my sets. Hell, they used to call me Stevie the setminer, lol.

There are plenty of thoughts against it too...for instance if I'm playing for monsters, I want to be paid as much as possible on them. Second, since I don't have a shelter curfew now, I'm playing later hours against more bad/drunk players and I want to collect as much as possible from them.

We also add a $110 call on aces I again knew weren't good to the mistake roll.

Some things to think about as the thread enters the red.

Utd:

104.25 hours
-$896
-$8.59/hr
Mistakes: $490
 
Glad you are reconsidering short stack play. It really suits your style perfectly. And it will make you much more likely to get paid off... someone might "know they are beat" since you are so tight, but since you "only" have $100 or whatever, they will roll eyes call off. Whereas when you have a big stack they can fold. Look up "SPR" on youtube (splitsuit has some good stuff on this) to see why people get it in lighter with smaller stacks postflop.

And the other thing to keep in mind is that you won't be short-stacked all night. You don't have to hit and run. If you start with $100 and double up twice, you'll have $400. And my guess is you'd play more focused knowing that you don't want to go back down to shortstacked again.

Don't see how there'd be any harm in trying it!
 
I agree man and I am going to give it a shot for multiple reasons i.e. bank roll, it coming from you, and not seeing consistent results since I returned to the game. As usual you bring up great points, heck just the other night my last buy in was for $210 and I was at $650 in no time.

Do you recommend that I subscribe to the site you previously posted, automatic poker - do you think I should pay for their acedemy? I saw that he has two different levels, do you recommend elite?

I was choosing between that or Doug Polk (whom has a very cool money back guarantee) but given my bankroll I think this is the best move.

I agree that my tight style will be a good short stack fit, but if their academy can teach me some new tricks that enable me to play more hands better that'd be cool.
 
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Honestly, you don't need to pay. There's tons of great free content on youtube.

The blackrain guy you mentioned: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8y2k41xe4GBHf99gl6DG53vl5vUPAmOJ
Splitsuit (Poker Bank): https://www.youtube.com/@ThePokerBank/playlists
Jonathan Little: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMYHGfD_v6wtO429Tha-Qclqhh7usnJah

Many many more. Thousands and thousands of hours of free content.

You can also go in depth on specific concepts. For example just asked ChatGPT for a list of 50. Good place to start. You can search specific concepts on YT and get lots of content on them.
  1. Hand Selection: Learn which starting hands are worth playing and which ones to fold.
  2. Position: Understand the importance of position and how it affects your betting options.
  3. Pre-Flop Strategy: Develop a strategy for different starting hands based on your position.
  4. Aggression: Emphasize aggression by betting and raising rather than passive play.
  5. Bluffing: Learn when and how to bluff effectively to represent a stronger hand.
  6. Value Betting: Know how to extract maximum value from your strong hands.
  7. Pot Odds: Calculate the pot odds to determine if a call is profitable in the long run.
  8. Implied Odds: Consider the potential future bets when making a decision based on odds.
  9. Reverse Implied Odds: Be aware of the potential negative outcomes when drawing to a hand.
  10. Reading Opponents: Observe your opponents' betting patterns and behaviors to gain information.
  11. Table Image: Manage your table image by controlling how you play and present yourself.
  12. Bet Sizing: Understand how to size your bets to build the pot or extract value.
  13. Continuation Betting: Utilize continuation bets after raising pre-flop to maintain aggression.
  14. Pot Control: Adjust your betting to keep the pot smaller or control the pace of the hand.
  15. Hand Reading: Deduce your opponents' likely holdings based on their actions and the community cards.
  16. Range Construction: Assign a range of possible hands to your opponents based on the situation.
  17. Equity: Assess the value of your hand relative to the potential hands of your opponents.
  18. Fold Equity: Recognize when your bets can make your opponents fold better hands.
  19. Three-Betting: Learn when and how to re-raise as a bluff or for value.
  20. Stealing Blinds: Take advantage of the opportunity to steal the blinds with aggressive play.
  21. Squeezing: Capitalize on players' aggression by re-raising when facing a raise and a call.
  22. Set Mining: Play small pairs hoping to hit a set on the flop and win a big pot.
  23. Board Texture: Analyze the community cards to determine how they may have connected with your opponents' hands.
  24. Polarized Betting: Use a combination of large bets and checks to polarize your range.
  25. Merging Your Range: Mix strong and weak hands in your betting patterns to make it difficult for opponents to read you.
  26. Pot Committed: Understand when you are committed to a pot and need to follow through.
  27. Playing Draws: Evaluate the strength of your draw and the pot odds before deciding to continue.
  28. Semi-Bluffing: Bet with a drawing hand that has the potential to improve to the best hand.
  29. C-Betting: Continuation bet on the flop after being the pre-flop aggressor.
  30. Floating: Call a continuation bet with a weak hand to bluff on a later street.
  31. Overbetting: Occasionally make larger-than-normal bets to create difficult decisions for your opponents.
  32. Check-Raising: Check with a strong hand, then raise when an opponent bets behind you.
  33. Multi-way Pots: Adjust your strategy when playing pots with multiple opponents.
  34. Short-Stack Strategy: Understand how to adjust your play when you have a short stack.
  35. Deep-Stack Strategy: Adapt your strategy when you have a large stack relative to the table.
  36. ICM (Independent Chip Model): Consider the value of your chips based on your position in a tournament.
  37. Bubble Play: Adjust your play when approaching the money bubble in a tournament.
  38. Bankroll Management: Manage your bankroll to avoid going broke during downswings.
  39. Table Selection: Choose tables with weaker opponents to increase your win rate.
  40. Game Selection: Select the most profitable games based on your skill level and bankroll.
  41. Tilt Control: Maintain emotional control and avoid making impulsive decisions.
  42. Hand History Review: Analyze your play and identify areas for improvement.
  43. Study Opponents: Continuously gather information on your opponents to exploit their weaknesses.
  44. Table Awareness: Stay focused and attentive to all the action happening at the table.
  45. Table Talk: Utilize conversation to gather information from opponents or mislead them.
  46. Bankroll Building: Follow a plan to steadily build your bankroll through disciplined play.
  47. Exploitative Play: Adjust your strategy based on specific tendencies and weaknesses of opponents.
  48. Meta-Game: Consider the overall dynamic and history with opponents to make strategic decisions.
  49. Game Theory: Understand the basic principles of game theory and how it applies to poker.
  50. Mental Game: Cultivate a strong mental attitude, resilience, and discipline to thrive in the game.
In my opinion, your number one priority should be studying how to avoid tilt and finding a method that works for you. All the learning in the world isn't going to help if you aren't able to keep your emotions in check at the table.

Good luck my man.