Even though poker is a long term game, consisting of millions of hands, it all starts with each session you play. I try to always make sure that I follow these rules when playing. These rules ensure that I always get the best out of each session.
Session Goals:
Practice good BRM
See Step 2
Apply the maths
See Step 3, know when it is profitable to call.
Try some multi-level thinking
At micros, only 2nd level is really required, "What do I think my opponent has?" Try putting them on a hand or range of hands.
Be patient, remain calm and focused
Above all, if you are emotional while playing, you will tilt.
Cash Game Rules:
Use proper game selection
The most profitable tables for TAG players are those with a high % of players per flop, a big pot size and a high number of hands per hour.
Always buy in for the maximum and top up if needed
This will allow you to play big stack strategy. Remember that chips are tools that can be used to extract chips from other players.
Learn to identify when you go on tilt and activate the killswitch
When I am 1.5 BI down for the day, I stop for the day. If I find myself calling mediocre hands OOP, playing too loose or making bad decisions, I take a break.
Tournament Rules:
Number of Rebuys
Only 2 rebuys and 1 addon per tournament to stay within BRM
Only rebuy if you had the best hand when the money went in
This forces me to make good decisions.
Only addon if it will take you over the average stack size or if you are already over the average stack size
This makes sure that I am not just feeding the big stacks.
Always remember that each session contributes to your long term goals... Keep these in mind and if you are a decent player, your BR should grow.
Showing posts with label Tilt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tilt. Show all posts
Friday, December 24, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Feeding the fishies and turning donks into sharks...
I have started noticing a phenomenon on the tables at Piggs that doesn’t seem to happen on FT. Coaching at the tables… Here we are grinding out our BB/100 and a couple of suckouts turn the better players into coaches, trying to stop the donks from calling to hit the flush on the river if they don’t have pot odds.
I used to do this myself, but having experienced a player that was a recipient of this information, suddenly start winning tourneys and having seen other donks that have received good advice turn into sharks, that it is –EV to coach at the tables.
You are teaching them to be better players, allowing them to take their money back and all of this without having to do any of the work that we have had to do, scouring forums and reading poker books, analysing hands and putting in the hours that it takes to be a better player.
So just a plea, leave them, let them call, in the long run they will be your best source of income… If they want to get better, let them do the work.
I used to do this myself, but having experienced a player that was a recipient of this information, suddenly start winning tourneys and having seen other donks that have received good advice turn into sharks, that it is –EV to coach at the tables.
You are teaching them to be better players, allowing them to take their money back and all of this without having to do any of the work that we have had to do, scouring forums and reading poker books, analysing hands and putting in the hours that it takes to be a better player.
So just a plea, leave them, let them call, in the long run they will be your best source of income… If they want to get better, let them do the work.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Downswings and the nature of the game.
Over the past few days, work has really taken a bite out of my normal poker timetable. I am getting a few hands in a day, cos I know this is the best way to learn.
Over the past week or two I have had a bit of a downswing, and although I know that I should be looking at my swings monthly, I still feel the effects.
Work has therefore afforded me the opportunity to do what I normally do when I have a downswing of epic proportions.... Take a break.
Now I have the weekend to focus more on my game again and get those numbers up. Let's hope the break helped. :)
Over the past week or two I have had a bit of a downswing, and although I know that I should be looking at my swings monthly, I still feel the effects.
Work has therefore afforded me the opportunity to do what I normally do when I have a downswing of epic proportions.... Take a break.
Now I have the weekend to focus more on my game again and get those numbers up. Let's hope the break helped. :)
Monday, December 6, 2010
Step 2: What you need to know about your Bankroll
Ok, got some goals, so what's next? Your Bankroll.
We are going to look at why and when proper Bankroll Management is important, what stakes you should be playing and when it's recommended you should move up or down in Stakes.
First the why:
Because poker is a life long game with an element of luck. Therefore, even as a skilled player, you will have downswings. The idea behind proper BRM is to make sure that those downswings don't bust your BR. Thankfully, over enough hands, variance seems to even things out, and if you are a skilled player, you will profit if you have used proper BRM.
The other reason is twofold. One, you don't ever want to play with scared money. You know how you feel when you get a bad beat and the tilt starts to rise? Well, when you can't afford the losses, that tilt is magnified. The quickest way to go broke is to disregard your BRM and encounter on of those tilts...
The other reason is that without proper BRM, you will never be able to use big stack strategy. I like to think of it like this: On the poker table, chips are tools. You use these tools to extract chips from other players. And everyone knows it's better to have a big tool! :) But seriously, use whatever tools available in order to maximize your profits. In the end, that's the goal, isn't it?
You will see, after a few months, with some skill and proper BRM, you will turn a profit.
So when should you practice proper BRM?
Well, always. But when it's the most helpful:
When you are on a cooler - When you seem to just be losing and losing, it may be time to cut your losses and take a break. If you have set a budget and you lose 2-3 buy-ins(BIs), it wont seem nearly as bad as losing half your BR.
When you are on tilt - When you feel your emotions getting the better of you, you start playing mediocre hands OOP, and find yourself in pots with hands that look like feet, you are on tilt. Activate the kill switch! Get up, walk away, just take a break, remember that it's a lifelong game and that "more is nog n dag".(there's always tomorrow)
When you have moved up in stakes but you're getting hammered - Stay as long as you feel you are actually getting the hang of it. Don't be a hero and stay cos you can afford it. Most of the time I play way over rolled, just for the social aspect, the action and the table selection.
What Stakes should you be playing?
I like to conserve my BR, so these may seem a little low for you, but good for a starter and easy to work out.
You have quite a bit of cash:
Decide on a starting bankroll, let's use R2500 as an example.
With that BR, you are rolled for R100NL cash game (50c/R1 with a R100 max buy in), R25 MTTs and R50 SNGs. To work it out, for cash games take your BR divide by 25, that is your max buy in, divide by 100 for your big blind max. For MTTs take your BR and divide by 100. For SNGs take your BR and divide by 50.
This should see you through the downswings, but if you are a starter player, I suggest you try the lower stakes first just to get the hang of things.
You have a bit of cash:
You will need a minimum of $50 to play 2NL on a US site or R500 to play 20NL on an SA site using proper BRM.
You have no cash:
You have 2 options, freerolls (better on SA sites) or a deposit bonus. For the deposit bonus, you must not have an account on Fulltilt. Go to http://www.pokerstrategy.com/u7TYTU, do the training, pass the quiz, register on FT and get $50. That will be enough for 2NL on FT.
Ok, a long one, but almost there, when to move up and down in stakes?
If you are crushing your current stakes, when you have 25 BIs for the next level up, you can try your hand at it.
If you move up in stakes and are losing consistently, once you are down 3 BIs at your new stakes, I would suggest you move down and grind it out on the lower stakes till you are ready to try again.
Well, hope you enjoyed Step 2. The next one in a bit...
We are going to look at why and when proper Bankroll Management is important, what stakes you should be playing and when it's recommended you should move up or down in Stakes.
First the why:
Because poker is a life long game with an element of luck. Therefore, even as a skilled player, you will have downswings. The idea behind proper BRM is to make sure that those downswings don't bust your BR. Thankfully, over enough hands, variance seems to even things out, and if you are a skilled player, you will profit if you have used proper BRM.
The other reason is twofold. One, you don't ever want to play with scared money. You know how you feel when you get a bad beat and the tilt starts to rise? Well, when you can't afford the losses, that tilt is magnified. The quickest way to go broke is to disregard your BRM and encounter on of those tilts...
The other reason is that without proper BRM, you will never be able to use big stack strategy. I like to think of it like this: On the poker table, chips are tools. You use these tools to extract chips from other players. And everyone knows it's better to have a big tool! :) But seriously, use whatever tools available in order to maximize your profits. In the end, that's the goal, isn't it?
You will see, after a few months, with some skill and proper BRM, you will turn a profit.
So when should you practice proper BRM?
Well, always. But when it's the most helpful:
When you are on a cooler - When you seem to just be losing and losing, it may be time to cut your losses and take a break. If you have set a budget and you lose 2-3 buy-ins(BIs), it wont seem nearly as bad as losing half your BR.
When you are on tilt - When you feel your emotions getting the better of you, you start playing mediocre hands OOP, and find yourself in pots with hands that look like feet, you are on tilt. Activate the kill switch! Get up, walk away, just take a break, remember that it's a lifelong game and that "more is nog n dag".(there's always tomorrow)
When you have moved up in stakes but you're getting hammered - Stay as long as you feel you are actually getting the hang of it. Don't be a hero and stay cos you can afford it. Most of the time I play way over rolled, just for the social aspect, the action and the table selection.
What Stakes should you be playing?
I like to conserve my BR, so these may seem a little low for you, but good for a starter and easy to work out.
You have quite a bit of cash:
Decide on a starting bankroll, let's use R2500 as an example.
With that BR, you are rolled for R100NL cash game (50c/R1 with a R100 max buy in), R25 MTTs and R50 SNGs. To work it out, for cash games take your BR divide by 25, that is your max buy in, divide by 100 for your big blind max. For MTTs take your BR and divide by 100. For SNGs take your BR and divide by 50.
This should see you through the downswings, but if you are a starter player, I suggest you try the lower stakes first just to get the hang of things.
You have a bit of cash:
You will need a minimum of $50 to play 2NL on a US site or R500 to play 20NL on an SA site using proper BRM.
You have no cash:
You have 2 options, freerolls (better on SA sites) or a deposit bonus. For the deposit bonus, you must not have an account on Fulltilt. Go to http://www.pokerstrategy.com/u7TYTU, do the training, pass the quiz, register on FT and get $50. That will be enough for 2NL on FT.
Ok, a long one, but almost there, when to move up and down in stakes?
If you are crushing your current stakes, when you have 25 BIs for the next level up, you can try your hand at it.
If you move up in stakes and are losing consistently, once you are down 3 BIs at your new stakes, I would suggest you move down and grind it out on the lower stakes till you are ready to try again.
Well, hope you enjoyed Step 2. The next one in a bit...
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