[Study blog] Towards a more advanced poker strategy
Hello, everybody!
I am a poker player and fan from Greece and I am 42 years old. I have (re-)joined this forum because I am looking to advance my online poker skills to intermediate/advanced level, particularly regarding online MTT tournaments, currently at Microstakes level. I currently live in Greece although I had been living in the UK for about 15 years and also lived in Luxembourg for 1 year. I actually started playing poker in the UK while I was a student there, and that was primarily online.
This thread is a personal study blog where I will be posting new strategy concepts I am learning. Feel free to add your comments, criticize, make relevant suggestions, or just learn from it in case you are at some similar situation as me.
Information about my experience and play
- My past study material: I have now been into poker for 15 years on and off. I possess about 349 poker books in digital form, which admittedly I have fully read few of, and about 10 in print, which I have read all of. However, regarding strategy, I have only found a dozen of all my books to be useful. I have also watched an innumerable amount of poker shows (WSOP, WPT, EPT, Poker after dark, High stakes poker and more), and the occasional strategy/coaching videos.
- My game and stakes: I have always played only No Limit HL, at the level of Microstakes and occasionally at Low stakes up to $11, almost exclusively online at Pokerstars. In the beginning I used to play $5 SnGs mostly where I was winning mostly, and the occasional tour. I had taken another gap for a few years and started playing poker about last year. And, for the last year I have been focusing on MTTs.
- My bankroll sofar: My bankroll to play poker has always been $50, which is probably too little to do much but I kept it so because I hardly ever thought seriously to move up in poker, or invest more in my play because I have had poker only as a fun hobby, and I was focusing on my work.
- My profitability sofar: I am overall a winning player. Until last year my net poker profit since the beginning was about $3,500, which I gained primarily by winning some $3 and $5 tours around 2012. Since the last year where I started playing poker frequently again I am up $400, which I gained mostly from winning a $1.10 Bounty builder tour a couple of months ago, and so, my ROI for this last year is about 230%.
- My strategy basis sofar: I mostly learnt how to play poker from 2-3 books. I developed my style primarily from Dan Harrington's "Harrington on Holdem" series, although David Sklansky's "Small stakes hold'em" and "The theory of poker" gave me an insight into odds and probabilities. By the way, I have all these books on print.
- My current style: I have been playing TAG primarily (or that's what I think it was, I usually find that on tours I play about 28% of hands early and during the minefield stage), and I was always only considering my hand and the opponent's hand ie never possible ranges.
I am sometimes intrigued by the idea that with a LAG style in tournaments I could gain a big chipstack early on and thus have a good chance of winning it, although I never actually did that, nor have I found any books on how to play LAG, nor have I seen any strategy videos of people doing that. So, regarding playing a LAG style, I am at "that would be nice to have if indeed it is worth it and I had some guides to it".
At the moment, I am not interested in learning GTO, because I find it too complex. Besides, I think it is suitable for me right now anyway. I would learn GTO only as a second style, after I would have developed my primary style. So, I basically to keep learning to play TAG and Exploitative styles.
My current learning goal
My current learning goal is to move from simply putting an opponent to a set of hands, as I have been doing, to putting him properly in a range of hands. From that begins a whole new area of strategy, which includes many more concepts and tactics I haven't used previously. I started learning about doing that by looking for theory and video material to study about putting opponents on ranges through Google. Luckily, I found a few articles on poker blogs, and a video from Johnathan Little.
That has come along with many new challenges, which sofar include the following:
1) New (for me) post-flop play: Obviously, what has changed for me since I started this quest of improving by learning to put opponents in ranges has been my post-flop play.
2) Pre-flop ranges reconsidered: I think I have a somewhat ok grasp of preflop play (however I have been playing Full Ring games almost exclusively), although after I tried learning how to put opponents on ranges I think that knowing the preflop ranges is much more crucial to have mastered. For this reason, that really challenged my existing preflop knowledge and got me back to rethinking about it too.
3) New concepts introduced to me: That is where my problems begun: that theory contains SO many new for me terms and concepts, and they look SO complicated to work out. I mean, it looks to me as complicated as rocket science, or nuclear physics. I am referring to the concepts of Range Advantage, Nut advantage, Equity denial, Value Range, Bluffing range, Overbetting range Polarized range, Polarizing overbet, Capped & uncapped ranges and some more. That is, not their definition, but how you actually calculate and use them.
4) Counting combos: Where I am getting particularly confused as to whether I need to learn even how to count combos too. That is so damn complex!
5) Putting the new concepts together: What confuses me is particularly the point where, on one I have to consider the opponent's range, on another I have to consider combos, on another the hand I made with the board to estimate bet size. I can't find when I have to think about each, and how all those things come together.
6) Non-compatibility with my current games: To give you an idea of what kind of players play in the MTT Microstakes tournamens I play at, in one of them I played in this week, some guy called my preflop 5xBB raise with Q2o from the big blind, and kept betting on a Q high flop, whereas another called my 20xBB preflop all-in with T7o, and while 3 more players were still to play. Everything else aside about their plays, I wouldn't even consider Q2o and T7o in their ranges. They are not even in a LAG's range.
[Bankroll update]
I got more free cash. I signed up to Bwin Greece, and got their intro bonus, from which I gained a net profit of €215.78!!! This amount will be added to my new bankroll. My new bankroll is therefore €451.8 + €215.78 = €667.58 = $714.18 ! Yay!
[A quick check on my stats]
I just checked my winnings' graph on Sharkscope. It has 2 errors. It considers me playing the $109 Sunday Million, and the $215 Sunday Million as expenses, when I used tickets which I had won from satellites to play those tours. Therefore, my true winnings are $109 + $215 + €433 = €101.45 + €200.12 + €433 = €734.57.
Other than that, it has been a while since I made a good cash, so things need to change!
[Session results: Finally, a 3rd place]
This session I played 36 tournaments, and wagered a total of $67.26. I did some cashes in a few tours, but my best was that I won 3rd place in the Bounty builder $2.20, cashing in $196.18! Finally, a return to big victories. I've now made back my last losses, and some more. One bad move in the end (calling an all-in with AJo vs 33) costed me the 2nd place, with $100 more!! I regret it, but I still did well!
[News update: Moving out of Microstakes]
Since I have a new, bigger bankroll, I am moving out of Micro stakes to Low stakes!! This is a great moment in my poker player career. It is a new for me, after 20 years of playing! Hurray! This is a moment to party!!
All I needed was a bigger bankroll! Of course, I am not making this move only because of that. I am ready to play the Low stakes, as I have already proven my skills in Micro stakes TTs, scoring 1st places, final tables and deep runs in tours a few times before.
This means that my Game selection is changing. Aside of the Micro tournaments, I will be also playing $4.40, $5.50 and occasionally $11 tournaments. I am still sticking to Bounty builders, as I get some compensation for losses.
Wish me good luck!
GJ OP
Good Luck
Spoiler
It's probably the same game so don't change much and I'm sure you will crush it
[Session results: First day at the Low stakes]
This session I wagered approximately $80, and I played approximately 30 games, ranging from $0.55 to $11, and which included 3 x $11 Bounty builders.
I played the $11 Mini Daily Cooldown (Turbo, PKO). This was the 2nd time I ever played this tour (the first one was yesterday). I was feeling nervous, and made a bad call early on ( pair vs a straight), hopefully without ruining me. Frankly, I lost in an all in AK vs JJ. at least it was a fair fight. I also played the $11 Mini Saturday KO. Unfortunately I busted out in a stupid way, when villain made quad 5s, against my pocket AA, and I called his all in.
I finished 7th in a $4.40 PKO. The last hand was ridiculous, as the chip leader tried to bluff me while I was ahead, bet with nothing and hit a miracle pair of Ks on the river! What a suckout! This really disturbed my session, but hopefully it was towards the end of it.
I also finished 11th in the $1.10 NLHE tour when I accidentally called an all in, so I cashed only about $7. It was a coinflip but I would fold. Damn it!
All in all, it was a low losing day. The good news is I am starting to do well in $3.30 and $4.40 tournaments, and that keeps me happy to go on!
[Session results]
This session I wagered $62.66, and played 17 games, ranging from $1.10 to $16.50. Overall I had a net loss of $14.17. Nothing seemed to work, aside of making some small cashes in a couple of tours.
What's new is I played my first $16.50 Bounty builder, which I qualified to through a satellite. I lost when I was dealt QQ vs the chip leader's KK, going all-in on a low card flop. I felt devastated, and I am still finding my ways in such bigger tours.
[News update: Trying out Novibet poker]
In an attempt to find smaller tours, and easy players to play against, I tried Novibet Poker (www.novibet.gr). Novibet is primarily a sports betting and casino site, but they also offer poker games.
Novibet is an established GameTech company operating in Europe (Greece, Ireland, Italy, Cyprus, Finland), the Americas (Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Ecuador, Canada), and New Zealand, with tech hubs in Greece and Malta and over 900 employees across countries.
Apparently, they are part of the iPoker poker network. Hand2Note could recognize the interface, and the Hand history is stored in C:\Users\
First impressions
The first thing to say is, the Novibet client interface is very different from Pokerstars, and felt alien to me. It was when I used it that I realised how much used to Pokerstars I am.
General observations
- The client contains an in-built HUD, which shows VPIP, AF, 3BET and some more stats. However, these may be only for the current tournament, ie it probably doesn't save a history of them for you.
Good things
- The graphics are ok.
- The breaks happen at the same time as Pokerstars, which is convenient if you multi-site between the two sites.
Problems
- The first time I deposited, my balance was not updated immediately afterwards. I shut down the client and restart it, and then it was updated.
- At first I couldn't find where on the play screen you see your rank in the tournament. It turns out it is right at the bottom.
- It doesn't show the countries of the players in the game, like Pokerstars does.
- The time for next break is hidden in the lobby, under the tab "Stats"
The first tours I played were a €3 Micro warm up, a €0.50 Rebuy Turbo, and a €1 Micro Hunter (PKO). All happened to be 6-max, so not much fun for me, as I haven't been playing 6-maxes and I am not used to them. I played impatiently, and busted out of those realtively quickly.
I then signed up for a €5 Micro HIghroller, to which I lasted a little longer than the first 3 tours, but still ended up busting out before ITM, and that was the end of my exploration at Novibet.
[Session results]
This session I wagered a total of $39.43, and played a total of 22 games, ranging from $0.33 satellites to a $7.50 Bounty builder. Overall, I had a net win of about $21.
How it went: I had a lot of bad luck!... I busted out of 2 tours with suckouts (KK vs ATo, AK vs A4), a sign that I was playing at the top of my game, yet giving a bad feeling. I lost a huge pot in a suckout on the $0.55 bounty builder, holding QQ vs 93s on a 2-flush board, when villain hit trip 9s on the turn after an all-in on flop, which was a real bummer considering I was ITM and big stacked. That pot ended up costing me the match, as I was crippled afterwards.
In the $5.50 Bounty builder, I had my flop set of 3s cracked by a backdoor flush draw, when I went all-in on the flop against villain's A9o. That gave a huge blow to my stack, and I busted out soon after without cashing.
In the $2.20 Micro Battle Royale, I managed to become the tournament chip leader early on, with an amazing stack of 665xBB! However, I was struck by the "curse of the early chip leaders", which is that although I gain a huge stack, I end up card dead and with an average stack soon after. I finished the tour ITM, but in 504rd place with a min cash of $2.76, when my AA got cracked by a KJo in a preflop all-in! :(
I also was unlucky in the $3.30 Bounty builder, as my flush didn't hit in a 3-way all-in, and I ended up rebuying 3 times, yet only made a in cash of $2.95, finishing in 367th place.
My best run was at a $2.20 Bounty builder. I lost a critical hand ITM when down to the last 5 tables. I went all-in with KK on a J-high flop and the opponent called with QJo, hitting 2 Qs on the turn and river. I was then 6th, and would have moved up probably to the top 3 if I had won it. I ended up losing from very bad luck, when I was holding JJ and went all-in on a lower flop, and opponent called with AK to hit a K on the turn! That really ruined my day! :( I cashed $30.16 in total.
My second best run was at a $7.50 Bounty builder, where I finished 358th, and cashed $14.51.
The battle of the Low stakes goes on!...
[The after session]
I played 5 more games, and made deep runs in 2, while managed to cash in 4. Unfortunately, I didn't make any wins nor final tables, but my bankroll went up another $15. The great news is I made it to the last 3 tables in a $4.40 tournament for the first time. That means that the win is coming soon!!
[My net profit graph, corrected - 03/05/2024]
So, I corrected my net profit graph from Sharkscope, as it was showing me having lost money from tournaments which I hadn't lost ($109, and $215, for the Sunday Million). I had won tickets for those through satellites, so I didn't pay to enter them. Here it is below. Also, effectively, my net profit is not €516, but €880.
[Session results]
This session I wagered $51.23 and played 12 games, ranging from $0.33 to $11. Nothing worked, and I had a net loss of $41.
I took a shot at the Micro Thursday Thrill $11 PKO, applying Splitsuit's 15/2 Bankroll strategy. I chose this tournament because it pays a total of 35K, which is huge! I was very nervous, and also hadn't had any warm-up before it. Unfortunately, my tour ended soon, when my AK came across villain's AA.
I gotta live to fight another day!
[A crack at Zoom cash: No good!]
I played a little bit of Zoom cash NL2 and NL5. I won at NL2, then lost at NL5, a total of about $10. It's not my game, and I don't know it. I am a tourneyman!! I haven't trained for cash games.
My plan was to "crack Aces and catch somebody bluffing, make big hands, play suited connectors, pairs and suited Aces". I did crack someone's Aces, and got paid off big, but it takes such a long time for such opportunities to appear that I don't know whether my plan is viable (or, it is, but I am simply too impatient).
[Session results: My first cash in an $11 tour]
This session I wagered $31.18 and played 10 games, ranging from $0.33 to $11. I had a net profit of $10.82.
I just had my first cash in an $11 tour, the $11 Micro Saturday KO. I am really excited and can't wait for more!
[Session results: 2 cashes in $11 tours]
This session I wagered a total of $105.25, and played 30 games. That is the second biggest number of games I have ever played in a session (the first was 10 days ago). I broke even.
However, the good news is I cashed again in an $11 Bounty builder, finishing 266 of 4664, and cashing $27.61! I also cashed $21.13 in the Sunday Storm, finishing in 1308th place. Finally, Things are going good.
getting some nice results - will be nice to see you get a top 3 +$5 MTT - will happen shortly I am sure!
[Session results]
This session I wagered 44.56$, played 16 games, ranging from $0.30 to $11. I had a net profit of $6.44.
I min cashed on the $5.50 SCOOP 10-L. I lost when my QQ run into AA, and next hand my AQ run into AK.
I won a ticket to the $22 Bounty builder, but I used it as Tournament money, as I chose to play an $11 Bounty builder instead.
The $11 Bounty builder went bad. I was hardly given any playable hands! I got 1 pair of Aces, where I got 1 caller who folded on the turn. I was eventually dealt an AK, where I called an all-in into what turned out to be a 4-way pot, which was taken down by an ATo, and that ended my tournament there.
[The after session]
After my regular session, I played 2 more games, and had a a net loss of $4. I managed to cash in the $5 Micro Rim Pacific, and made it to the final table of a $7.50 Satellite to the $85 Bounty builder, but I finished 2 plces short of the tickets! :( Live to fight another day....
[Session results]
This session I wagered $70.12 and played 27 games, ranging from $0.33 to $11. I had a net loss of $25.72.
Today I was not in the mood to play much. Nevertheless, I chose to play because I am currently on holiday so I have the time to do it (later I won't have as much time). I was very tilt and called bets with ridiculous hands, which cost me the tour a couple of times.
I played a bit of NL2 cash, and got my a$$ kicked. I quit immediately after.
I played some slots and lost, so I had to deposit.
I got completely drunk, but my game did not change at all. Yey!
I won a Powerpath step 3 ticket.
I am still to make a big win since I started playing Low stakes. Also, my bankroll is having bigger swings than it had before.
Today I noticed a mistake in my Preflop strategy: I open very few hands from MP-BTN. I need to correct it ASAP. I need to study my preflop ranges.
I played a $11 Bounty builder, which was full of calling stations and maniacs. Unfortunately, my cards didn't come right, so I busted out. In the Bounty builder $3.30 I put my money in right with KK on a T74 flop, to be called by an A7 which hit an A on the turn, ending my tour there.
[Session results: A good run in the $11 Mini Saturday KO]
When I logged in this session there were only about 13,000 players at the tables on Pokerstars. I thought those would be the best players, the regulars.
I played the $11 Mini Saturday KO. In that tour, the first table was full of 5 calling stations and maniacs, with VIPs > 34 (one's VPIP was 58). At one point somebody went all-in with J8s. I folded, but he ended up making a straight. I doubled up from one other of the calling stations, when I hit a flop flush, against his top pair J (he was holding KJo), and he went all-in. I ended up busting him when he bluffed with a busted flush draw, and I got huge stacked with 287xBB.
Unfortunately, I was later moved to a new table, where I had no info on the players. In the new table there were only 2 loose players. I got dealt no good hands for a long time, so I didn't make any chips. My stack started dwindling down. Finally I got lucky and flopped a straight flush, with which I kicked out one player.
I was doing well in the late stages ITM, when the SB went all-in. I thought that was my chance to double up, and I called with ATs. He had AA, and I lost a big pot, leaving me with 13xBB. It was that hand that shuttered my dreams. I lost about 10 hands later, going all in with a J2s...
Nevertheless, this is my best run in an $11 tour. Things are getting better!
[Session results: A deep run in the $11 Bounty builder]
I had one of the best sessions ever. I was very disciplined, and cashed in a few good tours, busting out many opponents and winning some good cash.
Firstly, I won a ticket to the $22 Mini Saturday Knockout. In the $22 Mini Saturday KO I made a marginal call with 99, which turned out to be against KK, and I lost a pot which ruined me, as it left me with 16xBB. Eventually I lost going all in on KJs vs a pair of 9s.
Also, I played the $11 Bounty builder. In my first try at the $11 Bounty builder, I hit a set on the flop, went all-in on the turn, with 4 players calling, who were chasing a flush draw, and they hit it. The winner got over 750xBB. I rebought.
The second time I had a very good run, busting out many opponents and gathering a good bounty. I was saved by a miracle in a critical spot, when I went all-in on the turn with K8o to be called by a JQs. I hit an 8 on the river and doubled up. I finally lost in a preflop all-in with AK vs AQ, when villain hit a flush on the river.
[News update: Moron gambles on roulette and loses his balance]
Today did something stupid. I think I got winner's tilt and felt invincible, or I was just bored, or both. I started gambling on slots and roulette. In roulette I used the Martingale system.
It was all going well, until I bet 100 euros in one go on black, but red had a streak. I lost it, and with that all of my winnings and last deposit. I feel stupid and addicted. I need to stop doing this to myself!
What I gained is, I stopped fearing of losing money. If I am going to bet it, I will bet it. This makes me feel more confident playing poker at my stakes.
