Hi Chris - A huge thanks for all the effort you put in to making your videos. They've been so helpful to me in getting back into the game. I played online casually a few years back, but recently decided to give poker a serious go this time around. My only comment is WOW what a big difference in the players at the limit tables. I had looked into getting a coach in January when I first got back in. I was turned down several times and told "limit is dead, find a new game". I won't...I'll dabble in limit omaha hi/lo but I've never shown much strength in nl or pl games. Anyway...I personally don't believe limit is dead and although I'm not quite where I want to be statistically I think there is mad money to be made. In fact, it seems to me after US legislation changed the player base, A TON of fish were left behind at limit. That brings me to my requests (you asked for it!!) I would love to see more mid-range 6-max videos...3/6 and 5/10. In particular, a session at Fulltilt on a weekend. I actually went back and reviewed your videos and noted the table dynamics (pt stats) at the tables you were playing. They were very similar to the tables I have found to be most profitable for me. However this weekend I couldn't find a 3/6 or 5/10 6 max table at Fulltilt without almost every player at each table showing a really high VPIP and some insane aggression factors. It was disgusting, I don't think I once saw all hands folded to the blinds and there were a ton of what I call "pre-flop weeeee raisers". I finally gave up because I literally couldn't play a hand heads up or even 3-way with these guys...capping j9s utg and whatnot. Second request...maybe touch on Morton's Theorem and/or the schooling effect and show how tables like I mentioned can be played profitably. God knows I haven't figured it out! Maybe they can't be...if that's the case and your opinion, please just post a reply with your thoughts. One last thing, you've mentioned that 1-2 bbs/100 is an excellent rate for lh limit. What are your thoughts for 6max? Again, thanks for everything - pgawido PS: there's a glitch towards the end of chapter 1 in your most recent video (#15 I think) if it can't be fixed, please post the hand as it was a good one and I would like to see how it turned out.
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Plus Team
Hi pgawido -
Glad you are enjoying the videos. Limit is not dead, but it is slowly dying. I think there is a chance it will see a resurgence once we can convince more casual players that is has a lot more action compared to no-limit. It also allows the fish to survive longer which is very important for overall balance of the game.
I will definitely get more mid range 6max videos coming. A 10/20 is on the way next, but I will get some smaller ones out as well.
As far as your game selection issues, I think you are approaching things incorrectly. You make money when your opponents make mistakes, so if they are all crazy you will make a lot of money. I know crazy games can be frustrating since you will take more beats, but if you are patient and wait for your spots your monster hands will show a huge profit and can make up for some beats. The crazier the game the better. Hopefully I can find some more crazy games to make videos in and get into a more detailed strategy of how to beat them.
1-2bb/100 is very good in todays shorthanded limit games as well. Honestly, anything over 0 is an accomplishment and shows that you are on the right track.
I went back to the video to look for the glitch and did not find it. It seemed to change chapters seamlessly for me. As far as digging up the hand, I don't use pokertracker on that site so I don't think I would be able to get it. Sorry.
Please let me know if you have other questions or ideas for future videos. I would like to see some increased traffic on this forum, so please use it as a resource.
Basic User
Thanks for the quick reply, Chris.
Video #16 again showed the best table conditions for me - in the beginning anyway.
In Ch. 1 & 2 of the video, you had the two loose players and the two other players that were pretty good statistically. With your premium hands, you were able to isolate and take down a few nice pots because the fish were paying you and the entire table wasn't drawing out on you. (And yes...you had a great little rush there!!)
I think in mid/late Chapter 3 the table dynamics changed, one of the good players left and a couple of unknowns/fishy guys showed up. You were getting called with your premium hands by 2+ players and began losing, and certainly lost the ability to semi bluff and take down flops.
An example...the 55 you opened with might have had a chance against one player, but definitely not the 4 that called you. And the chopped pot vs. Bahiman where you pointed out he definitely should've folded turn. These are the table dynamics I'm talking about, but much worse.
I hear you...it's the loose players that pay off...but today I sat at a 2/4 with one ok player and four 50+ VPIP (two of them w/ 25+ preflop aggression #s). I sat for 68 hands in 40 minutes and this is how it went:
I gave up trying to steal after two failed attempts opening from button w/ QTs (missed) and A3s (hit and got beat by 23o gutshot on river)...both times called by both blinds. These two were going to showdown with anything and nothing, and I definitely wasn't going to try and isolate without good hands. Bye Bye stealing.
My VPIP for the session was 19.12 which I don't think is too bad given that many many hands were 2 or 3 bet by the time they got to me, or there were limpers and I had poopy hands that had no chance of hitting a coordinated board. Also, I was not getting involved with the bunch of them with out premium hands. My cards weren't great at all except for the monsters listed below (by this I mean I wasn't folding A9s+ in position or anything like that, I just wasn't getting them).
These are the hands I played and what beat them: Sorry for not using a hand converter, I figured it would be too long a post.
99 - I was utg and was reraised by button and bb called - i called. flop was 10 hi I folded to bet and raise when Ace hit on turn. I was up against TT who reraised and
QQ that cold called...go figure...btw the cold call QQ was the turn raiser when ace hit- this was one of my first hands so I was typing notes like crazy. I knew then I could not trust that player to play "normal".
AA- 4 limpers I raise bb all call. in short: board was 58849 rainbow I bet out all streets and everyone called until river chk raise from sb (the psycho player above)...slow played trip 8s (82o of all hands to limp much less call a raise with, even from sb) blech. I did call the raise on river because pot was so big and it came from the weirdo. Should I have not bet flop and turn?
KK - this ones my favorite...2 limpers I raise from bb both call. Board is T77J9 I bet all streets and am called by both...button was calling with AIR, lp shows 68o rivered gutshot no raise or anything. (Puking)
QQ - lp psycho raised, I reraised from button both blinds call. A34 flop but it's chkd to me so I bet, all call. Turn 5 I don't like my hand at all, chkd around...that baffles me because I didn't think psycho was capable of chk rs. I check. LP bets river, pot is just big enough and I'm playing with boobs so I call (big mistake?) A2o...blech
I'm down 36.03 bbs now - so I leave.
I know this is an itsy bitsy sample...but this is the norm for me at really loose tables.
Just for kicks I dropped down to 1/2 yesterday and went psycho myself raising and reraising every suited connector and worse w/ position and going crazy when I hit any type of hand but folding immediately vs. resistance w/out draws. I ended up 20+/bbs in 150 hands. Am I onto something? Do suited connectors and Ax Kx go up in value vs. horrible players on loose tables?
Please find a truely psycho table for your next video and thanks again for all your effort.
pgawido
Basic User
I just remembered you were back in LA this week.
Hope your visit goes better this time and will look for a reply next week.
Good Luck!
Plus Team
Sorry to hear you had a rough session. You do want to be playing against players that make mistakes agianst you. In a wild game it is a struggle to see your big hands fall, but when you do get an oportunity to take down a pot with a set or straight, it will be bloated and make up for a few of those beats. In wild games, hands like ATo and KJo go way down in value because those hands are usually trying to make a strong one pair. Another adjustment to make is to not peel when you do not flop pairs or strong draws. You also need to avoid going crazy with bad hands just because you see your opponents play that way. Just wait for your spots and get paid off. Your vpip for the session sounds like you were doing fine in that respect.
I think the success you had by playing crazy in the 1/2 was probably due to running good and your opponents not adjusting to you running them over. Eventually you will cool off, or your opponents will adjust and you will struggle. The solid style is what takes the money in the long run. You will eventually find that aggressiveness balance, it is one of the hardest parts of the game.
Basic User
Request:
As I watch Video 17, I am courious what your VPIP and PFR stats are during those short sessions. I know where the long term stats are/should be, but as you discuss the other player's stats could you 'click' on yours once or twice during a session?
Q.
When you open 16 tables and data mine, are you using 'observed hands' selection in PT? I can't get any stats unless I'm actually in the game so I must be doing something wrong.
Thanks and great videos!
Plus Team
I will try and do a recap at the end of future vids to cover stats from the session. I am unable to do this on bodog since I do not use PT there. As far as your observed hands problem, try asking on the PT forums. The guys who run that site are extremely helpful and respond very fast.
Basic User
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Basic User
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