w34z3l's Poker Academy

My couple questions:

1) How do we define if we have a large enough edge over the current field we're playing? Let's say, I bounce between 50nl and 100nl zoom now, and I see most regulars make what I consider quite big mistakes (e.g. calling mp vs ep with weak hands, 3/4-betting very small OOP, and so on). How do I know if that's enough for me to have decent winrate, high $/hr, and eventually to move up, or variance and my tilt are going to eat it all? Or if that's even a correct play, and I simply don't understand it?

Please be advised that this Thursday we start @ 7:30 pm CET!

Hi w34z3l,
I recently found your academy thread so i am not sure if someone already asked this: how did you change, in Power Equilab, the colors of the hand range in the predefined hand ranges? I can only do it the grouping options.

1st question:
What do you think about building exact postflop ranges like - on this board I will cbet these x combos, x/c these y combos, x/r these combos and x/f rest (to be balanced). Since it´s quite time consuming do you think it make sense to do it for exact number of combos (be balanced) or it´s better to have some general game plan where my stats won´t be total out of line and rather review more different spots? Also how (if) this change on different limits - NL10 - NL100?

2nd question
Typically in 3bet pots and against players with non full stack - how to choose good approach to betsizing - is it more important potsize or effective stack? Sometimes I´m in situation when I tend to bet like 3/4 flop and turn (on drawy boards, against fish for value...) but end up with weird sizing on the river (too small) or I can bet like 1/10 of effective stack, 1/4 of effective stack and shove river with regular sizing - but it´s sometimes too low betsizing given the potsize.

3rd question:
I have 20 minutes every day before go to work. Can you recommend some daily routine which should me as much effective as possible to improve my game? Usually I end up to do every day something else with no real plan.

Maybe I should post here instead.

In the latest coaching video there is a graph in the beginning where w34z3l has filtered out probe bets in a graph. I tried to do that in HM2 but I don't think I got it right. Which little boxes should I check and which not?

@Svinhugg:

Turn probe bet spots:

Under the Basic filters section:
VPIP= yes
saw flop = yes
Relative Position = OOP

--> Position and Action:
Action facing hero = 1 Raiser
Other Advanced filters section:
Flop Continuation Bet Possible = False
Facing flop Continuation Bet = False

that should give you the spots where you could Probe bet the turn (if I have got it right)

And for river probe spots...

change in Other Advanced filters section:
Facing flop Continuation Bet = True
Facing turn continuation bet = false
Hero Saw turn = true

maybe I missed something.... Try it out :-)

Hey w34z3l, thanks for doing this Q&A with us.

My question is about leading in Multi-way-pots. I saw you leading vs. Late-Position RFI+Coldcaller in the BB as soon as you hit a little piece of the flop (e.g. 9x on AT9r). How does this change vs. UTG/MP First-in's and one coldcaller? This hand is a good example for what I mean. Would be great to know your opinion on that spot and how far / low you would go with your absolute hand strength

888 Poker - $0.10 NL (6 max) FAST - Holdem - 6 players
Hand converted by PokerTracker 4

BTN: $11.80 (VPIP: 22.22, PFR: 22.22, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 11)
SB: $13.11 (VPIP: 26.32, PFR: 26.32, 3Bet Preflop: 14.29, Hands: 20)
Hero (BB): $11.12
UTG: $10.00 (VPIP: 0.00, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: -, Hands: 4)
MP: $6.03 (VPIP: 16.98, PFR: 9.43, 3Bet Preflop: 5.00, Hands: 58)
CO: $7.46 (VPIP: 100.00, PFR: 0.00, 3Bet Preflop: 0.00, Hands: 4)

SB posts SB $0.05, Hero posts BB $0.10

Pre Flop: (pot: $0.15) Hero has 3♠ A♠

UTG raises to $0.30, MP calls $0.30, fold, fold, fold, Hero calls $0.20

Flop: ($0.95, 3 players) 9♦ 2♠ 5♣
Hero bets $0.57, UTG calls $0.57, fold

Turn: ($2.09, 2 players) J♠
Hero bets $1.44, UTG raises to $4.00, fold

Originally posted by Reiseleiter
@Svinhugg:

Turn probe bet spots:

...
maybe I missed something.... Try it out :-)

Thats seems to do the trick. I get a graph that looks like what I expected. the red line is lower of course and I seem to miss al lot of opportunitys,

Thank you very much.

Hi everyone, I would like to ask what range you would play vs this opponent. He tends to 4bet me a lot, actually almost half the time i 3bet him he 4bets me.

Originally posted by rhegar
Hi everyone, I would like to ask what range you would play vs this opponent. He tends to 4bet me a lot, actually almost half the time i 3bet him he 4bets me.

ok , he does not fold to 3b vs you and 4bets ... lets say we are in the BB and he opens on BTN.

Here's my default 3b range from BB vs 30% open raise:
for value: AQ+,TT+, AJs
for bluff: A5o,A4o,A3o,A2o,98o,98o,Q7s,Q6s,J7s

and also i have a depolarized range wich looks like this:
AJo+, KQo,99+,A9s, and all suited broadways , and T9s

you can construct your 3b range in 2 ways:
one way is to 3bet only about half of your bluffs (you can do this by picking the hands from "for bluff" that have a heart)

another way is to 3bet depolarized and to start calling 4bets and playing postflop

Thank you, he has 47% steal from BTN, I understand and I do have default ranges. Do you use the depolarized one vs opponents who fold less than 40% to 3bet? I assume you have all your ranges, somehow , in front of you when you play. So you call more vs him instead of 3bet or build a range for 5bet shove ? He also has 4bet premium only 60% so most def he is bluffing.

i am working on ranges currently ... until i learn them by heart...

anyhow... i know the depolarized 3b range vs each position because i use that in the SB. (3b or fold strategy)
i mix it vs some opponents, eg vs fish i use the depolarized and it's easier to make iso 3bets

regardless the high 4b%...
i'm calling instead of 5betting... especially with premium hands ,because it's more annoying for him to play postflop. You make his life easier if you shove.
we can shove some weaker hands as we expect folds

----------

Originally posted by rhegar
he has 47% steal from BTN

ye, edited

Do you use different ranges, for example vs BTN 2x; 2.5x or 3x open? If yes which formula did you use for different sizing.

dont really use different 3b ranges based on villain open raise size....

however, me personally i do tend to make minor adjustments in calling ranges

well definitely we should use different range for each sizing but how to do it is something I dont really know right know so maybe on next coaching we can ask w34z3l

Originally posted by rhegar
Hi everyone, I would like to ask what range you would play vs this opponent. He tends to 4bet me a lot, actually almost half the time i 3bet him he 4bets me.

IMO you have too little of a sample to firmly state he's 4betting a lot particularly against you. But anyway.

1st step would be obviously to shrink 3betting range; cuz EV of your weakest value hands and bluffs goes down significantly when we start to get 4bet a lot; and at same time start using lesser sizings. He can't exploit that since he almost never calls. 2nd step is to define counter-strategy depending on his reaction to 5bets, postflop tendencies, and, importantly, his sizings. If he min4bets all the time, you probably should 3bet linear and then call almost entire range; and against large 4bets just jam a lot with appropriate hands.

Originally posted by bonecore
Here's my default 3b range from BB vs 30% open raise:
for value: AQ+,TT+, AJs
for bluff: A5o,A4o,A3o,A2o,98o,98o,Q7s,Q6s,J7s

I don't believe weak offsuit hands can ever be profitable 3bets OOP against any opponent, unless he's folding like 90%

@ Zolotarsp I think over 2k hands it's a decent sample to analyze villains tendencies, like when he 4bets you 59% more then everybody else.
@ bonecore What is your calling range BB vs BTN open 47% ?

Originally posted by rhegar
@ Zolotarsp I think over 2k hands it's a decent sample to analyze villains tendencies, like when he 4bets you 59% more then everybody else.
@ bonecore What is your calling range BB vs BTN open 47% ?

playing range vs 47% ... would be like a bit wider than 47% , minus the 3b range

Hello Weazel,

I have a few suggestions for future coachings:

1st
How to use analyzing software like Power equilab and/or Flopzilla to improve our game - some practical examples

2nd
Some tips which maybe not so obvious information we can gain from what we saw at villain. Example villain x/r 77 on the flop K72r. I look at database and find that he raise his set even on dry flops everytime 3/3. So the obvious information is that he´s raising his monsters even on dry flops so we shouldn´t be so suspicious about his raises. What I mean by less obvious information is, that given his raise with mosters we can potentially have very profitable 3 barrel bluff when he check/call because his range is quite weak.
Similar can be - if he everytime double barell FD, he check/back turn and 3rd card to flush comes to river - he never has flush - as you mentioned in several your videos.
I guess there are some more situations where we can exploit our opponents but I don´t realize it. Hopefully my suggestion is not to confusing.

3rd
How to determine a range with which we have 3 streets of value - in general and against a villain given his stats?

Also I have one question If I can ask you:
I have a hand with quite a goods SD value on flop as PFA which I put to me checking range in HU. But I´m not sure if it´s an optimal way in 3way too? Examples:
AhTh on As7s6d. I´m on MP against CO and BB. Just against CO my standard play is x/c. Is it OK in 3way too or it´s better to bet and don´t give a free card to 2 ranges? Also how it change if:
a) CO is a reg, BB is a recreational player
B) CO is a recreational player, BB is a reg

Similar example can be Ah2h on the same board BTN vs both blinds.

Academy Master 300 Points

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