Leak figthing - improving - grinding it up from NL2 to?

I will try to update at least once a week, with the weekly graph.

GL ath table to all of you!

Slainte
Talisker

Today was not a good day.
After this hand i got on semi tilt and spewed one stack more.

Session was quiet O.K. in the end, but i have got to be patient after such a happening

Maybe i will post at least one hand per session.

I guess this shows how bad some villains are...

The blog starts with a big upswing, so lets go:

actual graph:

So GL to you at the tables as well

Slainte Talisker

Hand of the day

Hi all,

the last days i spend some time starting reading the "Mental Game of Poker 2".
I just reached page 60, but it is already kind of "eye opener" to me.

So i decided to make a cut and another restart from scratch.
I will start a new database today to have an new start in a greater process of changing my approach to poker.
This change need a lot of effort and power, but i really want to change things and improve myself.

So have some more specific poker-goals for this month.

Goals for march:

- finish reading "The mental game of poker 2"
- finish reading "The mental game of poker"
- start with "zone profile"
- start with A-game to C-game analysis
- play just one table zoom NL2 for the first 50 hands
- make short breaks (2-5 minutes) every 30 minutes played
- Devide pokertime in 50% learning and 50% playing
- update the blog at least once a week

- work with "TMGP2" (re read it again and again to implement some recommended routines)

weekly gooals:
- start every session with a warm-up
- end every session with a cool-down
- write down weaknesses i found in my game (advise from TMGP2 -> improve C-Game)

Hopefully i have got the time and dicipline to reach this goals.
I will have a review in my weekly up-date.

So this is the starting point of my new approach to poker.

GL at the tables
Slainte
Talisker

Best of luck!
I still haven't read The Mental Game Pt 2

It's about time I did though...

Good luck with your challenge!
I am reading the first one too and it's really interesting. I am wondering what kind of warm-up are you going to use. For me, it's a review of tagged hands from the last session...

Hi Pokrovec,

this a copy out of the book:

Consider adding the following steps to your warm-up in the order below:
1. Remove and minimize the potential for distractions.
2. Review long-term goals and set short-term goals for the day, session, or tournament. These can be a combination of tactical, mental, or other poker-related goals.
3. Review strategic notes that will help you to correct your tactical and/or mental game weaknesses.
4. Do some deep breathing and/or visualization.

I`m starting with strategic notes i will read before my session starts.
I will take some notes about a session goal i made up.

And i just will play 50 hands and than make a break (just 2-3 minutes), remember my session goal and continue.
During the session i try to make notes of stratetic weaknesses, so i know where i have to improve first....

So hopefully i manage this and do not find too much weaknesses....

Originally posted by Talisker74
Hi Pokrovec,

this a copy out of the book:

Consider adding the following steps to your warm-up in the order below:
1. Remove and minimize the potential for distractions.
2. Review long-term goals and set short-term goals for the day, session, or tournament. These can be a combination of tactical, mental, or other poker-related goals.
3. Review strategic notes that will help you to correct your tactical and/or mental game weaknesses.
4. Do some deep breathing and/or visualization.

I`m starting with strategic notes i will read before my session starts.
I will take some notes about a session goal i made up.

And i just will play 50 hands and than make a break (just 2-3 minutes), remember my session goal and continue.
During the session i try to make notes of stratetic weaknesses, so i know where i have to improve first....

So hopefully i manage this and do not find too much weaknesses....

Hmm, thats pretty complex. i like the breaks and small session plans. I can imagine that something like "3-bet OOP" can be very usefull to focus on in one session. To figure out my way of handling that situation.
Thx for your input.

Hello all,

i finished the book TMGP2.
To be honest i just run through the book and read without doing any of the work recommended.
So i will change one of my goals - i will not read TMGP this month (just the part which is recommended to know (ALM and Inchworm).
I will do this right now and than start re reading TMGP2 and start the work which has to be done.
I guess there is a lot to get out of TMGP2 for me, but that will need lot of work. So my time is limited it will last some days (weeks, month...)
There are many questions to answer and many documents to create and to work with regularly. (see the listed documents below)

As information for you, i will start with these documents:

warm up
cool down

Actual i just have got drafts, because i try to implement these into my poker routine.

Than i will start with these documents:

A- to C-game Analysis (page 40 and page 80)
Learning Profile
Goal Setting (134 und 139)
Self-Discipline Profile
Zone Profile
Decision Making Process
Focus Profile

If you count them... 9 documents to work with. Hopefully i will manage doing this.
I will focus in the order i listed these documents.

As Jared pointed out in TMGP2, that it can last some weeks or even month until these documents contain all of the needed information.
This means to work on them very often. Which means a lot of effort and not much time for doing the same with TMGP.
To do all the work it is necessary to read some chapters again and again.

GL at the tables

Slainte
Talisker

Hi all,

to keep me motivated and on track i returned to chapter 6 - goals - in TMGP2.

I read it again and thought of my motivation to play poker and what could be realisticly achieved this year.
So, i want to improve my poker skills!
Why?
Because i want to move up in limits and reach NL16 zoom again.
This should happen as quick as possible.

So i broke down this goal in several goals, to make it realistic to achieve it.
So i did some calculation and came to the conclusion to make up to "end points" for this goal.
1. Have the BR to play NL 16 until 7.11.2021
2. Have the BR to play NL 16 until end of this year

First point of time is realistic, if it just goes up and straight forward.
Meaning to reach a decent winrate on every Limit and play the right amount of hands every week.

The second point of time includes time for downers, not playing (illness, holiday, stress in job...)

Reaching the goal contains right again two parts

1. Grinding part.

Here the under goals
NL 2
current limit
BR actual round about 80,00 $ BR => 50,00 $ to win => 2.250 bb
will take round about 10 weeks until 16.5.2021
this means roughly 25k hands with 9bb/100 winrate

NL 5
Start with 125,00 $ BR => 125,00 $ to win => 2.500 bb
will take round about 15 weeks until 29.8.2021
this means roughly 42k hands with 6bb/100 winrate

NL 10
Start with 250,00 $ BR250 $ => 150,00$ to win => 1.500bb
wird ca. 10 Wochen dauern bis zum 7.11
this means roughly 30k hands with 5bb/100 winrate

NL 16
could be reached in November this year => earliest
so reaching NL 16 this year should be the goal to reach

So every time i can move up a limit a will have a look at the estimated hands and winrate.
So i´m able to correct my goal when to reach NL16. => Could be later (earlier is quiet unrealistic, but would be nice)

2. Learning Part
Making a warm-up and cool down every session
Starting with A- to C game analysis
spot out the most costly weaknesses
try to improve this C-game related weakness significantly
learn consistenly every "poker day" at least for one hour

This todos i have to check regulary and will point out the results in weekly blog updates.

So a lot of work has to be done.

Here my BR plan:

I will post a graph every 10k hands, because with less sample it has no meaning.

GL at the tables.

Slainte Talisker

Hi all,

with starting my blog i wanted to get some pressure on me to change some things and to improve my game.
So TMGP2 was an eye opener for me and i made the decision to build up my game in a new way.
I follow the given advise, which means a lot of work has to be done, so less time for playing and blogging...

So i wanto to improve in exploiting the villains.
So i made two decisions:
1. quitt zoom (no sample on the villains in the micros)
2. work on HUD to get best information to exploit the villains

So, i will work on my HUD and i will add some (or all?) of the stats i will list.
Having a good HUD will help me improve my game, because knowing which numbers are good ones and which are highly exploitable.
I can expxloit the villains by these numbers and i can improve my own game, because i will find even more own leaks.
(While reading the book and starting with A-toC-game anylysis, i found a ton of leaks. So learning and improving will a
very huge part of my poker time.)

So it would really great if some people could replay and write something to these stats: (by the way, i use HM3)
(so how many hands (or situations are) needed to use the stats for decision making
would you agree the listet stats are helpful/needed in a HUD?
would you agree with the listet numbers?
which other stats do you have in your HUD and why?
does anybody have a pop up for Float and probe bet stats and would post a picture? which stats should be used?

VPIP (Voluntary Put in Pot) => some hundred hands needed
PFR (Preflop raiser) => some hundred hands needed
3bet Preflop => average 4% => good 7-8% (less than 4% tight > 8 quite light)
Fold to3bet Preflop => average 50% => good 60% (more than 67% directly exploitable)
Cold Call => 11 to 12% good
4bet
4bet range
Fold to 4bet => if bigger 55% => bet aggressive (sample needed – at least 2.5k hands)
Limp => identify “fish”
Limp fold to raise =>
ATS (Attemt to Steal) => 40% quiete good
FTS (Fold to steal) => more as 67% is directly exploitable
Fold BB vs SB Steal => 50% quiete good
RFI by position => UTG – 13 / MP – 18 / CO – 26 / BTN – 48 / SB - some hundred hands

Cbet Flop => 50 to 55%
Fold to flop cbet => 40% (average) => 50% good (Turn and River more easy to play)
raise vs flop cbet => 7% average => 12-15%
fold cbet to raise => higher 55% - raise aggressive
Donk Flop => 10-15% good (multiway: -leading mit Nuts and Semi-Bluffs)
Fold to Flop Donk => higher 60% directly exploitable

Cbet Turn - % => 52 to 55% good
Ftcbet Turn - % => higher 60% directly exploitable

Cbet River =>
Fold to River Cbet => (sample needed – at least 2.5k hands)
AF => 2 good (2 means betting is 2 time often than calling, checking or folding)
Afq => 14% good (combined with other preflop stats)
# hands - gives samplesize of hands of opponent

WTSD => 25% good (even slightly lower)
WWSF => 50% good
W$SD => combination required, not easy to interpretate

Float and Probe Stats => create a pop

So, i would be very happy if there will be some replies and a discussion starting.

GL at the tables

Slainte
Talisker

So i wanto to improve in exploiting the villains.
So i made two decisions:
1. quitt zoom (no sample on the villains in the micros)
2. work on HUD to get best information to exploit the villains

Best decision ever
Wellcome to the Fishermen Village you will see it's much easier and more fun to play explotative.

VPIP (Voluntary Put in Pot) => some hundred hands needed
PFR (Preflop raiser) => some hundred hands needed NO
After 50 i start to mark every player on my table using this notation system.Sometimes some stats change after 50 more hands but this is pretty much accurate

3bet Preflop => average 4% => good 7-8% (less than 4% tight > 8 quite light) Agree
Fold to3bet Preflop => average 50% => good 60% (more than 67% directly exploitable) Agree
Cold Call => 11 to 12% good Agree
4bet
4bet range
Fold to 4bet => if bigger 55% => bet aggressive (sample needed – at least 2.5k hands)
Limp => identify “fish”
Limp fold to raise =>
ATS (Attemt to Steal) => 40% quiete good
FTS (Fold to steal) => more as 67% is directly exploitable
Fold BB vs SB Steal => 50% quiete good
RFI by position => UTG – 13 / MP – 18 / CO – 26 / BTN – 48 / SB - some hundred hands

Cbet Flop => 50 to 55%
Fold to flop cbet => 40% (average) => 50% good (Turn and River more easy to play) Most of the people in micro dont know how to defend so this number is usualy way higher.
raise vs flop cbet => 7% average => 12-15%
fold cbet to raise => higher 55% - raise aggressive
Donk Flop => 10-15% good (multiway: -leading mit Nuts and Semi-Bluffs)
Fold to Flop Donk => higher 60% directly exploitable

Cbet Turn - % => 52 to 55% good
Ftcbet Turn - % => higher 60% directly exploitable

Cbet River =>
Fold to River Cbet => (sample needed – at least 2.5k hands)
AF => 2 good (2 means betting is 2 time often than calling, checking or folding)
Afq => 14% good (combined with other preflop stats)
# hands - gives samplesize of hands of opponent

WTSD => 25% good (even slightly lower) The best WTSD by many people is 27%
WWSF => 50% good
W$SD => combination required, not easy to interpretate

Hi AgapieGheorghe,

thanks for reply.
I guess 50 Hands is to less information to give a villain the right colour tag.
Actual i use a quiete simple system (developed for zoom) with just 5 different tags (Limper, Shorty, Big stack > 375bb, good player)
but i guess i will change to weasels system (just using different colours...

Just have to think how to exploit the marked villains best

Hi all,

so last time a made a lot of theory and did not play.
Now i`m goin to start playing again. I will play regular tables at NL2 on stars.
Starting the session after a warum up, with playing two tables until i played 50 hands on each table.
I will display my HUD when i have got 50 hands from the villains. Using my new tagging system. (deleted all old colour tags)
During the two tabling i will focus on a special position in detail (starting withe the blinds).
Until next sunday i will focus on BB. The position will than change every week....

So i try to build up my game new right from ground and take a different approach than i took the last years.
Therefore it is an "advantage" that i`m forced to start at NL2 (BR).
I changed my tagging-system and worked on my HUD (stats which are exploitable or even bad, i will display in green).
I made a table and put in some poker topics, as "Ranges, c-betting, exploits, betsizes" and made a classification
to the knowledge i accept to have...using the classification of TMGP2 (Conscious Incompetence, Conscious Competence and Unconscious Competence).
Together with my A- C-game analysis i made a list in topics i have to learn.
Starting with the topics from Conscious Incompetence and weaknesses i recognized in my game.
I put in here most of the topics, because i knew something about them but not in depth and not automatically when "under pressure".

Example:
Blind play is a weakness in my game.
Knowing not all my ranges as "Unconscious Competence", i will start learning Ranges for the Blinds (at first).
Especially those i have trouble with (definding vs. 4bets, 4 betting and playing vs. 2bb open size)
And make content for blind defense. And focussing the first 50 hands really intense on BB-play.
Doing this, hopefully i got a "quick fixe" and can improve my game in the long run.

That is the improving part.
Lot of work has to be done.

So what about my set goals?
I still want to move up as quickly as it is possible....
but manage this just by improving.

Making a warm-up every session => done
Making a cool down every session => failed (mostly i don`t do...)
at least one hour poker theory when having a "poker day" -> done (missed out playing)
playing 2,5 hands a week => missed, i will count from next week on

GL at the table and hava a nice weekend

Slainte
Talisker

Talisker74,

Good luck with your progress. I've been playing regular NL5 on Stars for a while, however, after having steady downward graph for weeks, now I'm playing on NL2. Regular tables, 3 or 4.

I could learn something from reading your progress, as you are using NL2 to jump further.

In my own review session, I found that I'm wasting too much energy for minor details that really does not matter. Here are my two points I'm working with these days.

1. Tight PF range. I try to keep VPIP less than 25, unless the table is really wild.

2. I need to know only three groups of players. Fish (who could not fold), Shark (who knows what I'm doing), and others (average NL2 pool). I should fold whenever a Shark b/r or x/r. And I should bet/bet/bet against Fish with top pair or better. I will lose small to Sharks, but win big from fishes.

I've read both Mental Game books and studied other poker books and videos. They are entertaining, but to me, maybe be not so useful in NL2. For example, there is only one type of tilt outstanding in NL2. When I'm on tilt? It's mostly when I made stupid bet/call, rather than opp has out-drawn on me. Especially since I start using cash-out (too) often, I rarely get out-drawn.

Keep the good work and get the fruits of your labor!

Hi londonsystem,

thanky for your comment.
I guess most important is to have good Preflop Ranges as basis.
Than start to exploit your villains when you have got some hands (stats and reads).

I played zoom a lot and had just 4 different tags, but i guess the system i posted (it is from weasel) is much better.
You can exploit the villains much better. But i you do not need this for NL2 or NL5, but i guess it helps on NL10 and NL25 or above.
So best to learn now than later.

I try to build my game up new and with a strong basis. I try to keep it easy but learning things in detail and try understand the strategy and add it to my game.

GL at the tables

Slainte
Talisker

Hi all,

i dicided to play just two regular tables to have the possibility to think longer before making a decision.
It is even better to have the chance to observe the other players and adapt to their play and exploit them.

Therefore i dicided to move up to NL5 and take an agressive shot and pay more attention to my play.
Until now this worked very well for me, because i`m on a big, big upswing (hopefully never ends).
Graph (very small sample):

I started reading TMGP1. It is very interesting and helpful as well.
I guess i will continue to work with these two books to strengthen my game.
I guess the advise from the books

Next week i will be very busy and maybe no update will be possible....

Currently i work on my HUD and on my A-toC-game analysis.
Hopefully HUD will be ready until end of the month...
Maybe after the Main HUD is redisegned i will work on some Pop-Ups....

GL at the tables

Slainte
Talisker