In the thread on CR discussing my last blog post somebody suggested that the Poker Commandments were general and had been done to death. They went on to suggest that a more in depth explanation of each commandment might be in order. I thought about that for a few days and decided he may be right.
I may or may not cover all of the commandments this way but at this point I think #4 is the best candidate for more discussion. There is a bunch of talk every week about pocket pairs and sets and how to play them on the CR board. There also seems to be a ton of posts concerning AA and KK and when to lay them down. So let’s dig in to these situations a bit further, shall we?
Disclaimer: I am not a professional. I don’t play one on TV and I did not stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. When I write my blog, it is for 2 reasons: 1. To hopefully help people through the sharing of my experience. 2. To help myself by putting thoughts on paper and using reader feedback to grow and, in some cases, change my game. If you think my advice sucks, please tell me so. If I agree that I was wrong, I’ll own up to it in my next blog. The LAST thing I want to do is dispense bad advice.
First off: NEVER EVER lay down AA or KK preflop at $100nl and below. If the villain says, “I have AA” and you are holding kings….GO ALL IN. I cannot say this any more definitively. The level of play is so uneven at these lower limits that you just never know what they might hold. I have seen a guy with 10/2 stats push all-in with anything from AA to TT to AQ. This topic is not up for discussion, so please don’t argue…
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, again, lets move on to the big stuff:
A set is the most important made hand in online poker. Period.
How can I say that when sets get beat by straights, boats, and bigger sets with mild frequency? How can a set be a better made hand than a full house? There are two main reasons why this is so:
1. Sets occur much more often than straights, flushes, and boats. Therefore you have more chances to make bank with ‘em.
2. People are terrified by a board with three suited cards and to a lesser degree three cards to a straight, making it tough to get paid. Sets are a hidden made hand. Does anybody suspect a set of 3’s on an AJ3 flop? Certainly not the guy with AJ!!!
The thing with sets is that they are hard to get paid off with if you play them poorly. This starts, of course, with the preflop handling of pocket pairs. My standard preflop line with pp’s is pretty simple. I raise pot with all pp’s regardless of position in an unraised pot. I have heard some guys say they only raise 55 and up from UTG. That is foolish and not well thought out. How much better is 55 than 33 on a flop when you missed your set? Zero. For all intents and purposes 22-77 is the same hand preflop. I know it sounds weird but 95% of the time the board will contain scary over cards to any of those pairs which renders them mostly useless without a set. Sure you will occasionally see a 254 flop and your 77 will be good. However, a bet in that situation still gets called by a hand like KQ or AJ. For the most part 22-77 are of similar value preflop and should be played that way.
If the pot is raised I will call with 22-77 if the villain has at least 80% of a buy-in or there are players to act behind me that are likely to also call (like a guy with a 50%VPIP to my left) and help increase my implied odds. I am not big on the complicated math end of things here and I know somebody will set me straight on what the odds are and how much of a stack my opponent should have. I’m ok with that! My general rule of thumb is 80%. If he has less, or more for that matter, I may re-raise but that is totally read dependant and is certainly not a play you should make every time.
I am very careful of calling 3-bets with small pp’s. At these limits a 3-bet usually means incredible strength and you will often find yourself dominated by JJ on up. In this case you can still call the 3-bet but only if you and your opponent are deep stacked and you have a good read. If I feel like I can win more at least a buy-in if I hit a set, I will consider calling.
With 88 and up I am pretty much willing to three bet in position preflop. If I am UTG+1 and UTG raises I may not 3-bet with less than JJ but once again, this is player dependant. I pretty much always 3-bet with JJ on up regardless of position or stack size.
Now on to the difficult decisions: What to do with JJ and QQ to a three bet or all in preflop? I hate to sound like a broken record but this is also read dependant. Against a loose fool an all-in raise (good) or call (ehhh, ok at best) is probably ok. If a guy is 15/10 it is pretty easy to lay down. These two hands are difficult to play postflop when an overcard hits so I will often err to the side of caution and not shove when in doubt. Try to see a flop and hit a set or at least get to a point where you can evaluate if the villain has AK or KK. Does the “Pick a Better Spot” commandment ring a bell?
Enough of the preflop babble, lets talk flop play baby.
If you flop a set, you should be prepared to felt 98% of the time. If the board is three to a flush or straight you still have to come out firing but you must be wary going forward. How you play a flopped set is really up to you. In most instances I raise and re-raise regardless of position. I think it is important not to fall into the trap of slow playing sets. They are huge hands but can still be drawn on and are vulnerable. If the board has zero on it in the way of draws and/or you are up against a weak opponent the check raise or check call can be used. If you suddenly start getting tricky with all your made hands your c-bets with nothing but over cards or an underpair will get no credit and you’ll get played back at, forcing you to fold. You must keep in mind the image you project!
Turn and river play are really not something I can discuss too much here. There are so many possible scenarios that to give advice would oversimplify things. I will say this: If you are worried about set over set, stop it…seriously. Another point worth mentioning concerns value betting the river. If the river does not complete any draws it is often a good idea to make a smaller bet in order to get a call. If, for example, you have 9s9h and the villain has Ac6c and the board is Qh3c9cAs you can definitely get a call if you don’t over bet. Gauge the size of the pot and decide what might get called. Making a 80% pot bet might get you the occasional pay day via a loose call, but not very often. Instead bet 50% to 60% of the pot and try to get that last bit of juice!
Sets are the best hand in poker, play them right and you’ll be stackin’ bills!
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Thursday, January 25, 2007
10 Commandments for Low Limit Grinders
Before we get to the meat of this post let me give you a quick update on my quest for cash. Despite dropping $135 in 90 minutes early in the day playing $100nl, I had my biggest day ever yesterday winning $225 at $50nl. My hand of the day was kinda crazy. Sorry for cobbled up HH. I am at work but played this hand at home so I don’t have the exact HH in front of me.
UTG+1 - Hero $50
Button - Gomer $45
SB - Pyle $55
Hole Cards:
Hero: 22
Hero raises to $1.75, Gomer calls, Pyle calls (everybody else folds)
Flop:
K25 rainbow
Pyle checks, Hero raises to $4, Gomer re-raises to $8, Pyle calls, Hero re-raises to $20 (maybe I shoulda just called here?), Gomer re-raises all-in, Pyle re-raises all-in, Hero calls.
Turn:
10
River:
10
Showdown:
Pyle: K3 (LOL)
Hero: 22
Pyle: AA
Total Pot: $145
K3, are you freaking kidding me? I stacked the idiot in an $80 pot about 20 hands later as well.
Gotta love the fish….
I have been thinking about the following “rant” for awhile now. In fact I have slept on it a few nights trying to narrow things down to only 10 commandments. I know there have been several “Rules of Poker” posts and blogs and articles but this one has a different spin. While this applies to all players at all limits in many ways, my list is intentionally skewed towards low limit grinders like myself. So read on and enjoy.
10 COMMANDMENTS FOR LOW LIMIT GRINDERS
1. Thou shalt not play outside of their bankroll: This is common sense. We have all had this beat into our heads but for some reason we still ignore it. In fact, just yesterday I played some $100nl which I am in no way ready to do. This is not just about the money, it is just as much about the mental side of things. When you are focused in on one limit, to jump around to others can be disastrous.
2. Thou shalt wait for better spots: You have KTs in position and raise preflop. The UTG limper calls and the flop comes KQ5 rainbow. A player that smells a bit fishy pushes all-in into you. What to do? FOLD. Are you ahead? It is possible, maybe even likely. But this guy will give you better spots. Be patient and wait until you are certain (or at least more certain) you are good.
3. Thou shalt raise or fold, and not call preflop: Preflop you should only call with small to mid pp’s to a raise (and even then you should sometimes three bet). Otherwise raise or fold. As tempting as it might be to call a loose raiser with 89s it is generally a good way to get into a bad spot.
4. Thou shalt not fold AA, KK, or sets…EVER: This has received a ton of discussion on the CR board. At $100nl and below NEVER EVER fold AA or KK preflop. If you flop a set, NEVER EVER fold it (Unless of course the board is super scary like 789 suited or something like that, use judgment of course! The advice to never fold applies to a situation, for example, where you are worried about set over set.). If you are worried about set over set, you need to find a different game.
5. Thou shalt not bluff: C-bets with nothing do not count as a bluff. I am talking about two and three barreling and flat out bluffs in general. Players are too loose and unpredictable at this limit to bluff. It will not work often enough to be anything remotely resembling a +ev play.
6. Thou shalt not play distracted or while on tilt: No shit, you say? Even mild tilt can cause poor play. For a little bit more info on playing distracted please read my last blog post. We are all very guilty of this and you know it!
7. Thou shalt not blame poker site or fish for losses: Suckouts happen. Running flushes, straights, and boats happen. People beat your KK with 63o (happened to me last night). Is it SUPER frustrating? Absolutely. Will saying, “That’s UB for ya” or “FU you F’N fish” make the money you lost magically reappear in your account? Uhhh, no. If you take a bad beat, simply give a “nh” and hope the idiot sticks around. There is no reason to scare him away. I will never understand why people point out to a fish that they are, in fact, a fish. Why the hell would you insult the person that makes you money? Be nice to everybody and hope nobody else scares them off.
8. Thou shalt keep control of the table/pot: If you start calling too often you forfeit control of the pot. Be aggressive (but tight, TAG works best at low limits) in the pots you are in. If you feel like you are not in control of the table, leave. Find a better one. If you are involved in a pot and fell like you are along for the ride, slow down or fold. Pick a better spot (see commandment #2).
9. Thou shalt use pot control: If the board is scary or if you are not sure what your opponent might have, it is ok to check behind on the turn or river. I understand that getting max value is the goal but think of how many times you continued firing or raised the river after it was checked to you only to find out you were behind the whole time. Controlling the size of the pot is one of the most important keys in limiting swings and variance.
10. Thou shalt use all available tools: If you don’t have it, go out and but Poker Tracker right now. I’ll wait here. Got it? Good. While you’re at it Poker Ace HUD is a brilliant tool that has helped me multi-table since it makes “reads” for me. Using these two tools puts you ahead of 95% of players off the bat. I know it’s easy to put it off but watching videos on CR every week is also very important. You will always pick up something, so why not take advantage of them? I am also a huge advocate of posting on poker boards. You have the tools, USE THEM!!!
Hopefully something here helps somebody. In all seriousness if you really concentrate on these ten things I promise you with all my heart it will improve your game beyond measure. It sounds silly but when I implemented these things into my game I went from a minor winner to killing both $25nl and $50nl.
As always I look forward to your feedback.
UTG+1 - Hero $50
Button - Gomer $45
SB - Pyle $55
Hole Cards:
Hero: 22
Hero raises to $1.75, Gomer calls, Pyle calls (everybody else folds)
Flop:
K25 rainbow
Pyle checks, Hero raises to $4, Gomer re-raises to $8, Pyle calls, Hero re-raises to $20 (maybe I shoulda just called here?), Gomer re-raises all-in, Pyle re-raises all-in, Hero calls.
Turn:
10
River:
10
Showdown:
Pyle: K3 (LOL)
Hero: 22
Pyle: AA
Total Pot: $145
K3, are you freaking kidding me? I stacked the idiot in an $80 pot about 20 hands later as well.
Gotta love the fish….
I have been thinking about the following “rant” for awhile now. In fact I have slept on it a few nights trying to narrow things down to only 10 commandments. I know there have been several “Rules of Poker” posts and blogs and articles but this one has a different spin. While this applies to all players at all limits in many ways, my list is intentionally skewed towards low limit grinders like myself. So read on and enjoy.
10 COMMANDMENTS FOR LOW LIMIT GRINDERS
1. Thou shalt not play outside of their bankroll: This is common sense. We have all had this beat into our heads but for some reason we still ignore it. In fact, just yesterday I played some $100nl which I am in no way ready to do. This is not just about the money, it is just as much about the mental side of things. When you are focused in on one limit, to jump around to others can be disastrous.
2. Thou shalt wait for better spots: You have KTs in position and raise preflop. The UTG limper calls and the flop comes KQ5 rainbow. A player that smells a bit fishy pushes all-in into you. What to do? FOLD. Are you ahead? It is possible, maybe even likely. But this guy will give you better spots. Be patient and wait until you are certain (or at least more certain) you are good.
3. Thou shalt raise or fold, and not call preflop: Preflop you should only call with small to mid pp’s to a raise (and even then you should sometimes three bet). Otherwise raise or fold. As tempting as it might be to call a loose raiser with 89s it is generally a good way to get into a bad spot.
4. Thou shalt not fold AA, KK, or sets…EVER: This has received a ton of discussion on the CR board. At $100nl and below NEVER EVER fold AA or KK preflop. If you flop a set, NEVER EVER fold it (Unless of course the board is super scary like 789 suited or something like that, use judgment of course! The advice to never fold applies to a situation, for example, where you are worried about set over set.). If you are worried about set over set, you need to find a different game.
5. Thou shalt not bluff: C-bets with nothing do not count as a bluff. I am talking about two and three barreling and flat out bluffs in general. Players are too loose and unpredictable at this limit to bluff. It will not work often enough to be anything remotely resembling a +ev play.
6. Thou shalt not play distracted or while on tilt: No shit, you say? Even mild tilt can cause poor play. For a little bit more info on playing distracted please read my last blog post. We are all very guilty of this and you know it!
7. Thou shalt not blame poker site or fish for losses: Suckouts happen. Running flushes, straights, and boats happen. People beat your KK with 63o (happened to me last night). Is it SUPER frustrating? Absolutely. Will saying, “That’s UB for ya” or “FU you F’N fish” make the money you lost magically reappear in your account? Uhhh, no. If you take a bad beat, simply give a “nh” and hope the idiot sticks around. There is no reason to scare him away. I will never understand why people point out to a fish that they are, in fact, a fish. Why the hell would you insult the person that makes you money? Be nice to everybody and hope nobody else scares them off.
8. Thou shalt keep control of the table/pot: If you start calling too often you forfeit control of the pot. Be aggressive (but tight, TAG works best at low limits) in the pots you are in. If you feel like you are not in control of the table, leave. Find a better one. If you are involved in a pot and fell like you are along for the ride, slow down or fold. Pick a better spot (see commandment #2).
9. Thou shalt use pot control: If the board is scary or if you are not sure what your opponent might have, it is ok to check behind on the turn or river. I understand that getting max value is the goal but think of how many times you continued firing or raised the river after it was checked to you only to find out you were behind the whole time. Controlling the size of the pot is one of the most important keys in limiting swings and variance.
10. Thou shalt use all available tools: If you don’t have it, go out and but Poker Tracker right now. I’ll wait here. Got it? Good. While you’re at it Poker Ace HUD is a brilliant tool that has helped me multi-table since it makes “reads” for me. Using these two tools puts you ahead of 95% of players off the bat. I know it’s easy to put it off but watching videos on CR every week is also very important. You will always pick up something, so why not take advantage of them? I am also a huge advocate of posting on poker boards. You have the tools, USE THEM!!!
Hopefully something here helps somebody. In all seriousness if you really concentrate on these ten things I promise you with all my heart it will improve your game beyond measure. It sounds silly but when I implemented these things into my game I went from a minor winner to killing both $25nl and $50nl.
As always I look forward to your feedback.
Friday, January 19, 2007
A wise old owl gave me some advice once...
First off, I want to wish Fruitypro a speedy recovery from what currently ails him. He has been one of the two most important people in my quest to be able to support my family by playing poker and I owe him a great deal for that. We have only spoken directly a handful of times but through IM’s and lessons I have grown fond of him and consider him a friend. So get well soon Dan, we miss you at CR!!!
Poker has been up and down for me the last couple of weeks. As you probably read (and if not, get to it!) in my last two posts I have not been running the best. However there is light at the end of the tunnel. I am up $275 in only 3,400 hands at work this week. I still cannot believe that I get paid to play cards. I guess it is nice working at your best friend’s business…
On the flip side, I have been struggling at home in the evenings which brings me to the core of this post.
Without getting into to much personal detail I will say that I have a certain amount of stress in my home life. It is not a relationship situation, it is our financial situation. Despite us both holding good paying, steady jobs we are still walking a fine line. Why am I telling you this? Well, I have a point…
I have a nasty habit of putting important things off. In this case I have put off some bills and as a result I have accrued late fees and several dings to my credit. In life, hiding from problems will NEVER EVER make them go away. I know you have probably heard this advice a million times from a thousand people but it has a special place here:
You cannot in any way, shape, form, or fashion play your best (or in my case even 75% of my best) poker when your mind is not clear.
Once again, you have heard this said before but to me it is the single most important factor in being a successful poker player!
Because I have caused myself stress in “real life” my “poker life” has suffered greatly. So do yourself, your account, and the people around you (wife, kids, friends, and family) a favor and attack all your problems head on. It will make you a much happier person and will only help your bank roll to grow that much faster.
One more quick thing. There is a thread going on CR's low limit board that shows a pretty common situation.
Here is the link: http://www.cardrunners.com/fusetalk/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=67&threadid=13384&enterthread=y
I think the poster made a VERY common mistake in over-valuing a hand. It looks good on the flop, but when you think about it, it holds a lot less clout than at first glance. It is also a great example of why a lot of flops should be a fold/raise play and not a call. I think he should have mucked on the flop but a 4-bet is not out of the question if for some reason you cannot give the villain any credit. It is a good thread, check it out.
Until next time, may the poker gods smile upon you!
Poker has been up and down for me the last couple of weeks. As you probably read (and if not, get to it!) in my last two posts I have not been running the best. However there is light at the end of the tunnel. I am up $275 in only 3,400 hands at work this week. I still cannot believe that I get paid to play cards. I guess it is nice working at your best friend’s business…
On the flip side, I have been struggling at home in the evenings which brings me to the core of this post.
Without getting into to much personal detail I will say that I have a certain amount of stress in my home life. It is not a relationship situation, it is our financial situation. Despite us both holding good paying, steady jobs we are still walking a fine line. Why am I telling you this? Well, I have a point…
I have a nasty habit of putting important things off. In this case I have put off some bills and as a result I have accrued late fees and several dings to my credit. In life, hiding from problems will NEVER EVER make them go away. I know you have probably heard this advice a million times from a thousand people but it has a special place here:
You cannot in any way, shape, form, or fashion play your best (or in my case even 75% of my best) poker when your mind is not clear.
Once again, you have heard this said before but to me it is the single most important factor in being a successful poker player!
Because I have caused myself stress in “real life” my “poker life” has suffered greatly. So do yourself, your account, and the people around you (wife, kids, friends, and family) a favor and attack all your problems head on. It will make you a much happier person and will only help your bank roll to grow that much faster.
One more quick thing. There is a thread going on CR's low limit board that shows a pretty common situation.
Here is the link: http://www.cardrunners.com/fusetalk/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=67&threadid=13384&enterthread=y
I think the poster made a VERY common mistake in over-valuing a hand. It looks good on the flop, but when you think about it, it holds a lot less clout than at first glance. It is also a great example of why a lot of flops should be a fold/raise play and not a call. I think he should have mucked on the flop but a 4-bet is not out of the question if for some reason you cannot give the villain any credit. It is a good thread, check it out.
Until next time, may the poker gods smile upon you!
Monday, January 15, 2007
Damn fold/show button!
You know what my favorite part of having my own blog is? I can post whatever I want. This includes the dreaded "BAD BEAT STORIES"!!!! You want to see the mis-click of the decade? Read on, and please, cry with me (or for me, either way)...
http://www.pokerhand.org/?743012 BIGGEST MIS-CLICK I HAVE EVER MADE BY FAR
http://www.pokerhand.org/?743015 This hurt almost as bad...
http://www.pokerhand.org/?743016 At least they weren't all bad....never mind....
http://www.pokerhand.org/?743017 Two outs is plenty.....apparently
http://www.pokerhand.org/?743019 I should have seen this one, but I was tiltish (it was 4 or 5 hands after the 33 mis-click)
So to summarize:
My magical run became more of a train wreck than a typical Saturday night at Sigfried and Roy's house. I had one positive day last week. Thank God it was a biggie so I ended the week down about $180. I was playing well today until the above 5 hands happened. All total I only lost $80 for the day, which is a miracle, yet somehow I still want to choke somebody to death...
The best part? I wasn't even going to play tonight but I talked myself into it.....YUCK.
I did have one table that I left +$115. I want to list for you the 5 biggest losing pot sizes for this table (I played 236 hands):
$6.00
$5.75
$5.25
$5.00
$4.75
The big winner was my KK vs. villains QQ for a full buy-in. Thank God for small favors...
Thanks for listening to my incessant whining. I don't feel any better though......so I think I will go find a sharp object or something...
And one more thing (Parents, put your children away): FUCKING FOLD SHOW BUTTON, GO TO FUCKING HELL
http://www.pokerhand.org/?743012 BIGGEST MIS-CLICK I HAVE EVER MADE BY FAR
http://www.pokerhand.org/?743015 This hurt almost as bad...
http://www.pokerhand.org/?743016 At least they weren't all bad....never mind....
http://www.pokerhand.org/?743017 Two outs is plenty.....apparently
http://www.pokerhand.org/?743019 I should have seen this one, but I was tiltish (it was 4 or 5 hands after the 33 mis-click)
So to summarize:
My magical run became more of a train wreck than a typical Saturday night at Sigfried and Roy's house. I had one positive day last week. Thank God it was a biggie so I ended the week down about $180. I was playing well today until the above 5 hands happened. All total I only lost $80 for the day, which is a miracle, yet somehow I still want to choke somebody to death...
The best part? I wasn't even going to play tonight but I talked myself into it.....YUCK.
I did have one table that I left +$115. I want to list for you the 5 biggest losing pot sizes for this table (I played 236 hands):
$6.00
$5.75
$5.25
$5.00
$4.75
The big winner was my KK vs. villains QQ for a full buy-in. Thank God for small favors...
Thanks for listening to my incessant whining. I don't feel any better though......so I think I will go find a sharp object or something...
And one more thing (Parents, put your children away): FUCKING FOLD SHOW BUTTON, GO TO FUCKING HELL
Thursday, January 11, 2007
I take the easy way out...
Hello all! I started my new job Monday and have been a bit busy, so sorry for the lack of the mid week post I promised. To make up for it I am going to take the easy way out for this entry!
Earlier this week CR member peterpjames made the following post on CR's low limit board:
"While in my first month of 25NL play I've done well so far, I have two big weaknesses at the moment that I think need fixing to help me win at higher levels. I think a lot of players go through these issues so I was hoping for some input.
The first is being able to fold hands I should be able to fold. I go back later and say "why couldn't I fold AA on an 8-5-2 board when I got reraised? What else could he be doing that with there except a set, especially when he limp/called a raise preflop?" I tell myself that over and over and yet I get in situations where I'm paying off sets and two pair with TPTK or an overpair. I see this at the highest levels, so I'm not sure there's one easy solution, but any thoughts would help. I try to slow down and think hands through, but this is a spot where I'm obviously losing more money than I need to.
The second is hand awareness. While I think I'm paying people off too much, I think I'm not getting enough value on my bigger hands either. When I make a bet and get called, my mind starts working through all the possible ways I could be losing the hand. I don't think I get enough value for some of my winning hands because I just end up checking the turn and/or river. When looking at my PT stats you can see I'm very aggressive on the flop and then that aggression just drops off after that, especially on the river.
Any suggestions here? I know these are broad problems without easy quick fixes, but any input or advice would be appreciated!"
I have read several of peter's posts and tried to help where I could. In this case I put quite a bit of time and thought into my reply. I have reread it about five times because I (get ready to hear me pat myself on the back) really think it is some good stuff. So for your viewing pleasure I cut and pasted the reply. Enjoy!
"Honestly? In the example listed, if at $25nl, I am pretty much going to pay a set off EVERY time. Players make the same play with KK, QQ, JJ and even AK, AQ and TT. If you are concerned about a set or two pair, try controlling the pot by checking behind on the turn and/or river when you have position.
You can also try using blocking bets (half the pot or so) when out of position. These strategies will help you in not losing big pots with over pairs and TPTK. Of course there are times when you are good and you will profit less but that is breaks.
Pot control is one of the things than has really helped me reduce my swings and become super consistent. As far as your turn and river aggression...there could be worse problems, as long as you are not often folding the winning hand to others aggression.
At this limit c-betting the flop is a standard +ev play. The turn becomes more tricky for several reasons and there are a number of things to take into consideration:
1. You want to try and control the pot and it's size. There is nothing wrong with checking the best hand even if the board has a draw (depending on the villain you may still want to bet here, just not always). Often a bet will get called anyway so by checking behind you have saved yourself cash in the event of a draw hitting.
2. Many (probably 50% or more) players at $25nl will slowplay big hands on the flop oop. Say you have AQ on the button. You raise PF and get the UTG limper to call. The flop comes A59 rainbow. UTG checks, you lead out with a 75% pot bet and he calls. You have no idea where you are in the hand. You assume you are ahead but you may have just bet drawing to the 3 queens left in the deck...or even worse. If he checks the turn and you bet, he will most certainly at least call (as in the example above) and could very well raise. If he raises, you have to assume you are behind. At this point your thoughts will often be that he has a pp or Ax. In either case there is a decent chance you are behind (to two pair or a set).
This is the main argument for checking behind. Of course there are times when he will check raise with AT or AJ and that is up to you to know the player and decide what he might have. I am simply suggesting that by checking behind you can force him to play his own hand (instead of letting you do it for him) on the river which may reveal the true strength (or lack there of) of his holding.
Also keep in mind that if you are playing well, you will lay down the best hand on occasion. That is a crappy fact of poker.
3. Many players call on the flop with nothing (Ax for example) and will fold to another bet on the turn, tempting you to fire again...which sets you up for problems when they out flopped you. River aggression is mostly dependent on 3 factors:
1. What did the villain do preflop?
2. Did the villain show strength or weakness on the flop and turn?
3. What kind of player is the villain?
Taking this all into account it is often easy (and occasionally super confusing) to decide what the right play is. Just keep this in mind: At this limit, there is nothing wrong with being a bit conservative at times. I know CR preaches aggression but lower limits require a different touch. Big pots will happen often against all the fish so wait for a spot where you are sure you are good. There is NO REASON to throw a bunch of chips into a pot when you have no idea where you stand."
I hope this helps some of you out. I will give fruitypro 90% credit for this advice, as it were, because he was the one that taught it to me. This stuff has taken me from being a slow winner to a very consistent $50nl killer. I did $650 in business in 16 hours of 4 tabling last week and just put in my biggest day ever with a $200 profit in about 2 1/2 hours of play. Am I having huge days where I make a ton of cash? Not really. Am I having huge days where I lose tons of cash? NEVER! At the lower limits a soft touch with a little less aggro will pay dividends with very little risk involved.
As a quick side note: When I get time (hopefully this weekend) I will add several blog links to the page here. There are a number of good blogs out there that bear reading.
I should also mention that the Christmas party for my old job (bartender) is on Sunday. We go to the bar and DRINK ANYTHING WE WANT (even the good stuff....Grey Goose and Absolut, here I come) FOR FREE ALL FREAKING DAY!!!!!!!!!!
So, uhhhhhhh, wish me luck?
Good luck at the tables and as always, comments are welcome here at at CR!
Earlier this week CR member peterpjames made the following post on CR's low limit board:
"While in my first month of 25NL play I've done well so far, I have two big weaknesses at the moment that I think need fixing to help me win at higher levels. I think a lot of players go through these issues so I was hoping for some input.
The first is being able to fold hands I should be able to fold. I go back later and say "why couldn't I fold AA on an 8-5-2 board when I got reraised? What else could he be doing that with there except a set, especially when he limp/called a raise preflop?" I tell myself that over and over and yet I get in situations where I'm paying off sets and two pair with TPTK or an overpair. I see this at the highest levels, so I'm not sure there's one easy solution, but any thoughts would help. I try to slow down and think hands through, but this is a spot where I'm obviously losing more money than I need to.
The second is hand awareness. While I think I'm paying people off too much, I think I'm not getting enough value on my bigger hands either. When I make a bet and get called, my mind starts working through all the possible ways I could be losing the hand. I don't think I get enough value for some of my winning hands because I just end up checking the turn and/or river. When looking at my PT stats you can see I'm very aggressive on the flop and then that aggression just drops off after that, especially on the river.
Any suggestions here? I know these are broad problems without easy quick fixes, but any input or advice would be appreciated!"
I have read several of peter's posts and tried to help where I could. In this case I put quite a bit of time and thought into my reply. I have reread it about five times because I (get ready to hear me pat myself on the back) really think it is some good stuff. So for your viewing pleasure I cut and pasted the reply. Enjoy!
"Honestly? In the example listed, if at $25nl, I am pretty much going to pay a set off EVERY time. Players make the same play with KK, QQ, JJ and even AK, AQ and TT. If you are concerned about a set or two pair, try controlling the pot by checking behind on the turn and/or river when you have position.
You can also try using blocking bets (half the pot or so) when out of position. These strategies will help you in not losing big pots with over pairs and TPTK. Of course there are times when you are good and you will profit less but that is breaks.
Pot control is one of the things than has really helped me reduce my swings and become super consistent. As far as your turn and river aggression...there could be worse problems, as long as you are not often folding the winning hand to others aggression.
At this limit c-betting the flop is a standard +ev play. The turn becomes more tricky for several reasons and there are a number of things to take into consideration:
1. You want to try and control the pot and it's size. There is nothing wrong with checking the best hand even if the board has a draw (depending on the villain you may still want to bet here, just not always). Often a bet will get called anyway so by checking behind you have saved yourself cash in the event of a draw hitting.
2. Many (probably 50% or more) players at $25nl will slowplay big hands on the flop oop. Say you have AQ on the button. You raise PF and get the UTG limper to call. The flop comes A59 rainbow. UTG checks, you lead out with a 75% pot bet and he calls. You have no idea where you are in the hand. You assume you are ahead but you may have just bet drawing to the 3 queens left in the deck...or even worse. If he checks the turn and you bet, he will most certainly at least call (as in the example above) and could very well raise. If he raises, you have to assume you are behind. At this point your thoughts will often be that he has a pp or Ax. In either case there is a decent chance you are behind (to two pair or a set).
This is the main argument for checking behind. Of course there are times when he will check raise with AT or AJ and that is up to you to know the player and decide what he might have. I am simply suggesting that by checking behind you can force him to play his own hand (instead of letting you do it for him) on the river which may reveal the true strength (or lack there of) of his holding.
Also keep in mind that if you are playing well, you will lay down the best hand on occasion. That is a crappy fact of poker.
3. Many players call on the flop with nothing (Ax for example) and will fold to another bet on the turn, tempting you to fire again...which sets you up for problems when they out flopped you. River aggression is mostly dependent on 3 factors:
1. What did the villain do preflop?
2. Did the villain show strength or weakness on the flop and turn?
3. What kind of player is the villain?
Taking this all into account it is often easy (and occasionally super confusing) to decide what the right play is. Just keep this in mind: At this limit, there is nothing wrong with being a bit conservative at times. I know CR preaches aggression but lower limits require a different touch. Big pots will happen often against all the fish so wait for a spot where you are sure you are good. There is NO REASON to throw a bunch of chips into a pot when you have no idea where you stand."
I hope this helps some of you out. I will give fruitypro 90% credit for this advice, as it were, because he was the one that taught it to me. This stuff has taken me from being a slow winner to a very consistent $50nl killer. I did $650 in business in 16 hours of 4 tabling last week and just put in my biggest day ever with a $200 profit in about 2 1/2 hours of play. Am I having huge days where I make a ton of cash? Not really. Am I having huge days where I lose tons of cash? NEVER! At the lower limits a soft touch with a little less aggro will pay dividends with very little risk involved.
As a quick side note: When I get time (hopefully this weekend) I will add several blog links to the page here. There are a number of good blogs out there that bear reading.
I should also mention that the Christmas party for my old job (bartender) is on Sunday. We go to the bar and DRINK ANYTHING WE WANT (even the good stuff....Grey Goose and Absolut, here I come) FOR FREE ALL FREAKING DAY!!!!!!!!!!
So, uhhhhhhh, wish me luck?
Good luck at the tables and as always, comments are welcome here at at CR!
Monday, January 8, 2007
I actually made a check raise!!!
Greetings all, I hope this entry finds you during a streak as hot as mine.
To update you all I can only say that I am still on fire, having ended 22 of the last 24 days in the black! I won $650 in the last week in only 5,000 hands (about 16.65 hours). I wish I had more time to play. I actually will soon as I am starting my new job tomorrow and should be able to put 3-4 hours a day in at work within the next few weeks (I need to get trained in first).
I made the full time move to $50nl and have moved my goal of moving up to $100nl from April 1st to March 1st. Assisting me is the fact I can still turn my UB points into cash without affecting my rakeback. This means $650-$750 per month at my current limit for free. Greatness!!!
My roll currently sits at $1865 so with any luck I will be crushing $100nl in no time.
I have a couple of hands I'd like to post here for your viewing pleasure. The first is also going to be posted on the CR low limit cash board. Take a look:
Villain is 52/4 over only 25 hands.
Hand #37040933-68161 at Clarksville (No Limit Hold'em)
Started at 08/Jan/07 00:40:17
deutschplay is at seat 0 with $52.10.
CapAnson is at seat 1 with $51.30.
leo2302 is at seat 2 with $59.50.
ShazebAndleeb is at seat 3 with $108.05.
hmx808 is at seat 4 with $81.15.
ceo3002 is at seat 5 with $21.45.
The button is at seat 5.
deutschplay posts the small blind of $.25.
CapAnson posts the big blind of $.50.
deutschplay: -- --
CapAnson: As Qd
leo2302: -- --
ShazebAndleeb: -- --
hmx808: -- --
ceo3002: -- --
Pre-flop:
leo2302 raises to $1.50. ShazebAndleeb folds.
hmx808 folds. ceo3002 folds. deutschplay folds.
CapAnson calls.
Flop (board: Th Ad Kd):
CapAnson checks. leo2302 bets $2. CapAnson raises
to $6. leo2302 folds. CapAnson is returned $4
(uncalled).
I NEVER check raise. Seriously, I may do it once every 500 hands or so. In this case I made the play because I wanted to make sure my hand was good. I figured that if I bet and he called I really didn't know where I was. I thought he certainly may have AK, AT, or KT as those hands seemed within his range. I thought that if I checked and he checked behind I would pop on the turn and not be out the cash as if I had bet and he called (this way I still had no info but at least it did not cost me). The main idea of a check raise here was to gather info. Was it an ok line? When do you check raise?
I rarely use the play because I don't want to rely on others to bet my hand for me. I usually use it when I am not sure if I am good. I think by using it then I can get some info and make my opponent believe I am stronger than I am. The other times I use the check raise is usually against super aggro fishy types that can't get away from a hand.
Now for some fun...this hand may be the worst play I have ever seen!
Hand #37040728-101491 at Paterson (No Limit Hold'em)
Started at 08/Jan/07 02:32:42
rraid4life is at seat 0 with $48.50.
icatchin is at seat 1 with $69.85.
dankgambler76 is at seat 2 with $33.25.
scarney46 is at seat 3 with $91.15.
Ibbid is at seat 4 with $72.45.
CapAnson is at seat 5 with $51.75.
The button is at seat 4.
CapAnson posts the small blind of $.25.
rraid4life posts the big blind of $.50.
rraid4life: -- --
icatchin: -- --
dankgambler76: -- --
scarney46: -- --
Ibbid: -- --
CapAnson: Kc Ad
Pre-flop:
icatchin calls. dankgambler76 calls. scarney46
folds. Ibbid calls. CapAnson raises to $3.
rraid4life calls. icatchin calls. dankgambler76
calls. Ibbid folds.
Flop (board: 3c Kh 4c):
CapAnson bets $8. rraid4life calls. icatchin calls.
dankgambler76 folds.
Turn (board: 3c Kh 4c 4d):
CapAnson bets $25. rraid4life folds. icatchin
calls.
River (board: 3c Kh 4c 4d 6s):
CapAnson goes all-in for $15.75. icatchin calls.
Showdown:
CapAnson shows Kc Ad.
CapAnson has Kc Ad Kh 4c 4d: two pair, kings and fours.
icatchin mucks cards.
(icatchin has Ac 5c.)
I asked him why he called on the turn with just a draw and he claimed he thought I was bluffing. I then asked how he called the river bet and he once again said he thought ace high was good. I told him I was concerned he was slow playing a set.....he then asked me why I didn't fold if I was worried! I replied, "because you didn't raise." He lost his last $5 and left...
I'll be sure to post some time mid week with an update. Until then good luck at the tables!
To update you all I can only say that I am still on fire, having ended 22 of the last 24 days in the black! I won $650 in the last week in only 5,000 hands (about 16.65 hours). I wish I had more time to play. I actually will soon as I am starting my new job tomorrow and should be able to put 3-4 hours a day in at work within the next few weeks (I need to get trained in first).
I made the full time move to $50nl and have moved my goal of moving up to $100nl from April 1st to March 1st. Assisting me is the fact I can still turn my UB points into cash without affecting my rakeback. This means $650-$750 per month at my current limit for free. Greatness!!!
My roll currently sits at $1865 so with any luck I will be crushing $100nl in no time.
I have a couple of hands I'd like to post here for your viewing pleasure. The first is also going to be posted on the CR low limit cash board. Take a look:
Villain is 52/4 over only 25 hands.
Hand #37040933-68161 at Clarksville (No Limit Hold'em)
Started at 08/Jan/07 00:40:17
deutschplay is at seat 0 with $52.10.
CapAnson is at seat 1 with $51.30.
leo2302 is at seat 2 with $59.50.
ShazebAndleeb is at seat 3 with $108.05.
hmx808 is at seat 4 with $81.15.
ceo3002 is at seat 5 with $21.45.
The button is at seat 5.
deutschplay posts the small blind of $.25.
CapAnson posts the big blind of $.50.
deutschplay: -- --
CapAnson: As Qd
leo2302: -- --
ShazebAndleeb: -- --
hmx808: -- --
ceo3002: -- --
Pre-flop:
leo2302 raises to $1.50. ShazebAndleeb folds.
hmx808 folds. ceo3002 folds. deutschplay folds.
CapAnson calls.
Flop (board: Th Ad Kd):
CapAnson checks. leo2302 bets $2. CapAnson raises
to $6. leo2302 folds. CapAnson is returned $4
(uncalled).
I NEVER check raise. Seriously, I may do it once every 500 hands or so. In this case I made the play because I wanted to make sure my hand was good. I figured that if I bet and he called I really didn't know where I was. I thought he certainly may have AK, AT, or KT as those hands seemed within his range. I thought that if I checked and he checked behind I would pop on the turn and not be out the cash as if I had bet and he called (this way I still had no info but at least it did not cost me). The main idea of a check raise here was to gather info. Was it an ok line? When do you check raise?
I rarely use the play because I don't want to rely on others to bet my hand for me. I usually use it when I am not sure if I am good. I think by using it then I can get some info and make my opponent believe I am stronger than I am. The other times I use the check raise is usually against super aggro fishy types that can't get away from a hand.
Now for some fun...this hand may be the worst play I have ever seen!
Hand #37040728-101491 at Paterson (No Limit Hold'em)
Started at 08/Jan/07 02:32:42
rraid4life is at seat 0 with $48.50.
icatchin is at seat 1 with $69.85.
dankgambler76 is at seat 2 with $33.25.
scarney46 is at seat 3 with $91.15.
Ibbid is at seat 4 with $72.45.
CapAnson is at seat 5 with $51.75.
The button is at seat 4.
CapAnson posts the small blind of $.25.
rraid4life posts the big blind of $.50.
rraid4life: -- --
icatchin: -- --
dankgambler76: -- --
scarney46: -- --
Ibbid: -- --
CapAnson: Kc Ad
Pre-flop:
icatchin calls. dankgambler76 calls. scarney46
folds. Ibbid calls. CapAnson raises to $3.
rraid4life calls. icatchin calls. dankgambler76
calls. Ibbid folds.
Flop (board: 3c Kh 4c):
CapAnson bets $8. rraid4life calls. icatchin calls.
dankgambler76 folds.
Turn (board: 3c Kh 4c 4d):
CapAnson bets $25. rraid4life folds. icatchin
calls.
River (board: 3c Kh 4c 4d 6s):
CapAnson goes all-in for $15.75. icatchin calls.
Showdown:
CapAnson shows Kc Ad.
CapAnson has Kc Ad Kh 4c 4d: two pair, kings and fours.
icatchin mucks cards.
(icatchin has Ac 5c.)
I asked him why he called on the turn with just a draw and he claimed he thought I was bluffing. I then asked how he called the river bet and he once again said he thought ace high was good. I told him I was concerned he was slow playing a set.....he then asked me why I didn't fold if I was worried! I replied, "because you didn't raise." He lost his last $5 and left...
I'll be sure to post some time mid week with an update. Until then good luck at the tables!
Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Sterotypical First Blog Post!
This is a new deal for me. I haven't blogged in my life and to be honest I used to find them (and the term "blog") sort of annoying. Thanks to the magic of CardRunners and the blogging of various pros (most notably fruitypro and CTS) I have decided to start my own public diary.
The reasons for doing this are twofold:
1. To help myself in learning the game by putting my thoughts, gripes, strengths, and weaknesses on digital paper.
2. To hopefully help other low limit grinders like myself.
I suppose I should follow traditional format and tell you all a bit about myself.
I am a 27 year old married guy living in South Dakota. I have a new baby girl (our first) who is the primary driving force behind EVERYTHING I do - those of you with children no doubt know what I am talking about. We have two dogs, a beagle and an English springer spaniel.
Besides poker I am into music (most any kind excluding country, hippy crap, and fringe stuff like death metal, electronica, etc.), sports, cars, video games, blah blah blah...typical guy stuff. I am also a bit of a chef (my mother caters professionally) specializing in Asian cuisine and meat. I love meat (easy sickos).
Enough small talk, lets cut to the chase here.
I started with poker the same way 90% of people do nowadays: by watching it on TV. Once the boom started, myself and several friends started home games. At about this same time (3 years ago) I made my first deposit onto Party Poker. I can't remember how much is was because I made so many of them. Suffice it to say I lost a lot back then. By the time I joined CR on July 1st, 2006 I probably had lost about $1500 playing mostly sit-and-go's and tourneys. I dabbled in limit hold em after reading "Theory of Poker" but found the game didn't really suit me.
It bears mentioning that at this point I have read "Super System", "Caro's Book of Poker Tells", and three books by Sklansky, "Small Stakes Hold Em", "Hold Em Poker", and the aforementioned "Theory of Poker." I do recommend them all to those of you that have not read up. "Super System" should be required reading. The three by Sklansky are GREAT reads to help you with the mathimatical side of the game. If you play live you should read Caro's book on tells. It is sick.
In the months leading up to me joining CR I took second in a $10 buy-in tourney on Full Tilt making about $1600 in the process. At this point I was a tightish player that ignored position for the most part but was not a typical loose idiot. I lost, but did it slowly. The slow losses took the $1600 I earned down to about $550 when I joined CR.
Upon joining I watched about 15 or so videos then hit the tables. Oops. I am not sure how but I lost every penny I had in the account. I think three things contributed:
1. I wasn't nearly as good as I thought I was. I tried to outplay people, a big mistake at $50nl.
2. I had a pretty sick run.
3. I was desperate to win. I wanted to win so bad I lived and died with every pot. I treated $10 like $1000.
At this point I took about 5 weeks off. I ignored CR completely. When I decided to comeback I decided to start fresh. I committed to taking one last stab at success (in part because I was/am mostly broke). I deposited $250 onto Party Poker using some money I had saved without my wife's knowledge (she still has no idea...). I played 4 tables of $25nl for about 3 weeks before Party shut down to US residents. I got the account to about $400 and was quite proud of my accomplishment. During this time I concentrated hard on not tilting and staying under control at the table. I also worked on studying Poker Tracker and using it to keep my play in line.
When Party closed I moved my cash to Ultimate Bet. After about a month I had the account up to nearly $500 and was struggling to be consistent. At this point I made a few other changes. I started keeping a daily tab of my bank roll. I also tightened up a bit. This yielded a great result. I made $700 over 13 days. I felt like I FINALLY turned the corner and was looking forward to a full time move to $50nl (I was playing both $25 and $50 tables at the time).
As if on cue I was dealt a crushing blow on November 26th. I dropped $272 in one day. One very long day. This started a very rough period where my roll went from $1,200 to $670.
On December, 15th I started private lessons with our friendly professional from the UK, fruitypro (Dan). I am not sure if he wants more students at this point but please trust me when I say you should run, not walk, to him and inquire about his tutelage. Starting on December 8th I have played 25 out of 27 days. During that time I have increased my roll 21 of those days. To be more specific, since I started with Dan I have won 16 out of 18 days. Over that stretch I increased my roll from $735 to almost $1,400. I have increased my VPIP slightly and my PFR% significantly. I am not calling as often pre-flop and am getting away from hands more easily (the two biggest holes in my game). I am also not trying to outwit people and have learned to control my aggression, controlling pot size more effectively in the process.
I just moved to $50nl last night and have set a goal to move to $100nl by April 1st. I actually think I can do it sooner but we will see.
Wow, that got a bit long...
I hope that my manifesto was at least a bit interesting to you all. I also hope somebody other than my mother will actually read this!
I plan to post 3-4 times weekly. I will include an update of the grind as well as some hand histories, sage advice, and witty banter.
Toodles!
The reasons for doing this are twofold:
1. To help myself in learning the game by putting my thoughts, gripes, strengths, and weaknesses on digital paper.
2. To hopefully help other low limit grinders like myself.
I suppose I should follow traditional format and tell you all a bit about myself.
I am a 27 year old married guy living in South Dakota. I have a new baby girl (our first) who is the primary driving force behind EVERYTHING I do - those of you with children no doubt know what I am talking about. We have two dogs, a beagle and an English springer spaniel.
Besides poker I am into music (most any kind excluding country, hippy crap, and fringe stuff like death metal, electronica, etc.), sports, cars, video games, blah blah blah...typical guy stuff. I am also a bit of a chef (my mother caters professionally) specializing in Asian cuisine and meat. I love meat (easy sickos).
Enough small talk, lets cut to the chase here.
I started with poker the same way 90% of people do nowadays: by watching it on TV. Once the boom started, myself and several friends started home games. At about this same time (3 years ago) I made my first deposit onto Party Poker. I can't remember how much is was because I made so many of them. Suffice it to say I lost a lot back then. By the time I joined CR on July 1st, 2006 I probably had lost about $1500 playing mostly sit-and-go's and tourneys. I dabbled in limit hold em after reading "Theory of Poker" but found the game didn't really suit me.
It bears mentioning that at this point I have read "Super System", "Caro's Book of Poker Tells", and three books by Sklansky, "Small Stakes Hold Em", "Hold Em Poker", and the aforementioned "Theory of Poker." I do recommend them all to those of you that have not read up. "Super System" should be required reading. The three by Sklansky are GREAT reads to help you with the mathimatical side of the game. If you play live you should read Caro's book on tells. It is sick.
In the months leading up to me joining CR I took second in a $10 buy-in tourney on Full Tilt making about $1600 in the process. At this point I was a tightish player that ignored position for the most part but was not a typical loose idiot. I lost, but did it slowly. The slow losses took the $1600 I earned down to about $550 when I joined CR.
Upon joining I watched about 15 or so videos then hit the tables. Oops. I am not sure how but I lost every penny I had in the account. I think three things contributed:
1. I wasn't nearly as good as I thought I was. I tried to outplay people, a big mistake at $50nl.
2. I had a pretty sick run.
3. I was desperate to win. I wanted to win so bad I lived and died with every pot. I treated $10 like $1000.
At this point I took about 5 weeks off. I ignored CR completely. When I decided to comeback I decided to start fresh. I committed to taking one last stab at success (in part because I was/am mostly broke). I deposited $250 onto Party Poker using some money I had saved without my wife's knowledge (she still has no idea...). I played 4 tables of $25nl for about 3 weeks before Party shut down to US residents. I got the account to about $400 and was quite proud of my accomplishment. During this time I concentrated hard on not tilting and staying under control at the table. I also worked on studying Poker Tracker and using it to keep my play in line.
When Party closed I moved my cash to Ultimate Bet. After about a month I had the account up to nearly $500 and was struggling to be consistent. At this point I made a few other changes. I started keeping a daily tab of my bank roll. I also tightened up a bit. This yielded a great result. I made $700 over 13 days. I felt like I FINALLY turned the corner and was looking forward to a full time move to $50nl (I was playing both $25 and $50 tables at the time).
As if on cue I was dealt a crushing blow on November 26th. I dropped $272 in one day. One very long day. This started a very rough period where my roll went from $1,200 to $670.
On December, 15th I started private lessons with our friendly professional from the UK, fruitypro (Dan). I am not sure if he wants more students at this point but please trust me when I say you should run, not walk, to him and inquire about his tutelage. Starting on December 8th I have played 25 out of 27 days. During that time I have increased my roll 21 of those days. To be more specific, since I started with Dan I have won 16 out of 18 days. Over that stretch I increased my roll from $735 to almost $1,400. I have increased my VPIP slightly and my PFR% significantly. I am not calling as often pre-flop and am getting away from hands more easily (the two biggest holes in my game). I am also not trying to outwit people and have learned to control my aggression, controlling pot size more effectively in the process.
I just moved to $50nl last night and have set a goal to move to $100nl by April 1st. I actually think I can do it sooner but we will see.
Wow, that got a bit long...
I hope that my manifesto was at least a bit interesting to you all. I also hope somebody other than my mother will actually read this!
I plan to post 3-4 times weekly. I will include an update of the grind as well as some hand histories, sage advice, and witty banter.
Toodles!
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