Poker Tracker - Finding Leaks in Your Game

Posted on April 14, 2008 
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If your serious about poker and are looking for ways to improve your game, Poker Tracker is a piece of software you should definetly look into purchasing.

 

Poker is all about information, and making decisions on that information. This not only relates to your play during a hand, but also looking at your play as a whole and making adjustments where necessary. Do you have leaks in your play?

 

There are probably very few poker players alive that can answer that question in the negative. However what seperates skilled profitable poker players from break even or losing players is that these leaks are minimal, and they are probably conscious of them.

 

For newer players, what do they mean by leaks? Are to you too loose preflop, too passive preflop/postflop, are you calling too often, not defending your blinds etc. These are just of few of the kinds of questions you should be asking yourself if your serious about improving your game.

 

This is where poker traker comes in. This nifty software keeps track of all your hand history, as well as all players that you have been involved in hands with. So not only can you track your own progress and plug leaks in your game, you can keep track of those players who are “soft” and those who are skilled.

 

Two articles you must absolutely read, if you are interested in analyzing your poker tracker data are found at the twoplustwo forum: Post 1, Post2. These are the best posts I have come across explaining how to interpret the data, and determine where your game needs improvement. I strongly suggest reading them if you are thinking about investing the $55 in Poker Tracker, or already own it but have not quite figured out how to use it properly yet.

 

Just a side note, a new improved version 3 is in Beta and set to be released soon.

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NL 10 Hand Analysis - Bad Fold?

Posted on April 7, 2008 
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Hello all I decided to do something new on the blog. Here is a hand from one of my recent .05/.10 NL full ring cash games. I posted this hand on the twoplustwo.com forum and it generated quite a bit of discussion. What do you think? Do you agree with my play during this hand? If not what would you have done differently?

 

Going into this hand I had virtually no read on the villian, so you have to go with your gut on this one. What was interesting was that the opinions on the twoplustwo forum varied quite a bit, however the majority felt that my flop Continuation bet should not have been made if I was not ready to call the push here. I understand where there coming from, but at the same time Im not 100% convinced of this. CB bets in these types of situations (even where opponant short stacked) have definetely had a positive EV for me on these tables. But what do you think?

 

saw flop | saw showdown

Button Villian ($1.78)
SB ($14.88)
BB ($3.37)
UTG ($4.72)
UTG+1 ($9.90)
MP ($9.96)
MP Hero($15.54)
MP ($2.09)
CO-1 ($0.85)
CO ($2.00)

Preflop: Hero is in MP with Tc Th
3 folds, Hero raises to 0.30, 3 folds, Villian calls 0.30, 2 folds.

Flop (0.75) 2c Ac 3c
Hero bets 0.40, Villian moves all-in for 1.48, 1 fold

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Cash Game Diary - Entry #3

Posted on April 3, 2008 
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Well had a bit of a stumble early this week. I decided it was time to change things up and switch over to short handed .02/.04 action for a while. I realized before making the switch to the 6 handed game I would have to loosen up quite a bit and get involved in alot more hands for it to be profitable.

 

In hindsight I think I may have overcompensated as I had a fairly large downswing during the next 3 sessions (300 - 400 hands) losing over 10% of my roll, ouch! To be fair I did take a few really bad beats for my entire stack during these sessions, but that’s poker.

 

Fortunately I bounced back, regained my loss and I am approaching my next goal very quickly. If all goes well I estimate I will be moving up to .05/10 NL within the next month or so. I am considering moving up to this level once I have 20X the max buyin ($10X20 = $200).

 

Although this is a bit shy of the recommended bankroll of at least 25X the max buy-in, I figure I will try it out, and if my roll drops by more then 2 buy-ins I will just drop back down again and start over. I am counting on the fact that the skill level at these tables will not greatly exceed that on the .02/.04.

 

Good luck at the tables all!

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Adjusting for Short Handed Cash Poker Games

Posted on March 28, 2008 
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After spending quite a bit of time playing on the full (10 handed) micro NL cash tables at Titan Poker, I decided it was time for a change. I wasn’t ready to move up limits yet, as my bankroll did not allow for it, but wanted a taste of the shorter tables that provide a bit more action and arguable require a bit more skill.

 

I was a little apprehensive about making this switch as most know that the short handed NL poker game is remarkably different than a full ring game. For starters play at these short games require that you loosen up your standing hand requirement. For example say you are holding K,10 suited in late position. You would probably not even play even in late position on a full table or at most limp in. However in a 6 handed game this is arguably worth a raise if the pot is still unraised.

 

If you do not adjust this aspect of your game it can be detrimental for 2 reasons. 1. You will be missing alot of good opportunities to win pots where you would have had the best hand. 2. Other players will catch on that you are playing extremely tight, and it will be difficult to get action when you do have premium hands.

 

In all honesty when I made the switch I think I over compensated and loosened up a little too much. This in addition to some questionable plays on my part, and quite a few bad beats & coolers within these sessions, resulted in about 10% drop in my roll within 2 days. I am slowly starting to build it back up again after a close examination of some of these hands, and making the necessary adjustments.

 

Another difference as I alluded to earlier, is that in general I think a bit more skill is required on these tables. You are playing more hands, many of which will be of lower quality then you are accustomed to playing. This will require a bit more creativity and decision making and reading your opponents for flop, turn and river play.

 

Thirdly I found that the variance or up and down in your win rate will be somewhat larger, as you are playing far more hands. When you do have a winning session you can win more in a shorter period of time, but the same applies to losses. I had my largest 1 day loss on these tables after making the switch! (to be fair part of this came from 2 allins on the flop, in both cases my opponent was dominted and happen to catch their 3 outer on turn or river).

 

The bottom line is short (6 or less) NL holdem poker is quite a different “animal” then the full ring games, and if you are fairly new to NL poker you should be aware of the adjustments you will have to make in your game before diving in!

Read more

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Set Mining in Cash Poker Games

Posted on March 23, 2008 
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Just wanted to write a little blurb about set mining and how effective it can be on in cash games, especially on the low limit tables where the competition is much softer.

 

What is set mining? For those who have never heard the expression basically it means limping in with your small to mid pocket pairs in hopes of catching a set on the flop. If all goes well you will stack off against one or more opponents who end up catching top pair or two pair.

 

This works well in the “softer” low limit games for 2 reasons. First these games are typically less agressive and you can sucessfully limp in from early or mid position with less fear of big raises behind you. However this is always a possability no matter what level your playing at, and this may put you on a difficult decision if your forced to call 5 or 6 times the big blind with your pocket 7’s.

 

Secondly when you do flop your set, I find that on the “soft” micro level tables, such as the .01/.02, .02/.04 I am currently playing on Titan Poker the players are far less suspecting and more willing to stack off against you with their second best hand. I couldn’t say for sure without a close inspection of my Pokertracker account, but I would hazard a guess that at least 10%-20% of my poker earnings come from neat little technique.

 

When do I play my pocket pairs this way? Obviously personal preferences will vary but I generally use this strategy with pocket 9’s or less especially in early to mid position. I may even call a small raise (up to 4X the BB) coming from behind me. If the pot is unraised pre-flop I will generally raise my pocket 10’s or better, especially in late position. With QQ, KK, AA it is a given you will generally raise or re-raise from any position unless you can put your opponent on a larger pocket pair.

 

This little strategy is fairly common knowlege for players with experience but I thought all you new players out there might find it helpful. Good luck on the tables and hope you catch some sets!!

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Top 12 Articles on Poker Tells

Posted on March 21, 2008 
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One of the most sensationalized or “Hollywood” aspects of poker is the ability of one player to read his opponents hand or picking up on physical tells indicating strength or weakness.

 

Many professional players argue that while it is an important skill its importance has been exagerated in comparison to the core skills such as calculating odds, using pot odds, playing according to stack size, and getting reads based on betting patterns.

 

I would argue that while it may not be at the top of the list essential skills at the table it can make a huge difference in your overall win rate, and give that edge when making a very difficult decision. If you are looking for some great information on learning how to pick up on various physical or real world poker tells check out Mike Caro’s “Book of Tells”.

 

This is the bible on poker times, and although it was originally published almost 30 years ago it has definitely stood the test of time, and is still considered the authority on poker tells.

 

I would also like to provide a resource for some great articles I have come across on both real world physical tells and online tells:

 

Online Tells

 

Spotting Online Poker Tells

 

The Online Tells That Are Most Telling

 

Poker Tips - How to Bust Online Tells

 

Poker Tells - How to Spot Online Tells

 

Online Poker Tells

 

Online Poker Tells - A guide to discerning your opponents poker tells

 

Real World Physical Tells

 

Best Casino: With Poker Tells Be Careful

 

PokerTable: Basic Poker tells

 

Tells: Learn Vital Poker Tells to Find Out What Your Opponent is Holding

 

Poker Tells - Essays on Top/Most Common Poker Tells!

 

Poker Tells - How to Read Poker Tells

 

Poker Tells - Top Ten Poker Tells

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Poker Tournaments vs. Cash Games

Posted on March 17, 2008 
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With the explosion of online poker over the last 6 years or so, and growing popularity of televised poker events, tournament poker has definitely enjoyed the brunt of exposure. However as more and more individuals are being exposed to this wonderful game it seems as though No Limit and Limit cash games are growing in popularity as well.

 

I personally enjoy both forms of poker for different reasons. When I first started playing about 2.5 yrs ago, like many new players it was all tournaments. Either 10 man Sit N Gos or Multi table tourneys with hundreds to thousands of entrants. However I now find myself playing cash games about 80% of the time.

 

Why the switch? Basically I just wanted a change, but there are other reasons. Generally I find if you play tight consistent poker on the low level cash tables it much quicker to build up a bank roll. This may have alot to do with my personal style, and I am sure there are many who perform better in tournament style play. Many pros have said that the cash games are their “bread & butter” while tournament play is more for the notoriety and sort of a bonus to supplement their cash game income. (Nice bonus for some!)

 

I would like to sort of list out what I feel are the pros and cons of each format.

 

Tournament Pros:

1)small entry fee, potential for very large payout

2) Very exciting, nothing like making to that final table and having your payday increase with every player that is eliminated.

3) Gives practice at full and short handed game as the final table is reduced

 

Tournament Cons:

1) Even if make past the bubble usually very small return for many hours of play.

2) Often as blinds increase play becomes allin or fold decision

3) players at tables changing all the time difficult to get a read on your opponents long enough to be useful

 

Cash Game Pros

1) No increase in blinds, can always be deep stacked and play your own game

2) Can come and go as you please, not stuck playing for hours if something comes up

3) I find Luck plays less of a factor, take a bad beat just reload and get your money back by outplaying your opponents, unlike a tournament where a bad beat sends you packing.

 

Cash Game Cons

1. If your playing out of your comfort zone can lose alot of money very quickly, unlike a tournament where all you lose is your entry fee

2. Decision can be more difficult, will need to fold those big hands preflop more often. In tournament with increasing blinds will usually get chips in if pot committed.

3. Arguably more skill required, hands seem to be played out to 5th street more often, with less allins on earlier streets.

 

Just my 2 cents any thoughts?

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Original Bank Roll Doubled!

Posted on March 10, 2008 
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Hey all just want to share quick note in regards to my goal of climbing the Titan Poker cash game ladder.  Well after 3,679 hands at the .01/.02 & .02/.04  full ring NL Holdem cash tables I have reached my first goal of breaking $100.00.  This represents 100% addition to my original bank roll of $50 just over 3 weeks ago.  Hopefully I can maintain my dicipline and continue climbing, I will keep you posted!

 3,679 hands

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Cash Game Diary - Entry #1

Posted on March 7, 2008 
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Hello All first entry in my Titan Cash Game diary. I hope to track my progress as I attempt to move up the ranks at the Tital cash game tables. I began my journey about 3 weeks ago with a $50 bankroll. Since then I have been primarily playing on the micro limit .01/.02 & .02/.04 NL tables. These both have a max buy in of $5 which I always take advantage of.

 

Thus far I have played about 3000 hands and am sitting at $92, which I am fairly happy with. Thats about all for now, I will have more to post when I reach my first milestone of a double bankroll ($100). Hopefully I do not have a bad run and will reach this goal soon.

Cheers

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Dan Harrington Tournament Poker Book Review

Posted on March 7, 2008 
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Hello all, I just wanted to write a little about a book, or rather a set of 2 books I read last summer, and is defintely time to re-read them. They are entitled Harrington on Hold’em Vol I, Vol II. In my opinion the two volumes are pure gold when it comes to optimal tournament poker technique.

 

For those of you who have never heard of Dan Harrington (a.k.a. “action Dan”) he is definitely considered one of the premier tournament poker players in the world, and perhaps even one of the best all round players. In addition to winning the 1995 WSOP he is credited with what is considered the greatest accomplishment in tournament poker by placing 3rd in 2003, and 4th in 2004. This accomplishment is especially incredible considering the massive field of 839, and 2,576 respectively those years.

 

Volume I entitled “Strategic play” covers Playing styles, starting hand requirements, reading the table, pot odds & hand analysis, before the flop betting, flop play, and play on the turn and river. Volume II entitled “The Endgame” covers topics including Making moves, Inflection points, Multiple inflection points, short tables, and heads up play.

 

I found this second volume to be especially helpful for several reasons. I personally found that my tournament play was solid in the early rounds but often I would bust just short of the bubble. Harrington’s chapters on inflection points definitely took my game to the next level and taught me how to optimize my play accoring to my stack size in relation to the blinds.

 

The chapter on heads up play in my opinion, is hands down the best instruction out there on how to tackle this very difficult stage of poker. Prior to reading Harrington’s books I personally struggled with heads up play, often feeling that it was a total crap shoot. I definitely feel that I have a very good handle on this stage now and usually have an advantage over most players I encounter thanks to Mr. Harrington.

 

If you play tournament poker these books are a definitely a must for your poker book library. “Action Dan” is currently in the process of reasing a two volume set on Cash Game technique, which is set to be realeased in a couple weeks. I cant wait! After I read them I will be sure to post my thoughts.

 

Check back soon for more book reviews, hand discussions and anything else related to poker.

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