At last - moved to NL50 :-) (long!)

[podbelski]

It was March 2009 when I've came across Trikkur's vids and started to play NL, never done this before, you know poker in Russia is somewhat unusual entertainment.

At that time I haven't any idea of bankroll management and all other kinds of poker stuff, so I deposited 85 dollars and started at NL20. Moved up to NL50 with 3 buyins, played about 7k hands and hit just above 500$ in bankroll. It was really miraculous I wasn't destroyed right away

Then I faced a disastrous downswing, each day I played I was more and more sure about it... 2 months, 30k hands, all the classics like numerous 2-outer suckouts (even 1-outer!), never winning flips, and if I've got it in with the nuts it is often ended up like runner-runner split!

No need to say I've moved down quickly to 10NL hitting 150$ bankroll as minimum several times. I kept studying relentlessly, and after the Luck turned face to me grinded back to 500$ and moved to FTP from Cake this September. By that time I grasped poker knowledge just enough to start asking meaningful questions here.

At FTP, I hit some sort of a downswing again, for 3 weeks I stayed at what I deposited, thanks to bonus&rakeback.

I admit my play is nowhere near good, I'd say so-so maybe. Playing tight, avoiding good regs, fishing almost every day. Yet I feel I'm getting better and better, and hitting a good streak I've doubled up during November. I've got near $2k in my bankroll now

Stayed at NL25 so long so I became totally confident I beat it, now playing NL50 solely for 3rd day, up 4 buyins in 2k hands. Lost about 3/4 of coinflips, 3 times missed easy river (big)valubets, got coolered few times... there were nice hands too

What I don't like is I'm still playing scared, dropped to about 15/11 with 2% 3bet Maybe it's not that bad for beginning though, at least I keep my bankroll safe and avoid tilting.

There are much more regs at NL50! I knew it will be, but not expected competition will increase so noticeably...

Well that's it, wish me good luck

[Vantek]

Congrats, keep it up! ^_^

[chinz]

Originally Posted by podbelski

What I don't like is I'm still playing scared, dropped to about 15/11 with 2% 3bet Maybe it's not that bad for beginning though, at least I keep my bankroll safe and avoid tilting.

It is gonna become much harder to win at NL50 with stats as tight as those... You really should try to play a little looser and start mixing in some light 3betting. Since there isn't too many new videos here on pokertrikz, now it'd be a good moment to start checking out some commercial poker coaching sites.

Deucescracked and Leggopoker have free trials (at least they used to, idk nowadays) and if you play on FTP you can get free Cardrunners and/or StoxPoker accounts via Truly Free Poker Training

When you reach NL50+ I really think that having account in one or more of those sites will pay itself back really quick. Just use the free trials and find out which one you like the most.

I'd also suggest this free video from 2+2. In that video mdm13 is playing a session at NL50 with 32/27 stats. You shouldn't try to immediatly change to playing LAG, but you should really try to play at least 20 VPIP, anything less means leaving too much money on the table and eventually making it impossible to win on higher stakes.

I think that video shows greatly, how your preflop range should be very dynamic, according to other players at the table, stack sizes etc. Postflop is also a bit different when you play more than twice the hands, but you'll see that he won't be playing too crazy postflop, quite conservative actually.


Good luck!

[tmiby]

congrats podbelski!

I hope to take that step in the next 10 days. currently running pretty well at 25NL. I need another 8 Buyins and I'm rolled enough for 50NL.

Right now, I feel very comfortable at 25NL with stats 22/16/5.

Your also talking about loosing flips and getting 2 outered: I recently found out that PT3 has a graph "Expected Value - All-In Performance". Pretty cool to see, when you sucked out and when you got a suckout. I'm not surprised that my "expected value" -graph is already 2 Buyins further up than the actual graph (this over a 5k hand period)...

I belive that this is just one of the downsides of "getting better": you get many suckouts from bad players; but you won't make that many suckouts (because you know, you're behind and fold). Honestly I can't remember my last 2-outer suckout....(except KK vs. AA allin pre, or similar situations - that just happens).

Keep on rocking and we might stay in touch. When I arrive at 50NL, I'm gonna do another vid.

cheers

[podbelski]

@tmiby:

Yep that's true, it is normal for me to run under all-in EV. It goes like I win every session if there are no suckouts, and ending even/losing if there were. Sometimes I hit as well, this is almost KK/AA situations, coolers or spots when I've invested too much while ahead but on turn got beat but feel committed and yet river gives me victory.

It's nice to see other members' progress, I just want to point that your stats show too big of a gap between limping/raising pre. Imo, 3-4% is optimal. [Upd]: I mean, either decrease your VPIP a bit, or increase amount of hands you enter the pot raising. Maybe I don't get it right though, in this case it is interesting to know your explanations how you end up with these numbers and why it works better for you...

GL

[podbelski]

@chinz

awesome post mate

1st, yeah I know your are 100% right about nitty style, I'm very concerned about this problem. Even at NL25 I'm playing 18/15/4%3Bet and feel it is too tight, NL50 already put me in enough spots I felt it even stronger. Partly, I've got pushed around by regs, another thing is a bit scaried by higher cash amounts what resulted in playing even more tighter. The good thing is my total aggression factor is 3.5, which is ok I suppose.

Personally, I think LAG-style like yours is not for my type (maybe I'm not ready yet), I think my target is like 20/17 with more preflop 3betting for near future. I mean, I understand these are just numbers which are not the GreatAim by themselves, the point is to improve my game (and get edge over majority of players) I must introduce some trikz/moves, and this will inevitably result in more looser game. I clearly see who I'm currently ahead of - fish and TAG-like break-even players, even the latter are not a very easy money for me. I admit I can't beat any winning NL25 reg (don't have an edge).

2nd, Truly free poker training - thx for that, now I know what to do with my FTP points I think I will come back here with questions on this topic.

Well thanks again, I don't see what else I can say for now, gotta train&play

[Vantek]

You should not be tightening up just because it's higher stakes. Worse yet, you DEFINITELY should not be getting any more passive. If you play 18/15/4%3Bet at 25NL, play 18/15/4%3Bet at 50NL.

If 50NL takes such a high toll on you emotionally that your game weakens, there honestly just isn't any reason to play it. You do not make any more money and you do not learn any faster if you are playing scared. If just moving up in one moment like that is too tough, take it easier. Start with playing 50NL only when you are on your A game and can find juicy tables, and then as you get more comfortable, continuously increase the time you spend on 50NL until you feel completely comfortable with it.

[chinz]

Originally Posted by podbelski

Personally, I think LAG-style like yours is not for my type (maybe I'm not ready yet), I think my target is like 20/17 with more preflop 3betting for near future.

I'm not so laggy myself, my stats are around 30/26, but they are mostly 5max, so I'm not that laggy either. In 6max I'd probably have something like 25-27 VPIP.

2nd, Truly free poker training - thx for that, now I know what to do with my FTP points I think I will come back here with questions on this topic.

Actually it's truly free, ie. you don't have to spend your FTP points on it. You just have to earn enough FTP points, nothing will be reduced either from your gross rake or FTP points.

[podbelski]

Originally Posted by Vantek

You should not be tightening up just because it's higher stakes. Worse yet, you DEFINITELY should not be getting any more passive. If you play 18/15/4%3Bet at 25NL, play 18/15/4%3Bet at 50NL.

If 50NL takes such a high toll on you emotionally that your game weakens, there honestly just isn't any reason to play it. You do not make any more money and you do not learn any faster if you are playing scared. If just moving up in one moment like that is too tough, take it easier. Start with playing 50NL only when you are on your A game and can find juicy tables, and then as you get more comfortable, continuously increase the time you spend on 50NL until you feel completely comfortable with it.

Its easier to say than do right away... The emotional toll is already ceasing, and I don't see why should I play NL25 if I can win more (in terms of $) on NL50, I see I can do it. I'm almost doubled my efforts to choose the right tables though

Yes the regs make me trouble, but that's ok, I want to learn how to cope with it. I think NL50 is the right place for this

[Vantek]

I don't see why should I play NL25 if I can win more (in terms of $) on NL50, I see I can do it.

I would have thought that you can't if you are playing scared. But who knows.