eightfold

Continued with the summary of the best bits from Phil Galfond's Well =]



Q: You also mentioned that when players have coaches, they often don't ask the right questions. In your opinion, what are some of the things most players should be focused on but aren't?

A: Along the same lines, a player should go through hands he's played or is playing and say "I (bet $x/called/raised/folded) because _____" Is my logic good?

The coach should ask more questions about what the player is thinking... "why is (bet x) better than (bet y) or c/r?" "What hands that you think he can have are you hoping will call/fold to that bet?" and listen to the players' response. For the first session, the coach shouldn't volunteer what he thinks the correct play is IMO.


Q: How long (hands/time) does it take you to identify fish in the games you typically play in?

A: If I'm paying full attention, not too long. If there's a new player that I don't recognize in a big game, I make sure to watch his play, and go back and look at any hand he showed down. That's where I get the most info.


Q: What are the top 3 or so indicators that first tip you off you are playing a fish? (what are the ones that first surface, as opposed to ones you only figure out over time)

A: If someone is playing a ton of hands, or open limping all the time, you can expect them to play badly elsewhere.

The second fastest is probably bet sizing. Usually regulars keep to a standard bet size style.

Usually what helps the most is seeing a shown down hand, and realizing that whatever logic he was using doesn't make sense. I know thats vague but I don't have an example in mind.


Q: What are the key reads that you find most important to use? or the ones you use most frequently? ie. how he plays draws? how thin he valuebets? timing tells? etc?

A: Flop and turn play are big for me. How light people call flop/raise flop is important. As is how often they fire turns, and with what hands. Are they pot controlling top pair? Are they checking the turn back with 8+ outs sometimes or always firing?


Q: What do you think is the most important game trait a HU player can have to be successful and why? Tilt control, patience, hand reading, aggression, game selection, etc.?

And what do you think was the most profound concept or tool you added to your HU game while developing it?

A: Tilt control is huge. Hand reading is important in all poker, but moreso heads up, because less hands play themselves.

I realize as I'm going down the list, everything is important, heh. You have the right idea. None are really more important than others I would say, and HU poker isn't THAT much different than regular poker.

I think though, understanding and adapting to an opponent is the most important thing I've learned to do for my HU game.


Q: What do you think the number one misconception about poker is? (On 2p2, not the general public consensus that its all about bluffing)

A: Ugh, so many. I basically don't talk to non poker players about poker. They're all so retarded when it comes to poker.

Misconceptions the average person has:
-they understand poker
-it's mostly luck, I'm gonna lose eventually
-tv pros are the best
-it doesn't take intelligence
-poker players are low life degenerates (becoming less and less true. I get personally offended anytime this stereotype is reinforced)


Q: 1) In a lot of your responses you mention the importance of having the right thought processes at the table. Can you please elaborate on what some of the correct thought processes are and what a player should be asking himself or thinking about at the table and during a hand?

A: Your question is a good one, but one that I would answer over 12 hours of coaching or an entire book. In short, you should be asking yourself why you want to make a play, ever play. If you have a good reason for it, better than your reasons for other plays, then you should make it.


Q: can you elaborate further around especially betsizing and timinig tells. Do you have any labels on patterns that you use?
Do you have any suggested reading covering this?

A: Betsize and timing tells are learned with practice.

The best general tip I can give on the subject is, there is always a reason everyone bets the size that they do or at the speed that they do. Often it's because they want you to do something, either consciously or subconsciously. Try to figure out what they want you to do. Then, don't do it.

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Comments (3)

Yesterday when playing I ran into this really fun player, vip 90 or so. And as often happens in Poker I didn't get the best of it. These 4 hands happened in close proximity, maybe 10-15 minuts apart.

But the cool thing was, after the first one, I laughed about it, and complimented the guy, not to be rude or obnoxious, but just to not get angry or play worse.

When it happened again I felt I calmed 8 seconds after it happened and it didn't affect me, was a great feeling. And had no resentment towards the opponent or anything. When it happened a few more times I started humming, singing to myself, writing sick notes on the guy, and I felt I had humongous edge, I also got this symmetry going, so he didn't want to play big pots with any of the other regulars. I doubled him up from 5e to 98 at one point, but ended up winning back like 70e of it because of the way I handled it.

http://www.liquidpoker.net/h/786810

http://www.liquidpoker.net/h/786813

http://www.liquidpoker.net/h/786815

http://www.liquidpoker.net/h/786817

The hands after he's grown a stack =]

Wee, I'm never going to tilt. <3

(Doubling him to that much is like almost 20 bi's for him, since he bought in for 5e, I think that's the right way to look at it, and if I don't tilt from that, I don't see what will make me tilt =])

Ok, sorry for the rant, just really happy about it and wanted to express myself.

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Comments (5)

Mindfulness


- Mindfulness is the oposite of mindlessness. Unfortunatly how most of us go about living our lives, puppets on a string, doing anything people want us to do.

- One of the most common misconception about the buda stuff is "you want to empty ur mind, get rid of the feeling" But it's the oposite, you observe your thoughts, you observe your feelings. Witnessing them.

- None of us are ever rarely a good witness.

"Mindlessness is our normal state of mind." (Our default operating system.)

"Mindfulness is intentional awareness."

"Mindfulness melts away anger" (If you get really angry, and you become aware, you tell yourself I am angry now, then it will go away.)

- Mindfulness is a tool which directly relate to how you play poker, will tilt less. And carries on into your regular life. (See it as a tilt reduction tool.)


Breathing

- This is the best tool there is for practicing mindfulness. The reason is, it's always with us, we're always breathing.

- The act of being mindful, is putting ur effort and ur mind to something which is happening right now. Mindfulwalking, standing, sitting, looking, listen, so forth.

(All ways you can look at mindfulness, but the one that trumphs them all, is breathing.)


To practice minful breathing, there is 2 main ways

* Counting you breath
1 in, 2 out, 3 in, 4 out, 5 in, 6 out...... (count to 10, then start again.)

* Following your breath
" Breathing in, I am aware that I am breathing in.
Breathing out, I am aware that I am breathing out."

- The only practice you'll ever need, if you want to train yourself to be mindful of your thoughts and your actions, and what's going on around you."


Benefits: Forcing your mind away from it's own wrenching, ongoing thinking.

- In the moment you gain the benefit of not being consumed by your thoughts

- And when you do do it, you can't help but notice, that you are consumed by ur thoughts


- Take the training wheels off, and count when you breath out, in then out and two on the second exhale.

"And when you lose count, that's fine. It's like, the whole point. That we can't hold the count is a symptom of an affliction that counting cures.


Breath > Body calms mind > Mind calms body
(Like a circle of effects.)

"The breath is the link between the mind and the body."

- If you can do this at peak agitation, there's tremendous benefits

"The moments when you're most agitated are exactly those moments when you're most lost in your thoughts."

- The more practice you do, the better you get at it. Increase the % of mindful breaths in your life.

* The intense way of doing this is Meditation.

* The closest synonom in the English language is Concentration.

(Bringing your mind to focus, listening to stuff, great skills for poker.)

Poker is so distracting, we're constantly being dragged into the past, thinking of the future, noise, anxiety, so forth generated in your mind.

- Very smart to practice them in your life, then drag them into poker, or vice verca.


The four postures

We are always doing one of four things in life

* Laying down
* Walking
* Sitting
* Standing

What's so awesome bout this is, if our objective is to put more mindfulness in our life. All we have to do it put more of it into when we're doing one of the four things.

Something to try: Lay down on ur bed, have ur legs straight, arms on ur side, just do some breathing, a few breaths. Even if your tired, laying there in bed, the act of focusing, can wake you up, and you'll become more vitalized.

- The act of concentrating will give you more energy.


Walking: A practice to do at home, practice at going very slowly, and breath once every 2 or 3 steps, back and forth, concentrating on ur feet, on ur breathing. What happens is when ur doing other stuff, instead of ur mind going bzz, you'll do it other places, a casino, buying groceries.

(Maybe not smart doing this in public lol.)


Standing: Stand straight, mindful breathing, can do it anywhere.


Sitting (Biggest one of all, the posture we're in when we play poker):

*Will increase the winrate of ANY poker player*

- Posture, and there's breathing. Arrange your leg straight down, spine straight. Like a sphinx sitting. It's gonna be a huge improvement of not having good posture.

(Unrealistic sitting 1,5 hour in correct posture, but any amount of time is a huge improvement, just keep adding time, even if it's just 30 seconds.)



- Singletasking and online poker: Don't multi task when multi tabling, msn, phone, mail, looking at tv, so forth.

- Interessting thought: When someone calls you, and your playing poker, either stop playing take the phone, or don't answer. It's disrespectful not giving someone your whole attention.

"Play when you're playing."


Mindful listening

- When you're in a concentration, the other person starts talking, you concentrate on your breathing.

(What will happen the mind energy which would normally be thinking of, what am I gonna say next, yeah I have a story like that, yeah he's wrong. You'll be more likely to actually be hearing them, hearing what they are saying. And it's a beautiful thing when you can keep the conversation on the other person, but not be faking it, but actually interested. And that happens when your own thoughts arent stirred by what they say.)

"So easy to be consumed in your own reality all the time"

- The way to break that chain of churning thought is the tool of mindful breathing.


When to practice

- You can do it all the time

"Think of being agitated as an opportunity to practice not being agitated."

- Being bored is something that can be eliminated with mindful thinking, because your observering what's happening around you all the time, no matter what it is.

(The main thing about it, it takes time before you get the benefits.)


Shedding mental weight

- Understanding practicing will make you more thoughtful/tiltless, understanding, easier to enjoy moment to moment, you do actually have to do the work.

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Comments (7)

Here's part 2 of my notes from Tommy Angelo


Right Thinking

position
anticipation
door A door B
reciprocality
the rake
the rules
lopping off the C game

(play when ur most awake, most energtic, don't eat a big meal so on).

"Losing less is a form of winning."

Examples of C game: Playing too many hands
(Become aware that ur in C game, ignore all D rank hands.)
Find out where your bars are, and remember them when you feel on ur c game. And never go below.


door A door B (applies to any betting decisions).

Always have 2 options, betting or checking, not saying one is better, but you always wanna be looking, which one is better.

- Have the concept of seeing everything as a choice. (You have an option)

- Look for every little bit of edges you can find (site, table selection, rake deals so forth).


Position

- "There's really only two positions. There's last, and non-last."

(Like,4 way multiway, 2nd to last isn't in position).

- Whoever is last has huge advantage, not 2nd to laste.

- It doesn't matter if you don't understand position, it's so fundementally profitable to be last, comparing to be non last.

"Acting last is like taking a drink of water. We don't have to understand why it's so good for us to know tht it is. And the benefits are unaffected by our understanding of them".

- Adjust ur betting strategy, in a way that results in you being last more then them.

Positions crushes dominaces hard (AT vs AK blabla osv). Dominance is overrated.

Example: if one guy in last pos has KJ, early pos has KQ, chances of a K actually hitting the flop is same as a set. And when it does happen, the late position guy will lose a lot less than he would if he was oop, and win a lot more when he hits.


Anticipation

- The only thing you need to anticipate is a bet or a raise.

- In theory, if you're good at anticipating, you'l Never ever ever ever ever.... be surprsied.

- If your oponents check, you bet, and he check raises you, if you right then and there have to make a decision, didn't see it coming. You should have already decided.

A) It will make your bet better (When you already considderd he might raise).
(Or if you told yourself, if he check raises, I'll fold)
It's easier to let go, but if you get surprised It's really easy to get sucked in or make a mistake.

"Plan the street."

Ps, It's really really hard to not get surprised (omg omg now what)

- Takes a lot of training, it's a big emotional spike, and by anticipating it, you're ready, and more focused. Repetition, focusing on that task.

* Makes your mechanics eerly scripted

anticipation = better betting and less tilt


The Rake

"Separate the rake as a business expense."

- The rake is huuuuuge


Rules

"Don't think of any rule as being good or bad, or right or wrong."

- When we have resistance to our rules somewhere else, it throws us of. "Mind noise" and that can have only one effect on us.

- Don't wanna sit at a casino thinking "ffs, that is a dumb rule"

* Be in complete acceptance. Adapt to new rules (buy ins, bettings, blind structure, so forth). (Avoid creating a negative state in your mind).

- Righting thinking is, avcourse there is gonna be new rules here and there. The rules is the rules.


Goals and Targets

- People have a tendency to not want easy goals, because goals should be hard to obtain. So people then tend to set goals which are unobtainable, because then it won't matter if you don't make them, because it's so far fetched. (I wanna play perfect poker, I want to never tilt.)

- People want to avoid hard goals they could in theory be able to reach, but don't want to feel like a failure when they don't reach them within the given timelimit.

"Just because you don't hit a target doesn't mean you're a failure."

Methaphor: If you throw a log in the ocean, then like to throw rocks at it, sometimes you'll get close to your target, sometimes you'll miss and sometimes you'll hit

Success or failure is detrimental to a poker player.

- Much better to think of whatever sort of projections of things you hope to happen in the future, of targets, you aim, sometimes you make it, sometimes you miss it. (You pick up another stone and go at it again).

Goals have an inherent time frame that takes you into the future (We don't want to be in the future). We wanna play our A game NOW!!.

Targets: "Playing this next hand well, or saying the right things" Targets can be in the moment.

" A target can be a constant stream of present tense attempts."

- The word targets leans us to right thinking, and goal takes us to all the places we don't want to be.


The four noble truths of C game

- C game exists (I you're gonna be a poker player, you're gonna have a c game. No way around it)

- the cause of C game. Desire, attachment. Exactly the same cause of all suffering, and rears it ugly head in poker and causes C game.

"Only when we truly understand the cause of C game, can we move to the third noble truth. Which is how to end it."

- The cessation of C game: How to end it, how to be unattached, how to be not full of craving.

- The instruction. (The eightfold path). The instructions which digs right to the heart of undoing the cause of C game, which then will undo the C game.

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Comments (2)

May sound weird but feels pretty scary, not played that much on here. But I notice I really feel it when I lose a stack, 100e just seem so much, and I think, crap, that's 5bi at 20nl. And I'm trying to feel if I'm playing scared after that, didn't feel like I was on tilt or anything wrong, but when I lost a few all ins in a row I just closed the tables.

Grrrr

hand 1: http://www.liquidpoker.net/h/785060
hand 2: http://www.liquidpoker.net/h/785059
hand 3: http://www.liquidpoker.net/h/785058
hand 4: http://www.liquidpoker.net/h/785057
hand 5: http://www.liquidpoker.net/h/785040

What to do now, dumdidum

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Comments (9)

Started watching Tommy Angelo's video's after recommendations from a fellow lp'er.
Was really interesting and cool to watch.

Here are my notes


Right view: (Anything that isn't wrong view)

- Seeing things as they are, having no delusions.

- Example of wrong view: When we are result orientated (When we base an alayzis of a decision on how things turn out, rather than basing it on the decision itself.) Happens when we analyze a betting decision, quitting decision etc.

- Right view: Not being results orientated (result orientated just an example)

Tilt

- "Tilt is any non A-game performance." (Tired, under bankrolled, emotional unstable, etc.)
- Anything that changes your good decisions, to making bad decisions, is tilt.


Being results orientated effects our evaluation

Example: We make a play, it didn't work out, and we think we made a horrible play, and can easily put ourself on tilt, even if the play might have been pretty good.


The professional:

- The little Angel/voice on your shoulder
- What if there was a guy, who had to make money of poker, or die

*All of his decisions will be based on his poker, what he eats, when he sleeps, what he thinks, anything in his controle, it's all metagame for this fictional character*

- What if all "my" decisions were based on maximizing my poker profits?

* Will influence on how I will behave (wouldn't badmouth the casino, want people to be happy, and come there, want players to come there and play. So last thing would be, say something bad about the Casino).

- What if all my decisions including what I say, were based on profit, what would I say, what would I do (How you can use "The professional" as a guide).


More examples of wrong view

- The whole idea by being bugged all day by a hand is something you want to let go
- Any time you think "I finally got a hand, I finally won a pot etc" let it go
- "There was this total fish at the table" (There's no fish/donk/at the table, wrong view) let it go (Look at them as trees instead lol)
- Having a big pair, waiting for an Ace to come (terrible view)
- Hating anything a fish(tree) /regular does is wrong view


Look at things for what it is, there's no room for fear


The gray area

That part of poker strategy evaluation, when you just don't know what the right play is or was, and you never will. And it's built in the nature of the game.

"The decisions that bother us the most matter the least."

(Decisions where your EV was 50% wether you would have bet or folded).

In our mind we're latched to take one side or another

- You don't want anything in/around the grey area to cloud/bother you mind. Don't get stuck in the quagmire of the grey area. All it does it bring us down

Belive and accept that a lot of decisions are very close, and neither would make a diffrence

- Suggestion: Recognize when you've come upon one of those, analyze them, and think what you should have done, then move on. FAST!

(Usually these decisions who get loooong threads on the forum, with a myriads of opinions who's right and wrong, and people fight to the death about it. When you find these, move along).


Interessting fact: 75% of all poker players think they play better than the other 75%.

The grey area is so huge, allows any of us to over evaluate our own play.


More on right view

- A good poker player wants to put himself in +EV spots, by evaluating profitable situations

- A guy who finds a table which looks really juicy, might say: Wow, a table full of fishes(trees) who sucks ass, I'm better than all of these isn't evaluating, he's juding

Judge versus evaluate

Judging is when you bring in type of words which move towards wrong thinking. When you attatch to those words, it detracts from your ability to evaluate.


Improving from the top up and the bottom up

A diffrent approach to how you spend the energy that you put toward improving your score.

- Improve not only your A game, but your C game aswell

- Conciously spend 50% of your energy improving your C game, so when you're losing/playing bad, you don't lose that much, and can get faster back to your A game.


Example of C game:
- You get stuck, and you start playing looser, chasing your losses
(A lot has to do with awareness)

Be honest with yourself, say to yourself (When Im stuck i play to loose, i need to keep tight).

- Bad beats
- When you play bad (compounding tilt)

(When I play bad, I'm very harsh on myself, and go on tilt)

- When too tired, when drunk, berating the fish, so on so on.

(Monster leak to critizise other players.)

Ungracious, un generous way to treat another human being. If your motive is purely profit, there's a much higher road to take.


Summary of Right View

Myself:

- To look at yourself with no delustions, no distortions. It means to be able to step out of ourself and observe ourself in a situation, and be able to objectively evaluate what we are doing without emotional entanglement. This is the rightest view of all, that can help us at the poker table, and anywhere we are. Especially if we find ourself struggling with strong emotions we wish we didn't have.

Example:
Driving, it's one of the most irritating thing we do. People who might be calm and compassionate, lose their cool when driving.

(Right view does not say, you should be good all the time, you should improve yourself. Right view is just the act of being able to view yourself, and being able to say "I am angry now" Without saying "there's something wrong with me for being angry"

- Better off if you can label your emotions


My opponents:

- They're an obstacle, in the way (Look at them as just tree on a golf course). And not hold them accountable, or be emotionally evolved with them. And will let you properly evaluate things.


My play:

- Be constantly aware that you have different levels of preformance. A B C game. What right view does, doesn't pretend your in ur A game all the time, opens your eyes when you're in their C game. Everyone has them.

- Being aware of the diffrent level you preform at, and being aware of which ones your in.

- Knowing your actual weaknesses and strengths within the betting strategy. (Calling big bet to bluff, not being comfortable being the one who bluff etc)

- With no delusions or distortions, step outside yourself to give a good evaluation


End thought

What makes something right view, is the lack of wrong view. (The lack of judgement, the lack of emotional attachment.) The thing added on to a "story". Just tell it honestly.

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Comments (5)

In my goals for December I wanted to train 12 times this month, I ended up on 7 times. But I'm fairly happy about that, because I've been struggling a lot with my illness, and hasn't been able to train.

When it comes to pokerstudy, I'm happy. I've seen around 15 vods and done quite a bit of reading, only problem is I keep reading 40 pages into something, then stopping, finding something else to start on, then something else. I really should finish a book.

I wanted to try and play 80 hours of actual poker this month (On the table)and ended up with 84 hours, so that's really cool.

For my winrate, not so cool. I really want it higher, and just wanting it isn't enough. Need to put more effort into it.

38,159 hands on 20nl (euro) with a winrate of 1,76BB/100 269e = 13,5 buy ins up.

But I I raked quite a bit, and I'll get around 480e in rakeback, so total profit = 749e

So next month I'll start with taking shot at 50nl, and if I drop down 5bi I'll move down to 20nl.

My final stats:

VP$IP 22.38 / PFR 17.85 / WTSD 26,7 / AF 3.0 / 3B 6,7 / Fold 3B 68 / Fold BB to Steal 76 / Fold SB to steal 85


When I look at positions it looks fine, I think, vip on the button is 30% and utg is 17%. I'm winning from cash from the last 3 positions, and losing tons of SB and BB (But those are blinds, can I avoid that?)

And the graph looks weird as always, the blue one in a straight consistent line up, green one goes vertical, slightly up, and the red goes down down down.

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Comments (3)

I'm reading through his well, and found it to be a siiick read. So started collecting things/notes, quotes and stuff for myself.
(That means everything here except the questions is from Phil).


- There can be a thing as too much aggression, does something to your range, so you have to fold to raises a lot. Just have it in the back of your head. For balancing purposes too

- Forcing yourself to play is always a bad idea, both financially and emotionally.

- No monetary goals, and try to work out regularly and keep friends in ur life.

- Moving with peopel who play/study/love the game, watching them play, and discuss talk about diffrent lines is something that made me grow sooooo much

- (Quote from a discussion with Durrr on a hand) he had something like weak top pair and was facing a big river bet. He was like, 'I think a call is better than a fold' and I thought to myself, 'yeah I agree' and then he said 'but I would shove' and I exploded. I realized that you should think of every possible option you have in nlhe. You usually have a ton of them.

- If you are near someone who plays poker and is smart, spend as much time around them as you can if you want to improve your game.

- realize that you have more options than you think you do. Thinking outside the box, turning made hands that are good enough to call into bluffraises that turn out to be even more profitable, cbetting 1/3 pot in a rr pot, etc.

* Ephipanies (or how you spell it)

- how to use your style/image and balance your range accordingly. I started out being pretty nitty before realizing that I could use my image to bluff. Then I started to get called down. I got angry, like 'I'm so tight, how can they call!?!' before figuring out what my ranges really consisted of in certain spots.

- every time the action is to you, it's an opportunity for you to make the perfect play. Thinking about poker that way is great for your game.

- I've realized that working out regularly helps your game more than you might think. I highly recommend it.

- I think the three most important areas of intelligence in regards to poker are logic, probability, psychology. They actually are pretty close in order of importance, and change depending on game structure.

- one of my strengths is that I'm self aware.


- Smart to get a coach early on, for a slight boost in your horly win rate is really significant in the long run

- Tommy didn't teach me the things I wanted to learn, but he taught me the things I needed to learn.

- A lot of people don't get the most out of coaching because they ask the wrong questions.


In poker, every player has personal motivations.

* Through watching their play, you can get a general feel for what they want, what they fear or worry about, what they are comfortable/uncomfortable with. Most importantly, you get a feel for what they want, at their core.

* These are generalizations, but are true for most people who play these ways. You can find out more specific details about a player's personality by paying attention.

* a nit is afraid of losing a lot of money with the worst hand. They're uncomfortable in big pots with marginal hands. They often fear coin-flipping for a lot of money.

* The loose passive player usually plays for fun. He wants to see flops and wants to showdown his hand. He wants to see if the cards in his hand can match up with the cards on the board, or if they're good enough to rake in a pot. He wants to see your hand.

* The Bad LAG wants to win THIS POT. RIGHT NOW. Anytime he gives up on a pot it's because he's holding himself back. He likes to gamble, and usually doesn't mind getting his money in without proper odds.

(He often (but not always) has pride issues, meaning he wants to show you how big of a man he is. If he trash talks, you can be especially confident that he has pride issues. This means that he very badly doesn't want to be bluffed off of a pot or miss an opportunity to bluff himself. It also means that if you have any history with him, whether you won a big pot, showed a bluff, got bluffed by him, really anything, he's more likely to bluff you or call you down light.)

* So those are his main character traits. What else does he do differently?

Phil's old Stats:

21/16 preflop, 2.4 total AF

W$WSF 45.45%, Went to SD 28.88% , W$@SD 55.56%

Flop AF 2.6 Turn 2.0 Riv 2.5

Q: Everyone always asks this, but what do you think are the biggest differences between the really good nosebleed players and your average 25/50 regular? Is it just small details?

Phil's A: Intelligence, time (different point in career), Being able to play shorthanded and adjust to players.

A lot of it though is honestly variance and being in the right place at the right time. There are a top players who aren't any better than some 25/50 players. They just ran good at good times, and have the roll and the risk taking ability to play in great games. It's not that rare that a 200/400nl or plo game is softer than a 25/50 game going on at the same time.


Q: Do you agree with the idea that 1 or 2 tabling higher stakes will help your growth as a player better than multi-tabling medium/lower stakes?

Phil's A: Yes, less tables definitely. Especially with another smart player watching you and discussing concepts. And especially HU tables.

Higher stakes, not really. It might make you a bit more interested, and the competition will be a bit tougher, but you might not play your best. You can learn a lot about the game 2 tabling fish hu though.


Q: What dictates your decision to quit/go on with any given session?

Phil's A: The one thing I learned most from Tommy Angelo, is how awesome quitting is.

You should pride yourself in making a good quit. I really mean that. When I'm playing and make the decision to quit, I'm very happy with myself.

The two real reasons to quit are if playing is -EV financially or -EV emotionally. I know the latter isn't a real thing, but I use it all the time.

Basically, if for whatever reason I think I'm not a favorite (or a very small favorite), I'll quit (Ideally).

Or if I'm unhappy or stressed out by playing, or would be much happier doing something else, I quit (Ideally).

Reasons you become -$EV should be obvious, and you should realize when you are unhappy.


- Phil Quotes:
"Think of what your opponent wants you to do, and then do the opposite"
"Saying position is important in poker is like saying distance and direction are important in golf."
"It can never be that wrong to not play"

'Approach every decision as if it were tomorrow and you were looking back upon it'


Phil's thoughts on going through rough downswings; confidence issues, tilt, emotional effects, etc.

* It's easy to play when things are going well. How a player deals with a bad run is what defines him as a poker player.

* The most important thing is the be honest with yourself. Admit when you aren't focused or playing your best. Take breaks all the time. Get outdoors if you can. All the time means every 90 minutes or less.

* If you're afraid of losing your seats, take 3 minutes and walk into another room, do 20 pushups, go to the bathroom/grab some food, and come back.

* Taking time off when on a downswing is always a better idea than you want to admit. Getting away from poker for some reason usually helps you get your confidence back.

* Be willing to quit games when you find yourself tilting at all. Most people tilt by going on autopilot and don't realize they're tilting.

* I think it's probably possible to stop most of your tilting. It's very difficult though. Understanding that you tilt, and being able to identify it and quit is your best bet by far.

* Also don't play tired, unless there's a very big fish in the game.


Q: in playing the highest stakes, aside from the rare and egregrious fish, what are some subtle distinctions between winning/marginal/losing players?

Phil's A: think that a lot of medium-good but not great players probably undervalue betsize/timing tells. Especially against weaker opposition.

Q: Also, do you believe that some inherently winning players (that is, with the skills to win) end up losing longterm, and vice versa?

Phil's A: Some players are smart enough and work hard enough to win, but lose because of 'soft skill' leaks. Things like game selection, BR management and tilt control.

Q: Looking back what are some things you would change or stress for someone looking to get to your level to do or not to do? Any mistakes you made a lot that took you a few times to learn?

A: The best thing I ever did for my poker game was meet other people who played poker. My poker friends and coaches helped me move up 3x faster than I would've on my own.

I'd also recommend trying to eliminate autopiloting. Too many players can't make the jump into bigger games because they don't know how to think for themselves. They just play a TAG cookie cutter style and think it will continue working because they crushed the lower limits with it.


Some rant about goals: I think it is very important to identify your goals as a poker player so that you can act in a way to achieve them.

Do you just want to have fun playing? What’s fun for you? What would keep you from having fun? Do you want to make money? How much? When? In the next two weeks? For the next 10 years of your life? Can the big money wait? Do you want to keep getting better? At what game? Why?

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Hey, I got memebership for 3 sites atm. I'm usually watching a vod here and there, but thinking it might be smarter to find one player, then watch all of his. Or is that stupid, if so, why?

I really should watch more video's, since I'm at 25nl / 50nl stakes, to up my game further.

I did love Phil Galfond's movies, but sad to say, it's way over my head, even if I get all the stuff he's doing, it won't work on micro limits either I feel.

The only one I'm watching at bluefirepoker is Niman, because he has a bit lower stakes, still pretty deep shit I feel.

I got membership at Blurefirepoker, deuces and leggo.

Could you guys list your favourite teacher, and maybe what would suit me best. I'm in the stakes I said, but beating it slowly but surely. (2,9BB/100 or something)

And on deuces, sooo many series, which ones should I dl. I've seen both seasons of the coaching tree and real life micro grinder.

Hardly seen anything at leggopoker.

Will greatly appriciate any input =]

Cheers

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Preface

- Mix up ur starting range depending on the table, if a lot of loose/passive guys, make it tighter. If a lot of tight people, open up more hands.

- Bluffing less often (including semi bluffs), and value bet thinly with 1 pair hands, in loose games.

- In tighter games, exploit oponents tendency to fold more, semi bluff more as we find more fold quity.

* Loose players will search for an excuse to call, whereas a tight player will look for an excuse
to fold.


Table Selection

- Look for players that play to many hands, anything over 40% is great, 30% is fine too.

- Stacksizes: Full stacks to your right, short stacks and nits to your left.

- Losing/Break even Regulars: Feel free to join tables with them, develop strong reads. Don't play more than 4-5 tables. Avoid winning players.

- As a general guideline, better to play with a bunch of passive/weak/tight players than one super fish with 80% vip and 4 other regulars.


“Poker is simple, as your opponents make mistakes, you profit.”

- Against Loose/Bad players, generally you wnt to play straight forward solid poker

- Against Tight/Good players you want to mix up and play a more deceptive style. Do not make the mistake that every 20/17 multi tabling tag is tight AND good.

* Against these types of players you want to lean toward looser pre flop, and solid/tight postflop

* Let them make mistake, forcing them is not necessary.



Preflop

UtgUnder The gun (Utg)

- Your Utg range should be the tightest of the four non-blind positions.

- General starting range on a table of some fish and some regulars:

* 22+ (all pairs)
* ATs+ (meaning ATs, AJs, AQs, AKs) (s meaning suited)
* AJo+ (meaning AJo, AQo, AKo) (o meaning offsuit)
* 98s+ (meaning 98s, T9s, JTs, QJs, etc)
* KQo
* KQs
* KJs+ (KJs and Aqs [which was already covered]) (meaning suited 1 gappers)

- This will account for 13% of hands and is a conservative but very solid and profitable preflop
raising range.

Adjusting

Loose games

- Add hands like KJo or ATo, because you can make 1 pair type hands and extract value from
players calling with weaker top pair hands or second pair hands.

Tight games

- Include hands such as 65s+ or A5s. These hands widen your range against likely better players and make you a more difficult and tricky opponent.

Stack Sizes

- Against short stacks, avoid 22-55 89s type hands, replace with Kjo, Qjo, A9s etc. Because these players simply looking for top pair and pushing all in


Middle Position (MP)

- Very similar to UTG, but you can incorporate a few more hands

* 22+ (all pairs)
* A9s+
* ATo+
* 98s+
* KQo/KJo/KQs/ KJs/KTs

This accounts for about 15% of total hands. Just like UTG this range can be manipulated
based on the game quality.

Adjusting

Loose games:

- You generally want to avoid things like A9o, as its potential is very small. Just like UTG you
can still profitably raise 98s and T9s, just do it less frequently.

Tight Games:

- These games you can open up more from this position, include;

* 65s+
* A8s, A5s
* QTs

Isolating

- Have to be careful to isolate from this position. Even the fish are at their tighest range when limping utg

- Look at the table, if 2 aggro people behind you, err on the side of folding, to avoid marginal spot.

- If there are fishes in the blinds, and you don't get 3bet, played back at a lot behind you, go for it


3 betting:

- In general you should be 3betting far more in position that OOP.

- The only person you can 3bet in MP is UTG. You need to be very cautious when 3betting an
UTG opener, because this is where their raising range is likely the tightest.

3 Bet range:

* AKo/s
* Aqo/s (situational)
* Ajs (situational)
* KQs (situational)
* AA
* KK
* QQ
* JJ (situational)
* TT (situational)

The situational are very marginal, and player dependant, and you should be more inclined to do it in position.

Light 3 bets

* 56s-QJs
* Axs (x should = 5 most often, as you will be able to flop gutshot+FD+over type
hands,but 4-T are all fine as well)
* 22-77
* KQo
* Ajo

- It will generally be more profitable to call with small pocket pairs, but once in a while they make good light 3 bet candidates

- You generally want to 3bet an UTG opener with 56-T9s or Axs because with the SC's
you will generally avoid second best hands and have tremendous flop potential.

* The Axs
hands will block combinations of AA and AK (which will help avoid him 4betting you)

* Avoid all other hands as they will form second best hands
often and get you in marginal spots.

- We want to 3bet with a 80/20 ratio, 80% for value, and 20% for bluffs.

Stack Sizes

- Just like UTG adjust your raising ranges depending on stack sizes, avoid hands like 22-66 and 98s, and instead substitute in
hands like KJo, QJo, A9s, ATo

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