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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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Looking to transfer 4k from FTP to Stars. Will send first to known trusted members/in increments.
I know stars limited everybody's transfer limits or something but hopefully someone can transfer with me

edit: have about 900 left to transfer


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Been a while since I've concentrated on playing HU. Of course, HU is all I've been playing for a while (I suckkkk at 6+max), but this is the first time that I've been able to take more time to analyze my plays and make the best decisions in the moment. I believe the main reason for this is that I'm only playing 1 table at a time. While playing 2 tables, I seem to go into generic robot mode, and am unable to more finely dissect the tendencies of my opponents.

The other reason for my increased concentration on HU has been that I am recently jobless! Actually, I'm headed of to a new state and a new job, so I've had a bit of downtime last month and this month which has allowed me to have some fun and play poker. I will also be going to Vegas for an extended weekend next week :D


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FFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

that is all. never gloating over a perfect bluff ever again. i musta shipped like 100 years of run bad from that shit. FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUU


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http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/07/opinion/07kristof.html?em

Op-Ed Columnist
The Happiest People
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
Published: January 6, 2010

SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica

Hmmm. You think it’s a coincidence? Costa Rica is one of the very few countries to have abolished its army, and it’s also arguably the happiest nation on earth.

There are several ways of measuring happiness in countries, all inexact, but this pearl of Central America does stunningly well by whatever system is used. For example, the World Database of Happiness, compiled by a Dutch sociologist on the basis of answers to surveys by Gallup and others, lists Costa Rica in the top spot out of 148 nations.

That’s because Costa Ricans, asked to rate their own happiness on a 10-point scale, average 8.5. Denmark is next at 8.3, the United States ranks 20th at 7.4 and Togo and Tanzania bring up the caboose at 2.6.

Scholars also calculate happiness by determining “happy life years.” This figure results from merging average self-reported happiness, as above, with life expectancy. Using this system, Costa Rica again easily tops the list. The United States is 19th, and Zimbabwe comes in last.

A third approach is the “happy planet index,” devised by the New Economics Foundation, a liberal think tank. This combines happiness and longevity but adjusts for environmental impact — such as the carbon that countries spew.

Here again, Costa Rica wins the day, for achieving contentment and longevity in an environmentally sustainable way. The Dominican Republic ranks second, the United States 114th (because of its huge ecological footprint) and Zimbabwe is last.

Maybe Costa Rican contentment has something to do with the chance to explore dazzling beaches on both sides of the country, when one isn’t admiring the sloths in the jungle (sloths truly are slothful, I discovered; they are the tortoises of the trees). Costa Rica has done an unusually good job preserving nature, and it’s surely easier to be happy while basking in sunshine and greenery than while shivering up north and suffering “nature deficit disorder.”

After dragging my 12-year-old daughter through Honduran slums and Nicaraguan villages on this trip, she was delighted to see a Costa Rican beach and stroll through a national park. Among her favorite animals now: iguanas and sloths.

(Note to boss: Maybe we should have a columnist based in Costa Rica?)

What sets Costa Rica apart is its remarkable decision in 1949 to dissolve its armed forces and invest instead in education. Increased schooling created a more stable society, less prone to the conflicts that have raged elsewhere in Central America. Education also boosted the economy, enabling the country to become a major exporter of computer chips and improving English-language skills so as to attract American eco-tourists.

I’m not antimilitary. But the evidence is strong that education is often a far better investment than artillery.

In Costa Rica, rising education levels also fostered impressive gender equality so that it ranks higher than the United States in the World Economic Forum gender gap index. This allows Costa Rica to use its female population more productively than is true in most of the region. Likewise, education nurtured improvements in health care, with life expectancy now about the same as in the United States — a bit longer in some data sets, a bit shorter in others.

Rising education levels also led the country to preserve its lush environment as an economic asset. Costa Rica is an ecological pioneer, introducing a carbon tax in 1997. The Environmental Performance Index, a collaboration of Yale and Columbia Universities, ranks Costa Rica at No. 5 in the world, the best outside Europe.

This emphasis on the environment hasn’t sabotaged Costa Rica’s economy but has bolstered it. Indeed, Costa Rica is one of the few countries that is seeing migration from the United States: Yankees are moving here to enjoy a low-cost retirement. My hunch is that in 25 years, we’ll see large numbers of English-speaking retirement communities along the Costa Rican coast.

Latin countries generally do well in happiness surveys. Mexico and Colombia rank higher than the United States in self-reported contentment. Perhaps one reason is a cultural emphasis on family and friends, on social capital over financial capital — but then again, Mexicans sometimes slip into the United States, presumably in pursuit of both happiness and assets.

Cross-country comparisons of happiness are controversial and uncertain. But what does seem quite clear is that Costa Rica’s national decision to invest in education rather than arms has paid rich dividends. Maybe the lesson for the United States is that we should devote fewer resources to shoring up foreign armies and more to bolstering schools both at home and abroad.

In the meantime, I encourage you to conduct your own research in Costa Rica, exploring those magnificent beaches or admiring those slothful sloths. It’ll surely make you happy.


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I said in my last blog I would post a follow-up tonight, and here I am. I am well on my way to making my goal of $40 this month, as I've made about 25 today alone. Like I mentioned earlier, I fully intend to shatter that goal, and I'm in good shape to do it as of right now. The 2/5 tables are treating me well and I'm running pretty good so I can definitely see myself going a few more hours today. Additionally, I mentioned I wanted to play at least 2 hours a day...so far, so good.

gl at the tables lp!


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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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I need a transfer....ftp----->stars...for any amount up to 5000....my name on 2+2 is dstazy100 and im very reptuable and trusted....ive also done a transfer with sniderstyle for 1k+. I will send first if your well known


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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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Weeeeeeee ship it

These bad boys will go awesome by my SN shirt, and mine and my gf's matching T's I bought from FPP amassed at NL2 and 5 back in the day.


http://www.pokerstars.com/vip/store/images/large/Black_stress_star.jpg
http://www.pokerstars.com/vip/store/images/large/shark_plush_toy.jpg

Next month:

-Travel mug
-Key Chain light

EDIT: lol, I just realised that I didn't cash out any money playing poker past 5+ months. I just play this game for entertainment and cool clothing/stuffed animals :D

Well, its still more than I ever got out of Starcraft (some lousy DVD's and a mouse mat when I won regional high school competition-.-)


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In a previous thread i was speaking about getting a new car

i finally choosen a RX-8 GT

http://www.liquidpoker.net/user_pictures/19336.RX82.jpg

http://www.liquidpoker.net/user_pictures/661bc.RX81.jpg

http://www.liquidpoker.net/user_pictures/4e337.RX83.jpg

http://www.liquidpoker.net/user_pictures/5a0a7.9140836-1-1243458332.jpg


and of course since i'm a moron who get driven by his own emotions sometime ._ . i crashed it at 140km/h(was on high way), the accident wasnt so bad tho

http://www.liquidpoker.net/user_pictures/d5ca7.1213.jpg

Only one person stopped to check up if i was alright after the crash... >_> thats actually sick to realize how no one care about anyone else than themselves

The car ended up with 16000+ $ Damage on it, so it's totalled -___ - so now the question: Should i get another RX-8? or go with something else

just looking into suggestion for cars right now as ill have to buy a new one this week and im really not sure if i want another one RX-8(i had a lot of pleasure driving it tho)

For now i'm really looking into a car that will look decent.. that i will have no mechanical problems in a short future.


PS; whats ur favorite car color? (i can't find anything else than light gray and red RX-8 /cry)


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Would like to trade with pstars (10 or 20 euros), only multiple post users...


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Recommendations anyone? HU+techno=hardcore aggro w/o the tilt.

Will post results maybe in a week or 2 but did finally break 1k.


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I hear that you should never do a transfer with someone that wants to give you paypal money in exchange for poker money. Can someone tell me how this scam works and if it can ever be done safely? There has to be some time frame that I can have the money for that eliminates the possibility of getting it back? Anyway I need to make such a trade and I need advice on how to not get scammed because it's been said constantly on this board not to deal with paypal.


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this is a very upset and tilted post fyi

can't believe I didn't just not play the past 2 days instead of playing and tilting so much... its just that I only have until the 13th to grind seriously and then i may not even be able to play for a whole month.. so wtf.. I let myself play..and i lose another 10 bi


i erased the spoiler just cuz I'm feeling much better now


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I was at this FR table and everyone left but one guy so I'm like oh kay, some HU would be fun.
the guy proceeds to fold his SB over n over, then i figured out he folds his BB to any small raise,
any only raises with QQ++ or AK or something like that. been watching the 2 table he/she/it's at and been doing the same thing
name : xritax at .02/.05 lol
was taking like 3 bi's off the thing till the table filled up


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So there's almost a half foot of snow on the ground and it keeps coming over here in the Chicagoland area. I skipped class this morning since I have to drive about a half hour in a mustang to get there and there was basically no way I was going to do that, and I have the day off of work...so it's time for the first 12 hour grind session I've had since I started school since I basically am out of the house from 7-7 every day because of work and school.

After running really bad in SNGs I've grown pretty frustrated and am going to revise my January goal to win 40 in cash games at 2/5. I still think that's a pretty modest goal, and I fully intend on breaking through it. I'll probably update tonight with how my session goes...I'm only 1tabling right now because my br is so short that I can't really afford to sit in more than one. I've doubled up once already and hopefully I can keep the trend of going up instead of losing big hands

gl lp!


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Played 8.6k hands today, the most I've done in a day. 12tabled NL5 for the first 3.7k hands then 20tabled whilst watching the MSL ro8. Then moved onto 9tabling NL10. Scored another winning session at NL10. Hopefully I can keep this up. BR finally over $500 as well.

During the past few days I've been working on my play, using the tips I received from my previous blog. My red line these days arn't as crap as before, so thats good. I've begun to see how important representing hands are, and how at times, it is really simple to see bluffs and make bluffs. Been stealing blinds alot more; its somewhere around 25%. I'm still having problems finding spots to 3bet

Heres my graph for today:
http://www.liquidpoker.net/user_pictures/67f4d.asdf.png


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