Flash vs the Micros

Posted 6 years ago

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I'm back and ready to grind! Muscle

Starting a new thread to blog my journey as I challenge myself to finally beat the micros once and for all, starting at NL5 and working my way up through every stake. Here are the rules:

6 Max no-limit cash ONLY. No MTTs, no headsup, no PLO. If I play one of those it doesn't count.
No moving up until I've made 40 buy ins at each stake (inc. rakeback).
EVERY session to be streamed on Twitch.
EVERY sessions results posted on this thread.


I'll be playing a mix of regular tables and fast fold on Party Poker. Party has lower rake and more action than iPoker. The rakeback is lower but it works out better value over all. But that's only as long as you rake the minimum each week. If I'm struggling to do that I might switch to iPoker.

Scheduled stream days are Tuesdays and Fridays, around 8pm onwards. I'll play additional sessions as and when but those days are my definites. Starting this Friday.

Please give my Twitch channel a follow, help me get up to affiliate level, I'd appreciate it Smile

Twitch.tv/flashahahhh

I'll be making highlight videos from each session and posting on YouTube. Give that a subscribe why don't ya, I'd appreciate that too Smile

I'll post hands here and in the strategy forum. Please give feedback on both my play and the stream. I need all the help I can get.

Thanks guys!

LET'S GO!!!
AshVIP

Last Post 5 years ago by

AshVIP

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Posted 6 years ago
I'll wish you well and pop in when I can.

Hug
Posted 6 years ago
Welcome back! This sounds awesome!

You sound pumped up so I'm sure you will be successful!

Good luck Dancing
Posted 6 years ago
Hey, I will also join. I want to see how you beet NL5 zoom at Party as I failed so abysmally.

maybe i will also join the tables from time to time, so that I am in a stream as well Smile

good luck!!!
Posted 6 years ago
@Pwll@AshVIP@FG_SpaceLord

Thanks guys, looking forward to it!

SpaceLord, here's hoping I actually beat it. Might have to increase the delay if I see you on the tables Wink

Posted 6 years ago
Enoyed that buddy, hope to pop in again very soon.
Posted 6 years ago
Pwll: Enoyed that buddy, hope to pop in again very soon.


Thanks for joining me, appreciate it! Smile
Posted 6 years ago
Day 1 in the books.

Well there were a few teething troubles. Firstly I was struggling with multiple tables, checking everything was streaming ok, and checking the Twitch chat. Found myself paying no attention to the hands. Also found myself down a couple of buy ins within a 100 hands. And a viewer commented that the mic sound was only playing on one side of his headphones, so I need to take a look at my audio settings.

But I got a good 4 hours in. Had a few viewers who said hello in the chat - thanks guys! And managed to turn a losing session round. Mostly with the following hand. I don't think I played it well after several whiskeys, but villain seemed happy to pay me off on the river.

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It's only a small win but I'll take that for the first day of this challenge. One thing to note is that I found it much easier switching to a fast fold table instead of regular tables. Might start off with that next time.

I'll try to come up with some sort of highlights video over the weekend. Not sure there was much to use but I'll post it anyway.

Again I appreciate those who joined me. I'll be back for a scheduled stream Tuesday evening, but there's always a chance I'll fire one up before then. So click the follow button at Twitch.tv/flashahahhh
Posted 6 years ago
Day 1 highlights video now on YouTubeSmile



Not sure why the quality isn't too good. The video I uploaded was nice and clear. Any advice on that?

I haven't gone through the hands properly but at first glance I don't think I played well. Hopefully do better next time.

If you like the video please subscribe Yes
Posted 6 years ago
The quality is fine for me, watched in full screen and it's all good! Looking forward to the next one. That queens hand is just sick, i'm like nooooooo don't shove whats calling?! and then he does Laugh
Posted 6 years ago
AshVIP: The quality is fine for me, watched in full screen and it's all good! Looking forward to the next one. That queens hand is just sick, i'm like nooooooo don't shove whats calling?! and then he does Laugh


Thanks man. Yeh I mean that's a pretty awful shove and I didn't play too well all night, but honestly I was just looking at it for a few seconds thinking I've got him. You can watch it back and see me just staring at it. I'd watched a few of his hands and he wasn't letting them go. I know it's still bad but with a few whiskeys in me and the chance of salvaging the session...

I like to think I wouldn't do that again, but stay tuned...
Posted 6 years ago
Thought I would break down the final Queens hand in that video since anyone watching will probably think I'm a whale. #OnlyWhenImDrunk

Here's what sober me thinks...

Hand Conversion Powered by WeakTight Poker Hand History Converter
$0.02/$0.05 No Limit Holdem PartyPoker
6 Players

Blinds$0.02/$0.056
UTG Kazkas334 $4.32
UTG+1Hero $12.25
CO mucipus $4.73
D PhatAction $9.40
SB DoctorBTN $5.42
BB OMSchwab $3.12
Preflop
6$0.07Hero is UTG+1QQ
1 fold, Hero raises to $0.12, 1 fold, PhatAction calls $0.12, 2 folds
Flop
2$0.31K32
Hero checks, PhatAction bets $0.19, Hero calls$0.19

Here's what I think a reasonable flop bet range looks like:

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That's around 40 value combos and 75 bluff combos.

And check call range, including my queens:

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Turn
2$0.69Q
Hero checks, PhatAction bets $0.43, Hero raises to $1.40, PhatAction calls $0.97

I do not think I should have a check raising range on this turn. The queen hits nothing in my range except pocket queens. The only problem is that against a value heavy turn bet from villain, I'm not getting the price on my stronger Ax of clubs hands, so might want to raise one or two. Perhaps AcJc since we have the nut flush draw and gutshot straight draw. It has around 30% equity vs a top pair + with some flush draw bluffs range. But needs 38% to call the bet. Villain could very well have some slightly weaker Kx hands like KJs, KTs etc so perhaps we should have some turn raises. In which case we should raise queens, or perhaps just queens without a club. With the club I prefer a trap.


River
2$3.495
Hero goes all-in$10.54, PhatAction goes all-in $7.69

This is a bad all in. Very easy for villain to fold everything except a flush, and I don't even know what bluff I'd have. If I'd taken this line with AJ of clubs I wouldn't mind so much. I do think I should bet QQ but smaller to entice a call from top pair. If I faced a raise I'd probably call with the club and somehow fold without.

As it turns out...

Final Pot$21.72
Hero shows QQ
PhatAction shows 45

Hero wins$23.63 (net +$11.38)
PhatAction lost $9.40

Sometimes bad plays get paid Smile
Posted 6 years ago
Day 2

Not happy with how I played some of the bigger hands, and I was certainly tilted towards the end. I think I'm feeling the pressure of playing to an audience, however small it is. I'm sure that will get better with time.

Few more technical issues. My mic stand came apart as I was adjusting it. PC crashed. But managed to keep it going and get some hands in. Just a shame to book a 3 buyin loss this early.

I'm considering switching back to iPoker. The minimum rake thing has me focusing too much on the number of hands I can get in rather than playing every hand as well as I can. Plus I don't think I'll make minimum anyways. I'll think about it between now and Friday's stream.

I'll edit a highlights video by the weekend and post some hand analysis. One thing I aim to do is be brutally honest when putting videos together and sharing hands, I'll show the worst as much as the best.

Thanks to the guys that tuned in. Hope to see you in the chat again soon.

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Posted 6 years ago
Day 2 Highlights Video

I know, I know. You don't need to tell me.

Posted 6 years ago
Embracing the variance! Very entertaining sir, nice job.
Posted 6 years ago
Love this Jon. Will be keeping track of this. Good luck. You play a lot more big pots than I do on NL5. Have things got more aggro in the year I've been away? I played like 2k hands last night and barely got it all in the middle!
Posted 6 years ago
thetallpaul: Love this Jon. Will be keeping track of this. Good luck. You play a lot more big pots than I do on NL5. Have things got more aggro in the year I've been away? I played like 2k hands last night and barely got it all in the middle!


Thanks Smile I think it's just me getting out of line with the bluffs. Not working out too well so far.
Posted 6 years ago
Day 3

Switched to iPoker for this session. Unfortunately had another loss. Faced a lot of action when I didn't have it. And 2 big bluff all ins didn't get the fold. Puts me down 6 buy ins so far.

One positive to take was a highest viewer count so far of 5.

I'll probably play on Party Poker for the next session on Tuesday. Hopefully book a win.

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Posted 6 years ago
Day 3 Highlights

Posted 6 years ago
Going over some hands from that video...

The jacks hand facing a 4bet I'm just not sure if we should have a calling range. I've posted about it in the line check forum here.

The T9o hand:

Hand Conversion Powered by WeakTight Poker Hand History Converter
$0.02/$0.05 No Limit Holdem iPoker
4 Players

Blinds$0.02/$0.054
CO Gallasz $8.40
D Skavo321 $6.08
SB fluffysquini $5.18
BBHero $5.15
Preflop
4$0.07Hero is BBT9
2 folds, fluffysquini raises to $0.15, Hero calls$0.10
Flop
2$0.288J6
fluffysquini bets $0.21, Hero raises to $0.60, fluffysquini calls $0.39
Turn
2$1.48K
fluffysquini checks, Hero bets$0.90, fluffysquini calls $0.90
River
2$3.288
fluffysquini checks, Hero bets$3.50, fluffysquini calls $3.50
Final Pot$10.28
Hero shows T9
fluffysquini shows JA

fluffysquini wins $9.80 (net +$4.65)
Hero lost$5.20

I'm starting to think I should just fold it on the flop. I want some raises that will still be able to bluff a heart turn. So T9o and 97o with a heart might be better. I have so many other weak flush drawers to raise with and while I have several value raises (88, 66, J8, J6, 86) most of these will have to slow down on some turns. Better hands to triple barrel bluff might be my weakest Ax of hearts and some Qx hearts since they have good blockers to hands that can call down.

AQ hand:

Hand Conversion Powered by WeakTight Poker Hand History Converter
$0.02/$0.05 No Limit Holdem iPoker
4 Players

Blinds$0.02/$0.054
CO redrobbo4 $3.04
D LetTheBoyWatcH $6.87
SBHero $5.99
BB fluffysquini $11.83
Preflop
4$0.07Hero is SBQA
1 fold, LetTheBoyWatcH raises to $0.12, Hero raises to $0.45, 1 fold, LetTheBoyWatcH calls $0.33
Flop
2$0.934J9
Hero checks, LetTheBoyWatcH bets $0.60, Hero calls$0.60
Turn
2$2.137
Hero checks, LetTheBoyWatcH bets $1.30, Hero goes all-in$4.94, LetTheBoyWatcH calls $3.64
River
2$12.01, 1 all-in T
Final Pot$12.01
Hero shows QA
LetTheBoyWatcH shows JJ

LetTheBoyWatcH wins $11.53 (net +$5.54)
Hero lost$5.99

I think check calling the flop is a mistake. This is my nut best bluff hand to triple barrel bluff. I'm so used to checking my nut flush drawers when I have lots of other flush draws to bluff. So in this spot it didn't occur to me that I have so few other flush draws.