Well I had a fun weekend but rather up and down again, although more up than down to be fair so can't complain. Not that I'm too concerned as long as I feel my game is going somewhere besides down the tubes!
Worked a lot on things like donking out multiway and it vertainly works. Let's be honest how many times have you raised, got a reg to call and a fish - you check with nada and the fish donks out; end of hand. Well it's that sort of thing, if I find it annoying why shouldn't they.

It does give one a rather skewed redline though:




Notice how I lose the plot after a while, it's not just that they stop folding, I lose my courage. Just not used to that level of agression I suppose; and of course maintaining that level of concentration for 1500 hands 2-tabling is hard going for an old fart like me. Notice also I'm back with HM2, it's not exactly running like liquid gold but it's ok for now.

Also having to practice some patience as well, you can get dealt a load of trash for ages at this fastfold lark and looking down at 18/14/2.2 isn't fun.

That's something else I need to work on. I have nice ranges from the w34z4l boss (and his hud) but I seem to be playing something around the 19/14 - 20/16 mark still. The games are aggressive in my defence, I got 3bet 8 hands in a row tonight but fortunately I own them postflop:


Have a nice one. Bye-byes for me.

Gone from checking these like the passive fish I am (was hopefully) to this. Somebody said my play in these spots isn't worth it because the rake will kill me, but if they want to fold I'm just helping them, init. Aren't I nice.

Since I'm highly unlikely to get raised by a fish and a sad reg, I was sorely tempted to donk the flop.

I know preflop is loose but these guys were so passive if they'd missed it was worth a shot imo.

What do you think peeps?

$0.02/$0.05 No Limit Holdem PartyPoker
6 Players

Blinds 0.4BB/1BB6
UTG $151.2BB
UTG+1 $33BB
CO $101.8BB
D $82.4BB
SB $114.2BB
BBHero $229.4BB


I would barrel the river obviously, maybe even overbet if it all blanks off, I do sometimes and they hate it.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sometimes though, they need a friendly reminder of just who the boss is around here:


$0.02/$0.05 No Limit Holdem PartyPoker
6 Players

Blinds 0.4BB/1BB6
UTG $92.8BB
UTG+1 $82.6BB
CO $100BB
D $221.4BB
SB $62.4BB
BBHero $142BB
[/divbox]


It's not hard is it, I just need to find a way to keep it going. Best plan might be to shorten the session length I think so I'll try that today, I've been playing too long sessions anyway.

Donking and betting out sorted to some degree and added to the arsenal.

Also need to look at those aggro types, the 35/28/12 guys, they're murdering me. I have a notecaddy badge that says one of them is 3betting me 135% more than his norm, which is just crazy. Think he spotted something in my game? Ya think?

I'll be back with a report on how I shut him down ... I hope. Space watching suggestion.
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Just took a peek at the new rakeback doo-dah on party but I cant see me benefitting greatly from it down in the mud patch; it's better than those waste of space 1.10 mtt qualifier tickets though for def!

Have fun.

Second hand, I'm guessing opponent just had like A5 or something. feel like it's playing with fire a bit though. It's an annoying spot. But say opponent had any decent draw or 7 or 8. We usually don't get a turn fold giving a good price. Opponent can have literally anything. So if river comes 2h, which seems like only type of nice one. Are you check calling, check folding or betting? I just don't see any good card for us apart from a 3 and occasionally a 9 but even that isn't the best. We have to check almost every time. We could be floated by KQs for all we know. I'd probably bet flop and then shut down if called. Seems weak but vs these rec guys I don't see another option.

Ye thanks @Grocker6 you may well be correct, I just like to play a little outside the line is all. Works for me if I'm paying attention, if not I get mauled!

Don't play if you're struggling to keep your eye on the ball I suppose.

I'll watch twitch later, then study a bit with a nice glass of Bordeaux. I remember a vid he reviewed for me, so funny. I think I came close to tilting him if that's at all possible!



Best video ever for learning from mistakes, so I'll assume I've moved on at least a little since that!


Didn't play much today but here's the garf anyway with a more realistic red line, just for lolz:




Have fun.

Being a single cell organism isn't easy y'know. I have to concentrate for 30 minutes these days, it seems to be my optimal session length - that or 500 hands - so I'll go back to that. I used to play 1K hands befor a break but the other cell ran off and left me.

I'll play around 1.5K a day most times with a nice break and some study in between. Studying the aggro regs today for a bit, then it's beer o clock time and watch a film with mrs mal.

Here's that video I was on about. If you're struggling to break even there's a load in here for you and you get to hear the mighty w34z4l takin' the piss outta me

https://www.pokervip.com/coaching-videos/w34z3l-reviews-grinder6-10nl-on-betvictor

I posted the link because the vid wouldn't insert, for 'reasons'.

No graph this morning, not a lot of point for 500 hands as nice as it looks.

Have fun.

I think I remember that vid, just remember W34s3l getting a bit annoyed hah, but I won't have time to watch again right now. Wish I had chance for a grind session but working tonight, tomorrow evening with be with the other half and some gigs on weekend. Might get a few hours in the day times. Just want a chance to chill, but I guess gotta make 'normal' money in the mean time. Good luck in your grind.

At least you can make garfs right now. I play MPN and don't have any software to track me and half the tables are untrackable. All I have is a bankroll to look at hah.

Who needs graphs when you can see account balances

Nice work buddy and so cool to see you still grinding and pushing to get better. Keep at it

Excellent point @JonnyVIP so, for your delectation: BR - $166 - that's about £130 in like proper money.

However, I will be withdrawing to buy mrs mal a birthday present but I can win enough for that by the time it comes round in a couple of weeks, coz I am all that, init. , then all being well take a shot at nl10 end of June. No idea what that'll be like on Party these days but it'll be fun at least.

I made my own hud for hm2 and working on popups now. I'd have to recommend the exercise even though I have the mighty w34z4l's hud and ranges.
I am quite convinced making them myself makes them more comfortable to use ad I learned a lot of how construction of ranges works. Go me.
Having done the math for them, I also know the 'why' of at least some of the stats and range constructions, which is of such importance in my opinion, rather than taking the word of a ( albeit super) coach at face value.
Just my 2c worth is all and obviously if you're having personal coaching you'd better be asking them that stuff!

busy with Flopzilla now, there's a huge amount of info floating around in there just waiting for me to wake up to it.

Have a fun weekend, I'll be on the grind today then beer.

Who's jonnyvip anyway?

So anyway, there I was picking up the soap in the showers again when suddenly I hit a hand and got paid off. I had such a smug smile on me when he shoved and I hit the turn my cheeks hurt .. eh, oh, wait ...

$0.02/$0.05 No Limit Holdem PartyPoker
6 Players

Blinds 0.4BB/1BB6
UTGHero $184BB
UTG+1 $91.2BB
CO $133.4BB
D $122.6BB
SB $118.6BB
BB $100.8BB
[/divbox]

Fuuuuuu! Didn't even have the decency to give me a sweat 'til the river, that'll teach me! What was I saying about taking a shot again? Oh ye ...

I think we'll leave the EV bit out of the jirraffa! lol




$10 RB for the first week saves my butt, but I doubt I can (or want to) keep that going, that's 50 points I scored!

Have a fun weekend peeps, it's 10 past beer o clock ffs!

Right so after yesterdays debacle, back today mostly versus a regfest, made it tough to win stacks so patience at a premium ...

... but the odd game of 'spot the bluffer' is always fun when it works of course ...



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... and I'm never folding this here:



Hey, getting it right is a thing to y'know.

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Got to be on the ball guys, gotta be on the ball all the damned time:



You would not believe how close to folding and showing him it I was, but didn't have the discipline. Think I lost about the minimum, haven't seen anyone except me overbet the river as a bluff (which is why I do it!). Bet he couldn't believe I didn't go broke!

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Slowplay has it's place at micros, this is how I usually do it:



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On the brighter side of life:




Forget the redline, far too many oop missed multiway pots versus 23/6 or 15/8 and stuff regfest to worry about that.

Have fun.

Ran awful with draws today but played some good stuff in between. Session up and down like a porn star's arse again because of it of course but it's all good, game is creeping along. Been learning how to play barrelers today and seems fairly straightforward - and fun - which got me into stacking a spinning top guy tonight, not many of those guys around lately at nl5 FF I can tell ya, but dayum, are they pissed up or wot!?


I wouldn't say these were my favourite hands, but definitely some of the more (mr smuggly) satisfying:

$0.02/$0.05 No Limit Holdem PartyPoker
6 Players

Blinds 0.4BB/1BB6
UTG $90.6BB
UTG+1 $47.2BB
CO $46.6BB
D $117.2BB
SB $96BB
BBHero $227.8BB
[/divbox]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

What could possibly be more satisfying you ask ... well this villain plays 10/10 over 350 ... will that do?

$0.02/$0.05 No Limit Holdem PartyPoker
6 Players

Blinds 0.4BB/1BB6
UTG$100BB
UTG+1 $128.8BB
CO $119BB
D $143BB
SB $147.8BB
BBMr Smug Bastard $209BB
[/divbox]

Cooler alert, meh, but then how else are these ubernits going broke.

Bad regs are like fish, they just don't fold until they see the flop and then they'll float some awful shit just to see if I'm 'At it' it seems. FE out the window lately but that's all good, I don't give a shit these days if they fold or not, it's all the same and it all comes back to Mal in the end.




Have fun peeps, it's wine - o - clock.

Been looking at floating so not many hands today, but did make a couple of nice postflop moves which were fun and I made a buy-in and then some.
I'm trying to do stuff sensibly, like check/raising when my opponent is aggro and barrels too much, or floating when they cbet very high and chk the turn too often, but not got the latter down just yet. I'm thinking if the cbet is say 80% but their range hits TP or better only 35% then I have 45% in my favour and should bet turn if they play fairly straightforward/aren't a fish etc? Not quite sure as I said, but I'll get it.
Then there're the guys who chk for pot control etc., who have no intention of folding, which needs adding to the math of it, or subtracting as the case may be!

Town today on the bike to meet mrs mal from work and keep her company on the way home, she's getting tired now doing so many extra hours., then it's walk the poo machine, have food and then beers and some study but unlikely to play after all that.


No point in the graph for 350 hands for +$9 so,

later peeps, have a fun day:

And sometimes, of couse, you just have to be grateful for small mercies!




(sweat)(sweat)

Weekend coming up, lets go!

If he'd shoved the flop he'd have stacked me, I'd say it was TTT or JJJ rather than QQQ, although to be fair these guys will fear chk/call and I never have AK here do I ... or do I!? But then neither does my opponent.



Still, what goes round comes round:





Have a fun weekend.

Firstly can I ask what made you think he was an actually proper nit? It's hard to tell of someone is card dead or just a bit on the nitty side unless you have a decent sample.

If you're only continuing with a FH on the river then what does this mean? When the guy can have AA or KK or AK himself. He could also have QQ JJ, or TT. JJ is kinda tough, 1 combo of JJ. 3 combos of TT or QQ. That's 7 combos that beat us. Now AA, KK or AK. We have blocked a bit but lets count. 4 combos of AK. 3 KK and 3 AA. That's 10 combos we at least draw with.

I think in this river spot since you only ever have a hand like QQ, JJ and AK, TT. (KK if you're worried about being double stacked and him never shipping without AA) but I'd see you at least 5 bet there generally, but let's put it in for the sake of this. So we can have JJ and QQ, TT which will RAISE river. KK will FOLD. AK (16 combos), will CALL. ALL other PP's won't be giving him any action apart from 77 on turn and so will won't end up here. 77 I'm not too sure about, it might end up as a call. But this spot is so specific.

I've simplified this since we can have things like QJs and KQs too, and also lots of lower SCs being deepstacked, by the river though only certain ones

We don't have to be MEGA balanced here but I really think it just has to be a call here with a straight. Otherwise you're just constantly giving these guys farrrrr too much credit for the nuts every time when there actually are enough hands he can have that we tie or beat. This isn't a usual spot but I think categorising what you will call and fold with with help. I just don't think apart from KK which just isn't that likely you'd have, that you'd ever have a hand you should fold here with IMO. It's either call your straights or raise your boats or quads. Apart from 77 which might have to be a call.

Now the question is... if he goes ALL IN deep instead of betting 68bb, how does our decision change? That would be super polar and at these games I don't think you'd see a bluff this deep ever from a standard player and would have to make the fold with AK.

I've just been thinking about this, maybe it'll help a bit in these spots. Because you're trying to make folds here because you 'sense' that in this exact time he's just gonna have it, something tells you its a full house. But let's get into the reality of it. What's the worst that happens here? You call getting over 3 to 1 and lose 68bb from a pretty hefty cooler. And you know... THATS OK! Because the whole point of looking at the combos and seeing what you can beat or tie with means that over time it won't be a 'BAD' call when you have your stronger hands. If you always look at this and think he has the nuts and fold then you lose this spot 100% of the time! Which we shouldn't be doing, because we won't be doing by farrr if we call. Especially when you look at the size of the pot compared to what you need to wager you call! Just remember those words, its OK to lose to a cooler!

We need to get rid of the fear of losing pots.

I actually like the call 4b pre, not because you are saying he is a nit, but because you are deep. Don't want to be stacking AKo pre this deep. Here's the thing, if the guy is a nit like you say, I highly doubt he is 4betting JJ or TT this deep. I think he would be more apt to just call the 3b and try and hit a set and stack you. Not saying he can't have any, but I do think his combos are reduced. When micro stakes players get 200bb deep they tend to just 4b QQ+ AK and might even reduce some of there AK and QQ, especially if on the nittier side.

IDK, to me the check back on the flop screams AA or KK, that assumes you have all the sets. Not saying he couldn't checkback a set, but it certainly isn't a slowplay on this board, there are some worse hands that can call. He would have to be checking back thinking you just always have AK here. I mean betting this flop with a set and getting raised would suck, but not the end of the world. I just don't think he has all combos of sets. Not to mention the 4b is quite big. You are deeper, but he does go to 28bb from 10bb.

Not sure, I think this is super close and boils down to whether or not you think they would then value bet AA or KK on the river. Just not sure anyone would. I think I would probably just sigh call this and know I am beat some of the time, but the way it was played he could just be thinking you tried to stab the turn with a weaker hand and he now thinks he has you beat on the river with AA or KK. I think AK hands are reduced as well, because if he slowplayed those on the flop, you would think he would then raise AK on the turn.

One option you could go with so you aren't in this tough spot, is to make a small block bet on the river. Bet like 30 or 40bb and fold to a raise. If he has AA or KK he will just call, if he has a boat he will jam and you can fold. Highly unlikely he will bluff jam if he is your standard tight micro stakes player. I don't think a fold here is terrible, but a super wierd and tough spot

There are just so many conflicting bits of info on this hand, hard to put him on a hand. More I think about it, I just don't think anyone is value betting an overpair on a paired 3 to a straight board. So that just leaves boats that you lose to and straight that you chop with, so maybe it is a fold. IDK, GL

I do too, in fact I think it's pretty standard deep. It's the river spot I'm focused on really.