Study Guide

An ongoing list of things to read / watch / try / whatever in order to improve my game.

It would be good if I checked here once a week and read / watched / tried / whatever something from the list.

Tommy Angelo - The Eightfold Path to Poker Enlightenment

Deuces Cracked - Premium Videos

Session Template

[] Session review, Session rules review, and Blog post of review
[] Mental Health Check (Create next session reviews post with it)
[] Review Strategy
[] Set Session Goals
[] Define how many tables we have earned for the session
Mental Health Check
[] Well-rested
[] Well-fed
[] Clear mind (not cloudy or fuzzy)
[] Emotionally calm


Session Goals

• Play one table for 30 minutes
• Incorporate new information from session review
• Maintain discipline
• Stay focused
• STOP and determine correct play on all action
• Take notes
• Stop on time

Results


Notes/Thoughts


Review

Strategy

I will review this page before each session.
I will set rules here, but they will change as I learn and understand more.  Nothing here is set in stone, it is simply a place to hold the basics.

 

• General play
• Bet for VALUE, not for Folding Equity
• Preflop
• I am playing a Raise or Fold game.  If I can't raise it, fold it.  It's okay to fold.
• Exceptions
• I am oop hu.  It is best to call here.
• I have a marginal hand in position and there are 3+ limpers in the pot.  I can get good odds to see a cheap flop with hands like low pairs, low suited connectors, mid unsuited connectors.
• General Postflop 
• If I have one pair and villain ck/c, ck/r oop: FOLD unless villain AF >= 2.5, or notes say capable of semibluff turn.
• If wa/wb oop: ck/c, ck/c, b/f.  The river bet is against presumed honest villain.  If villain is tricky or spewy I should ck/c.
• Flop
• I have the lead (This will usually be the case, since I'm usually only playing if I raised PF)
• Bet
• Exception: if I know the flop killed me and I'm against 3+ villains, I can ck/f
• Villain has the lead
• Check
• Villain "must" bet, so I can ck/r if I'm oop with a hand or draw.
• Exception: passive villain or free card could kill me.
• Remember that villain is going to bet air here lot.  I will usually have odds to call with any reasonable hand or draw or overcards.  And some of those I should raise.
• Turn
• River
• Why am I betting?  Will I get a better hand to fold?  Will I get a worse hand to call?  Will my opponent bluff with a worse hand?  If I'm only going to be called by better hands, check.
• Why am I folding?  How big is the pot?  Is my opponent capable of bluffing?

 
Session Review notes:

• VALUE VALUE VALUE
• Back off the throttle - I'm spewing
• Take more notes
• Don't assume my opponents are thinking past level 2. Shintai believes that they're rarely thinking past level 1 here, but I'm still not convinced.
• Pick better hands for bluff-catching.
• I misplayed more on the hands that I won than the hands that I lost. And I've gotten passive again in the wrong places.
• I need to go back to a raise or fold preflop strategy
• Low flops I should only bet for value, not for folding equity. Players don't fold them.
• This is limit, damnit, quit trying to exercise pot control, quit calling oop when you should raise. It's a half a bet. Get it in there.
• Quit open limping in the hopes that others will come along. Somehow they never do.
• Still need to talk hand ranges with shintai
• Don't slow down on made flushes, no matter how low, unless you face more than one street of aggression

Intro

This blog is mostly is for my own use and review.  I will be learning from my father and from my friend Shintai  and I am likely to discuss hands and situations with several of my other successful poker buddies.  And I may be passing along what I know to other friends; teaching is a great way to learn.

Goals
I really need to define some, under the theory that if you aim at nothing you'll hit it.  But at this point I have several long-term goals and I'm not entirely sure which one(s) I most wish to pursue.  So for right now I will keep this a bit vague.  I will, however, set very short-term goals.  Those will keep me focused and serious. 

Based on the avoidthe9to5 model, I will be doing review of my session before starting a new one, and I will also complete a checklist before each session to be sure I am at my best for playing.

Checklist

Tasks:

[] Session review, Session rules review, and Blog post of review
[] Mental Health Check (Create next session reviews post with it)
[] Review Strategy

Mental Health Check:

[] Well-rested
[] Well-fed
[] Clear mind  (not cloudy or fuzzy)
[] Emotionally calm
[] Define how many tables we have earned for the session