stevek
Gamelive's Power Bottom
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I took a brief look, couldn't find the old stevek poker thread, so I'll put everything in here. Wanted to not clog random thoughts anymore with poker talk.
So, a few things.
I have run into something that is standard issue in today's poker world (especially post Black Friday) - old school somewhat successful low stakes live poker player runs into the new school internet players with all their weird tricks.
I have run into the weirdest shit man. This one guy, a reg at 2/5 and 5/10 shoves all in on me with 89 suited on a board that was not his suit and had nothing to do with 89 at all. I have AQ of heart on an Ace high board with two hearts so I call and win a $1,300 pot. No, I don't still have that money because of variance combined with other factors. Anyway, so later in that session I ask another 2/5 player what he had on a board where I had a big ace, and he told me he had a set, so the player I just mentioned says "Steve's a nit, don't tell him what you had". I mellow him out by joking him and asking him what he was thinking and he says "I just really wanted that one". Obviously this tells us a few things - he is rolled very deep, and he hates nits because long term he loses to them, even though I'm sure he takes them off quite a few decent hands - I almost folded there. Shoving over a nit (which I am not a complete nit, but I am pretty tight) is not recommended, but he put me on the draw I guess and went with his read.
He was partially right.
So I THOUGHT I was a great low level full ring player because of my somewhat successful times at the tables in Philly and Cleveland. I'm ok, good at trapping the bad players but I can be run over because of my nitty tendencies and I'm mostly a setminer. I wouldn't say ABC because of all my experience and my decent reads, and I'm smart enough to play nights when the drunks/wild players are out there, but not that far beyond ABC.
As far as internet playing I've identified that my only area is only sitting with the absolute worst fish I can find. Not one of these guys playing a little wild but is smart enough to not pay me off (most players), but only the ones that will pay me regardless. I have two do that at 1/2, 2/5 and 5/10 and I've identified my only area of opportunity on Starspa as being watching for them on the site and only sitting with them....and keeping my eyes peeled for specific players that fall into that criteria. That I will continue to do.
Aside from that I want to be better at both. I have no desire to be the best, a tourney player or any of that, just a rock solid player that plays full time for a job but doesn't have to grind himself into the ground (which I did before and had no clue how to handle variance).
As cool as it was to have people here encourage me to go to Vegas, I've been doing a good bit of reading up on it and have ruled it out for a few reasons. First off, the games often from what I've read from Andrew Neeme and others aren't that good (even at 1/2 and 1/3) because there's just a lot of full time players there grinding it out. Second, the Vegas regs would very likely decide to angleshoot (when you pick on a player to try to get under his skin) a wannabe Vegas reg from Philly - and when I played as a reg in Chester the trashy old daytime grinders there would do that, which I really hated. I literally had to hold back from punching a couple of them in the face, and I know Vegas would likely be worse at times. We also have the concerns about crime in respect to where a guy like me can and can't afford to live there, and what's kind of funny but not funny is I'd be an easy target for a trick roller for a few reasons we don't need to discuss, lol.
Here and in Cleveland staff and most players know me and like me. The regs won't pay me off on my big hands sure, but plenty of non regs around.
So while mostly not playing right now, how do I get better at both versions of poker (which are SO much different, it's not even funny). I looked into Doug Polk's stuff and he wants $999 for his latest course taught by a guy who crushes mid to high stakes internet games. I'm sure it's awesome, but yeah that's out of my price range lol.
What other reading should I look into to improve first and foremost on the net? These are things I'm exploring without spending a ton of cash.
I analyze hands and looks for leaks (aka my mistake log that I always kept live - actually a pro move) - but often in the heat of the moment don't make an adjustment based on what I've learned, which is just stupid. I do WANT the internet climate to work because you can take that anywhere and you don't have to deal with trashy shit from live anglers, but I am just not good with the exception of targeting the worst fish. So, how can I make that work is where I'm at. I am committed, but the swings are absolutely ridiculous even when specifically sitting with the targeted fish, and I'm not going broke doing it.
Live is the backup plan, just the commutes suck since me and the law had a couple misunderstandings about drinking and driving, and I just can't drink when doing it (oops).
So, that's my status. I'll put the ridiculous hands with the specific fish, etc. in here and other updates and I always appreciate any insight on hands, how I can improve, etc.
So, a few things.
I have run into something that is standard issue in today's poker world (especially post Black Friday) - old school somewhat successful low stakes live poker player runs into the new school internet players with all their weird tricks.
I have run into the weirdest shit man. This one guy, a reg at 2/5 and 5/10 shoves all in on me with 89 suited on a board that was not his suit and had nothing to do with 89 at all. I have AQ of heart on an Ace high board with two hearts so I call and win a $1,300 pot. No, I don't still have that money because of variance combined with other factors. Anyway, so later in that session I ask another 2/5 player what he had on a board where I had a big ace, and he told me he had a set, so the player I just mentioned says "Steve's a nit, don't tell him what you had". I mellow him out by joking him and asking him what he was thinking and he says "I just really wanted that one". Obviously this tells us a few things - he is rolled very deep, and he hates nits because long term he loses to them, even though I'm sure he takes them off quite a few decent hands - I almost folded there. Shoving over a nit (which I am not a complete nit, but I am pretty tight) is not recommended, but he put me on the draw I guess and went with his read.
He was partially right.
So I THOUGHT I was a great low level full ring player because of my somewhat successful times at the tables in Philly and Cleveland. I'm ok, good at trapping the bad players but I can be run over because of my nitty tendencies and I'm mostly a setminer. I wouldn't say ABC because of all my experience and my decent reads, and I'm smart enough to play nights when the drunks/wild players are out there, but not that far beyond ABC.
As far as internet playing I've identified that my only area is only sitting with the absolute worst fish I can find. Not one of these guys playing a little wild but is smart enough to not pay me off (most players), but only the ones that will pay me regardless. I have two do that at 1/2, 2/5 and 5/10 and I've identified my only area of opportunity on Starspa as being watching for them on the site and only sitting with them....and keeping my eyes peeled for specific players that fall into that criteria. That I will continue to do.
Aside from that I want to be better at both. I have no desire to be the best, a tourney player or any of that, just a rock solid player that plays full time for a job but doesn't have to grind himself into the ground (which I did before and had no clue how to handle variance).
As cool as it was to have people here encourage me to go to Vegas, I've been doing a good bit of reading up on it and have ruled it out for a few reasons. First off, the games often from what I've read from Andrew Neeme and others aren't that good (even at 1/2 and 1/3) because there's just a lot of full time players there grinding it out. Second, the Vegas regs would very likely decide to angleshoot (when you pick on a player to try to get under his skin) a wannabe Vegas reg from Philly - and when I played as a reg in Chester the trashy old daytime grinders there would do that, which I really hated. I literally had to hold back from punching a couple of them in the face, and I know Vegas would likely be worse at times. We also have the concerns about crime in respect to where a guy like me can and can't afford to live there, and what's kind of funny but not funny is I'd be an easy target for a trick roller for a few reasons we don't need to discuss, lol.
Here and in Cleveland staff and most players know me and like me. The regs won't pay me off on my big hands sure, but plenty of non regs around.
So while mostly not playing right now, how do I get better at both versions of poker (which are SO much different, it's not even funny). I looked into Doug Polk's stuff and he wants $999 for his latest course taught by a guy who crushes mid to high stakes internet games. I'm sure it's awesome, but yeah that's out of my price range lol.
What other reading should I look into to improve first and foremost on the net? These are things I'm exploring without spending a ton of cash.
I analyze hands and looks for leaks (aka my mistake log that I always kept live - actually a pro move) - but often in the heat of the moment don't make an adjustment based on what I've learned, which is just stupid. I do WANT the internet climate to work because you can take that anywhere and you don't have to deal with trashy shit from live anglers, but I am just not good with the exception of targeting the worst fish. So, how can I make that work is where I'm at. I am committed, but the swings are absolutely ridiculous even when specifically sitting with the targeted fish, and I'm not going broke doing it.
Live is the backup plan, just the commutes suck since me and the law had a couple misunderstandings about drinking and driving, and I just can't drink when doing it (oops).
So, that's my status. I'll put the ridiculous hands with the specific fish, etc. in here and other updates and I always appreciate any insight on hands, how I can improve, etc.
suckering poor bastards out of $999
30 ET