Possible coaching (25-100nl FR)

ok first off to start I'm not 100% sure I want to do this, but I would like to gauge interest.

First off I'll go over who I think I can help the most with this. I'm looking for FR players that are either barely beating or struggling to beat 25, 50, or 100nl. The biggest problem I think I can help you fix is in opening up your game to an aggression level that will be able to succeed in the midstakes where the super-tight strategy doesn't work quite as well as it did at 2nl-10nl. If you're unsure, look at your graph with showdown and non-showdown winnings. If the NSD line is relatively downhill at ~30-45 degrees, I think I can help you.

So why am I so confident you ask? Because basically that used to be me. I used to play a 13/11 game but that got tighter and tighter until it was an 8/7 game in a December where I played 115k hands in what was probably one of the biggest mistakes of my somewhat short poker career.

Anyway this month I decided to scale down and concentrate on winning. I got a little coaching and since then I beat 200nl for 3.53 PTBB/100 over a 43.5k hand stretch and am beating both 100 and 400nl for decent winrates over extremely small meaningless samples. I'll attach a graph and winnings summary at the end but basically even if I am running hot I still am pretty confident that I can beat the games at a decent rate (at least 2.5) and I credit most of that to all the money I was leaving on the table by not stealing blinds and 3-betting enough.

Now I'd like to take a somewhat unique approach to coaching as well, in that I'd like to concentrate a ton on looking over and picking your database to pieces. HEM is an amazing tool. The first thing I would like to do if you sign up is to get the last however many hands from your database and I will go over them looking at a ton of areas where people typically struggle at the micros. I'll look at how you play positionally, double/triple barrel spots, how often and in what spots do you 3-bet, how do you react to 3-bets, how do you play in 3-bet pots, etc.

After I look over it I'll discuss it with you. I'll have taken some hands out and ask for your thought process in them. With that I'll hopefully be able to help you out in your approach to the game and different situations that you probably either weren't thinking much about or were thinking incorrectly.

After that I'll probably do a sweat session, which will generally be hands-off. I'll definitely answer questions and talk during it obviously, but the sweat will definitely be geared towards you learning rather than me telling you exactly what to do. My goal is to get you better so you can win without me, not so that you win some quick cash in the session with me, although hopefully that will happen as well .

Pricing: Let's face it I have a pretty small sample of actually winning and absolutely no coaching experience in the past, so here's the deal:

You send me hands (preferably like 20k+) during the time you've been struggling. I go over them and let you know whether I really think I can make a difference and what I think you need to be working on. This part is all free.

Assuming I think I can help you and you think I can help you as well, I will then charge $20 for the first sweat where we try to work on the things I talked about to you before. If you are satisfied, you can purchase further sessions (each session will start with me going over hands played since the last session and then a sweat) for $35 at 25nl, and $50 for 50nl or 100nl. Sessions will be at least an hour not including the time it takes for me to look over your database before the session. Prices are negotiable and discounts will be given for long-term packages.

Note that first off prices are subject to change, and if I get a lot of requests and positive feedback, the prices will go up. However if you start now and regularly receive sessions you are guaranteed the same price. I'd like to start out with 1-2 people and add a few more if it goes very well.

Also note that the free hand review is meant to be a preview and if you get that you should have the intention of signing up, it's basically just meant to make sure you're comfortable that I can actually do something and that I know what I'm talking about. For this reason I'm restricting that offer to CC regs and if it is abused I will be forced to discontinue it.

When: if you haven't noticed I'm posting here all the time, I am a part-time college student and have almost all afternoons and nights free (through like 4am) eastern time.

Equipment you will need for this is all free, but you will need skype and teamviewer for sweats and we can use skype or another im client for coordinating.

Hopefully I covered everything, if not feel free to ask in this thread. If you'd like to apply please send me a pm and in a few days or a week or so I will select who I want to start with (if I get any interest at all). Just include a brief description of what games you play and why you are applying for coaching. It's not going to be first come first serve and I will definitely favor those with a good reputation here as I want someone who would be able to write an unbiased review that other CC members would respect.

Anyway here's the graph/summary:
CoachingStats.jpg (http://www.cardschat.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=17551&d=1234501426)

First to show interest.

Nice idea zach. I'd be interested 'cept I think there's more worthy candidates that play more and read less.

This is a huge bargain, zach.

Just one request: please don't teach the regs at the stakes i play. What you propose to fix is the one big leak most of them share and my winrate has skyrocketed since i realized that...

I would be interested if you think you have patience for a girl. If you will do it I will install HEM today. I will have lots of time to play cash games over the next 2 weeks cause Joe is traveling a lot.

Very cool Zach, I think you will be good at it.

I'd be interested if I hadn't just started with a coach a couple weeks ago! GL with it man.

Nice Zach, This again backs up my idea for a coaching section on the forum, so many members can benefit from deals like this if we have a section dedicated to coaching

Dude, you're giving it away. gl with it though.

Zach,
I would definately be interested (may have already made a down payment......lol).

Hmm, I might take you up on it. Gimme a week or 2 =)

Few things. First off a few have said it's a bargain. Generally on other sites coaching for 25nl is almost never under $50/hour and higher is usually closer to 70-100/hour. On top of that imo what I'm doing will be more valuable then simply having someone sweat you for an hour or so and tell you what to do.

I'm offering a somewhat low price first off because I've never had any coaching experience in that past and do not want to rip anyone off. This is also the reason for the free review and reduced price session. It is possible after my first few sessions with people that this will drop if I get good reactions.

Second off you're all CCers and I really like to see CCers do well and hopefully we can have some more crushing 100-200nl+ in the not so distant future .

Anyway, I should have contacted everyone who has expressed interest. If you are interested and I have not contacted you please send me a pm asap.

Thanks.

zach I will be asking for a sweat in the future when I go to move up to 100NL hopefully later this year, I hope your still coaching then.

Yeah, and you can ask successful early pupils to repay the cheap rate by giving you free advertising/recommendations.

But, speaking as someone with a teaching background, you can probably draw a lot from good baseball coaches you've had in the past that will help your approach.

ok I have done 3 sessions so far, with Dakota-xx, MrSticker, and Richyl2008. I think they've gone well, but I would definitely welcome comments from them. I was also 2/3 on students making enough to pay for the session .

Anyway I'm going to send out pms to the people who had expressed interest in the past. I've decided to keep standard pricing the same but am removing the first session of $20 as that was more as it was a test run and I believe it was successful. So that means that for 25nl players the price is $35/session and for above it is $50/session. The sessions are guaranteed to be over an hour and in the 3 I did none were less than an hour and a half. If you are interested please send me a pm, thank you.

I am sure I had the longest session because Zach helped me install and set up HEM - it was not a simple task lol.

It was a huge bargain for $20 - I actually tried to pay him more but he refused.

Prior to the session he reviewed the hands I had sent him and gave me some great tips on things I was missing. I had expressed a fear to him that my math skills were nowhere close to his. Honestly - and surprisingly - Zach did a great job of coaching down to my level. I was afraid he would go over my head with stuff but he kept it very basic and at a level he knew I could understand. He reviewed some HEM things with me and then we did a sweat session. I only played 3 tables because that is what I usually play. His feedback was not distracting at all. I finished up at every table - won more than enough to pay for the session .

I am definitely going to do this with him for a while - it is such a great deal and I had no idea some of the basic things I was missing. (like not raising enough from CO pre-flop and too much limping in the SB)

It was shocking to see my numbers - and they are still looking good. I haven't played a lot because I have been busy at home but plan to play today and tomorrow. I will wait until I have 2-3k more hands to do another session and I am taking notes about some things I want to review with him.

I don't feel like doing a screen shot but after 445 hands at $25NL I am up $32.60 and a few stats:

VPIP% - 21
PFR% - 19
AGG - 6

3Bet% - 3
Agg% - 42

If any of you have ever played with me you will appreciate those numbers lol.

If you are considering doing this I would jump in before he gets too busy and his price goes up - because he is very good at this.

It is early days of course - but if he can help me he can help anyone lol.

Very nice Dakota! Sounds like you're on the right track.

Wow, that's not the dakota-xx I've played against.