Looking for 5NL Zoom coach

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elstano5

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Hi folks, I am looking for someone to help me with 5NL Zoom on pokerstars. I have played over 40k hands at 2NL Zoom with a 6.44 PTBB winrate. After 52k hands at 5NL I have a .33 PTBB winrate. I would appreciate someone to help me improve my overall game and move up through the stakes. Cheers.
 
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elstano5

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Thank you warturtle7 for the reply and the link. I've already watched xflixx' series on zoom and picked up quite a bit but there are still a lot of troublesome spots that aren't covered. I guess I'll just keep on playing and analyzing hand histories.:D
 
Fknife

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I dont know if you really need a coach at these stakes. Lots of people claim that there is no big of a difference even on like...50NL. And to be honest I even watched some $2.5/$5 Zoom and still its mostly setmining/nuts fest.

Anyway whats your general strategy while playing 2NL Zoom? I'm sorry I ask lots of people about it, but Im just curious because for about 3 weeks I've been running really good and I dont know if I found a magic strategy or it's just luck :)

Oh and btw, xflixx has a YT channel and there is this "Grinding it up" series where he plays Zoom. But you probably saw this already. Also search YT for a video: "4 Tables Zoom Live CRAZY ACTION!!". This one and 2 others (where he plays Rush) on this guy's channel (billybyrne1).
 
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elstano5

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Hey Fknife, thanks for the youtube vids. I have watched xflixx' vids but I'll get a look at billybyrne1 later today.

My general strategy is changing gradually. I used to play a lot of sit n go's so I noticed a few flaws when I transitioned over to cash games. The biggest one was opening way too wide when it was folded to me in the sb. It got a lot of folds at 2NL but I find I get called a lot more at 5NL and floated on the flop. I played pretty tight at 2NL. Betting aggressively with strong hands and being able to fold marginal hands when you know you're beat worked well for me. I just played ABC poker and they made enough mistakes themselves. I downloaded Bill Vosti's book and hand charts recently, which is free on his site, and have been incorporating those into my game too. I know the book is from 2008 and have no idea how well it has aged or how much it pertains to Zoom but, it has helped with hand ranges. You are right about Zoom being a setmining/nuts fest. Are you still running well?
 
Fknife

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No, unfortunately last night was not my night and I lost some buy-ins. I dont think I played wrong though. I mean, I lost mainly in preflop 4bet shoves with AA, KK, AK, set over set situations, set vs flush -> but what am I supposed to do? Fold every time when there is a flush draw on a board? I bet/raise on wet boards, it's not my fault they call everything and hit their outs...At the end I was tilting and had a feeling that people are playing back at me (3betting, check/raising, reraising all the time) and I made some stupid moves.

Anyway, there are some players, that I see on a regular basis, who always have 2-4 times maximum buyin stacks so I though they know something which I dont. That's why I asked you, you have a good bb/100 so I though you are one of them :) The funny thing is that when I watch guys like xflixx playing, I would make the same decisions most of the time... :(

As far as YT goes, you can also check channels: "iPokerVIP" and "thepokerbank". There are also some videos about Zoom.
 
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elstano5

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Unfortunately, that's variance. My first 7,000 hands at 5NL Zoom I was winning at a rate of 12.97 BB/100. Then it just took a nosedive and I've been breaking even these last 40,000 hands. The important thing is not to let the bad beats and suck outs tilt you. They are going to happen, and even more so at Zoom. Keep persevering and you'll get there.

I can try and help you if you like. I'm only learning myself and, as you know, am trying to crack 5NL Zoom, but I could sweat you and help you along or you could sweat me.
 
Fknife

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I'm sorry what does "to sweat" in this context mean? :) Unfortunately English is not my native language so... You want to see me playing, play heads up/together in 6max? ;P
 
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elstano5

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Oh, to sweat someone means to watch them playing using Teamviewer or Mikogo while they chat about the different situations that come up over Skype. So basically I could watch you play, or you could watch me, and give a few opinions and discuss strategy.
 
Fknife

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Ok I see, so its like coaching. It sounds good but...I dont know... observing tables, thinking about strategy/right moves on each of them and translating it into English... seems too fast for me now...Zoom is fast...maybe in the future. I dont even have a microphone at this moment :( I appreciate your proposition of course.

Listen, why dont you stick around on this forum, maybe even make a thread about your 2NL/5NL Zoom play. You know, post some stats, hands, thoughts, tips, maybe give yourself a challenge (like: Zooming to $1000 :)). Lots of people do this here, and I'm sure it would be beneficial both for you (getting input from more experienced players) and others (who struggle with Zoom).
 
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elstano5

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Hey, no worries. Yeah, there is a lot of good information on this forum.
 
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Streetska

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Hey guys, how's it going? I'd be willing to help out if you're still looking for coaching : )
 
Karozi615

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upload a zone session in video format and i'll get around to reviewing it
 
Karozi615

Karozi615

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im not the most qualified on this site but I might be able to give you a few pointers, and I am more than happy to assist
 
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elstano5

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Hey Karozi615, I would appreciate that. Just having another opinion on certain lines can be a big help. Where do I upload the video? How long would you like it? Cheers.
 
Fknife

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Why dont you put it on Youtube, so I could watch it (and learn) either :)
 
Karozi615

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you could probably just download it on youtube and post here, that would be very easy.
that way anyone on the forum who wants to view and give opinions can

if there is something glaringly wrong people will notice very quickly
 
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Streetska

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The youtube idea sounds awesome. It's easily accessible that way and you can get some help from the kind folk in this community :)
 
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elstano5

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Well, here is a short video of me 4-tabling 2NL Zoom. I did make 1 or 2 plays that I wasn't happy with but overall I don't think it was too bad. I don't know what you all will make of it without hearing my thought processes but I'm interested in your opinions. http://youtu.be/yWOVyzuOtGU
 
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Alth

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Hi, I don't see any response so I will go first. It's my firs post on this forum so please do not shout if I'm doing something wrong :) Your game seems to be correct abc poker. Still at those stakes I will recomend to work on your opening bet ranges and 3beting ranges. Try open from earlier positions bigger - like 4BB or even 4,5 BB (9c) (smaller from CO and Button). It will scare off some of the regs on your left with marginal hands who actually look on the opening sizes, and the fishy players do not care if it's 6c or 9c, they want to see the flop. And for you it's still 1,5 bb more in pot (watch out for shortstacked fish and don't put them in all-in situations by this opening ranges). And for 3 beting I would recomend doing pot sized bets or 4x. For the same reason as above - fishy players do not care about 10-20 c more, but you should.

And for the specific:
I don't think that slowplaying AK in 0:40 was a good idea. It was scary board, but still you would get more information what's oponent holding by doing a min re-raise on the flop. I've been in those situations many times and depending on oponent he would shove it all-in (fishes did that to me too many times with KQ or AT even A8 on this kind of board) or he will call and checked to river (or call any of your bets). Then with biger bet (80% pot or sth) you would have more fold equity on the river. I've noticed that on those stakes people raise pot sized bets when they holding something very strong. This guy was putting 50% every street - it's a weaknes easy to exploit.

Well two minutes in your video and you flopped monster after a monster :)
Your AJ hand I think you should bet like 80-90% or even pot-sized bet on flop, and then 70% on turn, then on river your oponent would be forced to go all in even if you bet like 40c for value. He was holding any Ax hand and on that board texture he would call you with any J and any A and flush draw). At the end you wolud be 10-30 bb ahead even if he would fold on the river.

KK opening in 4 minute - You've opened 3bb, you're missing value in those spots. Open like 4 or even 5-6bb your premium hands from early position. You want to go to showdown with fishes, not with regs in complicated flops out of position. How many times my AA, KK or QQ was outplayed on the flop only the red colours in my holdem manager tells :)

In 7:30 you had 77, on quite dry board with QQ8. I've learned that if you have smaller pair than any card on board and you're oop don't ever c-bet instead you could try re-raise villian c-bet (depending on the his c-bet size - if it's pot-sized - you should fold) and forcing him to fold (he could have Q but is more likely he was holding something like KJ, AJ, KJ, JT and any 99+ hand). Too bad you didn't have reads on him.

Your vpip from SB from this short session must be quite high. I think playing less hands and more premium ones (TT+, AQs, AK, KQs) from SB woud do much better job and will not force you to fold out your 3bet that often.

I don't think ATo is a good hand to 3bet from CO. Sometimes it would do the job but still you have button behind you and it could get complicated on the flop.

In 12:50 your 55 has been 3bet and you've called - low pairs you should definitely fold (rearly you would flop a set, but still beeing oop makes it very complicated to play). Middle and premium pairs on the other hand could give you good action when flop hits your oponent 3betting ranges.

Hope I helped even a little bit :)
 
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