I
ifoldquads
Rising Star
Bronze Level
Hey everyone, just a quick note before my wall of text: if anyone has any suggestions for
improvements in what I'm planning, or if I've missed anything I should consider,
please let me know. I'm more than willing to learn from anyone, and I will consider
everyone's advice carefully.
Also, don't hold back on suggestions and criticisms when I post hand analysis, or whatever.
I can take the heat, and I'm willing and able to work through the most difficult material, so
lay it on.
WHY I'M PLAYING POKER
WHICH GAMES I'M GOING TO PLAY
WHERE I'M GOING TO PLAY
WHAT AND HOW I'M GOING TO STUDY
improvements in what I'm planning, or if I've missed anything I should consider,
please let me know. I'm more than willing to learn from anyone, and I will consider
everyone's advice carefully.
Also, don't hold back on suggestions and criticisms when I post hand analysis, or whatever.
I can take the heat, and I'm willing and able to work through the most difficult material, so
lay it on.
WHY I'M PLAYING POKER
So, I'm getting pretty serious about studying poker in depth. I view it as a strategy
game, and a very practical one at that. I made a quick list of why poker may be the best
strategy game for most people (and at the very least, for myself):
1) unlike chess, it's possible to find games appropriate for your level of ability
without having to drive to the nearest city and pay membership dues to a chess club, or
play against a handicapped computer opponent
2) you can become proficient and even masterful at the game by concerted self-study,
unlike chess which requires paying for training to get really good at the game
3) when you win a game of chess, you earn bragging rights. when you win a game of poker,
you win cash (you only win money in chess if your name is Kasparov, Carlsen, or Anand,
etc.)
4) chess takes way too much time and effort for what you get out of it
5) unlike real-time strategy games (eg Starcraft II) doesn't require physical training
separate from mental training (I play a musical instrument and compose, both which take
substantial time. I'm not going to practice quickly pressing hot-keys and learning
precision mouse movement, only to then work on the mental part of the game when there are
other things I value more which require time and physical effort)
In short, poker represents a serious intellectual challenge and provides greater value
for the time and effort spent learning compared to other strategy games. So I've decided
that I'm going to spend most of my gaming time on poker, and I am therefore making up a
study plan for myself to follow.
game, and a very practical one at that. I made a quick list of why poker may be the best
strategy game for most people (and at the very least, for myself):
1) unlike chess, it's possible to find games appropriate for your level of ability
without having to drive to the nearest city and pay membership dues to a chess club, or
play against a handicapped computer opponent
2) you can become proficient and even masterful at the game by concerted self-study,
unlike chess which requires paying for training to get really good at the game
3) when you win a game of chess, you earn bragging rights. when you win a game of poker,
you win cash (you only win money in chess if your name is Kasparov, Carlsen, or Anand,
etc.)
4) chess takes way too much time and effort for what you get out of it
5) unlike real-time strategy games (eg Starcraft II) doesn't require physical training
separate from mental training (I play a musical instrument and compose, both which take
substantial time. I'm not going to practice quickly pressing hot-keys and learning
precision mouse movement, only to then work on the mental part of the game when there are
other things I value more which require time and physical effort)
In short, poker represents a serious intellectual challenge and provides greater value
for the time and effort spent learning compared to other strategy games. So I've decided
that I'm going to spend most of my gaming time on poker, and I am therefore making up a
study plan for myself to follow.
WHICH GAMES I'M GOING TO PLAY
While I eventually intend to learn most forms of poker, for now, I'm going to only allow
myself to play Limit Holdem and Limit Omaha Hi/Lo. There are several reasons for this:
1) no-limit and pot-limit games are by nature, as I understand it so far, going to have a
much greater degree of variance, and they obviously have variable bet-sizes, making it
difficult to determine whether or not one is playing mathematically correct.
2) Winning $1000 at limit holdem may take many hands and many correct decisions, whereas
$1000 may be won in one hand of no-limit on a lucky draw that one was incorrect to
pursue. I would rather train on a game that requires me to repeatedly make correct
decisions so that progress over time is somewhat more measurable.
3) limit games play out more mechanically and more straight-forward, whereas no-
limit/pot-limit games rely a little bit more on correct reads and setting traps for
opponents. I want to train good habits and gain experience sitting at the table just
playing fundamentally sound poker before trying to place an extra burden on myself to
constantly be making difficult decisions and tricky plays to keep from going bust or
busting someone else on a single hand. (ie, eliminate extra difficulties and extra
variables)
4) losing a big pot in a no-limit/pot-limit game is to me more emotionally draining
compared to limit games. Both get on my nerves, but I would prefer to gradually put
myself into more stressful situations at the table as I learn to deal with the emotions
of the game and remain disciplined. My training as a performer should help in this
regard significantly.
myself to play Limit Holdem and Limit Omaha Hi/Lo. There are several reasons for this:
1) no-limit and pot-limit games are by nature, as I understand it so far, going to have a
much greater degree of variance, and they obviously have variable bet-sizes, making it
difficult to determine whether or not one is playing mathematically correct.
2) Winning $1000 at limit holdem may take many hands and many correct decisions, whereas
$1000 may be won in one hand of no-limit on a lucky draw that one was incorrect to
pursue. I would rather train on a game that requires me to repeatedly make correct
decisions so that progress over time is somewhat more measurable.
3) limit games play out more mechanically and more straight-forward, whereas no-
limit/pot-limit games rely a little bit more on correct reads and setting traps for
opponents. I want to train good habits and gain experience sitting at the table just
playing fundamentally sound poker before trying to place an extra burden on myself to
constantly be making difficult decisions and tricky plays to keep from going bust or
busting someone else on a single hand. (ie, eliminate extra difficulties and extra
variables)
4) losing a big pot in a no-limit/pot-limit game is to me more emotionally draining
compared to limit games. Both get on my nerves, but I would prefer to gradually put
myself into more stressful situations at the table as I learn to deal with the emotions
of the game and remain disciplined. My training as a performer should help in this
regard significantly.
WHERE I'M GOING TO PLAY
Here's the unfortunate bit. I live in Massachusetts, so I currently do not have any real
money online games available to me. The nearest brick and mortar game is Foxwoods, but
that's about 3.5 - 4 hrs away, and is currently a bit impractical for me to do. So
unfortunately, my initial training is going to be limited to play money tables, which
will be at Pokerstars (in the last month or so grinding low-limit games, I've increased
my initial bankroll to 60k).
This won't be the case forever. Massachusetts has approved of building I believe three
casinos, but where and when TBD. And there is a state legislator who is working to get
real money online poker approved as well, with Everest Poker poised to be the first
available (hopefully sometime in 2013, keep fingers crossed). So as I see it, I have
about a year to seriously study and be ready for when the game is made available to me to
play for real.
money online games available to me. The nearest brick and mortar game is Foxwoods, but
that's about 3.5 - 4 hrs away, and is currently a bit impractical for me to do. So
unfortunately, my initial training is going to be limited to play money tables, which
will be at Pokerstars (in the last month or so grinding low-limit games, I've increased
my initial bankroll to 60k).
This won't be the case forever. Massachusetts has approved of building I believe three
casinos, but where and when TBD. And there is a state legislator who is working to get
real money online poker approved as well, with Everest Poker poised to be the first
available (hopefully sometime in 2013, keep fingers crossed). So as I see it, I have
about a year to seriously study and be ready for when the game is made available to me to
play for real.
WHAT AND HOW I'M GOING TO STUDY
Books:
I've read some beginners stuff, such as Phil Hellmuth's book (all of his books are the
same book, from what I've been told, so I guess the title doesn't matter). Nothing too
in-depth, but a decent starting point. I also have a copy of Super System 2, which I
have read once or twice.
I have four books coming in the mail soon. They are:
--The Mathematics of Poker, by Chen and Ankenman (looks like a good, in-depth book about
thinking about non-game specific poker issues)
--The Theory of Poker, by Sklansky (shouldn't need my explanation, lol)
--Pot-limit Omaha Poker: The Big Play Strategy, by Hwang (thought it important to
understand Omaha strategy in general, also contains a section on hi/lo)
--No-limit Holdem: Theory and Practice, by Sklansky (will read it through, although I'll
study it more in-depth later, as my priority is on limit games for now)
I will read each of them once through, to get a general sense of them, and then I'll
formulate a concrete study plan for each book. (The no-limit book won't be an initial
priority, as noted, so that will come much later).
I'm considering getting Sklansky's books on limit holdem, so if anyone has any comments
on them or other recommendations for limit holdem, please let me know, I'd appreciate it.
Also, if anyone has any recommendations for omaha hi/lo, that would be great; there were one
or two on Amazon, but I've never really heard anyone mention any of those books anywhere,
so I'm still on the fence about spending anything until I can find some opinions.
Hand Study:
This part is going to be a bit tricky: since I can't play real money on Pokerstars, there
isn't any available hand history for me to request. I'm thinking what I'll do is video-
capture some of my sessions, then choose any hands that stand out to study (with some
preference to show-downs since I can also analyze my opponent's play). I'm going to be
extremely detailed in my hand analysis. I will explain my own thinking process and
actions for each action at the table, as well as those of my opponents. Each action will
be mathematically and psychologically scrutinized. I am literally going to write essays
on my hands.
Of course, I will post my hands and my analysis for review on the forum.
Practice:
I'm initially going to play full ring games only (9 chairs at Pokerstars). No
tournaments, no 6max, and no heads-up. Additionally, my hand selection is going to be
limited. A few reasons for this:
1) to learn patience and discipline
2) to minimize variables, and to learn to play a consistent strategy.
Consider this. If the limits are 10/20 (ie, blinds are 5/10), then the cost of 100 hands
dealt (not including bets placed) are as follows for each type of game:
full ring: BB 11x, SB 11x ---> $110 + $55 = $165 (approx)
6max: BB 16x, SB 16X ---> $160 + $80 = $240 (approx)
heads-up: BB 50x, SB 50X ---> $500 + $250 = $750 (approx)
A full ring game is the least expensive game per 100 dealt hands, so a tighter style of
play is more correct for such a game, relative to the other game types, and this fits
well with trying to learn patience in hand selection (clearly, heads-up does not advocate
careful hand selection). It also will help to reduce bankroll fluctuations so that I can
more accurately gauge my progress.
Eventually, I will branch out to 6max and heads-up, but I want to make sure my decision
making is strong before doing that, so it isn't going to be until a large numbers of
hands are played and studied before I start playing games which require a looser style of
play.
The limit level I'm currently playing is 10/20 (for both holdem and omaha hi/lo), and I'm
going to play at that level for a while before trying anything else (larger bank roll,
hand analysis, etc).
As for playing at a single table or playing multiple tables, I'm a bit torn. There's one
part of me that thinks the patience/discipline part of the training will best be served
by a single table, but the other part that knows I need to see and play a lot of hands
(and since my hand selection is going to be selective, the number of playable hands is
already going to be limited). I'm currently leaning towards playing multiple tables, and
then getting really in-depth with the hands during the analysis phase. (I'm currently
finding that the five-table limit imposed on play money is more than manageable so far; I
don't think my play suffers at all; honestly, I could probably play twice that number
comfortably, but my above points/dilemma remain. Additionally, when multi-tabling, I
only play one game type--ie, only holdem, or only omaha hi/lo).
I've read some beginners stuff, such as Phil Hellmuth's book (all of his books are the
same book, from what I've been told, so I guess the title doesn't matter). Nothing too
in-depth, but a decent starting point. I also have a copy of Super System 2, which I
have read once or twice.
I have four books coming in the mail soon. They are:
--The Mathematics of Poker, by Chen and Ankenman (looks like a good, in-depth book about
thinking about non-game specific poker issues)
--The Theory of Poker, by Sklansky (shouldn't need my explanation, lol)
--Pot-limit Omaha Poker: The Big Play Strategy, by Hwang (thought it important to
understand Omaha strategy in general, also contains a section on hi/lo)
--No-limit Holdem: Theory and Practice, by Sklansky (will read it through, although I'll
study it more in-depth later, as my priority is on limit games for now)
I will read each of them once through, to get a general sense of them, and then I'll
formulate a concrete study plan for each book. (The no-limit book won't be an initial
priority, as noted, so that will come much later).
I'm considering getting Sklansky's books on limit holdem, so if anyone has any comments
on them or other recommendations for limit holdem, please let me know, I'd appreciate it.
Also, if anyone has any recommendations for omaha hi/lo, that would be great; there were one
or two on Amazon, but I've never really heard anyone mention any of those books anywhere,
so I'm still on the fence about spending anything until I can find some opinions.
Hand Study:
This part is going to be a bit tricky: since I can't play real money on Pokerstars, there
isn't any available hand history for me to request. I'm thinking what I'll do is video-
capture some of my sessions, then choose any hands that stand out to study (with some
preference to show-downs since I can also analyze my opponent's play). I'm going to be
extremely detailed in my hand analysis. I will explain my own thinking process and
actions for each action at the table, as well as those of my opponents. Each action will
be mathematically and psychologically scrutinized. I am literally going to write essays
on my hands.
Of course, I will post my hands and my analysis for review on the forum.
Practice:
I'm initially going to play full ring games only (9 chairs at Pokerstars). No
tournaments, no 6max, and no heads-up. Additionally, my hand selection is going to be
limited. A few reasons for this:
1) to learn patience and discipline
2) to minimize variables, and to learn to play a consistent strategy.
Consider this. If the limits are 10/20 (ie, blinds are 5/10), then the cost of 100 hands
dealt (not including bets placed) are as follows for each type of game:
full ring: BB 11x, SB 11x ---> $110 + $55 = $165 (approx)
6max: BB 16x, SB 16X ---> $160 + $80 = $240 (approx)
heads-up: BB 50x, SB 50X ---> $500 + $250 = $750 (approx)
A full ring game is the least expensive game per 100 dealt hands, so a tighter style of
play is more correct for such a game, relative to the other game types, and this fits
well with trying to learn patience in hand selection (clearly, heads-up does not advocate
careful hand selection). It also will help to reduce bankroll fluctuations so that I can
more accurately gauge my progress.
Eventually, I will branch out to 6max and heads-up, but I want to make sure my decision
making is strong before doing that, so it isn't going to be until a large numbers of
hands are played and studied before I start playing games which require a looser style of
play.
The limit level I'm currently playing is 10/20 (for both holdem and omaha hi/lo), and I'm
going to play at that level for a while before trying anything else (larger bank roll,
hand analysis, etc).
As for playing at a single table or playing multiple tables, I'm a bit torn. There's one
part of me that thinks the patience/discipline part of the training will best be served
by a single table, but the other part that knows I need to see and play a lot of hands
(and since my hand selection is going to be selective, the number of playable hands is
already going to be limited). I'm currently leaning towards playing multiple tables, and
then getting really in-depth with the hands during the analysis phase. (I'm currently
finding that the five-table limit imposed on play money is more than manageable so far; I
don't think my play suffers at all; honestly, I could probably play twice that number
comfortably, but my above points/dilemma remain. Additionally, when multi-tabling, I
only play one game type--ie, only holdem, or only omaha hi/lo).
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