Improvements In Your Game That Sneak Up On You

Dunc8b

Dunc8b

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This last week it seems like I am now able to build stacks of chips that are bigger than the average stack amount in a MTT. I have done it in the past but it has been infrequent. I do/did seem to manage to scrape along on the edge of being dumped out of the tourney for quite a while. I even considered it a skill if I'm honest. Not very useful, but a skill.

But... I've have a few days where I getting ahead of the average and staying there for quite a while. I now need to work on keeping focused on the game in the later stages. In my defence, I don't normally get past the three hour mark (or two most days) so it's all new to me. :)

I think I can look to an article/thread I read on here (no I can't find it again) which discussed some aspects of how, when and what to bet. I was aware that I didn't seem to be picking up as many chips as I could when I won. I was winning hands but still not building a stack. I've made some adjustments with that advice in mind and the results are better.

The other thing I think has helped is playing on the pokerstars experimental $0.11 5 minute Time Bomb Zoom games they were running for a few days last week. That was an introduction to avoiding Bingo style all-ins and picking hands to build a stack. just had a look on the site now and it looks like they have stopped them for now at least.

An upbeat end to the week as last week I was really wondering how I could change my game to stop being at the bottom of the pile most of the time.

This may all revert to "normal" in an instant though. :D

Now to find a book or two to read.
 
jashiggs

jashiggs

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Brilliant stuff. improvement is great, You referenced a thread / post on here. What did you take mostly from what you read and how would you say you have begun to implement this recently? :)
 
Dunc8b

Dunc8b

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Brilliant stuff. improvement is great, You referenced a thread / post on here. What did you take mostly from what you read and how would you say you have begun to implement this recently? :)
Good question, not easy to answer.

I think that reading that thread quantified some thoughts I had been having about I wasn't betting enough. Not the amount of chips but I was checking after the flop when I was really in a good position and I should be putting in a raise. This way I would raise the amount in the pot and hopefully win more chips with my killer 22s :)

I've even re-raised :eek: Something I was never doing. And it's working - sometimes. But it has made a difference in that I am finding I am able to build a bigger stack (or maintain a stack for longer before I crash out of the MTT). This was definitely a weakness in my game.

I'm not sure if I would have devotedly followed the advice if I had't been analysing/questioning my game as it was.

After all that, it may only work on Thursdays with my lucky yellow Yamaha t-shirt :D

I have still much to learn and the next step is to get a couple of books to read when away from my computer. I have also started looking at a replay of the hands that didn't go as expected to see what I didn't spot in their play that has just cost me a pile of chips. Typically it seems I am not spotting a possible flush when I am all excited about my boss two pair.

A work-in-progress still.
 
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