Coaching
How bad do you want it?
OK, so it has been a loooooooooong time since I wrote anything. There is a good reason for this. I doubted anyone was interested in how bad I was running. Nobody wants to hear how my bankroll was destroyed by coolers, bad beats, and just plain bad plays on my part. Let’s just say it was pretty ugly. I was down in the dumps and back at the microstaked and I had to ask myself how bad I really wanted to be a winning poker player.
Elements of Poker
I just finished reading “The Elements of Poker” by Tommy Angelo. “Wow!” is one of the few words I can say.
The book gives very few strategic comments. In fact, most of the book can be described as Zen-like mumbo jumbo, with Tommy spending many pages on breathing techniques and Yoga. But guess what? It WORKS. Not because I have tried the breathing or other stuff he says in his “elements”. It works, because Tommy is a professional, who knows how to talk about poker. He’s been there, playing his C-game, chasing losses, lamenting bad beats. Every single one of us has been there…
What’s a Wrap?
Wraps are great! I really like the Chipotle BBQ Chicken Wrap at McDonalds. They make a nice late night snack when you are multitabling. I also like the 20 card “Maine to Spain” wrap and the 13 card nut wrap with a nut flush draw on the side. You won’t find those two at any fast food joints though, they are only found at the poker tables where Omaha is being spread.
What hand have I had the entire time?
I have discovered what I believe to be a leak in my game. It’s a leak that most players probably have but they just don’t know it. As my game has progressed, I have done a better job of playing off of my image and being able to represent certain things at certain times. I suppose this is just another step in this progression.
Why awareness is better than focus, just be the ball Danny!!
OK, the first thing that I want you to do is take this test. It requires that you focus your attention for a about 30 seconds. If you can’t do that then take some Adderall and come back. Obviously I am kidding.
So before you read on click here and take the test and then come back and read the rest of this post.
Playing Blind/Squeezing
If your range for 3-betting preflop are AA/KK/QQ/AK and you are never squeezing in nlhe, you are losing a lot of potential profit. If you played an entire session at a full ring game without ever looking at your cards (and without your opponents knowing you are playing blind), you should still be able to turn a profit simply by utilizing light 3 betting and squeezing.
These are Daniel Negreanu’s words, not mine, and he is talking about levels as high as $25/50. I read this many years ago and had no idea what DN was talking about; However, I see now that his principles are definitely valid and can apply to any level in live play.
Restealing on the flop in PLO
In small multi-way pots that are checked around on the flop, steal attempts from last position are incredibly prevalent in low stakes PLO games. It’s almost like an unspoken agreement–as long as everyone gets to steal every once in a while, no one really pushes back. Some players make the move way too often, and it seems foolish to not repop them.If you know a person is stealing light, you can check raise from early position even lighter–even in multiway pots. When used prudently, this move rarely gets any resistance. It’s a nice little trick to add to the arsenal, especially when you’ve got a player at your table who is stealing more than his or her fair share of the tinnie-winnie pots or if the board looks scary (and like one that you’d be more likely to check raise).
