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  1. #76
    Based on your *seeming* level of knowledge/ability/work ethic more advanced than those playing higher limits than yourself, what level do you think you ought to be playing at and beating easily?
  2. #77
    spoonitnow's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by EasyPoker View Post
    Based on your *seeming* level of knowledge/ability/work ethic more advanced than those playing higher limits than yourself, what level do you think you ought to be playing at and beating easily?
    Around 200nl FR give or take.
  3. #78
    Quote Originally Posted by spoonitnow View Post
    Around 200nl FR give or take.
    Can you let me back into the IRC chan, or at the very least the ftrbc one...in fact, just that one will do.
    Last edited by EasyPoker; 04-08-2010 at 08:13 PM.
    [20:19] <Zill4> god
    [20:19] <Zill4> u guys
    [20:19] <Zill4> so fking hopeless
    [20:19] <Zill4> and dumb
  4. #79
    What are some of the better materials you have found regarding meditation?
  5. #80
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    Quote Originally Posted by revolvingiris View Post
    What are some of the better materials you have found regarding meditation?
    I think people who are new to the idea or who are looking for something "practical" will benefit a lot from "Mindfulness in Plain English" which is available for reading online here Mindfulness in Plain English by Ven. Henepola Gunaratana or in PDF format here http://www.urbandharma.org/pdf/mindf...in_english.pdf
  6. #81
    Quote Originally Posted by spoonitnow View Post
    Around 200nl FR give or take.
    I think you're either being overly modest, or grossly underestimating your own ability/knowledge. Or, maybe you're just more prepared to show how much you know in comparison to other players. I don't know.

    But what I do know is I've seen players on other forums who either seem to know less or just as much as you playing 2/4 and 3/6.
    [20:19] <Zill4> god
    [20:19] <Zill4> u guys
    [20:19] <Zill4> so fking hopeless
    [20:19] <Zill4> and dumb
  7. #82
    Spoon lives in the real world. Yea, he could probably play 2/4, 3/6, etc but his hourly would probably peak at 200nl, which is probably why he puts this stake down as the one where he thinks he should be playing. Also he's had experience at 200nl, I'm not sure about anything above that.

    Fuck ego, aquire monies.
  8. #83
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    Quote Originally Posted by EasyPoker View Post
    I think you're either being overly modest, or grossly underestimating your own ability/knowledge. Or, maybe you're just more prepared to show how much you know in comparison to other players. I don't know.

    But what I do know is I've seen players on other forums who either seem to know less or just as much as you playing 2/4 and 3/6.
    My hand reading and consistency and a lot of other things aren't where they need to be to beat midstakes right now.

    Quote Originally Posted by dranger7070 View Post
    Spoon lives in the real world. Yea, he could probably play 2/4, 3/6, etc but his hourly would probably peak at 200nl, which is probably why he puts this stake down as the one where he thinks he should be playing. Also he's had experience at 200nl, I'm not sure about anything above that.

    Fuck ego, aquire monies.
    It's cool that you think that after how much shit I've given you, but I'm pretty sure I'd really struggle to break even at midstakes right now, mostly because I've not played against very good players much at all for a long time.
  9. #84
    Meh, I know you give me shit cuz I'm a lazy mofo and I need to get my ass in gear, so it doesn't bother me really.
  10. #85
    Quote Originally Posted by EasyPoker View Post
    Can you let me back into the IRC chan, or at the very least the ftrbc one...in fact, just that one will do.
    .
    [20:19] <Zill4> god
    [20:19] <Zill4> u guys
    [20:19] <Zill4> so fking hopeless
    [20:19] <Zill4> and dumb
  11. #86
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    Quote Originally Posted by EasyPoker View Post
    Can you let me back into the IRC chan, or at the very least the ftrbc one...in fact, just that one will do.
    I replied to your PM but I think it timed out. It's a 30-day ban for that shit you pulled.
  12. #87
    What did EP do?
  13. #88
    Lol, I don't actually know...

    *Checks chat log*
    [20:19] <Zill4> god
    [20:19] <Zill4> u guys
    [20:19] <Zill4> so fking hopeless
    [20:19] <Zill4> and dumb
  14. #89
    spoonitnow's Avatar
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    This isn't the place for discussing this. Talk to me on IRC.
  15. #90
    Quote Originally Posted by spoonitnow View Post
    This isn't the place for discussing this. Talk to me on IRC.
    I lol'd.
  16. #91
    Quote Originally Posted by spoonitnow View Post
    I think people who are new to the idea or who are looking for something "practical" will benefit a lot from "Mindfulness in Plain English" which is available for reading online here Mindfulness in Plain English by Ven. Henepola Gunaratana or in PDF format here http://www.urbandharma.org/pdf/mindf...in_english.pdf
    very cool! Will post back after I have had the chance to read it all
  17. #92
    It's pretty well known you play poker for a living, and obviously you pay taxes on them. How do you go bout keeping track? What kind of % does the US take out for poker earnings? Any tax breaks? Do you take it to H&R Block or whatever like everyone else or do you have to do something different?

    Anything else related you might want to add is obviously welcome.
  18. #93
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    Quote Originally Posted by dranger7070 View Post
    It's pretty well known you play poker for a living, and obviously you pay taxes on them. How do you go bout keeping track? What kind of % does the US take out for poker earnings? Any tax breaks? Do you take it to H&R Block or whatever like everyone else or do you have to do something different?

    Anything else related you might want to add is obviously welcome.
    PokerTracker combined with asking PokerStars for a list of all of the bonuses you got during the year gets it done.

    Poker earnings are taxed just like any other income except if you don't file as a professional you have to do this stupid thing that often makes you lose your standard deduction so you end up paying a slightly higher rate. You have to add up all of your winning sessions and that goes under gambling winnings on your taxes, then you add up all of your losing sessions and that goes under gambling losses as a deduction. Unfortunately in a few states you can't deduct gambling losses, basically making it -EV to play poker at all unless you file as a professional. When you file as a professional, you just do your taxes like you would if you ran a business. This means you have to pay an extra 7.7% or so because of the self-employment tax, but it also means if you buy a new computer or get coaching or whatever you can take deduct it as a business expense.

    H&R Block will fuck you in the ass. That's their job.
  19. #94
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  20. #95
    How does one fix himself? I used to be unreadable when I played cards. My friends all told me so they complained because they thought I played a certain way but then in the next game I played differently. I loved it I won 95% of the time. Then they introduced me to some books they were reading after reading a couple I became aware of possibilites, strategies and so on forth. Now I'm totally readable and lose most of the time.
  21. #96
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    Quote Originally Posted by Thez View Post
    How does one fix himself? I used to be unreadable when I played cards. My friends all told me so they complained because they thought I played a certain way but then in the next game I played differently. I loved it I won 95% of the time. Then they introduced me to some books they were reading after reading a couple I became aware of possibilites, strategies and so on forth. Now I'm totally readable and lose most of the time.
    Small sample size. Keep improving and get better.
  22. #97
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    I've got one: Do you listen music while playing? Do you feel like it influences your game if you do? (might be a dumb question, but I really like to know)

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  23. #98
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    Quote Originally Posted by inV1NCEble View Post
    I've got one: Do you listen music while playing? Do you feel like it influences your game if you do? (might be a dumb question, but I really like to know)
    I listen to music probably 80% of the time I'm playing or so. I don't really do it so much to increase performance as I do to drown out other noise that's distracting for me. It probably does influence my game to some degree, but how and to what extent I don't know.

    An interesting paper on a related topic (http://www.utm.utoronto.ca/~w3psygs/Husain.pdf) talked about studies that showed that different kinds of music (and other audio stimuli like hearing a story) helped to improve cognitive abilities based on what a person's preference was. Long story short, if you have a stimulus that you enjoy, that elevates your mood which boosts your performance.

    This doesn't really sound like anything you probably didn't know already, but it really puts into perspective how bad it is to play when you don't feel well, and how much EV there is in getting yourself in a good mood before you play as opposed to just starting to play in whatever emotional state you happen to be in.
  24. #99
    does your blood pressure go up when i sign into irc?

    what type of music do you listen to? what are some favorite bands/musicians/composers?

    how do you feel about living in bumblefuck north carolina? i went to undergrad in south carolina and i found that natives (especially people who are smart like you and aren't just skating through life going to frat parties and football games and taking no interest in anything ever) were very polarized between 1) hating the south and saying they couldn't get out of there fast enough and 2) feeling it's really underappreciated and couldn't see themselves living anywhere else.

    obv you don't necessarily fall under one category or the other, just interested
  25. #100
    Can you let me back into IRC please?
    [20:19] <Zill4> god
    [20:19] <Zill4> u guys
    [20:19] <Zill4> so fking hopeless
    [20:19] <Zill4> and dumb
  26. #101
    Surviva, I think your 1.) and 2.) thing is something that is pretty much prevalent wherever you go. Some people are going to hate it and want to leave, some aren't.
  27. #102
    I'm guessing you file as a professional? Do you do your taxes yourself or do you hire an accountant who is actually knowledgeable when it comes to internet poker?
  28. #103
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    Quote Originally Posted by surviva316 View Post
    does your blood pressure go up when i sign into irc?

    what type of music do you listen to? what are some favorite bands/musicians/composers?

    how do you feel about living in bumblefuck north carolina? i went to undergrad in south carolina and i found that natives (especially people who are smart like you and aren't just skating through life going to frat parties and football games and taking no interest in anything ever) were very polarized between 1) hating the south and saying they couldn't get out of there fast enough and 2) feeling it's really underappreciated and couldn't see themselves living anywhere else.

    obv you don't necessarily fall under one category or the other, just interested
    Not really.

    A lot of different stuff. Right now it's mostly older southern and west coast rap. Snoop Dogg/Nate Dogg/Warren G did an album together as "213" a few years back and it was amazing. I've basically had that on loop for a month now. They're supposed to do another album together in 2010.

    Living in the south is a trade-off. You give up living around a higher percentage of intelligent people for the general environment and not having people next door right in your business so much. Most of my neighbors are cows, and that's great. Of course being so far away from everything isn't so great, like until just a few years ago it was a 15 minute drive to the nearest stop-light, now it's more like 10-12. I lived in Raleigh for almost a year around 2005 and pretty much hated it, so maybe I'm on the realist side of group #2.

    Quote Originally Posted by EasyPoker View Post
    Can you let me back into IRC please?
    Yeah sure.

    Quote Originally Posted by L_Clan_Sup3rMaN View Post
    I'm guessing you file as a professional? Do you do your taxes yourself or do you hire an accountant who is actually knowledgeable when it comes to internet poker?
    Yes I file as a professional and I do my own taxes. Once you take a little time to learn what's going on it's not very hard.
  29. #104
    Yes I file as a professional and I do my own taxes. Once you take a little time to learn what's going on it's not very hard.
    At what point do you think it's worth it for a casual player to file professional or is it simply that there is a criteria to be met? If X is IRL income and Y is poker income, does Y need to be > X or a certain %age of X, etc?
  30. #105
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    Quote Originally Posted by kdawgy80 View Post
    At what point do you think it's worth it for a casual player to file professional or is it simply that there is a criteria to be met? If X is IRL income and Y is poker income, does Y need to be > X or a certain %age of X, etc?
    There are criteria that must be met, but there's a bit of a gray area as well if you have other forms of income. Search the 2p2 legislation forum for lots of discussion on this and other tax-related issues.
  31. #106
    For someone who is new, but dedicated to poker and all that entails in terms of study and hourly commitment, how long would you say it takes on average to reach that "second level" where it becomes pretty easy to play anywhere from 25-100NL and consistently win? Obviously it is person dependent, but for example, how long did it take you and what was that aha moment like?
    [00:29] <daven> dc, why not check turn behind
    [00:30] <DC> daven
    [00:30] <DC> on my hand?
    [00:30] <daven> yep
    [00:30] <DC> because I am drunk
    [00:30] <daven> nice reason
    [00:30] <daven> no further questions
    [00:30] <yaawn> ^^Lol

    Problem officer...?
  32. #107
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    Quote Originally Posted by Donachello View Post
    For someone who is new, but dedicated to poker and all that entails in terms of study and hourly commitment, how long would you say it takes on average to reach that "second level" where it becomes pretty easy to play anywhere from 25-100NL and consistently win? Obviously it is person dependent, but for example, how long did it take you and what was that aha moment like?
    It should probably take less than a year to be beating 100nl. For you specifically, I'd say your best bet is to keep doing what you're doing and don't withdraw any money, with equal emphasis on both parts. Now you say, "But I _______," and have some excuse not to get a part-time job or whatever to sustain yourself while you build your bankroll, but if you explain your baseball situation to your prospective employers, they will work with you for the most part. This is probably more important than you probably have a sense for right now.

    For me personally, I was playing limit holdem then quit poker then started playing 10nl FR on a stake and was trying to move up to 200nl within something like 8 months. This was while I was full time in school and working a part time job and coaching chess.

    I think the so-called "aha moments" are not nearly as important as working your ass off. But the idea of a single moment taking you from one level to another sounds easier to it sells more books and is more easily accepted by most people. The problem is that learning doesn't work like that. Even the "aha moments" themselves only spring up after lots and lots of work when you finally have a crystallization of thought because of how much time your unconscious has put into working on certain problems.
  33. #108
    Try this i was checking it yesterday with the same questions.
    Hitting Flops With Middle Suited-Connectors in Hold'em Poker

    Basically you hit a spot of enough equity to play with about 40% of the time (when you flop OESDs, FDs, combo draws, two pair etc). When you have 33 it's completely unplayable 90% of the time because when you dont hit you're in a spot where you likely have about 10% or less equity.
    Im ready this time.
  34. #109
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    Quote Originally Posted by jaytoi View Post
    Basically you hit a spot of enough equity to play with about 40% of the time (when you flop OESDs, FDs, combo draws, two pair etc). When you have 33 it's completely unplayable 90% of the time because when you dont hit you're in a spot where you likely have about 10% or less equity.
    Google for a piece of software called "flopzilla". There's a 7 day trial and it will answer all of this for you in extreme detail.
  35. #110
    woops, thanks for the tip spoon. I actually thought there was only 1 page to this and was replying to the last post on the first page :P

    needless to say flopzilla should help
    Im ready this time.
  36. #111
    flopzilla is pretty hot once you learn how to use it and the power it holds
    "Those who say it can't be done, shouldn't interrupt those who are doing it"
  37. #112
    oskar's Avatar
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    Why do you suck at poker?
  38. #113
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    Quote Originally Posted by oskar View Post
    Why do you suck at poker?
    Because I don't play enough, I don't study enough, I don't eat right, I don't exercise enough, I don't meditate regularly, and I have an atypical financial situation that doesn't often allow me to save much in lieu of the rest of the above.
  39. #114
    What's the leak that most people overemphasize when they shoudn't?
    "Just cause I'm from the South don't mean I ain't got no book learnin'"

    Quote Originally Posted by a500lbgorilla View Post
    ...we've all learned long ago how to share the truth without actually having the truth.
  40. #115
    Quote Originally Posted by spoonitnow View Post
    Because I don't play enough, I don't study enough, I don't eat right, I don't exercise enough, I don't meditate regularly, and I have an atypical financial situation that doesn't often allow me to save much in lieu of the rest of the above.
    Sounds like you're just happy to be the King of the BC for the rest of your playing days.
    [20:19] <Zill4> god
    [20:19] <Zill4> u guys
    [20:19] <Zill4> so fking hopeless
    [20:19] <Zill4> and dumb
  41. #116
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sasquach991 View Post
    What's the leak that most people overemphasize when they shouldn't?
    Good question. I'm not really sure. One thing I do see a lot of people doing is worrying about playing against tight opponents when it's not really that big of a deal at all.

    Quote Originally Posted by EasyPoker View Post
    Sounds like you're just happy to be the King of the BC for the rest of your playing days.
    I'm going to have to ask you to stop harassing me on the forums as per the FTR terms and conditions and rules and stuff. Thanks.
  42. #117
    oskar's Avatar
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    Maybe I should explain that I'm not on the spoon hate train.
    Spoon knows, but for easypoker and the rest.
  43. #118
    What are my TWO biggest leaks?

    Given that I've been away from poker completely for nearly five months, and I'm starting back at 5nl and 10nl 6m, any advice?

    Can you tell 'chelle i said hey and all the best? or is she still posting now and then on FTR?
  44. #119
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    Quote Originally Posted by oskar View Post
    Maybe I should explain that I'm not on the spoon hate train.
    Spoon knows, but for easypoker and the rest.
    Yeah man.

    Quote Originally Posted by Robb View Post
    What are my TWO biggest leaks?

    Given that I've been away from poker completely for nearly five months, and I'm starting back at 5nl and 10nl 6m, any advice?

    Can you tell 'chelle i said hey and all the best? or is she still posting now and then on FTR?
    You have a life outside of sex, food, sleep and poker. Actually I really have no idea.

    Get HEM/PT3/other software updated and make sure it works before you start playing. There have been big changes on both Stars and Full Tilt in the past 5-6 months.

    Chelle says hi.
  45. #120
    I'm at a cross roads. There's a Denny's on one corner, and an IHOP on the other. Which should I choose?
  46. #121
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    Quote Originally Posted by kb coolman View Post
    I'm at a cross roads. There's a Denny's on one corner, and an IHOP on the other. Which should I choose?
    Go down the street to the grocery store.
  47. #122
    What was your VPIP/PFR/3Bet% for FR when you first started playing and what is it now?

    Also what is your typical FR PFR range for UTG? ( I assume you limp no hands UTG amirite?)


    Don't complain; Just work harder - Randy Pausch (The Last Lecture)
  48. #123
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    Quote Originally Posted by caddie444 View Post
    What was your VPIP/PFR/3Bet% for FR when you first started playing and what is it now?

    Also what is your typical FR PFR range for UTG? ( I assume you limp no hands UTG amirite?)
    I think I've always been somewhere between 13/10 and 17/14. It's much more dependent on the tables and seat selection and so on than a lot of people seem to think. It's sort of the same for 3bet %, so this is a difficult question to answer. Over my past 21k hands of 50nl FR I've been 15.17/12.65 with a 2.36% 3-bet.

    This is also a difficult question because it's very dependent on the table and my particular seat. If I was 100bb deep against a table full of total unknowns 9-handed, I'd probably open something like {77+, AQ+}. Over my past 21k hands of 50nl FR, I've played about 6.1% of hands UTG. I've not open-limped over this sample, and it takes very specific conditions for me to do so which don't come up very often at all.
  49. #124
    OK, I played a coupla hundred hands 3 tabling 6m last night, and my brain is poker-dead. I get dealt AJ and I freeze. Is this a good hand? Oh, wait, position or something matters. And yeah, the guy next me in the CO is a nit. That probably means something.

    It was like for over an hour. Just not in poker-gear at all.

    Right before my 5 months off, I withdrew, knowing I wouldn't be playing much. Right now, I'm rolled for 25nl on FT and 5nl on Starz.

    Question: should I even bother with 2nl?

    I'm willing to play 5nl or 10nl, but I don't think, even with my current lack of skill, that the zaniness of play at 2nl will help knock off the rust. I don't have some ego thing to deal with. I actually played some 2nl last night and I just enjoyed playing poker again after so long a time off. Just want to get as much of my old skill level back as quickly as possible. And if 2nl is the best place to knock off rust, I'll go there.
  50. #125
    Quote Originally Posted by Robb View Post
    Question: should I even bother with 2nl?
    I'm interested in Spoon's reply, too. But I'd say hell no. You got da skills to crush these micros.

    I took a long break from poker, too. I started playing again in April at 25nl w/ 30BI. If you still have the roll, that's where I'd start.
  51. #126
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    I'd suggest start back playing at 10nl for a week or so since you seem to be unsure and then go from there.
  52. #127
    what is your opinion of me?
  53. #128
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    Quote Originally Posted by TheBowlBoy View Post
    what is your opinion of me?
    I have no idea who you are, so I looked at some of your past posts. I'd say if you don't make $100/hour in 2010 then you did something horribly wrong.
  54. #129
    Quote Originally Posted by spoonitnow View Post
    I have no idea who you are, so I looked at some of your past posts. I'd say if you don't make $100/hour in 2010 then you did something horribly wrong.
    I have 500 hands with you at NL25 this year, maybe more but I started a new DB mid january.

    Probably not going to make $100/hour this year because I'm a bankroll nit and am paying off a bunch of bills.
  55. #130
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    we've barely played any hands together (my handle starts da_ven...), however:
    1) my biggest leaks, likely or noticed
    2) what i should focus MOST on to improve my game, and return on investment ($/time)
    3) My girlfriend has funding to go to a conference in europe in september, should i cruise back to europe or spend a couple of months climbing in thailand?
  56. #131
    ^ I'm not spoony, but ezgame climbing in thailand. If your girlfriend is setting herself up for a life of academia, conferences in europe and North America will become pretty commonplace, whereas slightly more exotic places like thailand seem to rarely manage to get the funding/organisation together to host a conference, nor do they seem to hold much appeal with academics.

    That said, I'm basing this on the assumption that your girlfriend isn't excited by Thailand, and that's why you'd be going when she's otherwise occupied. If that's not the case, then scrap all of the above.
  57. #132
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    Quote Originally Posted by daven View Post
    we've barely played any hands together (my handle starts da_ven...), however:
    1) my biggest leaks, likely or noticed
    2) what i should focus MOST on to improve my game, and return on investment ($/time)
    3) My girlfriend has funding to go to a conference in europe in september, should i cruise back to europe or spend a couple of months climbing in thailand?
    1. You're d0zer, so you're Canadian
    2. Poker
    3. What kiwimark said
  58. #133
    Spoon more of a wish than a question really. What would you think of a project where you came up with coricullum for "Poker Math". Something that starts out for the very basic (such as myself) and helps to build the skills. Like a series of worksheets etc.? Any interest??
    "You start the game with a full pot o’ luck and an empty pot o’ experience...
    The object is to fill the pot of experience before you empty the pot of luck."

    Quote Originally Posted by XxStacksxX View Post
    Do you have testicles? If so, learn to bet like it
  59. #134
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    Quote Originally Posted by HarleyGuy13 View Post
    Spoon more of a wish than a question really. What would you think of a project where you came up with coricullum for "Poker Math". Something that starts out for the very basic (such as myself) and helps to build the skills. Like a series of worksheets etc.? Any interest??
    You could do it but there's just not a lot of stuff to learn after basic EV calculations and a few short-cuts like what I was talking about with c-betting the other night in IRC.
  60. #135
    You're dealt A/A in a 1/2 NL Full Ring hand in position.

    Blind is raised 3x.

    You re-raise 6x.

    Call.

    Flop is J / 3 / 6

    Check to you.

    Bet 30.

    Call.

    Turn is a J.

    First to act moves all in.


    WHAT DO YOU DO?
  61. #136
    Awesome.
  62. #137
    I can't believe we have a BC mod that min raises AA preflop....wtf spoon?
  63. #138
    Stacks's Avatar
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    Im opedipus bitch, the original balla.
    I'd crack open an Oreo until I got a soulread on the opponent... THEN... I make my move.
  64. #139
    I chugged 2 beers and then the Time Bank went off and I threw my laptop through the wall
  65. #140
    Powerful play.
  66. #141
    It was better than spazzing, at least it seemed better at the time.


    If Spoon could be a superhero who would it be?
  67. #142
    spoonitnow's Avatar
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    That hand history makes no sense or otherwise I would have tried to answer your question.

    I'm already a superhero.
  68. #143
    How many hands do you think it should take (on the average) to win 20 BI's at a specific level (i.e. 10NL, 25NL, etc)?

    To be honest, I tend to get frustrated and doubt my abilities if I don't reach +20 BI's in around 20,000 hands. I then either make changes to my game and/or tilt, which in both cases negatively affects my winrate. Which is probably a big reason why I can't get past the micros.

    Also at what point should I do some major leak finding? In other words could you please fill in the blanks:
    "I've played _______ hands at xxNL, and I am currently break even (or worse). I need to get my ________ together because it is obvious that I'm not beating these current stakes.
  69. #144
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    Quote Originally Posted by MiLEHiGH View Post
    How many hands do you think it should take (on the average) to win 20 BI's at a specific level (i.e. 10NL, 25NL, etc)?

    To be honest, I tend to get frustrated and doubt my abilities if I don't reach +20 BI's in around 20,000 hands. I then either make changes to my game and/or tilt, which in both cases negatively affects my winrate. Which is probably a big reason why I can't get past the micros.

    Also at what point should I do some major leak finding? In other words could you please fill in the blanks:
    "I've played _______ hands at xxNL, and I am currently break even (or worse). I need to get my ________ together because it is obvious that I'm not beating these current stakes.
    A few things. First, your win-rate in terms of big blinds per 100 hands drops drastically from around 2nl to around 10nl. Second, you should be increasing the number of buy-ins you want at each level. So if you wanted say 20 buy-ins at 10nl, then you should look to try for 25-30 for 25nl, and 30-35 for 50nl, and so on.

    As for dealing with your tilt, you need to get to the root of things instead of the external manifestations. You're not really tilting *because* you aren't moving up as quickly as you want. The true cause for the tilt is probably some sort of insecurity about your ability to succeed or something along the lines of fear of failure. If you deal with the source, then later on you don't have to deal with other manifestations, like if you feel like you're getting out-played a few stakes from now.

    I'd say you can do that after about 10k hands and get something useful out of it most of the time.

    Good questions btw.
    Last edited by spoonitnow; 04-26-2010 at 01:05 AM.
  70. #145
    Quote Originally Posted by spoonitnow View Post
    A few things. First, your win-rate in terms of big blinds per 100 hands drops drastically from around 2nl to around 10nl. Second, you should be increasing the number of buy-ins you want at each level. So if you wanted say 20 buy-ins at 10nl, then you should look to try for 25-30 for 25nl, and 30-35 for 50nl, and so on.

    As for dealing with your tilt, you need to get to the root of things instead of the external manifestations. You're not really tilting *because* you aren't moving up as quickly as you want. The true cause for the tilt is probably some sort of insecurity about your ability to succeed or something along the lines of fear of failure. If you deal with the source, then later on you don't have to deal with other manifestations, like if you feel like you're getting out-played a few stakes from now.

    I'd say you can do that after about 10k hands and get something useful out of it most of the time.

    Good questions btw.
    Thanks for the advice. Wow, I've never thought of my 'tilt' in that way, but that's probably spot-on because I'm dealing with those type of issues in other facets of my life.

    Also I just passed my 10k hands mark, and will definetely need to do some leak finding. I just wanted to know how reliable is the 'All-in EV' stat? For example, if my 'All-in EV' suggests I should have a 5.00 bb/100, but my actual bb/100 is like 0.35; do I assume that it's variance and I'll be a winner in the long run or do I assume that I am break even with room for improvement?

    Obviously there's always room for improvement, but I just don't want to any drastic changes to my game by if they're not needed. Thanks in advance.
  71. #146
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    Quote Originally Posted by MiLEHiGH View Post
    Thanks for the advice. Wow, I've never thought of my 'tilt' in that way, but that's probably spot-on because I'm dealing with those type of issues in other facets of my life.

    Also I just passed my 10k hands mark, and will definetely need to do some leak finding. I just wanted to know how reliable is the 'All-in EV' stat? For example, if my 'All-in EV' suggests I should have a 5.00 bb/100, but my actual bb/100 is like 0.35; do I assume that it's variance and I'll be a winner in the long run or do I assume that I am break even with room for improvement?

    Obviously there's always room for improvement, but I just don't want to any drastic changes to my game by if they're not needed. Thanks in advance.
    All-in EV is a tricky topic. On one hand it shows you where you "should" be at over a sample, but on the other hand there are a lot of other things that contribute to how good or bad you're running. For example, if you get AA vs KK 20 times in a 1k hand sample, and KK vs AA twice, you ran good in that aspect, even if you happened to lose 1/2 of the AA vs KK all-in preflop, which would send your AIEV way off.

    If you're breaking even and your all-in EV shows you as a winner, just use it as a sign that you shouldn't get discouraged, but keep trying to improve anyway.
  72. #147
    I had a shit awful run of bad play/runbad at 50nl from Nov-Jan and lost about $1500 (~70%) of my roll. I decided to take off February, and self excluded/self banned all my poker sites and 2+2. I also took off March because my head wasn't right and I still couldn't play the game. I had about $750 left in my roll, and finally decided to put it back on FTP a couple of weeks ago and start grinding again.

    I've run 12bb/100 over 12k at the quarter since returning. I'm sitting on 40+BIs now, and feeling good about my game. But the thought of moving back to 50nl in the near future makes my palms sweat.

    Is it wise to commit to 100-200k hands at the quarter before moving back to 50nl, regardless if I'm over-rolled? I may have 30+BI for 50nl by June.
  73. #148
    Just move up whenever you feel comfortable. Be that when you have 20 BIs, or when you have 200 BIs. You can't be afraid of losing a BI so however deeply rolled you need to be to make that happen, grind 25nl until you're there.
  74. #149
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    Quote Originally Posted by kb coolman View Post
    I had a shit awful run of bad play/runbad at 50nl from Nov-Jan and lost about $1500 (~70%) of my roll. I decided to take off February, and self excluded/self banned all my poker sites and 2+2. I also took off March because my head wasn't right and I still couldn't play the game. I had about $750 left in my roll, and finally decided to put it back on FTP a couple of weeks ago and start grinding again.

    I've run 12bb/100 over 12k at the quarter since returning. I'm sitting on 40+BIs now, and feeling good about my game. But the thought of moving back to 50nl in the near future makes my palms sweat.

    Is it wise to commit to 100-200k hands at the quarter before moving back to 50nl, regardless if I'm over-rolled? I may have 30+BI for 50nl by June.
    You didn't move down before you lost 3/4 of your bankroll. That shit hurts, and that hurt led to you missing 2 months of play. Right now you're scared shitless of 50nl because you associated it with all of that pain. I suggest you combat this by moving up to 50nl when you have at least $3000 (I'm really wanting to suggest $5000) and move down to 25nl if you lose 10 BIs.

    In short, over-rolled shouldn't exist in your vocabulary.
  75. #150
    Quote Originally Posted by spoonitnow View Post
    You didn't move down before you lost 3/4 of your bankroll. That shit hurts, and that hurt led to you missing 2 months of play. Right now you're scared shitless of 50nl because you associated it with all of that pain. I suggest you combat this by moving up to 50nl when you have at least $3000 (I'm really wanting to suggest $5000) and move down to 25nl if you lose 10 BIs.

    In short, over-rolled shouldn't exist in your vocabulary.
    Yeah...that's kinda the $$ figure I had in mind when I was thinking about grinding out 100k hands before I even considered 50nl again. Another 100k hands at 4BB/100 is $2k, which would put my BR at over $3k.

    ty spoony

    EDIT: You're spot on with associating 50nl with the pain. I did drop back down to 25nl when my BR hit $1k, and continued to drop another 10BI before checking out for a while. It took me 2 months to get past the fear of 25nl...and 50nl is completely out of the question right now.

    I'll take a look at it again when I have $3k, but I may very seriously consider $4-5k.
    Last edited by kb coolman; 04-27-2010 at 12:27 AM.

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