Howdy ya'll. This will be another strategy post offering a few tips on table selection, but first: a brief personal update. The summer's off to a raucous start, and the debauchery is in full swing. Last weekend we organized the 2nd annual installment of our burning man crew's "Otherworld" outdoor festival here on Vancouver Island. It was a smashing success with about 200 participants (3x as many as last year). And almost every weekend for the next few months is packed with fun: from my mega-birthday party to lots of lounging at the lake to more music festivals/DJing to a wine tour to charting a yacht across the Caribbean. I won't make it Vegas this summer, but I can't say I'll regret it.

Poker's been groovy as well. I'm coaching a ton (6-max and FR) and trying to get as many hands in as possible. While the number of available tables lately have been declining (more on that shortly), the games themselves have been uber juicy. I haven't been studying as much as I'd like, but this morning I resolved to put together my own "study plan" which should serve to prioritize and schedule a growing list of videos, books, and notes I've been meaning to get to. But enough about me....

Effective Table Selection

As I mentioned, the number of tables have been declining. This was just a hunch based on my own observation, until yesterday when I read the following on PokerScout.com:

The article goes on to say that the poker market IS still growing overall (up from a year ago), but apparently we're in a typical seasonal decline. I'm curious if folks have been discussing this trend at all in the forums. I've been a bit disconnected from them lately, so if anyone has read something, please share via the comments.

I mention this trend, because it only stresses the importance of good table selection. Here are some considerations:

The first step to good table selection is maximizing the number of tables from which you have to choose. This means perfecting your skills at and having the option of playing as many different games (HU - FR, Hold'em, Omaha, etc.) on as many sites as possible. It means playing multiple levels (e.g. 25NL, 50NL, 100NL) and multiple formats (e.g. 20-50BB, 100-200BB, Speed, Cap). Playing on multiple sites could present logistical challenges (like dividing your roll or a reduction in rakeback). And I realize that many of you are reluctant to try other games, but if you're truly going to survive in this increasingly challenging environment, it's imperative that you broaden your scope. Be honest with yourself. Are there real obstacles preventing you from diversifying, or is it just laziness?

The next step is being able to efficiently iterate through these tables. There are a number of software solutions out there. Hold'em Manager has "Table Scanner" which does a nice job at collating multiple sites and games into one list. TableRatings.com recently added a premium, subscription service which includes a TableFinder, but be careful: this method of accessing a shared database to assist your play violates many sites' terms and conditions. I treat the TR TableFinder more as a report (like PokerScout.com) for monitoring which sites seem to be best for a given game at a particular time of day.

Then there's always the old fashioned way: use the site's lobby directly. Familiarize yourself with the lobby's custom view features and sort the list by the best available criteria (e.g. players per flop). Then step through each table. Hopefully you've color coded enough players that you can simply glance at each table and get a read on how good it is. Examine player names and look for a lack of subtlety (e.g. NutCracker, IveyTOO). Look for players only playing one table with stacks less than the max buy-in. You can also look for tables with multiple empty seats and take the one with the best position. Fish tend to jump into empty seats as opposed to waiting in line.

Once you get some tables going, the table selection process isn't over. Your goal is to continue playing on the best available tables at any given time. At some point you should assess how good the games are in which you're playing. With experience, you should be able to conclusively say something like: 100NL 6-max on Stars sucks today, I'm going to try Full Ring (or another site or another level, or I'll take care of my errands now and play later.) Also, obviously as soon as a given table fills with regulars, you should leave.

One last consideration is your mood. I personally find that I perform better at certain games when I'm in a certain mood. For example, if I've just gone for a jog and the endorphins are flowing, I'm better suited for HU and short-handed. I tend to be more aggressive and can overextend myself at Full Ring. On the other hand, if I've just meditated for 20 minutes, I'm all about the 9-max. Tournaments work well when I'm hungover for some reason. And if I notice that I'm impatient or irritable (i.e. tilt-prone), I don't play at all. Let mindfullness and awareness be your guide.

This will be a brief update on how radtastic life's been lately.

As some of you know, I work very hard not just on my game, but on my self. Per my last blog post, it's clear that self-discipline is something I highly value. Interestingly, my travels along the path of self-improvement have really accelerated over the last month. I've embraced mindfulness, awareness, and meditation on a deeper level than ever before, and it's had a profound effect not just on my poker world but more significantly on my life.

I've been reading everything I can get my hands on, starting with the book "the Miracle of Mindfulness" as well as much of the content on Tommy Angelo's page: http://www.tommyangelo.com/meditation_101.html And as I get more in tune with each moment and more aware of myself, my purpose is coming into focus.

For now, this still includes poker, and honestly it's hard to imagine it not. But the reasons and intentions behind my actions have shifted away from mostly selfish concerns to instead the well being of my fellow "travelers". I'm excited to see how this continues to unfold and would be more than happy to discuss this in more detail with any of you. How we poker players can really make a difference I think is a pretty interesting topic.

We all spend so much time watching videos, reviewing our sessions, posting hands, sweating each other, getting coached, and trying to learn the best way to play. After a while, it starts to sink in. Eventually you learn what the right plays are in various spots, but then you still find yourself failing to execute those plays properly. You KNOW when the villain raises you on the river that you are beat, but you still can't muster the inner strength to click the fold button. Does this sound familiar?

If you start to see this common theme when reviewing your games and especially if you feel like you've hit a wall or a plateau with your game, there's a good chance that it's no longer a question of lack of knowledge but instead one of self control or discipline. When you dedicate time away from the table towards improving your game, you obviously want that time to be spent as efficiently as possible. For some of you, that time might be better spent improving your will power, self control and discipline as opposed to studying poker itself. Personally, I spend a lot of time working on my own self discipline and thought it would be nice to share.

The most important steps: exercise, eat well, and get a good sleep. I guarantee if you are not cultivating a healthy lifestyle, then you are playing sub-optimal poker. Pay close attention to how you perform at the tables on days when you've slept well versus days when you haven't. Keep a journal. The more you notice the improvements for yourself, the more it will motivate you to keep striving for a healthy body, mind, and spirit. I jog, I do yoga, I eat my veggies, and I try to maintain a regular sleep schedule with 7+ hours a night. I want to reach this uber-zen place where my emotions completely drop away when I play and every decision is optimal based on my knowledge and skill. I still have a ways to go.

In addition to the more obvious steps, you can more directly develop your self discipline through simple little exercises and small changes in your habits. There are a ton of "self-help" books (articles, youtubes, etc.) out there on this kind of thing. You don't have to be obese or manic-depressive in order to benefit from them. Google "develop self discipline". Here are a couple that I find useful:

http://bit.ly/8EUnv


http://bit.ly/3Tn2A4


Please share any sources that have really worked for you on the topic.

Videos Galore

For our next video installment of our Schmooze You can Use series (the one I'm doing w/Wooz), we will be reviewing a session of InternetPokers donking around for fun @ 200NL FR. I'm stoked for this to come out, as it will definitely made for some good material. There's so much in there that we had to break it into a couple episodes. Granted a good portion of it is InternetPokers making perfect plays, and us explaining why they're good.

Then I'll have another 3 parter series of me playing some live 200NL full ring. I'm looking forward to getting these out. I have a bunch of stuff I want to talk about and share with you guys. But this probably won't begin to air for a couple weeks, so I figured I'd go ahead and start sharing some advice with you guys via "Coach's tip of the week" in this blog. (disclaimer: I make no commitment to delivering them on a weekly basis. It just has a better ring than coaching tip of the 3 weeks or 8 weeks)

Coach's Tip: 3-bet AK in full ring games

I would venture to guess that the majority of you regs playing 400NL FR and below (possibly 600NL) are usually flatting with AK vs most reg opens. Sure, it's obvious to 3-bet this hand versus a fish as they call so wide, but you should also be at least periodically 3-betting this hand versus regs. (For now, I'm restricting this discussion primarily to IN POSITION btw.) I think it's become such a trend to flat with AK @ 200NL for example, that it's even a bit deceiving. You will sometimes get called by worse (AQ). Or you will get called by 99-QQ types that are going to have a bitch of a time playing OOP. But most importantly, it's going to usually be a more +EV play than flatting. When you flat, you will usually not flop anything and your opponent is usually going to fire. If you are still at the level that you're not sure when to raise or float or fold w/out a made hand, then 3-betting AK will CERTAINLY be more +EV for you.

Now, if you never 3-bet bluff, and everyone always folds to your 3-bet, because you only 3-bet with the top 2.3% of your range, then that's a separate issue. Think about it this way: if regs always fold to your 3-bets (which they will do if your 3-bet is 2.3%), then you will INSTANTLY and easily increase your winrate simply by adding a few "bluffs" to your 3-betting range.

Or there's the other issue that most people are concerned about: what if I get 4-bet? Haven't I just turned my hand into a bluff? Absolutely not. You 3-bet vs. a range which you deemed it to be +EV. When the villain 4-bets you, his range has now changed. And what do we think that range is? Seriously. What are you nits 4-betting with at FR? AA, KK? I bet some of you are flatting with KK. So ...duh, fold your AK. Now, if villain is 4-betting just wide enough that you honestly think you could be making a mistake by folding AK, then sure 3-betting would be a mistake. But I would argue vs. the majority of regs @ FR this is not the case.

So try it. I bet it will result in you making more money with the hand "when facing a raise". And it will make you tougher to play against. Let me know how it goes.

In other News

Poker's been SOOO good for me this month. After a few months being more focused on DJing and writing dance beats, I've finally cycled back to the thing that actually makes me money. It's been all poker this month, and my renewed efforts are paying off. With coaching + play I should easily clear $10k this month (maybe closer to $15?), and I've really been enjoying it. Well I rarely DON'T enjoy it, I suppose, but coaching for instance has been awesome. I've got a nice stable of new students that I'm really stoked about. I think they all have a lot of potential, and I'm very determined to help them realize that.

And I know I'm improving as a player. I forget who said it, but you should always be able to look back a month and easily say you're a better player. I certainly am now. I don't think I could've said that last month.

So how does this work exactly? I type. And you read? And at this point "you" is nothing more than this imaginary person in my head. Ok. I can deal with that. I do that sort of thing all the time.

But what about all these buttons and boxes. Once I'm done typing, I imagine I'll have to click a few of those in order to wrap this up properly. Sure. I'm game. We online poker players rock the nuts off buttons and boxes, right?

Oh. And content. Poker, I suppose. Or me. Or you? But you don't really exist. This is weird. I'm going to keep this first one short.

I am certainly eager to share and discuss plenty. Poker, me, you, and otherwise, but I'll take it slow. At first. I welcome you to prove that you exist and shed some light on the whole blogging thing if you're so inclined. This really is my first. Ever.

For now, here's a pic of setup/studio: