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Sam's path through the micros to PLO100
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Sam's path through the micros to PLO100
Hi everyone I’m Sam,
I’m a 33-year-old Computer Science teacher and software developer who just seems to keep coming back to poker!
After playing poker during the first internet boom, in the ‘golden era’ as a student I really enjoyed the soft as anything games and opportunity to make some much-needed money – $10 a day was my goal and I was loving the journey. I would read about the game and play everything (razz, NLH, Omaha hi/low, PLO) and was doing pretty well turned $25 into almost $1000. Then after an unforeseen bad experience, I stopped playing for around 5 years, until I discovered PLO ‘properly’, again reading more about PLO specifically and hitting the forums and software with more intent. However, this time was a little different – I was playing volume ‘the tight, slight winner’ and passion for the game declined, especially after some downswings.
This time around feels much more like the first – after interacting with lots of content, re-reading the ‘Mental Game of Poker’, taking tons of notes, and building a dynamic profile of my game – even after the bad sessions (which, as you probably know too well, is a REAL struggle!). After reading/watching some of JNandez really useful content, I decided to sign up to the mastermind 🙂
Profile
Strengths: Study hard, work well with others, enjoy learning, and practicing together and alone.
Weaknesses: The tilt monkey, leaving poker at the table (sometimes).
Current goals:
REALLY ENJOY playing and learning!
Long – play PLO100, not worry about 10 buy-in downswing.
Short – Play as well as I can at any given moment, detach from the negative feelings associated with poker after playing.
Session – (usually) mark hands I have to think about a lot, recognize and inject logic when the tilt monkey rears his head 😡🐒, follow up sessions by updating my game ‘zone profile’.
Really looking forward to getting involved with the community and this next journey!!
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68 Replies
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Really into keeping my A – C profile update date right now. It’s a place I keep track of my perception of my A, B and C games.
Before and after sessions I check in with it, then when I realise something about my game or it feels like there is something kinda off ‘an accumulation of information’, I just add to it.
So here it is:
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Also keeping a record of when I’m playing really well and when I’m not – so also keeping track of things that I notice about when I’m playing well (in the zone):
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… and when I’m not (out of the zone):
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FYI, A-C and zone profiles are from the book “The Mental Game of Poker 2”
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Hey Sam!
Welcome to the PLO Mastermind great to have you apart of it!
‘REALLY ENJOY playing and learning!’ really like that you put this as a goal, as you need to really enjoy something to keep doing it and further learning, as I think you’ve found with yourself in the past you’ve fallen in and out of love with the game a few times!
However, I think the approach you’re already taking, keeping detailed notes before and after sessions, creating this log for some accountability shows that you really have the passion and determination to make poker work, so let’s get to work making this happen!
Best of luck with the goals and look forward to seeing you more active within our community!
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Such positive vibes here! Thank you for your message and help on Discord already – think this alone is worth the subscription 🙂
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And you’re so right about the learning, being a teacher I may be biased, but I think learning (on many different levels) is what keeps the passion for something alive. Are you still learning new things now? How are you keeping it fresh? PLO solvers and the likes?
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Appreciate the kind words, and again you are more than welcome 🙂
I personally do not play poker, I work full time for the PLO Mastermind but find myself learning new things every day when it comes to helping people with certain things whether it be within the PLO Mastermind content or even with paths on how to overcome certain issues that people have with poker and come to me for advice.
However, the coaches are definitely doing that, exploring new strategies working heavily with solvers and just constantly learning and improving. That’s generally what is great with poker there’s never an end to the road of learning and things are consistently changing.
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Ohh ok cool, to you you’re to ‘goto guy’, which every successful business needs! Really good to know 🙂
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Evening session highlight – PLO5 ZOOM 2 tables
A much softer game this evening seeing situations like this !! I couldn’t quite believe it!!
To keep variance low I’m opting to cash out in the crazy micro stakes games. It’s working well for me because a bad session I’m down one or two buy-ins as oppose to MUCH MORE
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Session review – [PLO5 ZOOM 2 tables]
Notes
Not feeling 100% focussed, to begin with, but am accumulating a lot of information so it’s to be expected. Playing B game.
Positives
Felt on edge a little, to begin with, but as the frustration popped up after ‘bad’ hands, I immediately reviewed them.
Was talking through spots and thinking about opponents’ ranges and actions and what that player might do in that situation.
Making player notes.
Enjoyed the session on the whole 🙂
Things to improvement
Betting size and frequency oop – there were a few spots I felt like I was forcing the action.
Session Goals
Follow up sessions with notes <b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>✅
Avoid the tilt monkey ✅
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Bad beat of the session
Money in here
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River killer (luckily I’d cashed out
)
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Session review – [PLO5 ZOOM 2 tables]
Notes
Ante structure and lots of short stacks made the game quite tricky to navigate. Also, some players are just downright wild!!
There might be a really good opportunity to short stack because of the ante at micro stakes.
Positives
Stuck to the gameplan and session goals.
After watching some of the ‘Escape the micro stakes’ videos on how blockers and unblockers played a role, I was able to adjust the strategy in some spots.
Made more notes and followed the player marking strategy from ‘Escape the micro stakes’ video.
Things to improvement
More analysis required – need to setup software to find leaks in-game and HUD to better exploit opponents.
Adjust bet size for regulars – bet smaller. Not many of my value bets were being called.
Session goals
1. Enjoy playing – remember I’m lucky to be in the position and have the time to play <b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>✅
2. Recognize early signs of tilt and break it off <b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>✅
3. Flag players and hands ✅
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Session review – [PLO2 3 tables]
Notes
Switched to PLO2 whilst adjusting /getting used to HUD.
Positives
Focussed the entire session. Really working hard to take good notes and maintain a high standard of play throughout.
Bet size adjustments made – feedback from the previous session.
Things to improvement
Streamline HUD and note taking – it seems a little slow sometimes.
Too many goals/things to think about this session – didn’t hit all of the session goals.
Session goals
1. Adjust UTG range based on button stats – 3b in particular
2. Adjust BU open based on blinds re-steal stats
3. Enjoy playing (as always)
4. Flag players with 3B wider than 3/4%
(too busy taking other notes) -
Session review – [PLO2 3 tables]
Notes
Switched back to PLO5 one table whilst adjusting /getting used to HUD.
Positives
Getting used to HUD and checking in on opponents – it helps to keep focus, find potential leaks of opponents, and doubles up to help think about my own game.
Things to improvement
GTO preflop is not solid – having to flag and check quite a few hands, especially when there are multiple opponents.
Session goals
1. Adjust UTG range based on button stats – 3b in particular
2. Adjust BU open based on blinds re-steal stats
3. Enjoy playing (as always)
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Really enjoying the structure of your posts the way you lay them out with things to improve on the goals you had for your sessions etc keep it up and naturally don’t be too disheartened when you don’t achieve everything these things are going to happen, just keep working at it it’ll all eventually come together and click!
One thing I would say is just be careful of using that cash out feature although it seems like a positive thing, it essentially just makes things tougher in the long run as I believe you are giving up 1% or so every time you use this feature, which becomes a significant amount being given up long term and just makes the process even tougher.
Keep up the good work and keep up the updates 🙂
Ash
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Thank you Ash! I really appreciate the moral support 🙂
Yes, it really does suck to giving up that extra 1%, as you say especially in the long term. That said one of the things I still hate (and it’s definitely a flaw in my game that I’m working on) is losing 10 or 20 buy-ins so I’m using it in the short term to avoid this situation. Sooo, whilst I’m learning and the money / winrate is a) quite variable and b) doesn’t matter all that much, it’s a short term strategy that means I don’t have to stop playing after losing 5 stacks or whatever.
Thanks again for the continued support – really do enjoy reading your messages too haha
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Session review – [PLO5 ZOOM 1 table]
Notes
Feeling more confident about my PLO5 game, what I need to do before, during and after sitting down at the table. It’s really mentally stimulating playing with the HUD setup recommended and explained by Andreas in the ‘Escape the Micros’ series!
Positives
Good flow and vibe during the session.
Played well 90% of the time.
More sure about preflop hands.
Things to improvement
River calls – still calling the odd river that should probably be a fold.
Session goals
Focus on EP range:
Tighten up
Check BU call and 3b stats if applicable, then mp and co
Mark players with new colour system
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