It's weird how we sometimes forget the most obvious things in poker and in life. Somewhere along the way, we get caught up in the elaborate bluffs, fancy plays and razorthin value bets. These things aren't inherently bad, that is as long as they don't obfuscate the solid foundation upon which they must rest. Ever since I got Supernova, something feels off with my game. I have trouble getting my target number of hands and even though i'm playing soundly for the most part, I feel rushed and stressed out. Although it didn't help that I ran 900$ under EV in my first 15k hands, I think what's wrong is deeper than that. It's certainly not a bankroll or winrate issue, as I still have over 80 buy-ins for NL100 and despite this last stretch I still have a very healthy winrate over my last 100k hands.
Somehow I just can't seem to pinpoint exactly what's shaking my confidence. Maybe it's the pressure of "going pro", although I have 0 financial concerns for the time being. Perhaps it has to do with my perception of what a pro is, with the bar being very high. In any case, I think I ought to take my own advice and, as long as things don't feel right, step down for a little while. As of today, I can't identify exactly what it is that's causing this state, but I think a nice stroll down with my beloved NL50 is just what I need while I sort it all out. In the end, there's no point to play if you're not having fun ; as a wise man once said : "a man whose only pay is his pay envelope is a poor man, no matter how much money is in the envelope".
Frank H -
RépondreSupprimerYou'll be fine. Maybe a concentration issue?
Played 9k hands at NL50 today with no care about bankroll whatsoever (150+ buy-ins ftw). Not only was my game a ton better, the stress and pressure of winning was all gone. The fact that games were great on a Saturday and that most people at NL50 are just so easy to read was just icing on the cake. Was just a confidence issue I guess, but i'm gonna stick around NL50 for awhile, i'm just having too much fun :)
RépondreSupprimerquick question:
RépondreSupprimerCould you make your next post on being a TAG is all about? Also, what do you think being a solid ABC TAG entails?
Thank you for posting great information, Frank! Please keep it up!
Good idea wing, i'll work on that next. Going back to fundamentals is just what I need at the moment!
RépondreSupprimerNice to see you are doing well at NL50. It's definitely a good idea to swap between the two to take some of the stress off you.
RépondreSupprimerQuestion: I know you used leak buster so is it worth getting it? If I get it will it help me with leaks even as low as 5NL? Did it play a big part in your current success?
Like wing_zero said above keep posting great info. I hope to make it pro someday as well..
TBH, I never used Leakbuster to its full potential, something I need to get around to when I get meaningful samples (at least 100k+). I like to use it when I do an in-depth review of my play, since the various filters help "see" the information/leaks better.
RépondreSupprimerI really don't recommend it for 5NL for 2 reasons.
1) The price is pretty steep, 80$ is 16 buy-ins at that level and it certainly won't be worth that in the short-run.
2) It's more of an "in-depth" tool, as in you need at least 100k hands to really make good use of it. Yes, the various videos help, but it's nothing you can't find for free on the 2+2 micros forum.
The point is that it's not a bad tool, its just that there's so much free information to master out there that will have a significant impact on your winrate that it's simply not worth getting at that level yet.
The one thing I really liked about it at first was that it gives you an idea of stat ranges. For example, what is considered a high cbet%, foldflopcbet%, because the default LB HUD uses color coding. The review tool also gives you generic "optimal stats" for quite a few stats which also helped me gauge how I was doing.
That being said, "perfect" stats just don't exist in poker. Obviously, you don't want your VPIP/PFR to be 60/5 but on the other hand, you shouldn't alter your play to adjust your stats, but rather to adjust to your opponents.
So while that info helped, it's certainly not worth 80$ for it alone, especially since you can prob find recommended/optimal stats on forums. In short, even though it's a useful tool, I don't think its worth the price tag at 5NL. Focus on your game & forums for now and once you've got 100-200k hands under your belt at 25NL or more you can consider the purchase. GL!
Alright thank you for letting me know about Leakbuster.
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