Improving your game
 

I am interested in how and what people do to improve their game.
Maybe me and others can learn a few ways.
I invite anyone who is interested to post a short story about what he does to improve.

I will start:
When I play a session, I save all hands I am not sure about in a document. After the session I post hands on the forum and I check the ICM hands in SNG wizzard. I used to take a print screen of the tables and paste it in the document, to have the stats of PAHUD of all players. Now I look for the stats in the PT database. I use those stats (VP$IP and PFR%) to set 'accurate' ranges. I also show some 'general' hands to other people for review. I chat with some people about poker as well.

Also I read most posted hands on the forum around my buyin and reply in some. I also try to read books. I am currently reading The Poker Mindset (very good IMO). I review some hands/tournies played by other people as well. Oh and of course I play a lot.

Re: Improving your game
 

I record 2 sets of 4-tables every day, making a video of my play with my commentary. If I get in a 'tuff spot during the recording, I will give a commentary to "myself" on how and why I play the hand. I have a program called SnagIt with which I make a screenshot of the hand. After the set is done I go through all the 'tuff situations. If I cant figure out the best play after I recorded the movie/set and reviewed the screenshots, I post the hand on 2+2. (which doesnt happen that often lol).
I'm guessing those videos I record every day are worth a big bunch of money... but I dont feel like putting them online or selling them. maybe in the future [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Also I've invested hundreds(if not thousands) of dollars in software/hardware/knowledge/subscriptions.. and still am adding to it. I guess if you aren't willing to make these investments, you will have a very hard time to improve as a poker player.

Re: Improving your game
 

I have a couple ideas that I'm saving for my pooh-bah post which will be in the next few days.

Re: Improving your game
 

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I record 2 sets of 4-tables every day, making a video of my play with my commentary. If I get in a 'tuff spot during the recording, I will give a commentary to "myself" on how and why I play the hand. I have a program called SnagIt with which I make a screenshot of the hand. After the set is done I go through all the 'tuff situations. If I cant figure out the best play after I recorded the movie/set and reviewed the screenshots, I post the hand on 2+2. (which doesnt happen that often lol).
I'm guessing those videos I record every day are worth a big bunch of money... but I dont feel like putting them online or selling them. maybe in the future [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Also I've invested hundreds(if not thousands) of dollars in software/hardware/knowledge/subscriptions.. and still am adding to it. I guess if you aren't willing to make these investments, you will have a very hard time to improve as a poker player.

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You record the video and give commentary live? Also what software/subscriptions have you got?

Re: Improving your game
 

What I do is, after every session:

Run through each game quickly using SNPT while the situations are still fresh in my mind. I then either figure out what I did wrong right on the spot or I make a note of it to go back and review it more in depth.

Of the ones I make a note of, I usually go back and look at them in morning when I am not playing. Most of the time you can figure things out yourself, but if I am still unsure I'll post it on 2+2 or discuss with friends.

One thing that really helped me out to not only review your session in depth but make jot down what was a better way of playing it or what could be another +EV way of playing it.

The important thing though is to actually APPLY your observations into your play in the next session. Easy to say but many times, at least for myself, you can get into robotic mode and play each hand exactly the same way...as oppoesd to adjusting to your opponet and the looseness of the table.

Like for instance, after reviewing my session I find I am not getting enough value out of my AK's. So I recently implemented limping AK on looser tables where there is a good chance there will be a raise behind me. If there is a raise, I can re-shove and get donkeys to call me off with crap hands.

Re: Improving your game
 

coaching other players and making videos actually helps me improve my game even at high buy ins in ways that i could not otherwise focus in on.

i also put my tournaments into hand replayers at random and run through them, making notes on my play and running close shoves to make sure i have a good feel for any grey-area spots.

i post on here a ton and talk with good tournament players on aim constantly.

i never stop trying to learn and absorb situations, scenarios, factors, theory, principles, opinions.

Re: Improving your game
 

your stuff is all really good, and id recommend it to anyone who's new/struggling @ sng's. also what amt said about making videos and coaching, sometimes when i play i pretend in my head im making a video or helping a noob, etc. lame but it helps me focus.

Re: Improving your game
 

After you have a large sample use PT to examine what type of hands/levels you are losing money. Post some of these hands and get advice.

Pick a couple guys posting/playing at your level that you believe have a good grasp on the game or at a similar understanding that you are. PM them, exchange some HHs and discuss. If there's a debate you can always post the hands in question for others opinions.

If you have some regulars that have played a number of games with, examine their play and try and figure out what their standard pushing/calling ranges are at different levels/positions chip stacks etc. Plug these into SNGPT, and note what your pushing/calling ranges should be against them and put these in your notes on them to have at the table. Also look for anything you can find that you can exploit about their game.

Re: Improving your game
 

I do have some concentration problems when I have already played a few sessions, especially early levels. It does not affect my play/result much and in later levels I am focused again. (Pretending to) make a video/coach might help.

Re: Improving your game
 

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sometimes when i play i pretend in my head im making a video or helping a noob, etc. lame but it helps me focus.

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I think this is a good thing, it's important to be able to justify and articulate in your mind the thought process behind the decisions you make. By doing this you can often figure out better lines to take, or spot leaks in your game while you are at the table.

Re: Improving your game
 

I often do the 'make a video' in my head thing. I'll mumble to myself all kinds of commentary. If there are hands i have questions about, i copy the HH immediately into a word doc and post them later. I recently downloaded SNGWiz, and i've been playing with that. I play about 32 SnGs a day, so I cant review them all, but sometimes i pick a couple at random and review most of the hands. I like using the quiz function on SNGWiz. About a week ago i did a bunch of hands on it just heads up to improve my instincts for HU push/fold game. I've done a bunch of just 4handed hands on the quiz thing too to make me sharp there as well. Really like that feature.

I don't really have any set pattern to when i do these things, but usually after/before/inbetween sets. All good things to do.

Re: Improving your game
 

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Like for instance, after reviewing my session I find I am not getting enough value out of my AK's. So I recently implemented limping AK on looser tables where there is a good chance there will be a raise behind me. If there is a raise, I can re-shove and get donkeys to call me off with crap hands.

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Am I wrong for thinking this is -EV?

Re: Improving your game
 

Probably negative EV regarding the reshove with AK. You might get some money from the stuff in the pot, but sometimes you will have to abandon the pot to a 4-bet, sometimes your resteal will run into AA/KK, and often enough you will be a slight underdog to a pocket pair TT-QQ. I think that adds up to a pretty marginal situation, wherein you might, just might be getting positive equity, but you smash yourself silly with variance and you probably don't maximize your expected value.

Re: Improving your game
 

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Probably negative EV regarding the reshove with AK. You might get some money from the stuff in the pot, but sometimes you will have to abandon the pot to a 4-bet, sometimes your resteal will run into AA/KK, and often enough you will be a slight underdog to a pocket pair TT-QQ. I think that adds up to a pretty marginal situation, wherein you might, just might be getting positive equity, but you smash yourself silly with variance and you probably don't maximize your expected value.

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Definitely see your point...but from my experience this has actually worked out pretty well, at least at the 24's. Bear in mind I don't do this with every AK I have.

You would not believe some of the things donks will call u of with. It almost as if they spite calling because of an ego thing. I would get called by like Arag,KQ,KJ,QJ,JToff suite connectors,or just absolute rag hands...Do I get outdrawed? of course, but I don't mind getting my money in as a 70/30 most of the time.

Re: Improving your game
 

The best way I ever found to improve is to exhange HH with a motivated player.

Re: Improving your game
 

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Pick a couple guys posting/playing at your level that you believe have a good grasp on the game or at a similar understanding that you are. PM them, exchange some HHs and discuss. If there's a debate you can always post the hands in question for others opinions.


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I know this is probably a good idea but it kind of feels like im helping the competition.

Any $16 players wanna do this? I know theres a bunch of you on here.

Re: Improving your game
 

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The best way I ever found to improve is to exhange HH with a motivated player.

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probably the single best thing you can do for your game, everyone heed rex....and do all the other stuff people said [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: Improving your game
 

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Pick a couple guys posting/playing at your level that you believe have a good grasp on the game or at a similar understanding that you are. PM them, exchange some HHs and discuss. If there's a debate you can always post the hands in question for others opinions.


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I know this is probably a good idea but it kind of feels like im helping the competition.

Any $16 players wanna do this? I know theres a bunch of you on here.

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PM me.

Re: Improving your game
 

read 20 posts a day and actively think about the hands.. This is esp. helpful before starting your session.

Make sure you have eaten and gotten a little excercise before playing. this is invaluable and too many players underestimate its worth.

Play around with all types of scenarios on SNG Power Tools..
Dont just make sure you made the right pushes.. but put players on different hands, play around with diff. ranges, etc. Change your postion and see what hands would be pushes vs varying stack sizes/calling ranges/blind levels. Its amazing how much knowledge you can extract from one single tournament by running 100's of diff. scenarios.

Learn to play cash. It will help you gain a better understanding of theory and post-flop play (although I realize postflop really not to important after first 3 levels)

GL

I played SNGs exculsively my first year as pro and these helped me.

Re: Improving your game
 

I copy any hand I'm not sure in a document and try to work with them later.
I'm pasting any pushsituation in wiz afterwards, and posting any non-push hand of those here.

I also do the coaching thing, I kinda thought it was really nerdy haha, but I literally talk hands to myself all the time, explaining why I do sth etc.
I think it helps a lot against tiltcalls, too nitty folds and stuff like that.

Also I often skype with buddies while they/I play, and we observe the tables of the other, telling hands, explaining why we play a hand how we play it, discussing different lines - obv you can't play this many tables when you do this, but it improved my game a lot.

Lately I've played some MTTs with some kinda laggy style, just to improve postflop skills which aren't that important for sngs, but improving is never bad and all the cool guys play lag, so yea, I'm gonna get into that too.

Re: Improving your game
 

i think a key point is to try to really understand the problem/situation and not try to just look for a simple answer to make easy money. always try to think about the reasoning if you dont do that you might succeed under certain game conditions and you wont be able to adjust to other circumstances.