Presentation of a Newb and questions about eV, sh, CB… SSNLHE

[lorenzo4ever]

Hi everybody,

I have discovered the 2+2 forums recently and I must admit that here is the perfect place to discuss about our passion of poker.

<u>What is my poker story?</u>

I am a student (4 year university degree) who has got time now to play poker at least 35 hours per week. I played poker a little for one year, sometimes in live, sometimes on Internet, and due to my ignorance of some fundamental concepts like money management or odds, I was a great loser. I am still surely a loser, but thanks to the 2+2 forums for all the knowledge accumulated there. From chump, I will become a champ.

<u>What is my goal?</u>

I want to beat NL200 (1/2) tables and win some stacks from Stoxtrader.

<u>How can I achieve this purpose?</u>

By playing a lot and getting experience of course. While I am waiting for my Internet provider to give me a connection at home (~15 days), I read articles from the 2+2 forums and I think of the game theory on my own.

I bought No Limit Hold’em Theory and Practice of Sklansky &amp; Miller, and a friend lent me Theory of Poker of Sklansky and Harrington 1 of Harrington. I read them all and keep them in my mind for later. I consider the game theory is here to help you to improve how you play and it is not the only way to stick with. To become a champ I must understand what there is beyond the theory.

I have just subscribed to a rakeback website and I am planning to play on Fulltilt. I bought Pokertracker and Poker Aces HUD to help me to achieve my goal.

To stack stoxtrader I will just overplay him when I meet him.

<u>Which obstacles am I meeting?</u>

As my play was based on my feelings, I must overpassed my bad habits and put my ego aside. My inexperience and my lack of game theory don’t help. I will fix that with your help. This is what I am: A lambda Newb.

<u>My questions.</u>

According to my bankroll of $500, I plan to play on NL25 tables. (I don’t want to risk more than 5% of my capital on a single stack). I read all the articles of the NL micro stakes FAQ section.

1) Do CG experts calculate each time for each move their eV (which, if I learnt correctly my lesson, is eV=(Pot Size)x(% of winning – %of losing)?

2) I know in NL a starting hands chart doesn’t get enough information to be THE rule to follow. I am a tight player who only plays : pocket pairs, AceX suited, suited connectors, suited one-gap connectors, and faced cards like AK AQ AJ KQ KJ… and I adapt to players (table, images, stacks size, raises/limps) and to my position (early position = very tight, late position = looser). What do you think of that philosophy?

3) I read articles on continuation bets which take sense when I see some videos like Stoxtrader’s ones.
[ QUOTE ]
Freak Daddy wrote :
- (½ the pot) If the Pot is 12BB and you make a continuation bet of only 6BB then you need to be successful only 34% of the time.
- (¾ of the pot)If the pot is 12BB and you make a continuation bet of 8BB, then you need to be successful 41% of the time.
- (Full pot size)If the pot is 12BB and you make a continuation bet of 12BB, then you need to be successful 51% of the time.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don’t understand how it is calculated. I see manipulating pot size like that : When I bet ½ of the pot, I give to my opponents 3-to-1 odds. So I have to win 1/4 of the pots to be even. When I bet ¾ of the pot, I give to my opponents ~2.3-to-1 odds. So I have to win at least 1/3.3 of the pots to be even. When I bet full pot size, I give to my opponent 2-to-1 odds. So I have to win at least 1/3 of the pots to be even.

4) I am wondering if continuation bets are worth of it when you are out of position. You don’t know that much from the pre-flop phase even if you may have a good idea of your opponent hands after some profiling. I understand how the continuation bet is powerful with position but I don’t understand with out of position.

That’s all for today. I am still studying the basic ideas of the NLHE micro stakes FAQ.

Thanks for your time and your help.

[lorenzo4ever]

And I would like to know what a 3bet and what the 5/10 rule are in NLHE please.

[doppelganger]

Welcome,

I think you have the kind of attitude that will make you improve quickly and become an asset to the forums.

[ QUOTE ]
I don’t understand how it is calculated. I see manipulating pot size like that : When I bet ½ of the pot, I give to my opponents 3-to-1 odds. So I have to win 1/4 of the pots to be even. When I bet ¾ of the pot, I give to my opponents ~2.3-to-1 odds. So I have to win at least 1/3.3 of the pots to be even. When I bet full pot size, I give to my opponent 2-to-1 odds. So I have to win at least 1/3 of the pots to be even.

[/ QUOTE ]

You're on the right track here, but you want to think about the odds the pot is offering to you for the C-bet, not the pot odds you are offering your opponents. The value of a C-bet is calculated based on how often your opponent FOLDS. So the a 1/2 pot bet is offering 2:1 odds TO YOU, which means they have to fold 34% of the time or more for your bet to show an immediate break-even/profit.

3-bet is just another way to say "re-raise." 1. Bet 2. Raise 3. Re-raise (3-bet)

If you re-read the post you linked to you will notice that the "poker player" is someone who is doing all of the EV calculations intuitively because they have internalized the calculations to the point they are automatic. No one has time to do all that math at the table for each hand.

Looking forward to discussing with you!

Edit: Oh, and the 5/10 rule basically is a rule of thumb for calling a raise PF when you are in position with a reasonable speculative hand like a suited connector or small pocket pair. If the bet is less than 5% of your opponent's stack it's an easy call, if it's more than 10% it's an easy fold, if it's somewhere in between then it requires you to use your judgement. (This assumes you have the same chips or more than your opponent. If he's got you covered then you apply the percentages to your stack.)

[Monster207]

Ya that 5/10 rule is in the pot limit &amp; no limit book by stweart and ciaffone. awesome read.. Nice post and I am pretty much in the same boat as you. Look forward to discussing future hands.

[lorenzo4ever]

Hello Doppelganger and Monster207, thanks for the greeting and the responses.

That will be a pleasure to contribute of the forums value but now I am so much inexperimented (in the good path) that I need to practice and to analyse real cases. The 2+2 forums are very rich in informations and added to the books theory there is so much to learn.

For the moment, I am sticking with the NLHE micro-stakes FAQ and a bootcamp I have adapted from Fimbulwinter's killer post.

I think hands analysis are very interesting to do because it gives some point of view different of ours. That is perfect to open our minds.

[ QUOTE ]
If you re-read the post you linked to you will notice that the "poker player" is someone who is doing all of the EV calculations intuitively because they have internalized the calculations to the point they are automatic.

[/ QUOTE ]

Roger that. So feedback is more important than I expected because by analysing your hands history, you memorize some way to play correctly and you can correct some bad moves.

I don't know what is the mathematics explanation behind the 5/10 concept but I find it interesting.

[doppelganger]

[ QUOTE ]
I don't know what is the mathematics explanation behind the 5/10 concept but I find it interesting.

[/ QUOTE ]

Essentially it boils down to your implied odds after the flop. If you play a small pocket pair, such as 66, you will hit a set on the flop about 1 out of 8.5 times, requiring 7.5:1 pure odds if you assume your set will win the opponent's stack 100% of the time.

The 5/10 rule requires the bet you are calling to be less than 10% of the villain's stack in order to guarantee the 7.5:1 odds you need, plus a little more to account for those times you will flop a set but still lose the hand.

It's not precise, but it's a handy little rule of thumb to have in your tool kit.