Stoxtrader is "In the Well"

[We Major]

First of all, thanks for doing this. Here are some random questions, thoughts, etc.

1. What are the 5 biggest leaks that you see at SSNL - MSNL games? Also, how did you go about finding and plugging the leaks in your game?
2. What sorts of things do you look for when trying to exploit the regulars and how much do you look at stats like WTSD or Fold to CBet?
3. I'm pretty entrepreneurial and have started a couple businesses and have always had some questions about stoxpoker and CR and have spent some time thinking about what I'd do to differentiate. I know you mentioned that stoxpoker was break even. What are your goals with the stoxpoker website? Do you view CR as a competitor (I'm a member at both sites)? Do you think it may be hard to compete since they have a larger member base and it's hard to differentiate based on depth and breadth of video library with their headstart?
4. Any plans to learn a new game? PLO seems to be the rage nowadays.

Also can you do more HU from both point of view videos on stoxpoker like the cottonseed stox matchup? I found that to be pretty valuable.

[StoxPoker]

[ QUOTE ]
Also can you do more HU from both point of view videos on stoxpoker like the cottonseed stox matchup? I found that to be pretty valuable.

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We have two head-up matches with dual hole cards in our backlog to be posted. One is with Stox and Cottonseed (a NL match) and the other is Stox and TheBryce (a limit match).

We will be posting the Stox-Cottonseed match from Stox's POV this Saturday as a bonus video (in addition to a NEW MTWTF release schedule we are now committing to each week).

We will follow-up with a post of the same match from Cottonseed's POV a few days later.

As to the match with Bryce, we will announce the release date on it sometime next week.

[gbporkpie]

What a great topic. Just randomly stumbled upon this part of the forum and I'm glad I did.

You (and many others) have started online grinding with LHE and then later picker up NLHE. I, like probably a lot of people who've just recently started playing, started with NLHE. It's by far my best game and with the current lucrative state of the lower stakes NLHE games, it's been good to me.

So, do you think there's any value in learning LHE? Is being able to beat the big games in both a big advantage for you, or would you advise a newcomer to just focus on one game?

Taking an even more of a large-scale view, where do you think the big profits will lie in online poker in the future? PLO seems to be on the rise now and a lot of NL players have switched there and posted some great results. Do you think we'll see a lot of changes like this in the future of poker? Will we see another really dramatic swing like the rise of NL cash 3-4 years ago?

Where will the dead money be tomorrow and how should the online grinder prepare?

Thanks!

[stoxtrader]

[ QUOTE ]
First of all, thanks for doing this. Here are some random questions, thoughts, etc.

1. What are the 5 biggest leaks that you see at SSNL - MSNL games? Also, how did you go about finding and plugging the leaks in your game?
2. What sorts of things do you look for when trying to exploit the regulars and how much do you look at stats like WTSD or Fold to CBet?
3. I'm pretty entrepreneurial and have started a couple businesses and have always had some questions about stoxpoker and CR and have spent some time thinking about what I'd do to differentiate. I know you mentioned that stoxpoker was break even. What are your goals with the stoxpoker website? Do you view CR as a competitor (I'm a member at both sites)? Do you think it may be hard to compete since they have a larger member base and it's hard to differentiate based on depth and breadth of video library with their headstart?
4. Any plans to learn a new game? PLO seems to be the rage nowadays.

Also can you do more HU from both point of view videos on stoxpoker like the cottonseed stox matchup? I found that to be pretty valuable.

[/ QUOTE ]

5 leaks -

not stealing enough
not getting to showdown enough (doesnt mean be a calling station)
playing too tight in position
playing too loose OOP
not finding enough spots to slowplay/give free cards

how i find leaks in my own game - grinding pokertracker/math/excel and talking hands a bunch with friends.

exploiting regulars/anyone - just look for stats that are out of line and wait for a situation to exploit. lots of hands play themselves regardless of your opponents tendencies but some crop up where a few different lines would make more sense based on villain. wtsd and fold stats i def look at. too bad almost everyone plays good at high limits now.

3. great questions, some of which I'd probably be happier discussing in private. if you have idea/suggestions please sned them to me via email or PM. stoxpoker is breakeven but is gaining some good traction and the only reason it is breakeven is because our ownership has decided to invest revenue into content and technology. I do think the website has a significant value. CR is somewhat of a competitor but we don't really worry about it too much as they don;t really worry about us. lots of things can happen in the future, be it consolidation or marekt growth, but we think there is plenty of room for us to grow and I would just as soon CR continues to have the fantastic success it has had. very rarely is it at our "expense" and rarely are our victories at theirs.

4. PLO at some point i think yes. ppl seem to enjoy it and I will probably learn it. luckily I have enough to fill my time right now so I have been saying this about PLO for a year and done nothing so who knows.

HU vids in the works - made two verygood ones last week, I think both matches should be very interesting.

[stoxtrader]

[ QUOTE ]
What a great topic. Just randomly stumbled upon this part of the forum and I'm glad I did.

You (and many others) have started online grinding with LHE and then later picker up NLHE. I, like probably a lot of people who've just recently started playing, started with NLHE. It's by far my best game and with the current lucrative state of the lower stakes NLHE games, it's been good to me.

So, do you think there's any value in learning LHE? Is being able to beat the big games in both a big advantage for you, or would you advise a newcomer to just focus on one game?

Taking an even more of a large-scale view, where do you think the big profits will lie in online poker in the future? PLO seems to be on the rise now and a lot of NL players have switched there and posted some great results. Do you think we'll see a lot of changes like this in the future of poker? Will we see another really dramatic swing like the rise of NL cash 3-4 years ago?

Where will the dead money be tomorrow and how should the online grinder prepare?

Thanks!

[/ QUOTE ]

there is a tradeoff between investing in future earnings (learning new games), and grinding for maximum current profit. I think NLHE and LHE will always be here and PLO will join the ranks of the "main games" soon.

I do think it gets easier to learn each successive form of poker because a lot of the skill that make a good poker player are not game specific...If I had to say i would encourage ppl to learn those three games: LHE, NLHE and PLO.

I thikn future profits will continue to be in those three spots and I don't see one game really killing the other two.

[GutPunch]

What is your weekly play (volume) like now-a-days? How much time a week do you actually spend doing poker related stuff? What sites do you play on most frequently? What limits do you play the most at?

With the current state of the mid-stakes games, which are substantially more difficult now, what do you feel is the best limit and game (NLHE/LHE) for an online pro to grind out a living?

Also, can one of you pros do a video showing how important table selection is? (What programs you use and how you actually go about doing it, ect) I would love to see the leatherass table selection process, since he plays accross many limits and probably has a lot of tables/seats he can choose to play or not play.
thanks

[zesi]

What times of the day do you usually play poker?..

I assume that you don't have a schedule or anything.. but e.g.: do you grind from 9 to 5, or do you start at 8p.m. and grind till 3a.m.? or several shorter sessions?

[OOPSYDOOPSYBRO]

what are your thoughts about mad caddy

[stoxtrader]

[ QUOTE ]
What is your weekly play (volume) like now-a-days? How much time a week do you actually spend doing poker related stuff? What sites do you play on most frequently? What limits do you play the most at?

With the current state of the mid-stakes games, which are substantially more difficult now, what do you feel is the best limit and game (NLHE/LHE) for an online pro to grind out a living?

Also, can one of you pros do a video showing how important table selection is? (What programs you use and how you actually go about doing it, ect) I would love to see the leatherass table selection process, since he plays accross many limits and probably has a lot of tables/seats he can choose to play or not play.
thanks

[/ QUOTE ]

I've started writing a weekly (tuesdays) blog on stoxpoker where I give hands played and profit numbers. generally I play about 40k hands a month. I play mostly at stars/ftp and play 5/10-100/200 NL. Have played a few thousand hands at 200/400 NL.

between playing and stoxpoker I probably spend 40-50 hours/week on poker.

best limit/game would be different for different people. The two biggest factors being skill level and risk tolerance/bankroll. grinding 1/2-5/10 NL at a big site does allow for lots of game selection and plenty of games almost 24 hours a day tho, no other game/limits can really offer that for a pro (lower can but that would be too low for a pro i think)

table selection is mentionned in a lot of my videos, but has not been the focus of any. you can make a request in the videos forum for LA to do that, or make it a topic in one of his future videos, I know he already has a few on his plate but he does a pretty good job trying to get to all the requests.

[stoxtrader]

[ QUOTE ]
What times of the day do you usually play poker?..

I assume that you don't have a schedule or anything.. but e.g.: do you grind from 9 to 5, or do you start at 8p.m. and grind till 3a.m.? or several shorter sessions?

[/ QUOTE ]

no set schedule, but I play a bunch on sundays when i can, a lot on mondays all day, then shorter sessions the rest of the week usually a little in the morning and a bit in the veneing after the kids go to bed.