The Well - DaveBreal

[davebreal]

[ QUOTE ]
1) you (from what I read in your posts here and in LJ) were basically a pretty mediocre $200 PLO8/NLO8 until about half a year ago, and now you kick ass. What sparked the change? Any sudden realizations, any changes in play? Or did you just move up levels and find out that the play wasnt any better than at the lower stakes?

[/ QUOTE ]

my biggest adjustments were playing more aggressively, and taking advantage of position more. i guess i started observing the winningest players more... and tried to mock their games.. i'm still not there. people get slightly less clueless when you move up in stakes, but many overcompensate by being too weak-tight or by overplaying draws and bluffing too much.

[ QUOTE ]
2) You seem to get in an ungodly number of hands. How many tables on average are you playing. How many hours a day do you play?

[/ QUOTE ]

I generally play 9 tables on Stars and 1 on Full Tilt for now (simultaneously). I probably average 40-50 hours/week. I'm sure I've had weeks where I've played 60-70 hours though.

[ QUOTE ]
3) What are the biggest strategy adjustments from PLO8 to NLO8?

[/ QUOTE ]

biggest adjustment is the play of AAxx in NLO8. there is less skill in NLO8, since pot manipulation is an art form in itself.

[ QUOTE ]
4) Is your name meant to be read as "Dave Breal" or "Dave Be Real"?

[/ QUOTE ]

the latter

[ QUOTE ]
5) Which AC games do you play and why? How is the LO8 out there?

[/ QUOTE ]

$5/$10 O8, $5/$10 Stud-high, $3/$6 O8/Stud8 2-way, sometimes $1/$2 NLHE. I am bankrolled to play higher, but I haven't been doing well live lately... I plan on playing the $15/$30 O8/Stud8 game soon but there is a full-kill so the game plays pretty big. Trump's Taj Mahal is the place to be for non-hold 'em games... the other casinos don't consistently have O8. Seems to me that $5/$10 is running 80%+ of the time, and on weekends its not uncommon for a 2nd "must-move" table to fill in. The $5/$10 O8 game is generally very loose-passive, especially pre-flop.
There is no $10/$20 or $15/$30 O8 game.. the next level is $15/$30 O8/Stud8 (1/2hr of each) This game probably runs next frequently. I believe higher stakes may also run on weekends.


[ QUOTE ]
6) Seems from your blog like youre playing a lot more SH and HU than you used to. Is that just because thats whats available/profitable at higher limits, or is this a change in preference/focus on your part?

[/ QUOTE ]

I do ok with SH & HU, but my motivation is just to start new games and have them fill in. Very few other regulars are willing to do this. After the legislation passed the PLO8 traffic on Stars took a nosedive, so I had to help encourage others to come back. Originally Full Tilt was claiming more of the traffic, but I think that has changed. i will now pat myself on the back, since i am very successful at starting $3/$6, $2/$4, and $1/$2 games... they almost always fill in.

HU and SH is challenging and sometimes fun though.. it encourages a lot of overzealous shottakers because they don't have to jump onto a waiting list. Of course the variance is nuts.

[ QUOTE ]
7) What non-PLO8 games do you play, and which are you best at? I think I remember something about a WCOOP FT in stud.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, I took down 7th in Stud-high in the '06 WCOOP... took an unlucky break when my AAx lost to someone gambling with 77(3). My other best games are probably Stud/8 and NLHE tournaments. In order of proficiency I'd say:

PLO8->Stud/8->LO8->NLHE->Stud-high->HORSE->PLO->PLHE->LHE->5CD->Razz->2-7td

I do enjoy all of them, and constantly read books and forums to get better at all games.

More questions?

p.s. we should get another poster to do a well in Feb.

[niss]

Isn't the $15/$30 O8/Stud8 game at the Taj really a $15/$30/$45 game? I would imagine it plays pretty big already. No?

[franknagaijr]

Are you using pokertracker or some other software to keep track of villains on the 9 tables? To what degree do you rely on it when you have no other read?

[davebreal]

[ QUOTE ]
Isn't the $15/$30 O8/Stud8 game at the Taj really a $15/$30/$45 game? I would imagine it plays pretty big already. No?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes and Yes... I'm surprised you haven't played in it.

[davebreal]

[ QUOTE ]
Are you using pokertracker or some other software to keep track of villains on the 9 tables? To what degree do you rely on it when you have no other read?

[/ QUOTE ]

I do not refer to PTO while playing. I refer to my player notes and recent HHs for making reads. I have experimented with a HUD (heads-up display), but I found it too intrusive on my screen, and too distracting overall.

Generally our player pool is pretty small though...

[amaranto]

1. While the answer for NLHE is probably "oodles", how many people would you say are making a comfortable living ($60k+) playing PLO8 online?

2. When you were learning PLO8, how much time did you spend reviewing your hand histories and the math involved? (For example: 2/3 playing, 1/3 analysis).

3. I noticed that PLO is way down your list. Is there that little of an overlap between PLO8 skills and PLO or have you just not spent as much time playing it?

4. Favorite vegetarian restaurant?

5. Is NLO8 a fad or just representative of the fact that NLHE players don't want to bother with learning pot limit anything?

[Drizztdj]

Good luck on the new year.

You might see me at the tables soon... if gov't doesn't screw us all over first :|

[selurah]

Dave,

Who is the biggest winner (besides yourself) in your PT database for the Stars PL 0/8 games? How many hands do you have on this person?

[davebreal]

[ QUOTE ]
1. While the answer for NLHE is probably "oodles", how many people would you say are making a comfortable living ($60k+) playing PLO8 online?

[/ QUOTE ]

very few, as they would seemingly be forced to play on Stars now. i'd guess less than 30. greg, mendacious.. what do you estimate?

[ QUOTE ]
2. When you were learning PLO8, how much time did you spend reviewing your hand histories and the math involved? (For example: 2/3 playing, 1/3 analysis).

[/ QUOTE ]

actually 2/3 playing, 1/3 analysis sounds like a decent guess to me. i still review probabilities, but i think i can usually pull off ballpark %'s fairly quickly now. get's a little tricky in multiway pots though.

[ QUOTE ]
3. I noticed that PLO is way down your list. Is there that little of an overlap between PLO8 skills and PLO or have you just not spent as much time playing it?

[/ QUOTE ]

there are a lot of nuances in both games, and i haven't put in enough hours with PLO. i still don't know if AK23ds is a good hand in PLO!

[ QUOTE ]
4. Favorite vegetarian restaurant?

[/ QUOTE ]

small chain in NJ called Veggie Heaven, high quality food, extensive menu, with mainly a traditional chinese theme. locations are in Parsippany, Teaneck, and Montclair. very popular with non-vegetarians as well.

[ QUOTE ]
5. Is NLO8 a fad or just representative of the fact that NLHE players don't want to bother with learning pot limit anything?

[/ QUOTE ]

NLO8 has been around for a few years, so I don't think it's a fad. honestly the number of tables seem to have declined heavily in the past 6 months. most NLO8 players overbet constantly (myself included), this can scare off too much action.

[davebreal]

[ QUOTE ]
Good luck on the new year.

You might see me at the tables soon... if gov't doesn't screw us all over first :|

[/ QUOTE ]

they are trying their hardest.