I'm sure there is a Drake pun in there somewhere if we look hard enough.

Welcome to the site, what are your goals for March, do you have fixed amount of hours per week/hands?

Some of there freerolls are good value too you should check out them out too.

Cheers mate,


Well I suppose my goal for March was to get used to the site, start making basic notes on other players and try not to lose any money! I've got to say it's been an absolute roller coaster. Within the first few days I was down to 3 buy-ins. I was raging, from my point of view every hand was a cooler and the system was rigged. They weren't, and it's not...

I stepped away from the table and watched all the micro stuff again and actually paid attention this time. Whereas previously I was looking at my hand and thinking 'I've got to win here' I changed to 'what position am I playing from? how was it opened?' So along with tightening up, I've also learnt a huge lesson which I don't think is enforced enough... you can fold KK, AA etc... post flop.

So with my change of play I've just pushed my bankroll to a little over where I started, which I'm pretty happy with. I've also made some canny notes which helped me make some big calls against certain players.

So I've ended the week with an increased bankroll of about 5% and qualified for all of next week's freeroll events through say poker.

I feel I've made massive progress with my poker. I felt One of the last hands I played this week really highlights the change in my play.

I hold A7 suited and make a standard opening of 3BB in the CO. Table folds except button who calls. I've got him/her noted as playing extremely aggressive.

Flop reads K77. As per my notes my plan is to allow this player to either bluff at me and raise the river (cards depending) we both check the Flop. Turn is a queen. I check again and Player makes a half pot bet so I allow the time bank to run down just long enough to make it seem like a hard call.

River is an 8 and doesn't change anything (no threat of a flush). At this point I'm tempted to make a value bet however i checked to allow a bluff. Player bets just under pot size.

So... my plan worked but I thought id raise to all in as I thought I might get max value this way? Player folded so it didn't work out but still happy with how I played it but would like to hear from anyone who has different ideas?

Think that line with A7 is solid and it just depends on the size of the pot if an all in is good but it sounds well thought out and logical!

Probably just ran into a complete bluff so it did work out for you really as you induced that river bet! WP

Hi Jon, thanks for the advice, thanks for the free videos and advice!


I've not had the time to play poker as much as I'd have like to this week and as a result I've not qualified even for the free rolls on sky poker. . Not sure How long people tend to play for however I found I played best with a short to medium stack range. Every time I hit 75% of the buy in (2/4NL), roughly 150 BB, I never seem to be able to increase it as I always get crushed or make a stupid mistake. I've started taking breaks and moving tables when ever I hit that number no matter how many hands have been played. It seems to be working as my bankroll is currently sitting at £42 from £30.

Play wise I've had some rough beats. I had Kings smashed by a full house. A full house smashed by quads and my king high flush beaten by the Ace... I'm sure its happened to everyone and I'm glad I've went through it as its good to feel what its like. On the plus side I also folded Kings and Aces to what I believed to be better hands which a wouldn't have done previously.

Honestly the biggest help I've had is making sure I take notes on players which give away there ranges. I've had a particular guy go all-in twice with me now with small pocket pairs pre flop. I just don't think he realises that I've got him nailed. I've not played any higher limits yet but on pretty much every table I've played on there's been one or two guys drop on with the minimum buy in and just burn through their money... happy days.

A few leaks I think I'd like to work on though, small pocket pairs. Now, I standard raise these from all positions and see a flop (unless re-raised) so I'm happy enough pre-flop however when the flop comes obviously I hardly hit a set (which isn't a surprise). But I've not developed a plan for this. I have started to C-bet a lot more and I've found this to be quite effective. I've also started to delay a C-bet to the turn in the hope I'll improve anyway.

As always feel free to chip in with advice / comments.

Note making is the ultimate crushing tool. I think their have been so many softwares developed over the years which go up to super advanced that people forget the basics.

HUDS help a ton, running sims helps a ton, going through solvers helps a ton......so do notes!

Keep at it¬

On the subject of note taking here's an article I wrote last year: How To Take Poker Notes on Players. Poker can be though at times especially when you're starting at micros but keep at it and I'm sure you'll get some nice results. Going from 30 to 42 quid might not seem like much, but you've made a profit equal to almost half of your initial bankroll which is actually pretty great.

Finally managed to find time to update my blog. Works been full of crazy people (literally) and the usual bank holiday idiots that can’t handle a drink.

Poker wise, managed to get in quite a few hours still and managed to maintain a positive bankroll. I’ve experienced a lot of variance too. Had a full house beat by quads, straight by a flush etc… was guttered at first as I got my money in but realising that it happens to everyone so… meh.

Also I got my first straight flush and got paid out. Every man and his dog limped in so I just checked 10c 8s in the big, to be honest I would have folded to any raise as it’s a proper gash hand.
Flop comes Qc Jc 9c. small checked I bet ½ pot. Everyone folds and small calls. I improved slightly on the turn with 8c.
Small checked over to me so I bet another half pot to which he raised all-in. I think he hit the flush with a king so I suppose he’s going to call me no matter what but it felt good to see the 2nd top hand. Looking forward to a Royal.

Now I’m guessing it’s a micro thing but everyone seems to want to limp and see a flop. It’s annoying at times but its quite good picking up the money with a C-bet after re-raising but missing the flop. Note taking is coming along too. One of the main ones I’ve felt benefit me is marking what people are shoving with and when i.e. 22 pre-flop etc… Really helped a few times with calling people down.
Last hand I played I’d previously seen the bloke shove with A5s preflop. I had pocket 8s and made a call on a 7 high board. He turned over 76s and I held.
Final thing I’m currently playing on sky poker and didn’t think they allowed HUDs? Any other software you’d recommend?

Cheers.

Sky Poker is quite soft so I would advise staying on there, think you'd improve your game and table reading more without a HUD too. As for sites that do have a HUD, I'd say iPoker as you can get some tasty deals on PokerVIP.

Huds are overrated imo, I feel it makes people mass grind and they never really get better or move up as fast than if they did not use it.

100% play on SKY Poker....one thing is to realize how lucky you are that you can play on there. It is only open to England and a couple other countries and it is a real goldmine! @jongordon84 can vouch for this as can I!

Hell yeah! I don't think there's a softer site tbh, but then I haven't played above NL10. I've been playing on iPoker for a few months to work on my game and even at NL5 it's so much tougher. It's limp city on Sky so as long as you can stand the constant limp-calling and cold callers when you iso raise, you can run up a bankroll pretty quick. I'll be heading back to the cash tables there soon.

The biggest problem with most euro-friendly poker sites is that they are infested with eastern European micro grinders who can play well enough to win 1-33bb/100 + rakeback.

Sky turns regs away because of its not so great software and that only 3 countries can play on it.

Agreed with HUDs. I didnt like using one to be honest and I like my note making on different players.

Bankroll is still hovering in the plus which I suppose is good considering im only playing on 1 table per session to try to improve my game.

Quick question for you all about a hand I've just played.

I'm small blind with KcQh - UTG limps 1BB - mid position raises to 4BB

Every man and his dog flat call - (I cant remember actually having a 6 way flop)

Question. Should I have re-raised this in late positon pre-flop? I would have if KQ were suited but I always think off suite aren't great pre.

flop - Qc5c6d

I start with a check (to see what anyone in late pos. might do) checks to mid position again and he raises with a full pot bet.

Folds round to me.

My thought process - I have top pair with decent kicker, I also have club outs and im ahead of 10s, JJ, AK, plus club draws.

I decided to shove. he called with pocket KKs which held.

was this a bad shove or should I have folded?

I feel calling the flop might have improved him more than me? I think I didnt put him on an over pair because of the small raise pre-flop. I would have made it about 6 - 8 BB mid position with KKs with so many limping?


Thinking about it now, it seems a bit light. Maybe with AcQh?

as always appreciate any feed back.